“Maybe,” she said, trying to act coy, but I caught it.
My baby girl was all grown up and in love, and here I was, suddenly realizing I had to act calm, collected, and not scare her off before she even started talking. I rubbed the back of my neck, letting the smell of pancakes and bacon wash over me. I was trying my hardest to stay chill.Alright… Bleek, you got this. Just listen first, breathe later.Internally, I had to coach myself for this moment. She set the spatula down and looked up at me with sparkling eyes. She had her hands clasped tightly together like she was bracing herself. My chest tightened again.
MALIAH
I took a deep breath while trying to steady my hands as I fidgeted with the edge of my apron. Breakfast was sizzling, the smell of bacon and pancakes filled the kitchen, but I could barely focus on the food. All I could think about was the words I was about to say, the truth I’d been holding in. My eyes darted to Dad. He was casually sitting at the kitchen counter. His demeanor seemed unfazed. It always had been. When I come to think of it, I don’t think there was a time when I ever heard him yell. He was always stoic with this monotone sound that just let you know that he meant business. He’s perfect to me. Just perfect.
After a quick sigh, I opened my mouth.
“Dad…”
And then MJ strolled down the stairs like he owned the place, grabbed a piece of bacon off the nearby plate, and plopped into the chair next to Dad.
“What’s up, Pops?” he said, chewing with his eyes twinkling. He batted his long lashes that we all had gotten from our father before he continued to talk with food in his mouth, “It smells good in here.”
My heart skipped a beat.Ugh, why now?I watched MJ take another bite of bacon. He even did that, how he does everything else, confidently and unbothered. I stared at him for a moment and froze. I couldn’t help but notice how he really did look like our dad. He had the same dark complexion, same sharp jawline, and the same resting mean face that made people think twice before messing with him. Only MJ had the casual, mischievous edge of youth that Dad didn’t have anymore. I shook my head at my knuckleheaded brother and let out another sigh before trying again.
“Dad…”
But my voice caught in my throat. I opened my mouth, closed it, and stared at the counter like maybe if I looked down long enough, the courage would magically appear.
“Maliah?” Dad’s voice was calm, but his eyes were sharp as he noticed my hesitation.
I opened my mouth and then shut it again. MJ chewed slowly and gave me a side glance, like he knew exactly what I was thinking. He was teasing me silently. I inhaled deeply and let the air out in a sharp movement from my nostrils.
“C’mon, speak up, little mama,” MJ said while smirking. “Don’t leave us hanging.”
I groaned inwardly.Why is this so hard?I could feel my words tumbling around in my head. This topic was so damn sensitive, and I was afraid of the conversation going wrong. Myheart was pounding. My palms were sweaty… and then a blur caught me out of my peripheral vision.
Mom stepped in with her silk robe wrapped around her. A towel was wrapped around her head, so I knew that she must have just washed her hair. She gave me that small, reassuring nod that always made me feel better about everything.
“Maliah,” she said softly. Her voice was calm but firm. “You can tell him,” she added.
I took a deep breath and focused on her. Her presence made the courage I’d been searching for finally appear.
“Dad… I… I have a boyfriend.”
The words tumbled out, nervous and fast, but they were out. I watched his reaction carefully, my stomach twisted, as Mom moved closer, giving me the safety net I hadn’t realized I needed. I took another shaky breath and finished the thought I’d been holding in for weeks. Mom and I had rehearsed this, so I knew what to say next. I just had to spit that shit out.
“His name is Tahari, but everyone calls him Trigga. And I really like him.”
I twiddled my thumbs around each other as I was trying to steady my nerves. MJ was sitting there, leaning back in his chair with one eyebrow raised, with a smirk plastered across his face like he’d been waiting for this moment. My stomach curled. He knew exactly how nervous I was, and he loved every second.
“So, Trigga, huh?” MJ said after taking another bite of bacon. His smirk widened, and his eyes twinkled with mischief. “Interesting nickname. Is he named after a street legend or something? You know Pops was a real shooter back in the day, right?”
I froze as my words caught in my throat. My cheeks burned red. Ugh, why is he like this?He always tossed little comments out there about how Dad wasback in the day, as if he knew. Dad was a gentle giant in my eyes, and he didn’t give any kindof street vibes. I rolled my eyes at him because I was clearly annoyed.
Before I could say anything, Dad’s hand shot out and slapped MJ upside the head with a sharpthwackthat made the kitchen echo.
“Ow! Damn, Pops!” MJ yelped while rubbing the back of his head and grinning wider than ever.
Dad turned to me with narrow eyes, but there was no joke in them.
“Maliah, I want to meet this little friend of yours. You hear me?” His voice was calm, but the weight behind it made my stomach tighten.
I nodded quickly and then found the courage to finally find my voice.
“Yes, Daddy. I mean, you can… we can.”
