Page 4 of Jaeda

“You’re welcome.” She took a seat and grabbed my stepfather’s hand. “Now that we’re all together, we have something to tell you.”

I stopped mid chew and glanced over at her. “Is it good or bad?”

She looked at Hershel, and he grinned.

“It’s good,” he said. “Shocking, but good.”

That was when I noticed how radiant she was. I mean, she was practically glowing.

“Oh my God, . . .” I said. “Oh. My. God! Mommy, please tell me you’re joking.”

She giggled. “I can’t. We’re having a baby!”

Steel almost choked on his ice cream. “You said what now?”

“We’re having a baby.” She stood and lifted her oversized shirt to show a very noticeable pudge.

“Hershel, how are you out here getting my mama pregnant, man?” Steel asked.

Hershel laughed. “I mean, she let me.”

Kalia shook her head. “Ma, you’re forty-nine. Why would you have another baby?”

My mother rubbed her stomach as she looked at us. “This wasn’t planned, but this baby is a blessing, just like all of you are.”

“Are you okay for this?” I asked. “Statistically speaking?”

“I’m healthy. The baby’s healthy. I just have to make sure I’m careful.”

“Um, where is this baby gonna sleep?” Kaila asked. “I’m not sharing my room. I need my privacy.”

Steel kissed his teeth. “Privacy for what? All you do is gossip on that phone with your bird brain ass friends.”

“What’s a bird brain?” Jaiden asked.

Kalia put a hand in his face. “My friends are not birds, and Deja is who I talk to the most.”

“Let me guess. About Kilow?”

“Not necessarily . . .”

The look on her face told me exactly what they talked about. Kalia had a crush on Damaris. If he didn’t have almost five years on her, it wouldn’t be a problem. I’d explained that to her time and time again. In her head, by the time she was eighteen, the age wouldn’t matter. That was where she thought wrong. Eighteen was legal, but it wasn’t grown.

“The answer is still no, Kalia,” I reminded her. “Anyway, mine and Kerrion’s rooms are still here. The baby can sleep there.”

My brother scoffed. “Speak for yourself. What if I want to come home? Where am I gonna sleep? Imagine my big ass on the couch.”

Our mother rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. You would sleep with this baby on your chest, just like you did with Kalia and Jaiden.” She pulled up a picture on her phone to show everyone. “Y’all were so adorable!”

I giggled because my brother put on a front, but he loved kids. The kids that took his self-defense classes loved themselvessome Mr. K. He was patient with them and for some, the only male role model they had in their lives. They respected him so much, and I knew the day he had kids of his own, he was going to be an amazing father.

“Does anybody else know?” Steel asked.

“Of course, Stephanie and Allison know.”

My brother smirked. “You and Pops are almost neck and neck now.”

“Shut up, Kerrion. For all we know, another child could pop out the woodworks for your daddy. We thought Jaeda was the last one, then here came Mia.”

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