Page 66 of Absolute Fulfillment
“Nah. Ain’t no step nothing. That’s me. Ol’ boy better not even think about it.”
Rem laughed. “Never saw the day you’d gangster a nigga’s kid and baby mama, but I’m proud of you.”
“Don’t be too proud yet. Just wait till I get what I’m working toward.”
He looked confused, eyes going from me to the back seat. “What? Is sis pregnant?” Of course he said that part low.
“Nah, not yet.”
“Not yet? What do you mean? I wasn’t under the impression that you wer?—”
“Things change, Rem. Life changes. You go from thinking about obsessing over one thing to seeing just how big the world outside of your brain is. We’ve done some off the wall shit and lived through situations we’d never utter a word to a soul about. But what’s after that? I used to be fine coming home to complete silence after the stuff we did, then it’s like my mental chemistrychanged. The jobs became too much, so I changed my life, right?”
He nodded. “I’m following.”
“For a while that change was enough, at least that’s what I thought. Life got too quiet, I was spending too much time at the club, clinging to the noise that ultimately shut down at the same time every night. I fucked up that day I went to G’s house and stayed over there because it was there where I realized what I was missing.”
“What? Kids, nigga?”
“No, the peace of mind and place of belonging that makes every fucking thing we do worth it.”
“I hear what you’re saying but I know where my peace of mind and sense of belonging is. Mine sits with the direct deposits and safe deposit boxes.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his stupid ass. “Then Caya, I swear she caught me by complete fucking surprise and ain’t pay me no mind. First time I asked for her number she gave me the Chinese restaurant’s digits. Baffled the fuck out of me.”
He chuckled. “I’m glad you found your peace of mind and whatever the fuck else you just described with sis, but can we handle all this bullshit out here before you get too comfortable being peaceful? Get violent and put an end to the bullshit?”
I laughed. “Yeah.”
The rest of the ride we just listened to music, both of us lowkey finding ourselves trapped in our own minds.
When we pulled up to the mall Jade’s second location was inside of, I parked in the garage and got out to get Adonis. Once I got the hang of his booster seat it was easier and easier to get him out of it.
We walked into the mall, his little hand in mine while I held his iPad in the other. Jade’s store was on the first floor, so it wasn’t that long of a walk. When we turned in I saw mysister talking to some lil thick ass something, pointing to the shelves. Ever since I met my sister for the first time, I knew she was on her shit. Between her first store and this one she had just opened, she also had a little decorating thing on the side. Though she loved to spend the funds of others, she stacked quite a bit of coins on her own.
“I didn’t know you guys were coming through. I would have surely found a way to put both of your asses to work.” She focused on me and Reminisce, then her eyes went down to Adonis.
“Nah, I need to be paid for everything I do,” Rem rebutted.
Adonis had let my hand go, which prompted me to put my hand in his curly mass of hair. I didn’t have kids, but I knew with younger kids you kept your hand on them, that way you’re aware of where their ass was.
Jade waved Rem off. “And who might this little cutie be?”
Adonis tugged at the pocket of my shorts, about to hide with his fake bashful ass.
Jade kneeled down in front of him and extended her hand. “Don’t be shy. I’m Jade, Reminisce and Rennix’s sister.
To my shock, he shook her hand. “I’m Adonis.”
“Okay, do you want a fruit snack, Adonis?”
Of course he nodded. What kid turned down fruit snacks? I watched as she led him to the back to get them before I looked over at my brother. He was too busy checking out Jade’s assistant.
“Damn, I ain’t even gotta tell you to step off no more. You on your way to being a family man. I’ll be right back, let me go handle that.” He walked off, leaving me to answer the phone now ringing in my pocket. I pulled it out and of course it was my baby. She usually called me when she was between heads, this time was no different.
“Yo, you told me you loved me this morning, thug.” It was as if my mind just now remembered.
She giggled. “I did, and you said it back. You also are so late because we’ve talked since then.”
