Page 58 of Out of Bounds
“The party? Is she aware that I was going to be at the party?”
“Come on now. She knows I’m not throwing no party for one of the kids and you not be there.”
“Interesting.” Sai nodded. “Let me ask you this. When KJ turns one, will y’all have a joint party or are you doing it separately?”
“She gone have her own shit, and I’ll have mine. We not no fucking family, so we not ’bout to be doing joint shit.”
“Oh!” She laughed. “That’s why she feels a way. Shelovesyou, and she thought that us getting a divorce was her way in. The fact that you’re keeping her at arm’s length is pissing her off. It could’ve very well have been about you not including the baby, but something tells me it’s deeper.”
“I really don’t give a fuck what shethought.I told you, it was never nothing like she made it seem. But he’s mine, and I’m not gon’ treat him any differently than I do the rest of them. I don’t have to be with her to spend time with him.”
“If you feel like that, why haven’t you handled your business?”
“What business, Masai?”
“Take her to court. Get your visitation schedule on paper. That way, if she violates, they can hold her in contempt of court.”
“I been thinking ’bout that shit more and more.”
“Then that must mean something is telling you to do it.”
I ain’t wanna say the reason that I’d been hesitating on involving the courts, but shit, at this point, it was what it was. “Me filling anything through the courts means putting the shit out there.”
Tossing her head back, Masai laughed harder than the last time. “Oh, baby… if that’s what you’re worried about, then newsflash, playboy… it’salreadyout there.”
“Yeah, but I’on want you to see the shit and have to deal with the public opinions.”
“That’s what you’re worried about? Me?”
“When am I not?” I countered.
“I mean… I could name a few times. However, baby… I’m thelastperson you should concern yourself with. I’m not a pushover and can hold my own against anybody. Don’t ever mistake my silence for weakness.”
“That’s not what I’m saying, Sai.”
“I hear you, but I keep my mouth closed because a digital footprint is real. I willneverget on the internet and bash the father of my children because that shit won’t go away. I’ll never letthemhear me talk down on you. That’s never been my thing, and I’m not about to start now. If she’s making it hard to see your son, then take her ass to court. It’s as simple as that.”
“I wish she was more like you.”
“No,” she protested. “You absolutely don’t.” Standing from the couch, she patted Sophie on the shoulder. “Go tell AuroraI’m ready for her.” When baby girl left the living room, Masai continued speaking, “You had me, butthatwas more appealing.”
“You ain’t never thought no shit like that.”
“Aye.” She held her hands up in mock surrender. “It was something you saw that had you risking fourteen years. But that’s neither here nor there. Take her to court and see don’t shit change.”
“On my kids, Masai… it wasn’t shit ‘bout that girl that had me wanting to be where I’m at right now. But I hear ya.” I could’ve pushed to try and get Masai to understand that the situation with Ashton was nothing like she thought it was, but that ship had sailed. There was nothing Ashton had that I wanted or desired. I fucked up by being drunk at the wrong place and time. That truly was all there was to it.
Instead of trying to make her see it from my point of view, I just told her that I would reach out to an attorney so I could try and get shit in writing to prevent any issues further down the road concerning KJ. Once she nodded, I sat back and waited for the girl’s hair to be finished.
After leaving Masai’s crib with the kids, I decided to take them to the aquarium and the World of Coke. Football had been occupying a lot of my time, so I wanted us to do more than kick it at the crib. I’d worn their asses out so bad that all five of them had fallen asleep on the way back to the crib.
Once I got them home, everyone got a bath, got dressed in their pajamas, and was now sitting in the kitchen with me while I made snacks. A couple of days after Aurora’s party, I had hired a crew to come over and put a projector screen in the backyard,much like the one at the other house. My kids loved sitting outside watching movies, so I figured tonight would be the perfect night to do so. The only thing missing was my baby boy. The advice Masai gave me earlier was something I planned on looking into. I wasn’t used to having somebody control the way I moved with one of my kids, and I wasn’t about to start now.
First thing Monday morning, I was going to reach out to our family attorney and get her on it. I needed to be able to spend just as much time with KJ as Ashton did, especially given that the majority of the year I was on and off the fucking road. The more I sat and thought about it, the more the shit pissed me off.
I know KJ was too young and didn’t understand what was going on, but it was something about walking off the field and being greeted by my kids that made it all right in the world. Masai and I weren’t even together, and she’d been diligent about getting my kids to the games to watch me play. I wanted KJ to have that same fucking experience. I mentioned having Koya bring him to the last game with the rest of the kids, and that girl told me she didn’t feel comfortable sending her son off with a stranger.
I understood her reservations, so Koya and Jream offered to meet her. It was only fair since that’s who Masai usually sent the kids with. Ashton straight-up told me if she wasn’t coming to the games, then neither was KJ. For some reason, she had it made up in her head that I was supposed to put her on the sidelines while my family sat in my box. The shit wasn’t happening at fucking all. That was that controlling shit that she thought was going to fly. I was being cool about the shit because all of this was unconventional as hell, but that nice shit only went so far. I was about to let the courts handle how we moved going forward, and that’s just what it was.
