Page 22 of Follow Me to Your Heart
I picked her up and laid her on my chest. “She’s perfect, Daddy. Thank you so much. I love her.”
“Cage and I figured you would.”
My head whipped around to stare at Cage who was leaning against the doorframe. He winked at me. To know he and my father worked together to surprise me spoke volumes. They didn’t have the best relationship, so I could only imagine how tough it was for them.
“Y’all are sneaky, but I appreciate y’all.”
“We got you, KoKo,” Cage assured me.
“We do. I’m about to go get started on dinner, but I need to ask you something first, pumpkin.”
“I’m listening.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about the dinner with your mother? Kasey told me about it.”
I hunched my shoulders and continued petting my puppy who I was scrambling my brain to think of a name for. “I knew you would’ve contacted her, and I didn’t want to make things worse.”
“And you know I don’t give a fuck about any of that when it comes to you and your brother. Alana was dead wrong for that shit she pulled. Excuse my language, Taylor, but I don’t play when it comes to my kids. No matter how old they are.”
Whenever Daddy was upset, he cussed. Anything I said to try and justify keeping it from him would go in one ear and out theother, so I simply apologized and promised it wouldn’t happen again. He seemed to be satisfied with that.
Once Daddy was down the hall, Taylor snickered and plopped down on my futon across the room. “Damn. Ali doesn’t play, does he?”
“Not when it comes to me and Kasey. I’m glad he didn’t find out sooner, or he would’ve gotten into Alana’s ass, for sure.”
“As he should have. I’m on your dad and brother’s side with this. Have you talked to her since?”
“Of course. She reached out about a week later and acted as if nothing happened. I’m used to it, but the spoon I handle her with keeps getting longer and longer.”
“I don’t know if I want to meet her. She’ll immediately know I don’t like her.”
“Which is one reason you haven’t met her yet.”
Cage cleared his throat. “I’m about to head out. What y’all got up for the night?”
“Probably just chilling with Daddy.” I answered and rose to my feet, careful not to wake the puppy. “What about you?”
“Same, chilling with my girls. I’m trying to lay low all week, so I won’t be doing anything besides whatever you want to do.”
“We’ll see how that goes, Cage.”
“We will, KoKo. Call me if you need me. I love you.”
“I love you.”
I walked Cage to the door with Taylor on my heels. He waved at us before sinking into the driver’s seat and backing out the driveway. My eyes remained on his car until it was out of sight.
Was it crazy that I already missed him?
“Oh,Korren! I’m so happy to see you, sweetie,” my mama, Sabrina, exclaimed, walking right by me to her. They embraced, rocking side to side as Korren stuck her tongue out at me. She already knew I felt some type of way. I gave her the finger and went inside to find Symone. Mama was about to take Korren and Taylor all around the house and talk their heads off, so I’d give them their time.
I sauntered through the house, making note of the changes Mama had made. She’d been in her house for five years now, and she was always doing something different to it. When we were younger, she didn’t have the means to do so. I could remember the exact layout of our home and how it was decorated back in the hood. Now, I could hardly keep up with what she did.
As I expected, Symone was in the kitchen, finishing dinner. I crept up behind her, watching as she stirred the Alfredo, and joked. “Don’t burn anything up in here. Don’t think I forgot about how you burned the noodles in the microwave that one time.”
Symone glared at me before playfully flitting her eyes upward toward the ceiling. “And you would still eat it if it was burnt. You know good and well I can throw down like Mama, so don’t play with me. Where are Korren and Taylor?”
“Somewhere with Mama. I was completely ignored by her, so I don’t even think she knows I’m back here.”
