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And now look at who occupies it…
Suddenly, Jas’ dark irises were upon me. He didn’t break in rhythm while looking my way. It was unexpected, fast, and almost slyly, something I’d seen of him over the years. The storm hidden behind his eyes. It was the Harlem in the man. As refined as Jas’ new life had been, there were some characteristics of “the block” he’d likely never escape.
Jas’ attention to Chi-Chi resumed, and he murmured something to her I couldn’t hear.
She turned to me with heavy eyes and gasped. “Mommy?” A smile warmed my face.
“Hey, Chi…”
Her movements stalled. “Youwan—come dance, Mommy? Come dance!”
I pushed off the wall and toed over to the pair. Immediately when I arrived, Chivon pushed me back at the pelvis. “You over ‘dere, Mommy. Not with my Daddy!”
Obeying her while stunned and confused, I backed away and allowed her to position herself between us. Chi-Chi wanted my hand on her shoulder while she resumed gripping her fingers with her father. She immediately fell into her two-step, occasionally glancing back at me to be sure I was dancing “with” them.
Fighting his mirth, Jas’ eyes closed and I could see the rolling of them. He picked up on her possessive nature, too. If I sat in my feelings about this, I’d have to admit they were hurt. Never in all the years I was obsessed with Noel did my mother express her resentment or unease over my fixation on her husband. So, I certainly wouldn’t do that over my “baby’s daddy.” I’d let Chi-Chi have her way with him for as long as she could.
“She needs a sibling.”
“Pardon?” Jas asked.
I motioned down to my mini-me with my chin. “She needs a sibling.”
Jas didn’t reply. In fact, his face erased of any emotion in an instant. I continued the dance, still taken by my child’s audacity but eventually cooling to finding the humor in it all.
Jas’ phone sounded just as the song was ending.
“Shit,” he murmured, looking at the caller’s identification. “I gotta take this. Chivon, it’s past your bedtime. You should be ready now.”
“No, Daddy,” she fought.
“I’ll stay out with her for a few more minutes, then put her to sleep.”
“Make sure she brush her teeth,” Jas commanded, stepping away shirtless and flexing.
“You want to sleep with Mommy tonight?” A new song had begun, and I grabbed Chi-Chi’s little hands to continue to dance.
“No sleep with Mommy. I big girl now!”
My head popped back at that. Although I managed a smile, my feelings were completely slaughtered. Since when did my baby not want to snuggle with me at night?
I noticed the music decreasing drastically in volume, but still alive. I spun Chi-Chi around underneath me and realized it didn’t garner her same giggling response as it always had. Then she let go of one of my hands to rub her eye. My baby was sleepy. A hefty yawn soon followed.
“Okay. Okay. Okay.” I took her by the chin. “Mommy gets the hint. Time for bed.”
“I not sleepy.” She pouted.
“Okay. Let’s go brush your teeth, then we’ll check in on Miss Sleepy. Is that alright?”
Chi-Chi nodded. I guided her through the plush home and found her room and bathroom near her father’s. She brushed her teeth, and I walked her to her bed where we prayed, and she fell out almost as soon as she rolled over. Chivon had really been developing into a big girl. No crying, fussing, or complaining of fear in an unfamiliar room. Nope. My big girl relinquished herself to Mr. Sandman.
I, on the other hand, was wired. I’d just had a big win and had been ignoring my phone since arriving here. On my way back outside, I grabbed a towel and my phone from my bedroom. After dropping my shorts, I dipped my toe into the hot tub, quickly deciding on it. After the strain I’d put on my body in these past few weeks, it was only right. Tension loosened almost immediately once everything was submerged except for my hands and head. Right away, I found myself psyched by the congratulatory texts from my best friends. Borys must have done exactly as I requested, which was to reach out to them all with the news.
I was posting pictures and videos Marie sent me from the competition when Jas came into the courtyard with his laptop. “Let me know what the rheumatologist nigga say, and we can politick about it from there.”
“A’ight. Like that,” Juggy rasped into the phone. “Y’all good down there? When y’all headed back?”
Jas planted himself at a table and tapped at the computer. “Ummm… We fly out tomorrow night…like eight. I’mma take Chivon swimming and let her think she working out with me. Some shit to tire both our asses out for the flight.”
