Page 54 of Quasim: King Inferno

“Hey, Capella.” I hugged him, and reached up to pinch Rory’s cheeks and he giggled while clinging onto his father.

“I poop in bowl.” He announced, and I pretended to be shocked.

“Did you? Rory, that is so good!” I pinched his cheek again as he beamed with pride that he used the bathroom.

The one thing that we all could agree on was how Capella and Aimee got Rory into the therapies that he needed. Rory clapped his hands and then rotated his neck as Capella looked at his boy with pride.

“He’s been telling everybody that will listen… even told his grandfather when he was eating.” Aimee busted out laughing, clearly still tickled by Rory ruining his grandfather’s appetite.

“Nah, cause he came running out the bathroom without washing his hands and held Pop’s face with his dirty ass hands.” The both of them were in stitches as they recounted the memory.

“Both of you ain’t shit for laughing… I know Capp was pissed.”

“Nah, he lets him get away with murder. But he went and washed his face soon as Rory went on to tell Alaia about his poop.” Capella chuckled.

We walked to the building, and I punched in the security code, and Capella held the door, while securing it behind us. I noticed his gun tucked in his back, and his head was on a swivel. “Ror, you gonna walk up the steps or is daddy going to hold you?”

“Walk.” He said, and Capella put him down while he climbed the steps with his mother.

It took us ten minutes to make it up the steps, but we all encouraged Rory while counting each step. Capella and Aimee were both young. That, added to the fact that they were not only married, but had an autistic son, added a lot of stress to their plates.

It was comforting to see them both coming together and trying to figure it out. Having a bunch of couples and marriages surrounding theirs, I knew it had to be hard and confusing. They wanted what everyone else had, while trying to figure out what they wanted.

“This is perfect for me and Rory… I can make this room off the kitchen into his sensory room like the one he has at his grandparents’ house. Alaia made sure to set one up for him and he loves it. When he throws a tantrum, he goes into the little egg chair and will fall asleep… it’s his safe space.”

“Think we can get him a real bed and move him out his crib. It’s time, Aim.” Capella pulled her into him, kissing her temple as they looked at the room that would be Rory’s.

“I’m sad about him getting into a big boy bed.” She sulked, as Rory looked out the window and then started running around the room.

I smiled. “Rory, are you a big boy?” He nodded his head up and down as he looked up at me. “Tell your mommy that you’re a big boy.”

“I a big boy, mama.”

Aimee kneeled down and kissed him on the cheeks. “My big boy, right?”

His phone rang and he looked at the screen. “This nigga, Jaiden.”

“What happened?” Aimee turned to look at him.

“He on me about this management shit and asking about my last test.”

Aimee stood up. “Honey, you passed that shit. I know starting over and being in school is something you didn’t think you would do, but look at you. Jaiden is a first-round pick, and every team wants him. His career is gonna blow up, and he wants his family to make sure he’s in good hands… he already got Capone and Erin to handle his finances, and Big Mike as head of security.”

“Listen to your wife. I know you’re used to being in the streets, but there is more out there for you. He needs you here, and it’s time to show him more, Capella.”

He nodded his head. “You want to move in here, Aim?”

“It’s not too far from school, and I have Blair across the hall. Plus, Skyler just moved to Brooklyn, which isn’t too far from here.”

Capella looked at me. “I’ll wire you the bread for the year.”

“She can move in here without payi?—”

“B, this is your business… we family, but we take care of each other, too. A year is enough time, because the goal is for us to eventually move onto the compound, right?”

Aimee smiled up at him. “Yes. That has always been the goal,” she wrapped her arms around him, and he kissed her forehead as his phone chimed.

“Big Mike downstairs… Head to the lake house after this, alright?”

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