Page 13 of Maceo

He eyed me suspiciously as I stood, but didn’t say anything. I was thankful for that. Today was supposed to be a happy day. Mama Stephanie was getting married, so there needed to be nothing but good vibes and good energy.

When he opened the door, there stood our father, looking casket sharp in his five-piece suit. A grin spread across Darlyn’s face when she recognized who he was. She reached for him, and he happily took her from my brother’s arms. The man was loving being somebody’s PaPa. Baby girl was obsessed with him.

“Hey, papa’s baby!”

He kissed all over her cheeks as she gripped his beard with her tiny fingers.

“So you’re going?” Deuce asked.

“I might as well.”

“You better act right, Pops. Don’t be in there objecting when the pastor gets to that part.

Dad chuckled. “I promise, I’m on my best behavior. I love your mama, and I should be happy for her. She deserves to be happy, even if it ain’t with me.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that. Pops or not, if you fuck up this day, it’s gon’ be me and you, old man.”

“Stanley, the day you think it’s wise to really square up against me is the day I hand you your ass. Don’t play with me, boy.”

“You heard what I said.”

“I heard you, but you heard me too.” Pops reached out and adjusted his collar before lightly patting his face. “You look good, both of you. You get that from me.”

Deuce and I kissed our teeth as we waved him off, causing him to laugh.

“I’m taking my grandbaby with me. We’ll see you at the venue.”

Deuce frowned. “How are you gonna come steal my baby?”

“Like this.”

Pops lifted the diaper bag from his shoulder before turning and walking back down the steps to his truck.

“How much you wanna bet he cries?” I asked, watching him strap Darlyn in the back of the truck.

“I’m not even gonna bet because I know he’s gonna cry in the car. Ol Ray J ‘One Wish’ singing ass nigga.”

We shared a laugh. Maybe it wasn’t funny that he was losing the one baby mama he would always love for good, but shit. If he liked it, he should’ve put a ring on it.

Damn,my baby was looking good in her bridesmaid’s dress. The wedding colors were brown, gold, and cream. The gold fabric against her skin was hitting on something different as the dress hugged her every curve.

She’d slicked her curls down into a low ponytail, accentuating her neckline. She knew what that shit did to me. When she winked at me and blew me a kiss, I swear my dick got hard. I didn’t even realize I was grinning until my mama nudged me.

“Look at your sprung ass,” she said, giggling. “Grinning and shit.”

“I can’t help myself, Ma. I love that girl.”

“I know you do, baby. I’m happy for you. Now if your brother could find him a nice girl?—”

Devin’s head whipped around. “Don’t start, Mama.”

He and I were exactly eleven months apart, with me being born in January and him in November. That was a ghetto ass time in our parents’ life. Deuce was already two when I was born, then to have two other babies born in the same year? Yeah, Pops was out here being reckless.

“What?” my mama asked. “I want you to be happy too.”

“Why do I need a woman to be happy? I have my family. I have my business and my health. I’m good right now. Whenever I decide to settle down, it’ll be whenI’mready, woman. Don’t worry. You’ll get your grandbabies, eventually. The way those two go at it, I bet it’s sooner rather than later.”

My fifteen-year-old little sister, Deja, elbowed me. “Are you gonna marry Ms. Shar?”

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