Page 23 of A Country Hood Christmas with the Hendersons

She couldn’t be moreperfect. Seneda Joelle Henderson was five pounds and ten ounces and eighteen inches long. She was having some breathing issues when we got here. I was grateful that we had medical professionals in the family. Vida was a quick thinker, and I trusted her mainly because Syn was her baby. She wouldn’t do anything to risk Syn’s well-being. They immediately whisked the baby off to the NICU and brought Syn to the other side of the third floor to get her cleaned up and situated.

As I stared at Seneda, my baby Senna, I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming amount of emotion. “She’s so beautiful, Marcus,” Vida said as she stood next to me.

“She really is. She looks like you and her mother with my complexion.”

Vida chuckled. “She does for now. We’ll see if that changes. She can very well grow up to be the spitting image of her father.”

She nudged me with her shoulder as I smiled. Jasper handed me a cigar as he patted my back. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks, bruh.”

As I looked closer, I realized that it wasn’t a cigar at all. This nigga had handed me the fattest blunt I’d ever seen. I glanced at him, and he winked at me. I slowly shook my head and slid it in my shirt pocket. “Look at your Christmas miracle. She’s beautiful, Marcus,” Tiffany said. “Don’t worry about Malia. We got her.”

“Thanks, Tiff.”

I gave her a hug as Storm approached. “I guess a wedding wasn’t good enough. Now we’ll be having birthday parties on Christmas day.”

He rolled his eyes, and I literally wanted to throw him through the glass of the NICU’s windows. It was a good thing we didn’t grow up together. We would have stayed into it. “Nigga, chill out,” I said, giving him a warning.

He lifted his hand and dismissed me. “She’s a pretty lil thing though, even if she looks like Aston’s pet cougar.”

I slowly shook my head as he and Vida started with their bullshit, going back and forth. “Uncle Marcus, she’s a gorgeous baby,” one of the twins said to me.

“Thank you, niece.”

“Noni. One day y’all gon’ realize that Bali is bigger. That’s how you can tell us apart.”

“I can’t tell who’s the bigger one unless y’all are together, smart ass.”

She rolled her eyes, looking like her rude ass father. “Whatever. Yo’ baby cute. She got a big head like you though.”

I bucked at her, and she jumped. I swore I could take those lil girls and wring their necks like some chickens sometimes. I gave my lil munchkin a last look then headed back to Syn. When I got to her room, it was full of family. WJ got everyone’s attention and said, “Congratulations, Syn and Marcus, on your new addition. She’s beautiful, and she won’t be able to help but be a boss. As with every Henderson, she will inherit a piece of the company. I wanted to present your documentation.”

My chest swelled with pride with how WJ ran the company. He always included us with decision making and kept us in the loop whenever there was an issue. The way the man had the company growing and progressing was something I always knew he would do if it were in his hands. He handed me the documents, then he also handed me an envelope with more paperwork.

“That is the account information for her savings. I just have to go and add her name on there. Send me the correct spelling so I can make sure I have it right. This is also something we’ve started. Each school-aged kid has a savings account that will be released to them when they graduate from high school. Her account was started with two thousand five hundred dollars.”

Everyone clapped as I smiled at Syn. After nodding and shaking WJ’s hand, I went back to her and got in bed with her. Before I could say a word, they brought Seneda in the room with us. She was on oxygen, but they would allow her time with Syn before they took her back to the NICU. I got out of bed and quickly sanitized and put a gown on over my clothes. Taking her from the nurse, I was stuck for a moment. I was mesmerized by her beautiful hair, slanted eyes, and damn near white complexion. I glanced at her ears, noticing they were a darker brown. She would be a perfect mix between Syn and me.

I walked to the bed and handed her to Syn as everyone looked on. Syn’s eyes watered as she held our Christmas miracle in her arms. I slid back into bed next to her and kissed her cheek. She turned to me and kissed my lips. “Merry Christmas, Synna and Lil Senna.”

Syn yawned then cut her eyes at me. “Merry Christmas, light bright nigga.”

Merry Christmas from the Hendersons!

The End

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