“Not only was it funny, it was accurate as hell. Look how many times you had to bump your head.” She set her glass on the table and picked up a taco for herself.
After a bite of the first one, she added two more. Moose sucked his teeth.
“Whatever.” He selected the movie Tiara wanted on the TV and let it play.
Once they finished eating, Inari got ice cream for them, and they settled in for the night on the couch with Tiara in the middle and Moose and Inari in opposite corners. After filling Inari in on all the latest, Tiara ended up dozing off, and Inari wasn’t far behind her. Moose played a game on his phone after coming in from his smoke session outside. He assumed Dane was either asleep or still on his game, but he paused in the doorway to the living room and decided to snap a photo with Inari and Tiara all snuggled up on the couch.
After saving the shot, he sighed with annoyance when Tulla’s number flashed across his screen. He didn’t want to answer, but he tried to be mature when it came to co-parenting. He swiped to pick up, pressing the phone against his ear.
“What’s up?”
“Where are you right now?” she demanded.
“Minding my fucking business. The fuck?”
“I have a right to know where my daughter is, Moose. It’s late, and I know you’re not at home,” Tulla voiced.
“And how the fuck you know that?”
“Because I have your shit under surveillance, nigga. So where is?—”
“First of all, calm the fuck down, Tulla. Whatever you going through, you brought that shit on yourself.”
“Fuck you, Moose! You have ruined my fucking life and my marriage! You think I’m going to let you use my daughter to try and create some ready made family with that bitch, Inari?”
“You don’t really have a choice, Tulla. Ain’t that a bitch, the law is actually on my side for once. Tiara asked to see Inari, and I ain’t one for denying my baby girl what she wants. I missed a lot of time to spoil her.”
Those words gained silence from the other side of the phone. Moose nodded. He figured as much. Tulla didn’t have a leg to stand on. Now that her power was slipping, she was only growing more desperate.
“Moose, you have no idea what all this is doing to my reputation. My family won’t talk to me, my husband moved out. I got my department whispering behind my back because I have a secret love child with a fucking Blackmoor!”
“Ain’t none of that shit my problem, Tulla. It could have all been different if you told the truth to begin with.”
“It would have been better if you just kept your fucking mouth shut! Don’t you get it? Tiara was already a target with me as her mother, now she’s your daughter, and I’m supposed to believe you can protect her? You and that bitch, Inari. Trouble follows that bitch wherever she goes too. I will not have my daughter be some casualty to your bullshit!”
“Goodnight, Tulla. It’s my weekend. I’ll drop her off at school on Monday. Have a nice fucking night.” Moose hung up and set his phone to Do Not Disturb.
Inari stirred on the couch when he lowered himself to the cushions. She blinked a few times, a little disoriented. Peering down, she relaxed, and a warm smile claimed her lips when she found Tiara sleeping soundly against her. Moose sat up on the edge of the sofa, placing his phone face down on the table.
“I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” She yawned.
“How long we doing this, Nari?”
“What are you talking about, Moose?”
“I’m talking about you pretending like you don’t know what the fuck I want. You making friends with my daughter. She adores you and Dane. The fuck I’m supposed to do with that? I want you. I want us.” He threw his hands up in frustration.
“Moose—”
“I ain’t trying to hear no politically correct shit, ma. Real talk. You either gon’ give me another chance or this the last time I’m putting in any kind of effort. I ain’t that same nigga. I had a lot of demons I was fighting. Still fighting. But I know now what I want and what’s at risk.” He glimpsed her over his shoulder, eyes raking over his sleeping child in her arms.
The shit only made him love her more. She didn’t bat a fucking eye when it came to embracing her. Real woman type shit that he knew he couldn’t find just anywhere. He couldn’t even check for another bitch because all he thought about was her.
“You are not making this easy, or fair.” She dragged her fingers over her sleepy eyes.
“Shit ain’t supposed to be easy when it’s worth it,” Moose quoted. “I fucked up, but I ain’t give up on us. I feel like you have, and if that’s the case, let me know. Don’t try to pacify me because of her. Cause when I see a future, I see you. Me. Her. Dane. Watching homie graduate and go to college and make something of himself. I see waking up on weekends and going to the farmer’s market and picking through Laci’s floral arrangements. Visiting Jane to chop it up with her, maybe even popping up on your parents’ graves if you ever feel up to it.” The more he talked, the glossier her eyes became until she couldn’t hold back the tears.
She quickly wiped them and stood, making sure not to disturb Tiara.
