Page 52 of Ms. V's Hot Girl Summer

Unknown number: Hey, Orly. I heard u in town. If u gonna be in carnival tomorrow, be on the lookout. Ima find u so we can chat.

“Are you good?” Trinidad asked. She languidly stretched in the bed, the sheets that covered her belly and breasts shifted until she was completely bare. Fuck, I was a lucky-ass man to lie next to her. A lucky-ass man with a lot of shit in the bag to encumber her. Trinidad had said she was good with it all, but was she?

I was about to be a dad.

Fuck. I wasn’t about to be a dad, I had been one for a while now, without knowing.

“Oh oh, whatever is going through your head, we better talk it through, Papi,” Trinidad whispered, pulling me out of my spiral. My dick also perked up at her words, especiallyPapi. Damn my attention span was crap, but I was gonna focus on what was the most immediate thing.

“Papi?”

“Well, if you gonna be my man…but I can call you something else.” Her shoulders rose and fell, and her pouty lips spread open, warm breath whooshing out in a yawn.

“Nah, nah I likePapi.” My chest poofed up, imagining her sobbing and moaning “Papi” while I put her through the mattress. Just like that, I was rock-hard again.

“Oh, mi amigo wants to play again? Damn, this is going to be fun.” Trinidad stretched again, her nipples perking up in the night air.

“He does wanna play. He wanna play every time we are next to you, and many times when you’re far away. I got it bad,” I confessed. Fuck it. Keeping things inside protects me a lot, but with Trinidad, I wanted her to know it all. Damn, she had me down bad.

“Bueno pues I could be persuaded to play…” she purred, and I could swear her pussy purred too.

“I… I want that very, very much, but first…” I sat up straighter, my dick bobbing in disappointment at my decision to postpone bliss.

“Oh-oh.” Trinidad reached down and pulled the sheets over her, hiding all that beautiful skin, and shifting her body so her attention was fully on me.

“Maria…my daughter’s mother, just texted me. She…she said she wants to meet during carnival to chat.” I stretched my feet out, the warm sheets soothing my nervousness.

“Oh…that’s good news, isn’t it?” Trinidad said letting the question be the invitation I needed.

“It is, but at the same time I know its gonna change my life. Same as my dad dying changed my life. Same as my mother’s diagnosis changed my life…”

“All adding more responsibilities to your plate…” Trinidad whispered, perfectly understanding me without the need of many words.

“Yes, but responsibilities that fill me with joy, that have made me the man that I am. I am grateful, for it all, but it don’t mean it’s not more responsibility.” Fuck, saying this to her felt good. To lay down the heavy burden for a second and just share words with someone that understood them.

There was nothing she could do to change my reality. But her understanding and support gave me strength. She saw it in a way my brothers didn’t, nor even my mother. They took my caretaking for granted. Things ran well in our household and it was a given. They didn’t know any other life, and I had created that level of comfort for them all. I hadn’t let my brothers help and contribute in ways that were age appropriate because… I hadn’t wanted them to feel the same burden I did.

“I think I did my brothers a disservice,” I said, jumping topics without care. Thinking out loud with the woman of my dreams.

“Nah, at your age, trying not to add to their bag made sense to you; now that you know better, you can help them grow in that respect. It’s never too late, and you know they’re good kids, spoiled from what you’ve told me, but good kids. What else can they be? They are your brothers.” Trinidad pulled at the sheets, the soft fabric flowing right on top of my legs. The slight cold that had seeped in had gotten lost in the comfort of her presence, but she had noticed and had made sure I was comfortable. And she’d picked up on my pivot with ease. Because all of these things were interconnected for me. For her.

“Yeah, I’m going to have to if I want to be as present as I want in my daughter’s life…and law school.” I slid down from my seated position until I lay mirroring Trinidad, both on our sides, faces close by. Her soft skin over her hips beckoned me, and with the ease of long-time lovers, I gathered her close. Our legs entangling in the most comfortable way.

“Do you feel ready?” she whispered.

“I do, I feel like I was born for it. I’m nervous as fuck of course, I don’t want to fuck up in any way, but I want to be present for her. Be an active part of her life.” The scent of us together was intoxicating. I knew it would be. We lay in comfortable silence, our bodies melting into each other.

“Parenthood…is the most rewarding but hardest thing you will ever do in your life. Many times you will have to make decisions for the good of your children regardless of what you need at the time. It’s selfless work. You have been putting in that type of work since your father passed away. So I think you’ll be alright, Orlando, I really believe so. And you have friends and me to help you through the hard days. Without my family and Miranda, I don’t know what I would have done.” Her words started lagging, her brain going into slumber faster than she was ready to admit.

“Thanks, Trinidad, I…needed to hear that. I need to speak with my family, when I am back…and figure some shit out ASAP, but you’re right I’m not alone.” The weight of those words surrounded me in peace I hadn’t felt in my adult years.

I was not alone.

I didn’t have to do this alone.

And as Trinidad fell asleep in my arms, I thanked whatever deity was in charge of this timeline for letting me be part of her life.

TWENTY-TWO

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