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He gasped and sat up in his seat. “Finally! Milli so fine… I wish I could make her mine. If you didn’t, I was going to shoot my shot when I turned eighteen.”
“Boy, shutcho crazy ass up!”
We laughed as I pulled out of the parking lot.
“For real, Dad! She might’ve said no but I was going to at least try.”
“I thought you said she was like a second mom to you?”
He sucked his teeth and grabbed my phone to find whatever music he wanted to listen to.
“She is, but she fine. I’m glad you’re going to date her. Maybe we can finally be a real family.”
“So you’re saying you’d rather have her as a stepmom and Lis as a sister than Milli as your woman?”
“I mean… I guess I can let you have that. I got enough girls my age trying to get at me anyway.”
All I could do was laugh and shake my head. This child was too much like his uncles for me. I loved and hated that at the same time. It felt good to hear him say he approved of Milli and me dating, though a part of me was sure that would be the case. I didn’t want to get his hopes up too soon, but I also wanted him to have something positive to think about and look forward to because after his mom came and left, I was going to share with him her truth.
* * *
Milli and Lis came over for dinner so we could talk about what happened today. When I told Amelia I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep AJ at that school she agreed. We’d originally enrolled them there because it was one of the best schools academically, but realistically, there was more to their youth than excelling with their grades. We were concerned about them not being active with sports or extracurricular groups and activities because they didn’t like a lot of the kids in their grade.
AJ had two boys he considered friends, and the only person at the school Alisia considered her friend was him. She talked to other girls there and would go to the mall with them every once in a while, but they didn’t really connect with other kids there the way I liked.
When we decided to talk to them and see if they wanted to consider going to another school, I told her I would go and get them from the game room, and the sound of their conversation halted my steps immediately.
“What you mean, Lis?” AJ asked as I leaned against the wall.
Alisia sniffled. “I’m just really sad.”
“Why?”
“Those girls are always talking about me. I hate going to school now. And the last time I fought them, I was the one that got in trouble.”
“Well, Dad and Milli said we can defend ourselves when people bully or attack us, so if you need to beat them up, they won’t get mad at you. And even if you don’t want to, I’m always going to protect you. Just like I did today. The first time your mom was mad because you didn’t even let the girl finish talking before you started tagging her.”
I covered my mouth to avoid my laugh escaping because that was true. I couldn’t believe girls were even trying to bully Lis at this point because she’d tagged a girl for it last year. Maybe because Milli stressed nonviolence and had Lis trying to resolve things with words over her fists. She too believed sometimes it took popping someone in their mouth to silence them, though, and AJ had obviously mastered learning how to bait someone enough to let his reaction be acceptable.
“Thank you. I love you, AJ. I’m glad you’re my friend. I wish I had a daddy like yours.”
“I wish I had a mama like yours.”
They laughed softly. “I love my mama, but she works so much. It sucks because I don’t have my daddy either. My grandma is always there for me.”
“Yeah, but, it’s cool. My dad works a lot too because they have to, but they love us.”
“Yeah.” Lis sniffled again. “I just wish she was at home more when I got home from school or that I had my daddy. I love yours, but he’s not mine, though I wish he was.”
“That’s why you’re sad?”
“Mhm. School sucks, my daddy doesn’t want me, and my mama always works. She tries to spend time with me as much as she can, so I don’t complain. I just wish she could be with me a little more.”
“Well, why don’t you talk to her about it, so she won’t work so much?”
“I don’t want to make her feel bad. She gives me anything I want… just not more of her. I know she has to work so I just deal with it.”
Silence found them, and I took that time to go back into the dining room with Amelia. Sitting next to her, I took her hand into mine.
