“My place or yours?” He grinned, reaching for my hand.
Ihad never been an emotional person. No, I didn’t think there was anything wrong with a man crying, but I felt like a little ho for damn near tearing up as I listened to Faith explain to administration at Jada’s school that I was her father.
I pretty much sat there in silence, signing my name on the necessary lines to give me permission to pick her up from school and participate in school events. Not that she was going to be here much longer; the school was not in my district. Soon, my babies would be living with me. That didn’t mean I didn’t feel honored.
We walked out into the hall to wait on Jada. Within minutes, my heart nearly stopped. They might as well had yelled out open the flood gates when Jada burst through the door.
“Daddy!” she squealed, running into my arms.
I swept her up, hugging her little body to mine. I was so in love with that little girl that I thought my heart would explode. I absolutely loved how eager she was to see me. I was really a dad out here.
“Hey, baby. Did you have a good day in school?” I asked as I followed Faith outside.
“Yes. My teacher was reading a book. Then they said my parents were here to pick me up. I didn’t know you were here. I thought it was Mommy. How did you find my school?” she asked, pulling back to look at me.
“Your mom brought me here.”
“You don’t see me standing right here?” Faith interjected.
“Oh, hey, Mommy!” she sang.
“I’m glad you finally noticed me. You just threw me away since your daddy is here.”
“Aww, baby. Come here,” I said, pulling Faith into a hug and practically smashing Jada between us.
“You’re squishing me, Daddy.” Jada giggled.
“I’m sorry. I just love cuddles with my girls. I don’t care if I have to share,” I explained, placing her on her feet.
“Where are we going, Mama?” Jada asked, looking at Faith.
“Your dad wants to take you to his house,” Faith replied to my surprise.
“Yes!” Jada shouted, jumping up and down.
I wondered if there was such a thing as feeling too good. I felt like I was overdosing on serotonin, and I didn’t even care. This was really my life. The chaos going on at Cashville was pushed to the furthest parts of my mind as my girls and I loaded up in my truck.
“Whoa.” Jada’s voice was barely over a whisper as we pulled through the gates to my property.
I couldn’t hide my smile. As many times as I had been home, I had never felt so proud to pull up to my spot. My daughter’s admiration made my chest tight. I wanted to look back so I could see the look on her face. Instead, I glanced up into the rearview mirror and caught a glimpse of her wide-eyed smile.
I would be a damn fool to let this little girl down. I didn’t know shit about being a father, but I was going to do everything I knew to do to make her a well-adjusted young adult in the future. Right now, she was just my baby.
“Mommy, look!” Jada squealed.
“I’m looking, baby,” Faith said, tittering softly.
Slowly, I crept up the long winding driveway letting my daughter admire the ridiculously massive plot of land I stayed on. Sometimes I got bored and just bought shit, which would explain the fountain with two angels spitting water out in front of my eight thousand square foot home. Faith didn’t know yet, but there were six empty bedrooms that we needed to fill inside. I couldn’t wait to grow our family; right now, I was enjoying the one I already had.
“Mama, is my daddy rich?”
I laughed, but Faith didn’t seem to find our daughter’s question funny. Her eyes grew wild as she whipped her head around to the back seat.
“Jada!”
“Well, is he?” She pressed.
“You don’t ask things like that. That’s rude.”
