Page 33 of Steel
“Wow. I’ve never had such a big family.”
“There’s more where they come from. Just wait until you meet them all. You might have trouble remembering everybody’s name.”
“I can’t wait.” She was quiet for a moment as she looked at me. “You really promise to be my daddy?”
I grabbed her hands and kissed them. “On everything I love, I’m gonna be here. Nothing will ever keep me from you again.”
“Fuck!”
I punched the wall in front of me.
How the hell did it come to this?
I sat with my brothers,Quaid, and my cousin Jakobi in Smoke’s backyard.
The kids were with their grandparents, and the girls were inside sipping wine and gossiping as they usually did. I could hear them scream “Ayyye!” along with whatever music they were listening to. I really wasn’t feeling being here tonight, yet here I was. They were all running their mouths about one thing or the other, and I was sitting here nursing a beer and my blunt.
Quaid kept giving me a concerned look.
No doubt he was there when Jaeda found out about Nayelli. Either that or she’d told him. I wasn’t worried about him saying anything to my brothers. One thing the nigga did was mind his business and try to keep us out of his. In this moment, I appreciated that. I was still processing this shit, and I didn’t need my brothers down my back about it.
“What’s up with you?” Smoke asked, puffing on his blunt.
“Ain’t shit,” I answered, lighting mine again.
“You straight? I ain’t ever seen you babysitting a blunt like that, man.”
“I’m good.”
“Why you so quiet?”
“Damn, nigga. I can’t be quiet? A nigga always gotta have something to say?”
He frowned. “Aye, yo. Fix ya fucking attitude and pipe that shit down, big nigga. I was just checking on yo’ punk ass.”
“I ain’t in the mood, Smoke.”
“You can get the fuck up outta here then. We don’t need your sour ass mood bringing down the energy around here.”
I shot him a glare.
“Chill out,” Deuce said. He eyed me curiously. “Seriously though, Steel. You ain’t been yourself. We just wanna know you good.”
“I’m fine. Just tired. My bad, Smoke.”
Smoke stared at me for a moment, before reaching out to dap me up. I slapped his hand and took a sip of my drink. The back door opened, and the girls came parading out, each of them finding their way into their man’s lap. I looked around at the couples, feeling like the odd man out. Everybody had somebody but me. Times like this made me miss Donna.
We weren’t together, but she would have been right here with the fam, having a good time. The girls loved her, and my brothers treated her like another sister. They shared inside jokes with her, and she’d roast them just like they roasted her. It was all love.
I took another big swig of my drink as Shar stood from Maceo’s lap and clapped her hands.
“I’m glad you’re all here. Maceo and I have some news to share.” She was all smiles as my brother stood to join her. He wrapped his arms around her and cupped her stomach.
“We’re having another baby.”
The girls erupted with cheers.
“That’s why your ass ain’t been drinking!” Salima said.
