Page 63 of The Prodigy 2: Rise of a Queen

I sat back and shook my head. “I feel…shit. I guess I feel a little better. Maybe it’s a slow typa thing. Maybe one day I won’t feel bad at all.” I wiped my hands on a napkin. “I feel relieved that your moms is in a better place. With a real grave and a headstone. I’m glad you got somewhere to go to visit with her.” I blinked back tears. I don’t know where them shits came from. “I feel…honestly, I feel fuckin’ lucky that you stayed with my ass even after all this.”

A tear leaked out, but I didn’t wipe it. That was a first for me.

She made a pouty face like she was sad that I was sad.

“Don’t look like that, I’m good,” I told her. “I just can’t believe you can look past some shit like that. That tells me a lot about you. You got a good heart. A forgiving heart.”

“Do I?”

“Think about all the shit I done put you through. You seen me shoot a nigga in the head—”

“Kari!” Her eyes went wide searching the restaurant to see if somebody heard.

“My bad, shawty. But listen, you seen that, then I stole you, made you marry me, in a motherfuckingcourthouse, and let one of my old hoes run up on you at yo job. And then this. And you still here. I mean, I know my dick is flames, but it can’t be that.”

“It’s notjustthat.”

I grinned at her.

“Obviously, I wanna be here. It’s very simple.”

“And I want you here.”

“Cool. Although a real wedding would have been nice.”

My wheels started turning as I watched her devour another slice. “So let’s have a real wedding.”

“Shut up.”

“I’m for real. You been with me long enough to know I’ma give you whatever the fuck you want. Plan that shit, let Jaz do what she gon’ do cuz you know her ass gon’ be all up in it. And then, tell me where to be and what time.”

Her smile told me all I needed to know.

“Aight then,” I said. “Run it.”

---