Page 9 of All The Smoke
“Yeah right, I don’t cry.”
“I know, but you probably will have to get your shit pulled today, so…”
We had pulled up to the dentist’s office, so I parked and had Solo climb over the front seat to get out with me. He knew how to buckle himself in and get himself out of the seatbelt, and it was a hassle letting my seat up so I let him put his feet on my shit and dirty it up to make it easier on us both.
“Why you copy me today, Daddy?” he asked as we made our way inside.
“Copy you?” I grinned. I knew he was talking about the fact that we were both dressed down in ball shorts and a white tee, but hell I had a fucking time last night so I grabbed somethingquick and just told Bishop to dress him comfortably since he had clothes and shit at their crib.
“Yeah. You always try to dress like me.”
“Yeah, aight.” I mushed his head playfully. “You always trying to be like ya pops and shit.”
“I had these first.” He smiled, referring to the cement Jordan 4s he wore. Solo thought he had everything before me when in reality I bought the majority of our shit at the same time, he just wore his before me.
We checked in at the front desk then I chilled in the waiting area while he went to fuck with the play area. Solo was a nice and friendly kid, the complete opposite of me when I was coming up. I wasn’t the one that like to kick it with anyone, even when I was a lil nigga, but my son did and I loved that about him. I wanted him to be better than me.
I checked in with my homeboys while we waited. I had a few people trying to grab some work from me so I had Bino pull up to grab my money. Scoot was too busy laid up.
The sound of my name being called had me tearing my eyes away from my phone screen and traveling to the doorway that led to the back of the office. The prettiest milk chocolate colored woman dressed in blue scrubs that hugged her slim-thick frame to perfection was standing there. Her hair was pulled into a bun on top of her head with the exception of a few curls that hung loosely on the sides and back of her neck.
“Solomon Tate?” she called out again, breaking me from the trance she had me in and my son came darting over to me.
“She’s calling us, Daddy.” He grabbed my hand and began to pull as if he could really move me from my seat.
“Chill, Solo.” I chuckled as I stood and motioned for him to go ahead of me.
“Me and my daddy’s name is Solomon Tate,” Solo said once he took ol’ girl’s hand for her to lead us to the back. “But theycall me Solo and him Smoke sometimes. Not my Gigi though, or Bishop. They said that daddy’s name isn’t of the Lord.”
“Solo, relax.” I laughed.
“Solo?” She looked at me then my son. “Is that what you would prefer that I call you?”
He nodded. “Daddy says that Solo is way more fly than that bullsh?—”
“Aight, man.” I laughed again and nudged him. “You talk too much.”
Chuckling, she nodded and said, “Okay Solo, my name is Kaori but you can call me KK.”
He beamed. “Okay, Ms. KK.”
He knew to put that “Ms.” in front of her shit. I let him bullshit around a lot and so did I, but he had manners and respect and shit.
“Mr. Tate, you can sit over there.” She pointed to the bench in front of her examination chair. “And Solo, you can hop up here.” She patted her chair. “Do you need my help?”
“I got it,” he said as he climbed on the chair and I took a seat in front of them.
I watched her intensely as she worked on my son and made small talk with him. I had met all of the chicks that worked in this office and at his doctor’s shit because I needed to know who was around and working on my son, but I hadn’t ever seen her.
“You new here?” I asked.
Her movements paused as she glanced my way. “Yes. I’ve been here for a little over a week.”
I nodded. “You did this shit before?”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
