Page 119 of Quasim: King Inferno

The smile on my father’s face couldn’t even be explained with words. He had lost something when my mother’s condition worsened. “She fucking wrote my name, Pop.”

Blaze smiled. “Wrote mine first.”

My father looked at him. “Cause she felt bad for yo big headed ass.”

Blaze laughed. “Hater.”

I laughed because this was the typical dynamic between the two of them. It felt like we were getting back to the old times, before life beat us the fuck down with an iron pipe. “The speech therapist was there when I left.”

Since that tumor had been removed, my mother was different. She used to stare out the window, never saying anything, and was a shell of the old her. She wasn’t running around and yelling or talking to us, but she was much more aware and recognized our faces when we walked into the room. It was like she wanted to speak, but had gone without doing it for so long she couldn’t form the correct words she wanted to say.

Other than a few words that she always said, and some words in Portuguese, she was learning everything all over again. My heart squeezed every time I walked into the room, and she tossed her arms up for a hug – something she never did.

“Feel like I’m dreaming and all this shit going to go away when I wake up.” I admitted.

My father nodded as he pulled a spliff behind his ear, something that Blaze picked up from him. “Feel the same way. Iain’t never been so happy to be in a fucking car accident in my life.”

I watched as he took a pull and leaned back in the chair. “That neighbor across the street from you selling his house.” He looked at me.

“How do you even know that? I ain’t see no sign put up.”

“Pop, I know every fucking thing…you forgot I was King Inferno first? I’m thinking about buying before he even put it up.” I watched as he collected the smoke through his mouth and then out through the nose.

“Why? The whole purpose of the lake house was for the family… shit ain’t only mine. Blaze and Pri already have theirs.”

He looked past me out the window as Blair tried to pull Capella into the fire hydrant. “You need your space, Pop.”

“The house has enough space.”

The bathroom door opened, and Cappadonna came out spraying. “She just like her father… blew that damn bathroom up. No more ice cream for you.” Promise went to scream, and he looked at her. “Pow-pow? Don’t make daddy do it because it’s gonna break my heart, but your mother is firm on this.” He was more so pleading with her than actually disciplining her.

She laid her head on his shoulder pouting, while he sat next to Blaze. “She means a lot to you, and I know she does. You don’t take your eyes off her, or Elijah. You been standing out there watching them both like a hawk. Cherie and Harley will always be your family… you’re not replacing them, but Blair and Elijah are your family, Pop.”

I leaned my head back. “Shit fucks with me every once in a while… don’t want them to ever feel like I’m replacing them.”

“You not, Sim. How long are you gonna punish yourself by not living your life? Michael out there makes you happy as shit… shit, you make her happy. I get where Papa coming from.” Capp said.

Whenever I was with Blair or Elijah, I felt at peace. My mind was quiet, and I was able to enjoy myself. Elijah had become the best part of my mornings since I started feeding and taking care of him. He talked too damn much in the morning, but I looked forward to that little knock on the door every day.

With Anjo, the walls were slowly coming down the more I saw how crazy she was about me. The fact that she followed me, and had plans on jumping out to fight some chick that didn’t exist still made me laugh.

Yeah, crash out behind yo dick, Anjo.

I had to check her ass though, because she could have fucked up a play I had been working hard on. “She know about Kew.”

“Her ass better stop bringing my wife along with her shit… then we got home, she ate all my fucking cookies Gams made for me.”

“Ain’t she still breastfeeding?” Cappadonna asked.

“Her ass started crying once she realized… fucking hormones is something.” Blaze leaned up and accepted the spliff from my father.

“Easy on that shit…that some pure grade shit right there.” He warned him.

I looked at my father. “I’m gonna propose to her.”

Blaze started choking as he looked at me. “You fucking with me?”

Cappadonna smirked. “I’m proud of you, Sim. I know how dark shit gets for you, but the fact that you seeing your way out of it and want to take this step is big… I can officiate the wedding if you need me to.”

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