Page 30 of Bern and Isley
“Nah. As soon as I got the keys yesterday, Mama insisted that she come over to clean and disinfect.” I shook my head because she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“Oh okay.” She snickered. “Are you staying here tonight?”
“Yeah. I need to go back to my mom’s house for a few more things, but the plan is to spend my first night here. You going to hang out with me for a little bit?”
“Sure… if you want me to.” She shrugged.
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want you to, Icey… how are you feeling by the way?”
“I’m feeling really good. I guess my morning sickness phase ended way sooner than I thought it would.”
“That’s good to hear. You look like you feel better.”
She smiled. “Thanks… I guess.”
“Wanna ride with me to my mom’s to get a few things?”
“Sure. I’m not doing anything else.”
We made it to my mom’s house and back within an hour.
“I’ll wash these dishes for you,” Isley said as she unpacked a box of brand-new dishes my mom had surprised me with.
“Nah, you need to have a seat. I’ll take care of that later.”
“It won’t take me long,” she insisted.
“Isley, I said no. Sit your pretty ass down and put your feet up. Those dishes can wait. I don’t plan on cooking anytime soon.”
“Ughhh.” She rolled her pretty brown eyes before plopping down on the sofa. “I’m pregnant, not disabled, Bernie.”
I joined her on the sofa. “I know that, but still. When you’re around me, I don’t want you doing too much. It’s bad enough that you’re always on your feet doing hair. I’m going to find you a comfy stool to sit on while you’re doing hair.”
“Nah, I don’t need all of that… not right now anyway. Maybe when I get into my last trimester.”
“Have you given any more thought to renting a booth or one of those little suite things?”
“Yeah, I’m still thinking about it.”
“I definitely think you should do it. You don’t need people coming all up in your home when the baby gets here. All them germs and shit.”
“That’s what I’ve been thinking about… all of this stuff is stressing me the fuck out.”
“No need to stress, Icey. Just tell me what you need and I got you.”
“Thank you, Bernie… I appreciate you being here for me. You and Snow are the only reasons that I feel I can face this decision.”
“I’m gon’ forever be there for you. No matter what.”
She studied me for a moment with a hint of a grin. “I bet you’ll make a great daddy one day.”
I nodded. I agreed for sure. When it was my time to become a parent, I was going to take that shit seriously. My wife wouldn’t have to beg me to do shit, I was going to be on it. I was going to be at every doctor’s appointment, basketball practice, school open house. You name it.
“Did your baby daddy ever reach out to you?”
She exhaled deeply. “I don’t even want to talk about that.”
Her tone told me everything I needed to know. Either the nigga was denying paternity or didn’t want anything to do with the child. Maybe both. I wasn’t surprised but the shit didn’t sit well with me.
