Page 36 of Verse Two
“Of course, I remember this beautiful young lady,” my father said, taking her hand and kissing it. I shook my head and chuckled.
Blushing, Dy said, “It’s good to see you again, Mr. Ellis.”
He kissed his teeth. “I got at least twenty more years before folks need to start callin’ me Mr. Ellis, sweetheart. Braxton or Pops will do it for me,” Pop said, smirking.
“My bad, Pops,” Dy said, grinning. “It smells great out here.”
“You know I don’t mess around,” Pop said, heading back to the grill. “You make yourself comfortable on one of these chairs out here, and I’ma have you some dinner shortly.”
Marc returned to his seat, and I took the lawn chair next to him. Dy tried to claim her own spot, but I caught her arm just before she sat down, and pulled her down on my lap, making her gasp and look over at my father, who was paying us no mind.
I kissed her ear and wrapped my arms around her. “Girl, that man ain’t worried ’bout what we got goin’ on over here. I want you close to me.”
Dy rolled her eyes but relaxed in my embrace.
“Y’all linkin’ up in New York of all places is crazy, man,” Marc said.
I nodded. “Same shit I said. I thought I’d never see this girl again, for real.”
“Yeah, man. You disappeared on us, Dy,” Marc said, and she turned to him.
“I know,” she said softly. “I didn’t think I’d end up being away that long, but I’m glad to be back now.”
We all settled into casual conversation, with Dy updating Marc and my pops on her life and them doing the same. Pops was in and out of the house with all the food he was cooking, and the vibe was cool. Dy fit right in with my people like no time had passed at all, and it only strengthened my surety that she was it for me. I had never had a moment like this with LaShontae, because Marc couldn’t stand her ass and rarely stuck around when she came through. With Dy, though, shit just flowed. She was the missing piece to the puzzle.
I didn’t know how much time had passed, but at some point, my father announced that he was done with the food.
Dy patted my hand, gesturing for me to release her, and reluctantly, I did. She stood and said, “I’m going to use the restroom.”
“I’ll show you,” I said, standing.
She smiled. “That’s play. We passed it on our way out here.”
My pops chuckled as he took the last lobster tail off the grill and placed it in one of his tins. “Let the woman breathe, Son.”
Marc laughed. “Exactly. Clingy ass.”
Shaking her head, Dy kissed my cheek. As she was passing Marc, she playfully pushed him. “Leave him alone, Marc.”
“Damn, Doll, it’s like that?”
She just laughed as she entered the house, and I shot his dumb ass a bird. “I done told yo’ ass to stop calling her that.”
“You ain’t my daddy, nigga.” He looked back at the patio door, which Dy closed behind her, then turned back to me.
“Aye,” he said after a brief pause. “I ran into LaShontae earlier today. She had the nerve to stop and talk to me.”
I frowned at that. LaShontae had always been well aware of Marc’s feelings toward her, so her speaking to him was out of the norm for sure.
“What she say?” I asked, pretty sure I already knew the answer.
Marc chuckled. “You. She asked if you’re seeing somebody else, and if that’s why you won’t answer the phone for her.”
“What you say?”
“I told her I damn shole hope you are.” He laughed loudly before continuing. “I ain’t know if you broke the news to her about Dy yet, so I didn’t tell ya business, but I damn shole wanted to.”
I sighed as I thought about the situation. “Nah, I ain’t seen her since I’ve been back. Dy is supposed to be visitin’ her best friend’s parents tomorrow since it’s her last day in town. I’ma pull up on LaShontae then and let her know wassup.”
