Page 32 of Kassir and Rebel
“Just Rebel is fine,” I insist.
Kassir holds me until I’m on the sectional next to Kassan. When I’m seated, he pushes the coffee table closer, grabs one of the black and grey decorative pillows from the sectional, then places it on the table. Then, gingerly, he raises my leg and rests my ankle on the pillow.
“You good?” he asks with so much concern. All of his toughness has faded. It always does for me.
“I’m perfect, baby,” I say and Kassan grins a little. I turn to him when Kassir heads toward the kitchen. Kassan pauses his game then places the controller on the table. “I’m so happy to finally meet you, Kassan.”
“Are you my daddy girlfriend?” he asks and I glance up at Kassir. He nods.
“Yes. I am.”
“Daddy, she’s really pretty.”
“I know,” Kassir says at the same time I say, “Thank you.”
“You’re handsome yourself.”
“Thanks. I look like my daddy,” he says, like he had his line rehearsed.
“Yeah, but I look better,” Kassir teases.
“Nah. I think you look better, Kassan,” I say.
“See, Daddy,” he says. “I told you.”
“Ay, man, chill out. You can’t look better than the original,” Kassir says before opening the fridge.
“Yes you can and you do,”I whisper to him. “Now, what is this you’re playing? It looks interesting.”
“Lego Star Wars,” he says excitedly before picking up his controller.
“Can two people play?” I ask.
“Yes ma’am but do you know how to play?”
“No. I don’t,” I admit.
“It’s okay. I’ll teach you.”
He passes me his controller then stands to grab another one from Kassir’s huge entertainment area. As he does, his dad comes over to me. Without saying anything, he leans in and lovingly kisses my lips before sitting beside me. When Kassan returns with the controller, I get comfortable between my love and his little twin. Any doubts I had about accepting Kassan completely fade at this moment. Kids are truly innocent and adorable.
We spend the next hour playing Star Wars and Kassir just watches. I drop out and Kassan continues to play another thirty minutes. Kassir limits Kassan’s time on the Xbox and his iPad. He’s really such a good dad, but honestly, I didn’t expect anything else.
“Daddy, I’m ready to eat again,” Kassan announces.
“We ate right before we came upstairs. Where do you put all that damn food?”
“In my stomach,” he says matter of factly.
“Yeah, where else?” I add, teasing Kassir. “Plus, I’m hungry too.”
Because I ate Fire Peaux Boyz too soon after breakfast, I barely ate my food. Now I’m a good five minutes away froma hunger growl. I need some food. Besides, there’s so much downstairs, we don’t have to go far to get any.
“What do you want, lil man? And don’t say pancakes,” Kassir says.
“One of those chicken sandwiches I saw,” Kassan says.
“Where did you see that?”
