Page 51 of All The Smoke
“Yes, that would have been too much at the time,” I agreed. “But your parents, they didn’t help?’ I asked then retracted. “Wait, you do have the same parents, right?”
“Shit, from the outside looking in, you wouldn’t think so.”
My brows furrowed. “What does that mean?”
“It means they don’t give a fuck about Noah for real. Noah’s my brother, by the way.”
“I figured.” I smiled.
“But yeah, my pops is the bishop at the megachurch around the way and all he and my mother care about is that shit and his image.”
“Bishop Tate?” I asked incredulously.
“Yeah, that one,” he mumbled.
“I would have never made the connection,” I admitted. “Even with the last names. You don’t exactly scream preacher’s kid.” I laughed and so did he.
“I’m knowing. I be doing that shit on purpose though.” He shrugged. “They piss me off all the time so I make sure to match the energy.”
“Sounds like you.”
“I don’t want to talk about all that shit though,” he said, pulling me closer to him. “How’s my baby doing?”
“She’s fine.” I smiled, touching my nonexistent belly. “Still won’t let mommy eat.”
“She?” He frowned. “Ain’t no she, baby girl. Daddy only make niggas.”
“Shut up.” I giggled. “Ifhe’s a boy, he won’t be a nigga so don’t call him that, him or Solo.”
“My lil soldiers gon’ be real niggas like they pops.”
Rolling my eyes and laughing, I replied, “Anyways. Do you really want a boy?”
“I don’t care for real long as he or she is healthy,” he admitted, placing his hand on top of mine. “I want both of y’all to be.”
Looking into his deep brown eyes, I tried gauging what he was thinking because he wore his usual serious, intense expression.
“I be knowing how important it is for a woman to be good while she carrying so I’m gon’ try to make shit as smooth as possible. I don’t want my baby to stress because you are, feel me?”
I nodded. “I do.”
“I waited on Solo’s mama hand and foot during her shit…”
“I don’t mean any disrespect, but I’m not Solo’s mom, Solomon, and this isn’t her pregnancy, it’s mine.”
He frowned. “I know that.”
“This is the second time you compared me to her.”
“I ain’t fucking comparing y’all.”
“Comparing our pregnancies is the same thing.”
“It’s not and that’s not what I’m doing,” he countered. “I was just trying to say I was gon’ be present and active, that’s all.”
“You told me that already.”
“Aight,” he sighed, running a hand down his face. “My bad. I just want to make sure I’m getting my point across.”
