Page 69 of Steel
“What’s this?” my mama asked, walking over to us.
“Dang, Mama,” I jested. “Your kids and baby daddy can’t come see you?”
“Boy, shut up.” She pulled me in for a hug and kissed my cheek before doing the same with Jaeda.
Pops grinned as he looked at her. “Where my hug at, Tay?”
“Stanley, don’t start your shit. What are you three up to?” Her eyes widened. “Did something happen? Hershel!”
She didn’t give me a chance to ease her mind before she was calling that man. He came rushing downstairs with Kalia and Jaiden behind him.
“What’s wrong?” He glanced over at the three of us. “Did something happen?”
“No, man,” I said. “I mean, kinda. Y’all just sit down. I have something to share with you.”
They all looked at each other before slowly going into the living room and taking a seat. Pops and Jaeda stood behind the couch while I stood in front of the fireplace. They looked at me with curious eyes. Pops nodded his head, encouraging me to just spill it.
“Okay, so there’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just gonna lay it right out. I uh . . . I have and ten-year-old daughter.”
There was silence in the room. It was so quiet that you could have heard a rat pissing on a cotton ball.
I continued. “Her name is?—”
“You have a daughter!” my mother yelled, jumping to her feet.
“Ma—”
“Kerrion, I know like hell you aren’t out here with a secret baby!”
“Mama—”
“Explain!”
Pops shook his head. “Tavia, sit down and let the boy talk. You doing all this yelling and not letting him explain. He’s gonna tell you everything.”
Her head snapped in his direction. “You knew?”
“He told me.”
“And you didn’t say anything!”
Hershel guided my mother into his lap and wrapped his arms around her.
“My love. Let him explain. Just calm down.”
“Hershel—”
“Calm. Down.”
He never raised his voice at her, yet she calmed down and relaxed before motioning for me to continue.
“Her name is Nayelli Malone.”
Jaiden’s eyes widened. “She’s in my class!”
“She is.”
“Is that why you told us we had to protect her?”
