Page 69 of Typa
I went to the truck to get his clothes and toys while my mama played with him and kept him occupied. He had like three garbage bags full of shit. Vanessa had taken good care of him, but all that shit was wiped out by her actions. I had planned to sneak away and go find her ass that next day, but the police beat me to the punch. Had Treasure not been clinging to me so hard, as soon as everyone would have gone to sleep, I would have gotten out of there, even if I had to walk to get to her ass.
My family was important to me. That bitch knew I would lose it if she had touched any of them. She knew that much just from coming here. Everyone in Liberty knew who my family was because of my dad’s career and now, Carter’s. The Semien name was branded in Liberty. I was thankful Cachet wasn’t in town for all this bullshit. She would have been a target as well.
Once I was done getting the furniture in my mom’s storage house out back, I went back inside to find Caleb crawling all over the place. I couldn’t help but smile. It felt good to do right by him. My mama smiled at me from her spot on the floor.
“I’m so proud of you, Mythic. You’ve become the man your dad and I desired you to be, but more importantly, the man that we knew was in there all along. The way you love Maui is beautiful to watch. I have to thank the good Lord for sending her to you, because she brought out a side of you we haven’t seen since you were a kid. As parents, we did our best by y’all. Did we get everything right? Absolutely not. Every parent is out here winging this shit. What works for one parent may not work for another. We are truly learning as we go. However, I know weinstilled good values into you and taught you to be a respectful, hardworking young man. I’m seeing the fruits of our labor.”
I gave her a slight smile. She was right. They’d taught me how to be a good man. They showed me what it meant to work hard, be kind, and do right by people. I took lessons from Philly too, though, simply because I had too much time on my hands. When I sat on the couch, Caleb crawled over to me and lifted his hands. I picked him up and kissed his cheek, then held him close. It seemed he was tired. He laid his head on my shoulder.
Surprisingly, he didn’t whine for his pacifier. Normally, that was what he did, so he must’ve been really tired. He probably hadn’t napped yet today. He still took two a day most days. It was already two o’clock, so he was past due for a good nap. Just as I was about to ask where Treasure was, she came down the stairs, her hair a mess. I wanted to laugh, but I decided to wait and see what type of mood she was in.
As I stared at her, she shot me the finger. A smile formed on my face and a slight chuckle left my lips as she went to the floor with mama and laid her head in her lap. I slowly shook my head at her. She was Mama’s baby, always had been. Even when Cachet came along, she refused to relinquish her spot. Mama rested her back against the couch and rubbed Treasure’s head while humming. I glanced down at Caleb to see he was sound asleep. I smiled and laid him on the couch next to me.
I didn’t know how I was able to disown him. He was perfect. When he woke up from his nap, I would feed him, and then when Maui got home, we could go for a horse ride. Just a year ago, if someone would have told me I would be wanting to be a family man, I would have called them a fucking liar. Then I would have laughed at what I thought was a dumb ass analysis. I would still be fucking the streets up, be back in prison, or possibly dead.
That stint on the inside did nothing to change my outlook on life, but that beautiful goddess that would eventually be my wife changed all that with her love and devotion. She went against everything she knew and everyone she loved to be with me. We didn’t even know one another that well at the time. She breathed life into the part of me that I buried deep within and caused him to step to the forefront. I wanted to believe that Adrian saw that, and he was envious of it. That envy cost him his life.
I gently rubbed my hand down my son’s chest, thanking God for the opportunity to get this life shit right, then smiled at my mama and Treasure. I lay my head back against the cushions and decided to take a much-needed nap too.
“We not doing all that galloping and shit, Milana. Jay and Caleb can’t handle that shit. Hell, I can’t either with this morning sickness. Quit showing off!” Ashanni said.
I slowly shook my head as I held Caleb in front of me. Baby boy didn’t know what to do with himself. First, he was trying to eat the horse’s mane, then he was trying to eat the saddle horn. When I dropped my cowboy hat on his head, he fought with it for a few minutes, trying to get it off. I’d chuckled at how it nearly covered his entire body.
Now that we had a steady stride going, he was content, constantly turning his head to try to look back at me. I’d taken my dad’s trailer so I could bring Blackie to Big City Nome to ride horses with my baby, Ashanni and Asad, and Milana and Ferris.
Noni had gone with Carter and Red to a rodeo. Bali had gotten called in. One of her pregnant patients had some complications. As far as I knew, they weren’t getting along right now, so that was probably best. That trip to Oklahoma wouldhave been long as fuck with them in there going back and forth about bullshit. When I’d read that text thread, I had to shake my head at the way they were talking to each other and about their men.
There was no way I could deal with that shit. I got the right fucking Henderson, that was for sure. My hands would have found their way to one of their necks by now. Then, Mr. Storm and I would be into it, and I would have let SS get his ass killed. They ignited my crazy, and I was rarely around them. Carter was focused on those bulls and trying to beat Dad’s record of Nationals appearances. He only had three more appearances to make to tie him, and if he kept up his performances without getting hurt, he would make it in January.
Vanessa had been arraigned and surprisingly, they’d reprimanded her. That was good for her, because I probably still would have found her ass and took her out. She didn’t have a record, but the judge had said as heinous as the crimes against Treasure were, he didn’t feel comfortable releasing her until her trial, which would be in a month or so. I planned to be sitting front and center so she could see my rage and beg them people to keep her locked up for life.
As we rode, I grabbed Maui’s hand. She smiled. I could tell she was truly happy. When she got home Monday and saw Caleb, she came right to him, picking him up from the floor and spinning him around. He was laughing hysterically. Not once did she look bothered, and I was watching her closely. Ashanni was right with what she said to her, and I appreciated it so much. I’d even bought her a thank you card with a Visa gift card to put inside it. She’d frowned at me when she saw it, but her ass didn’t give it back.
“This is so peaceful, baby,” Maui said.
“That it is. Finally, we can just concentrate on being a couple.”
Her smile was wide, and her cheeks were red. When she was this happy, it made me happy. Honestly, I believed this was the happiest I’d ever seen her. It made my heart light. I couldn’t wait until we were able to move into the house. Her cousin said it should only take a couple of months because the Hendersons didn’t fuck around. I couldn’t count how many times I’d heard that shit already, and I’d just started being around them.
“So, I was thinking that next weekend, we can go to Main Event with Shani and Asad. All the lights will have Caleb super excited.” She giggled. “That’s if you don’t have anything to do. I’m sorry.”
I brought her hand to my lips and kissed it as Blackie whinnied. Her horse had slightly bumped him. That nigga could be grouchy at times. He could act an ass if he wanted to with my baby boy on here. I’d get rid of his ass. “I’m free until next semester when school starts, baby. Then, I may have to study on the weekends. Plus, I’ll be tryna find a job as soon as this arm gets better. Ali had said something about signing on with them, so I may do that.”
“Okay. Therapy is going to be a beast for you.” She turned her head slightly, then turned back, “I just got millions. Why don’t you focus on school instead of looking for a job? I know you have money set aside too.”
“Because I don’t wanna feel like I’m living on you. I need to be able to contribute. Eventually the money I have will run out if I ain’t adding to it. Secondly, that’s your money, not our money. We aren’t married yet.”
I had money, and I was blessed to see that the money I gave Vanessa was in Caleb’s things. I didn’t know if her mom knew that shit was mine or if she thought it was Vanessa’s and was compensating me for the shit she put us through. Whatever the reason, those bands would come in handy.
“But we will be one day, right? Why can’t I practice being a supportive wife?”
I bit my bottom lip as she stared at me. “Talk that shit then, baby. Fuck. You can’t have me getting excited with my son sitting in front of me.”
She giggled and released my hand as we turned the corner. We were riding along the perimeter of the pasture behind her dad’s house. That nigga was on his back porch watching us for the longest.Nosy ass.When he’d finally gone inside the house, Ashanni had said,Unc need to find him a life.We’d all laughed as Milana challenged her to say that shit to his face. We knew how that shit would turn out for her.
Once we were done riding, we would be going to the diner to eat. Treasure and Mama said they would meet us there. Aunt Shana and Aaliyah would be meeting us there too. This would be the first time I was around Maui’s family since those fools started clapping that day. I couldn’t wait until I was a regular around them like Ferris and Asad. It didn’t take them long, but I felt like it would take me a little longer.
As we got back to the barn and were getting off the horse, baby boy started reaching for the horse like he didn’t want to get off. I had to chuckle. He was gearing up to live up to his last name already. Maui took a picture of him doing that. I couldn’t wait to send it to my dad. I gave him to her so I could get her horse stalled and get Blackie on the trailer. Once we ate, I would be heading back to Liberty to put Caleb down for a nap.
