“Nah, I don’t want you to miss that much camp.” As much as I loved spending time with my daughter, I didn’t want to do it at the cost of interrupting her schedule. “We’re getting this week, so maybe we’ll count this week as an extra week.”
“Or . . . when my week in Chicago is up, you can come back with me and stay here for another week. I want to introduce you to my friends. Oh, and you should rent a hotel suite. I wanna sleep in the big bed and order room service.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, okay. I’ll present the plan to your mom.”
She sighed. “Really sell it, Daddy. Don’t be all dry and lackluster. Really sell it. Make her see how it’s the best plan for all of us.”
“I said I’ll talk to her, Mikayla. You gotta trust me. I can be very persuasive.” I pulled into a parking spot outside of the Dorothy G. Jackson Community Center where cheerleading camp was held.
Mikayla unbuckled her seatbelt, then I felt slim arms circle around my neck and hug me. A soft kiss was pressed against my cheek. “Thanks, Daddy. Love you. See you this afternoon.”
“You’re welcome. I love you, too. Have a good day, and stay safe. See you this afternoon.”
Harmony was in the same place I’d left her, the breakfast table, when I got back to the house.
“How’d drop-off go?” she asked.
“Good. We found her practice shoes. They were in the back seat.”
She chuckled. “Good. That girl would lose her head if it wasn’t attached.”
“Ay, she asked me to talk to you.”
“About what?”
“About the fact that she’s supposed to go with me when I leave for Chicago on Friday. She doesn’t want to go. She wants to be here to take care of you.”
Harmony sucked her teeth. “I’m fine. I don’t need her to take care of me.”
I pinned her with a blank stare. “Be so fuckin’ for real, Harmony. Your knee is basically dead.”
“Go to hell, Spence.” She sniggered. “My knee ain’t dead. It’s?—”
“Messed up. You’re hobblin’ around here, doin’ your best, and she sees that. She sees her mother hurt. She’s worried.” I exhaled heavily. “I don’t wanna take her.”
She gasped. “What? This is your week.”
“She’s gonna be miserable there with me, while she’s worryin’ about you. I don’t wanna take her.”
“The time has been scheduled. I—I’ve made plans.”
“You’re gonna have to tell that nigga that y’all have to reschedule.”
She clutched pretend pearls. “What makes you think there’s a man?”
I waved her off dismissively. “The last thing I want is a miserable Mikayla. And that’s what she’s gonna be . . . miserable, if she leaves you here alone.” I made air-quotes at the wordalone. “She’s gonna be distracted and worried. I don’t wanna do that to her. I think it’s best to let her see you through the worst of this. Then, as you start to heal, she’ll be more comfortablebeing away from you. Just give her one week. You just got home yesterday. Give her a week. Then, I’ll come back and get her.”
“Ugh!” She was frustrated.
“Your daughter is a future attorney just like you. She got me to agree to keep her a week, and then come back for a week. She wants me to rent a hotel suite so she can eat room service and sleep in a king-sized bed.”
“She does like to negotiate.”
“She does. And she’s good at it.”
She grinned with pride. “She is. Okay. You’re right. We’ll push her visit to Chicago back by one week. I’ll let my big baby take care of me and help me out.” She shook her head. “I really love that little girl.”
I couldn’t help the smile that spread over my face. “Me too.”
