Page 66 of Heightened Assurance
“Okay.” It lacked confidence, but it was cool. All I could do was show her that I wasn’t going nowhere and there wasn’t anything for this detective to find.
When we made it back to the kitchen, I immediately got back to making her breakfast. I needed to feed her and my baby, because knowing Jade, she’d think a cup of tea and dried cereal was a meal. It damn sure wasn’t.
“What are your plans for today?” Jade asked, hopping back onto the counter.
“I don’t know, you tell me. You got me for a whi—” My phone rang, pausing my words. When I pulled it out of my pocket, I saw it was Kinga calling. I answered immediately.
“Yeah.”
“Good morning to you too, motherfucker,” he greeted and I laughed.
“I’m with you all day, baby. Then we’re having dinner at Harlem and Kinga’s house since we’re picking Aja up. That cool with you?” I asked and she nodded but he started talking shit.
“Nigga, I ain’t invite you over for dinner. Where did you get that from? How do you even know my wife is cooking?” Leave it to Kinga to be this damn disgruntled. It was literally his normal personality trait and had been since we were kids.
“Yes, I’m cooking, and Oden, tell Jade to bring a bottle of wine. We’re drinking tonight,” Harlem answered happily in the background and my brother sucked his teeth.
“You heard her. I don’t know why she said that shit, ain’t like she’s gonna drink anything.”
I laughed. “It’s cool, Jade isn’t either.” My eyes went from Jade’s face to her abdomen as she sipped from the mug in her hand, scrolling through her phone. She was paying me no attention, which was good because I was sure my eyes looked all misty and shit. The thought of her carrying my baby had my heart trying to escape my chest. It was just some things as a man you experienced differently than others.
“Why not?” he asked.
“’Cause she’s not. I need you to take a ride with me this evening if you’re up to it.”
He laughed. “Nigga, I’m always down for taking rides. It’s your square ass that never jumped off the porch.”
“Man, whatever. I’ll see you around six or seven.”
“Hold up man, damn. I called you for something while you tryna rush me off the phone.” He spoke into my ear while I soft scrambled Jade’s eggs with cheese.
I laughed. “What, nigga?”
“Shit, I forgot. I don’t fucking know. I’ll remember tonight.”
I laughed. “Alright.” We hung up seconds later and I felt her eyes on me. When I looked up, Jade was peering at me like she was confused about something.
“What’s up?
“I’m just wondering when you eat. You’re always cooking and damn sure feeding me.”
Laughter escaped my lips while I continued mixing pancake batter. “I eat when I feed you, I do so much tasting while I cook, but baby, I eat. Plus, I’m like most cooks. I’ll eat the shit out of somebody else’s meal, hence why we’re going to my brother and Harlem’s tonight. Sis can cook and I have every intention of eating.”
Jade laughed. “Good. I can tell you’re gonna hover and I’ma curse you out a few times.”
Joining in on her laughter, I shook my head. “You’re right; I am. The fact that you don’t be eating for real unless I cook and you love to stress yourself out. We ain’t doing that at all, love. I’m all for shutting your days and shit down just to feed you and make sure you good.”
“To make sure I’m good,” she repeated.
“Yeah. Not only in here.” I pointed to my chest. “But also, up here and everywhere else.”
She was cheesing overly hard at that statement. “Good, because I have every intention of doing that for you as well.”
“I’ma hold yo’ fine ass to that too.”
True to my word, I spent the day with my baby, keeping her close while we ran errands and I even let her drag me through the fucking outlet. We went by her apartment as well and I could tell seeing everything bothered her. No matter how much assuring I had done, her moving in with me was happening soon. Baby or not, I intended to wake up and go to sleep next to Jade for as long as God permitted. When you found that person for you, that one that made everything worthwhile, you didn’t overthink it or put a time limit on it. You did whatever was necessary to protect and provide.
“Yo,I know you don’t be on no hood shit, but you gotta go in here and crack his skull with a computer monitor or something,” Kinga said as soon as we pulled up in front of the computer nigga’s storefront. Unlike my brother, I wasn’t amped. I wanted to get this shit done and get home to my lady.
