Page 48 of Senior

“Shut up, Stanley.”

“Baby, are you gonna sit out here all night?”

I looked back to see my wife standing at the back patio door in her robe with her arms folded. I took a pull from the blunt and motioned her over to me. When she was within reach, I pulled her down onto my lap and rested my head against her chest.

“What’s wrong, Deucy?”

“My mama, man. She been M.I.A for four damn days. No calls, no texts, no nothing. Like where the fuck she at?”

“I’m sure she’s fine, Stanely. Sometimes we need a little mental break.”

“That’s cool and all, but she just went ghost. Since when do we do that?”

She wrapped her arms around me and kissed the top of my head. “You are such a mama’s boy at times, Deucy. I love the way you love her. It’s one of the things that made me fall for you. When you tricked me into having breakfast with her, I watched you love on her that entire day with a smile on my face.”

I chuckled lowly, thinking about that day. It was the first time I really tasted my wife. The day it further confirmed that she was mine and I would lose all common sense behind her. While she was watching me with my mama, I was watching her with moms too. She took to her and I couldn’t have ask for anything better. These days, they had a relationship about as solid as our.

Moms told her shit before she told me sometimes. That’s why her ass wasn’t worried. She knew something.

“You spoke to her?” I asked.

“Not since before she left. Give her some space, Deuce. She’s in a different space in life right now.”

I frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just… she needs this, okay? Don’t be hard on her when she comes back, either. That might be your mother, but that lady is grown and she doesn’t have to answer to anybody.”

“You sound like Pops old ass… you think that nigga knows where she is? They were too damn friendly at dinner the other night and he’s been looking sad and shit all week long.”

I almost felt like I was interrupting something at the damn dinner table. They were laughing, smiling, and having side conversations and shit. It was too much like flirting and I had to shut that shit down. Senior had been doing good the last couple years. I didn’t need him getting any ideas.

Salima rolled her eyes and stood to her feet. “Leave that shit alone, Stanley. Finish that blunt and bring your ass to bed. I wanna cuddle and get booty rubs until I fall asleep.”

She leaned in, cupped my face and kissed my lips before heading back inside. I sat back in the chair and took a long pull from the blunt. Everything she said went in one ear and out the other. I knew my father, especially when it came to my mama. I felt like something happened between him and my mama before she left. That’s why he was walking around here like he lost is best fucking friend.

Pulling out my phone, I went to his contact and initiated a call. I didn’t care if it was nearing midnight. After about four rings, he answered the phone.

“Deuce, somebody better be dying,” he said.

“You know where my mama is?”

The line was quiet.

“Pop.”

“Nigga, I know you didn’t call me to ask where your mama is.”

“Y’all been real friendly and shit lately. I thought I would ask. Did something happen between y’all? Is that why you’ve been moping all week?”

“You asking me questions like you already know the answer, Stanley.”

“I was just making an observation. Putting two and two together.”

“Junior, get the fuck off my phone and take your ass to bed. Your mama is grown and where ever the fuck she is, she’ grown over there too. Goodnight.”

“Stanley.”

“What!”