Page 51 of It's Love I'm After

“I thought you said you made more friends. You’ve only mentioned Lilly,” I say in a singsong voice.

“Stoppp, Mr. Germayne.” Caleb laughs.

“Okay, C. What’s your other new friend's name?”

“Um, Tucker, Jonas, Stacey, although she told me she likes Tucker more than me. I wasn’t mad because I didn’t like her as much as Lilly, anyway. Stacey wears glasses and is mean. I don’t like mean girls. Lilly is really nice to me, letting me carry her mat to circle time with Mrs. McCants. I was mad that I couldn’t nap beside Lilly because Mrs. McCants only lets boys sleep by boys and the girls by the girls,” Caleb rambles.

“That’s okay, C. How do you like the school and your teacher?”

“The school is big,” he exaggerates the last word before continuing. “I don’t have to be around the big kids, and I like that because they scare me. My teacher is so fun. She lets us pick the book for story time. I also saw her husband. He was nice. Did you know she has kids too, Mr. Germayne? I didn’t know she wasa mommy, and she has a son like me. I met him. His name is Lorenzo, like his dad. Do you think I’ll have a dad like Lorenzo does? I want to ask Mommy, but don’t want to hurt her feelings. Grandma told me Mommy doesn’t know who my daddy is and should be ashamed of herself. I’m not mad at Mommy, though. I just want a dad like the other kids in my class. Although Jonas doesn’t have a dad either, that’s why he’s my friend.”

Caleb’s rambling and bomb-dropping of information has my chest tight and my fists gripping the steering wheel at the knowledge of his grandmother’s actions. Regardless of what she has going on with Chaniya, discussing Caleb’s paternity with him is never her place. Grandmother or not.

“You could be my dad, Mr. Germayne. You spend time at our house, and you’re nice to me. I also saw you kiss Mommy, and Mommy tells me she kisses me so much because she loves me. Do you love my Mommy, Mr. Germayne?”

“With all my heart, C.” My brain is spinning from everything Caleb said during this ride back to the house.

“Then that settles it. You can be my daddy,” Caleb declares.

Chuckling low, I don’t provide an answer for Caleb because, in my heart, I am his daddy, so what’s understood doesn’t need an explanation.

22

CHANIYA

Nana: Don’t go over there showing your ass, Chaniya. Vernise ain’t about that life and will call twelve on you. I gotta re-up my funds after Yatta’s last stint in the slammer. Please calm down.

Reading Nana’s text does little to calm the inferno flowing through my bloodstream that has been sizzling since Germayne told me what Caleb said after school yesterday. I waited for Caleb to be dropped off at school to get moving. Luck had to be on my side when Germayne got called in to work sooner than his scheduled time, allowing me to throw on something and head this way. I have sat back and taken every word my mother has spoken, but I draw the line at her speaking out of turn with Caleb. Before I can exit my vehicle at Mom’s house, my phone rings, and I huff upon seeing Germayne’s name flashing on the screen.

“Hello.”

“Do you know a good seamstress, Cha-Cha?”

My forehead wrinkles, and my eyes pinch together at hearing the outlandish question from Germayne instead of a common greeting.

“What are you talking about?”

“Do you know a good seamstress?”

Hesitating, I blink in bafflement before probing Germayne for more information. “Why are you asking me about a seamstress? Aren’t you at work? I don’t think they’re necessary to your job.”

“I need somebody to hook you up with your custom prison jumpsuit. If Caleb and I are forced to visit Ribax Correctional Prison, you should at least wear something sexy. I’m already researching who the warden is so I can prearrange my conjugal visits and shit.”

“I’m not in prison. What the h?—”

“Somewhere between your initial sickness and last night’s fever, you must have forgotten that you had Nana and I exchange phone numbers in case of an emergency. Imagine my surprise to get a call from Nana, telling me that the sick and supposed-to-be sick and shut-in is out on ass-kicking missions. So, I’m just wondering if you know of someone capable of making pea green sexy.”

Damn, I had forgotten all about sending Nana Germayne’s phone number and vice versa when I first got sick. The plan had been for them to communicate if Germayne needed Nana to pick Caleb up. Given Germayne’s position at the hospital, sometimes his schedule fluctuates, or he’s called in to fill in for another physician assistant, so I wanted to be prepared just in case.

“I’ll take your silence to mean you’re redirecting your car back to your house or you’re scrolling through your contacts to give me your selection,” Germayne expresses in a tone that causes me to roll my eyes.

“I just wanted to talk to Mom and let her know that?—”

“Does it really matter? Do me a favor. Go home. I’ll come over when I get off, and we can discuss this further. Nana is picking up Caleb and plans to keep him for a few hours.”

“Do I get a say in anything?”

“Not at the moment. Go home, get back in bed, and stay there. I’ll see you later.”

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