Page 95 of Steel
“I know so. My niece or nephew is gonna be a lucky kid.”
“Thank you, KD.”
She hugged me again, this time sniffling a little as she cried. I loved all my siblings, but Jaeda held a special place in my heart. She allowed me to be soft with her in ways I couldn’t be with my brothers or Mia. They didn’t let me sit in my feelings. With them, I had felt like I had to just move the fuck around.
Jae allowed me to feel whatever I needed to feel to process it. A nigga was a sensitive thug. She listened and never rushed me to get over shit. She was a pure soul. Always listening. Always the rational one.
The sound of the doorbell ringing broke our embrace. I walked over and opened the door to find Neha and Nayelli standing there in matching pajamas with a few bags of things.
“Hey, Daddy,” Nayelli said, rushing into my arms.
“Hey, baby girl. Hey, Neha.”
“Hey, Kerrion.”
I leaned over and kissed her cheek. Fuck, she smelled good.
“Come on in.”
I opened the door wider to allow them entry. The moment my baby saw her auntie in the entryway, she ran to hug her and rub on her stomach.
“How is my little cousin?” she asked.
Jaeda smiled. “He or she is fine. Hey, girl,” she spoke to Neha.
“Hey. You are glowing.”
“I’m just very happy. I don’t want to intrude, so I’m about to head home. You three enjoy your movie night.”
She kissed my cheek and left us with a smile. I waited until she was on her golf cart before closing the door and turning to the girls.
“Soooo . . .” Neha sang, thrusting a bag in my direction. “Your daughter decided that she wanted us to wear matching pajamas for this. We got you some too.”
Nayelli grinned. “For pictures.”
“I guess I better go change then. Come take a look first.”
I led them around the corner to the living room. When my baby saw the setup, both she and her mother gasped.
“Oh my gosh! Daddy, you did all this?”
“Well, your aunt and your grandmother helped with the decorations. Check it out.”
I didn’t have to tell her twice. She ran over to the tent and dove inside.
“You really brought a tent?” Neha asked, laughing.
“I mean, we can’t exactly make a fort out of my couch cushions, so I had to improvise.”
“This setup is too cute. Thank you for doing this for her.”
“Low-key, it was for us too.”
She blushed. “Thank you.” She lifted the bag in her hand. “We bought Chinese.”
“Why don’t you settle in with baby girl, and I’ll grab some plates and the drinks.”
“Okay.”
