I laughed. “Told you to call me whenever you need me to get my baby… she loves spending the night with Goo.”
Cherry had spent the night with me and my moms twice before. When the twins were a few weeks old, I went and got her to give Meer and Capri some time to adjust with the babies. It was a learning curve because you really had to bend when it came to babies. You were on their routine, not the other way around.
It wasn’t that hard because I wanted to become a father. Cherry showed me that parenthood wasn’t easy, but the shit was rewarding. I watched how Meer was with his kids, and how they gave him purpose.
Even King.
I saw how he went from being so closed off and broken to becoming a different man. The pain of losing Harley and Cherie was still there, but he opened his heart to new love, and that new love made him a father again.
With princess and prince Inferno, I saw a new side to my guy. He was still serious as shit, but there was a different side to him. While he would usually be here standing on the block with that scowl, shit was different now.
I watched as he was across the street kissing his wife’s neck while she was trying to talk to him about something. There was this silliness about him that not too many people got the chance to witness.
Blair and Quasim both healed each other. When it came to Queen, many women would assume she was too thirsty, even too needy, but she was exactly what that nigga needed. Sim never had someone apply pressure behind him, show him that he was needed, wanted and desired. A nigga needed that reassurance at times, and it was hard to accept that when you were carrying so much guilt.
He felt guilt behind losing Cherie, then his daughter. Women wanted men to be vulnerable, show their emotions and be open, but the minute a nigga showcased fear, hesitance, and didn’t know how to show those emotions, they were annoyed and ready to hop to the next dick.
Confused hoes.
I wanted the love that a nigga was surrounded by on a daily basis. The niggas I ran with were ruthless, but when I was welcomed into their homes, they were different.
Softer.
Tapped into their wives and children’s needs. You couldn’t tell me these were the same niggas that I witnessed put a burner to a man’s head and pull the trigger without an ounce of remorse or feelings.
Men deserved grace to fuck up, figure it out and then become whole for their women. A lot of women wanted perfect men out the gate and weren’t perfect themselves. Packed with a lot of trauma and wrong doings but wanted the perfect man.
There was a lot of shit I had that I needed to unpack, but I knew I could be whole for Zoya. I knew I could wrap my arms around her and let her know she could release. She didn’t need to be strong, because I would be the strength that I knew she needed.
“Yo, you trying to baby sit for us tonight?” Meer came across the street and kissed his daughter’s cheeks. “Cherry, you really acting funny because your God father is here?”
Cherry nuzzled her face in my neck and side eyed her father while Capri laughed. “She always acts funny with us… that’s cause Goon has her spoiled.”
“Always… whatever Cherry mama wants, Goo gonna get it for her, right?”
She held me around the neck tighter, not wanting me to put her down while giving her parents the stink eye. “Then watch her since you wanna be God daddy of the year.” Meer’s ass was in his feelings because his princess didn’t want his ass.
“I got you… fuck you both getting into?”
“It’s Labor Day weekend... I’m trying to be hugged up with my wife… I brought the bike out because we grown and married, Gerald.”
Meer never missed the opportunity to remind someone that he was married. The nigga was the loudest married man I knew.
“As much as Goon would love to watch Cherry, my father is coming to pick the kids up to bring them to the lake house for their last weekend there.” Capri replied.
“What you mean? I can watch my girl.”
Capri smirked. “Your boo is on her way over here.”
“Word?”
Meer laughed. “Nigga, don’t act all casual like you not about to throw my baby to meet her at the end of the block.”
I laughed. “Fuck up.”
“She’s bringing Navy with her so we can finally meet her… have you met Navy?”
I knew about Don’s fiancée before he even knew who she was. Navy’s family and mine were cool with each other. I used to live on Navy’s grandparents’ block when I was
