Page 52 of Truce Of The Matter

She snuggles into me and I drape my arm around her. “You can school me on whatever you want; I’m already stuck,” I say.

“Iswear I’m never going to leave if you keep interrupting me,” Truce huffs playfully.

“I’m not interrupting. I’m just commenting, beautiful. I love watching you. It’s sexy as hell how you be rubbing your oils on that body. Even the way you put your makeup on is sexy as fuck. It’s like my own personal little movie because I know you do all that extra shit just for me.”

“Just for you,” she says before putting her lipstick on.

I real shit love watching her get dressed before I see her. That shit is a work of art and the best part is that she’s doing it for me. Every drop of oil on her beautiful body is for my nose to inhale. The lipstick she puts on her soft lips is for me to kiss off. Her hair is combed just right so I can run my hands through it and every piece of clothing is put on so I can take it off. I love all of it and so does she. I don’t even have to ask anymore; if she’s getting dressed, she’ll FaceTime me.

“You know this is a barbecue,” I say as she pulls the fitted dress down her hips.

“I know but it’s with your parents, your family. Plus, it’s me and Aryel’s first outing together. She told me last night at the restaurant that she was wearing a dress and she asked me to wear one too. So, I am. You don’t like it?”

That’s why she picked out a dress for today,I think with a smile.

My baby girl is crazy about Truce. For her nail appointment today, she insisted that I ask Truce to take her instead of me. I didn’t want to impose, but when I mentioned that Dax and I had to season the meat and get the grill ready for my parents’ anniversary party this evening, Truce volunteered to take Aryel.

“I love this dress on you,” I admit and she simpers.

“Thank you. I’m hanging up so I don’t miss our appointment. You should be leaving too.”

“I am. She’s ready. We’ll meet you at the shop. Don’t let her talk you into long nails.”

“Rex, she’s seven. I wouldn’t dare. Her own nails are cute enough. Trust me, I got this.”

She winks then ends our call.I do trust her.I don’t let anybody I don’t trust around my baby. Nobody but Truce is different. She’s carved out a piece of my heart and I completely trust her with Aryel and with me. Aria kind of fucked me up when she left. Not only did she leave our baby, but she left me, her husband. When I married, I meant every word of my vows. It hurt when I learned that she didn’t. She showed me that trust isn’t something guaranteed and I’ve moved accordingly with women until now, until her.

When I walk downstairs, Aryel is at the kitchen dinette still eating her cereal and fruit. It never takes her this long to eat her breakfast. I walk over to her and see that her bananas are almost gone but there’s plenty of Frosted Flakes left in her cereal bowl.

“What’s wrong, baby? You not hungry today?” I ask.

“I ate my bananas but I don’t want to mess up my dress,” she says.

“You can put something else on and eat if you’re worried about that. I’ll go get something.”

“No, Daddy. Then we’ll be late,” she says and I realize she’s really excited about her nail appointment with Truce.

“Okay, but you have to have more than a banana. How about one of your breakfast dogs? I can pop it in the air fryer and you won’t mess up your dress. Go get your stuff and I’ll heat it.”

“Okay. I’ll eat that.”

She hops out of her chair then reaches for her cereal bowl. When I see how careful she’s being with it, I chuckle then take it from her and place it back down on the table. She heads out the kitchen and I grab three of the pancake and sausage on a stick from the freezer and place them in our air fryer. As they warm up, I clean up her bowl and wipe down the table and kitchen counter.

I text my brother Dax and let him know I’m about to drop Aryel off so he can be ready. We are meeting at the marketplace to pick up the food for tonight. When Aryel walks back into the kitchen, she has one of her little LV purses instead of her book bag and I just smile. My baby is going all out for her little outing with Truce. She really likes her.

“You got some money in there?” I tease as I take the sausage dogs out of the air fryer.

“No. You’re paying for my nails.”

After wrapping her stick with paper towels, I hand it to her, then do the same for my two. “You’re expensive; you know that? You’re gonna have to get a job.”

“Daddy, I can’t work. I’m not old enough,” she says while giggling.

“Well, we’re gonna have to do something,” I say.

“We make money at the furniture store,” she informs me.

“We? That’s your store too?”

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