“Even Grandma and Auntie Hope?”
“Even Auntie Grace.” I confirmed.
“Well, Auntie Hope wouldn’t give me any ice cream even though Nana said I could have some. She said I had to eat my vegetables first. I don’t like green beans.”
“Since when don’t you like green beans?”
She scrunched her nose like she could still picture the moment. “Grandma put potatoes in her green beans. I like it with bacon like you make it.”
“You have to follow Auntie Hope’s rules about eating if you want treats.”
Jada poked her lip out but quickly recovered from her disappointment. I loved how resilient children were. Hopefully, my baby wouldn’t have any permanent deep-seated trauma from not knowing her father for the first six years of her life.
“I will try to eat them.”
“Good.”
“What about my daddy? I wanna see him. Can he come watch movies with us today?That would be so fun.”
“I’m not sure if he has time today, but I will check and see.”
“Do I look like him? Auntie Grace said I look just like my daddy.”
“Nobody is as adorable as my baby,” I said, tickling her tummy but making a mental note to wring Grace’s neck when I saw her. She was so messy with her short ass.
“What time is he coming?” Jada asked.
“I haven’t asked him yet, baby. I told you it might not be today.”
“Aww man,” she said, pouting again and folding her arms across her chest.
“You don’t even know what time it is now, girl.”
“Yes I do. Twelve and twenty-seven on the clock means it’s twelve twenty-seven o’clock.”
“You’re right,” I said, smiling as I pulled her into my lap.
“So what time is he coming?” she asked again.
“Girl.”
“OK. I need to be patient, right?”
“Yes, ma’am, you do.”
“Well, can we go ahead and watch the movie while we wait for my daddy?”
“I will invite him over, but it will probably be another day when he comes,” I said, shaking my head.
I could already tell this girl was about to “my daddy” me to death. I couldn’t blame her. If my daddy was worth a damn, I would be the same way. I could only pray that Reed wouldn’t let my baby down.
Why the hell was I so damn nervous? Over the years, I did business with big wigs, billionaires, and celebrities all over the country. Hell, all over the world actually.
On my father’s orders, I choked the life out of two men with my bare hands just to get the chance to have Faith in my life one day without recourse. Now I was standing at her door feeling so nervous that I couldn’t even knock. My hands were literally shaking as I set the bags on my arm down on the porch.
I took a breath and looked down at the Diamond Needle suit I changed into at work. I shook my head knowing I should have changed clothes before breaking the sound barrier to get to Faith’s house. I was way overdressed to meet my six-year-old daughter for the first time. It was too late, though. I was there.
Then again, I hadn’t knocked on the door yet, so maybe I could just head out and return when I felt and looked more relaxed. I knew it was silly to be scared to meet a child, but I couldn’t help it. I was freaking out.
