Every decision he made echoed in the lives of Nivéa and Nyla now, grounding him in ways he never expected. The streets had their allure, no doubt. But the warmth of the family he chose to make was a pull he couldn’t resist.
With his head bowed, he sat in the recliner inside his bedroom, holding Nyla. He looked into her eyes as her tiny hand curled around his finger.
“Yeah… Mama was right. You just wanna be held. That’s cool, though, babygirl.”
A smirk crept across his chocolate face as he watched her yawn, her little mouth opening wide before she looked around curiously. He spoke to her about his day as if she could understand, sharing the highs and lows. It seemed to him that she was listening, hanging on to his every word.
Eventually, Nyla shifted, kicking her feet with a slight scowl, and that was his cue to change how he held her. Day by day, Crown was learning her ways and how to care for her. Even in the beginning, before he worked up the nerve to hold her, he observed how Nivéa took care of her…what made her comfortable and what made her sad. He was an observant man and had come to understand this subtle warning sign, a way of telling him she needed adjusting before the tears began.
Crown hated to hear or see Nyla cry, not because it annoyed him, but because it worried him. As a real man, he couldn’t stand to see either her or Nivèa in distress. Slowly, he lifted her and placed her gently on his shoulder, patting her back. She immediately showed comfort, beginning to coo.
As he chuckled at her noises, the restroom door opened, and Nivéa walked into the bedroom, her expression softening at the sight as she dried her hair with a towel.
“Look at y’all.” She said, a smile spreading across her face. “Told you she just wanted to be held.”
Crown shrugged, glancing up at her. “It’s all good.”
“What you been in here telling her?”
“Just the real…about my long-ass day.”
Nivèa shook her head, still smiling as she moved around the room. “I hope it was PG. She doesn’t need to know thatbig man with the big bike carries big guns.”
Crown chuckled. “Nah, baby. PG.” He assured her.
Nivéa placed the monitor on the nightstand before climbing into bed. The Egyptian cotton sheets felt amazing against her freshly shaven legs. She could live like this forever, and she would, because Crown was her husband now.
Once she settled in, Crown followed suit, with Nyla still attached to his chest. Leaning over, Nivéa kissed his lips before placing a hand on the side of Nyla’s face. And out of nowhere, baby girl faintly smiled, gazing around.
“You see that?” Crown asked.
“What? Her smiling?”
“Her dimples. I thought she had them but wasn’t sho. They showing more now, though.”
“Oh, yeah. I didn’t think anyone but me noticed. They sure are. Just like mommy. Right, girl?” Nivéa kissed Nyla’s cheek.
“And she’s trying to hold up her head.”
“Yeah, I see her chunky butt. She’s something else.”
Nivéa blushed at his observations, finding it cute how he paid such close attention to Nyla. It showed her that he truly cared for her baby girl just as much as he loved her.
“She’s moving kind of quick, huh?” Crown acknowledged with furrowed brows. “She even tries to clutch her bottle like she’s got it, but that grip isn’t all the way there yet.”
Nivéa snickered, rubbing her stomach. “I guess she’s trying to make room for this one. I used to hear my mama say that to her pregnant friends with younger kids all the time.”
“I guess so.” Crown gazed down at her stomach, pride swelling within him. He had heard that myth, too.
“What you want, baby? Boy or girl?” Nivéa asked.
“Doesn’t matter. I told you before, as long as my baby is healthy, I’m good. You?”
“A son, so I can be done. For real this time.”
Crown glanced over at her.
“What? Don’t look at me like that. I’m serious. This is it. Don’t tell me you want more.”
