Page 9 of Rhyot & Nyelle
One problem though… He didn’t know a damn thing about shopping for a toddler. Hopefully his aunty would be able to help him out.
Rhyot pushed the cart through the aisles of Walmart like he was on a mission, and in some ways, he was. He pulled out his phone and pulled up Nyelle’s contact. He sent her a quick text.
Rhy: Call me real quick.
“What now, Battle?” she asked, calling him by his last name. Her voice blared through the speaker of his iPhone while she held Rhyelle in her lap.
“Man, look.” He turned the camera toward the baby section. “I’mma grab baby girl a couple fits but I need her size.”
He trekked over to a shirt with glitter letters on the front and placed the shirt in the cart before moving on to find a pair of pants to match.
Nyelle burst out laughing. “Rhyot… that is size 6T. She only eighteen months. Why you tryna dress her like a first grader? Where is Aunt Emma? I thought she was with you?” she quizzed with a raised brow.
“She is here but I wanted to try and get some shit on my own,” he defended. “Can’t I just buy the shit ahead of time?”
“Not when the pants gonna be falling off her ass for the next five years. Put it back.”
Rhyot cussed under his breath, tossing the items back on the rack. He grabbed another outfit, a sparkly tutu skirt. “Aight, this shit straight though.” He felt confident that he’d just found a dope fit.
Nyelle leaned closer to her phone, trying to get a better look before she popped off. “My daughter is not about to look like a damn princess running around the projects.”
“Man, your ass don’t like nothing,” he muttered, scanning again. He got a lot of things Nyelle stated would look cute on Rhyelle but also ended up throwing Minnie Mouse socks, a packof bibs, and glow-in-the-dark sneakers into the cart just to spite her.
“Why does she need bibs? She don’t drool anymore,” Ny asked, knitting her brows together out of confusion.
“Who said the bibs were for her ? Have you seen the way you drool in your sleep?” he asked, his tone neutral.
Ny squinted. “Boy, fuck you,” was her only response, which caused Rhy to burst into a fit of laughter. Ny hung up feeling annoyed.
Rhyot continued his store run with his aunty while hitting up three more stores looking for more mason jars for the block party. Rhyot exchanged a series of texts with Ny regarding things to get for Lil Rhy.
Ny: Not you trying to buy my baby smh lol
The text made him smile before he shot back a text of his own.
Rhy: lmao Nah. I’m trying to spoil her… big difference
Ny: Mmcht …well, don’t be doing too much. I don’t want her thinking that you Superman or some shit.
Rhy: I’m better than Superman, baby. I’m Big Rhy
By the time they were done shopping, his car was packed with all the things Aunt Emma needed plus all the toys and clothes he got for Rhyelle. It almost looked like he had pulled a lick. He chuckled at his inward joke.
He first pulled to the side of Aunt Emma’s building and helped her bring her belongings in, then made his way to Nyelle’s building, carrying all of the large bags in his hands, refusing to make more than one trip.
Nyelle was at the door waiting, her arms folded while dressed in a romper. Rhyelle peeked from behind her legs. She danced with excitement as soon as she saw Rhyot carrying all the bags, like she knew they were for her.
“Rhyot,” Nyelle whined, “You said you were buying a few things, not the whole damn store.” She shook her head as she opened the door wider and he made his way inside.
“I couldn’t fit the entire store in my car, otherwise I would have.” Rhyot shrugged, causing Ny to shoot him daggers as he dropped the two, heavy ass bags on the couch. “Got Aunty her shit and I couldn’t forget about baby girl.”
Nyelle went through the bags one by one, pulling out the stuff she agreed to while they sat on FaceTime earlier and the stuff she didn’t recognize or approve of, like the rainbow tutu, size 5T sparkly leggings, a pack of Minnie Mouse socks, fruit snacks, a doll stroller, and a Nerf gun. She looked up slowly as he chuckled in amusement at her confused expression.
“What is she going to do with a damn Nerf gun, Rhyot?” She held it up for him to see.
Rhyot smirked like the answer was simple. “Shit…protect the crib. Gotta train her early.”
“You know what?” Nyelle squinted as she looked like she wanted to throw it at him. “You’re stupid.”
