Page 3 of DeLucas After Dark

“Could you be any louder? You know the baby is asleep. Be quiet before you wake him.”

“My bad! Dang, you don’t have to be so hostile.”

“Sheree, you know it is crazy trying to get that boy back to sleep when his nap is interrupted. Lower your voice or I will do it for you.”

She looked at me with shock on her face and then laughed. Shaking her head, she whispered at me.

“You sure got that mom thing down. I thought I was looking at Auntie Michelle for a minute.”

“Jr is finally on a schedule, and I won’t have his sleep pattern interrupted.”

“Eww, you were much more fun before your husband knocked you up. Can we go back to Moni instead of Mommy?”

“Shut the fuck up! You’ll see when you have a little one.”

“No, the hell I won’t! I am going to be one of those childless adults. I don’t need the headache.”

“Bitch, my son isn’t a headache.”

“I didn’t say he was. I said I didn’t need one. You know I love little Nicolo, but 2 AM feedings are not my jam.”

She snapped her fingers and started strutting her ass down the hall toward the kitchen. It was my favorite part of the new house Nicolo purchased for us, when he learned I was pregnant. Once she realized there was no food simmering on the stove, she stopped, turned to me with an attitude, and looked at me expectantly.

“Am I crazy, or did you say you were making lunch today? I mean, here I am ready to get my eat on, and there you stand in your bath robe and no food cooking. I just can’t.”

“Listen… I had to feed my babies first. You come in a close third when it comes to satisfying my family’s hunger.”

“Moni, you only have one baby, last I counted.”

“You know good and well I’m talking about Nico. I had tofeedmy man this morning.”

Sheree tuned her face up like she smelled something foul.

“TMI, bitch. Imma need your nasty ass to go take a shower before you touch my food. Just gross.”

“You’re the one who showed up an hour early. Don’t be mad at me for getting some, this fine morning.”

“That’s just nasty. You and Nicolo are parents, now. You can’t be exposing my little cousin to that mess. He’s gonna have a complex.”

“Girl, he’s three months old. Besides he was in his crib, not in the bed with us. You really watch too much ratchet television. Ain’t nobody in here screwing with the baby in the bed next to them.”

“Whatever. Go get in the shower while I see what’s in the fridge.”

“Fine, just don’t eat my grapes, and if you see Nicolo, don’t bother him with a ton of questions. He’s not in the mood.”

I rushed to the master en suite and jumped into the shower. After dressing, I checked on the baby, before grabbing his monitor, and making my way back to the kitchen where I made quick work of making a beautiful lunch. On the menu was pan seared garlic butter lamb chops, with some mashed sweet potatoes and roasted Brussel sprouts, that I threw in the air fryer. It was one of Nicolo’s favorite meals.

I had gotten used to making big meals for lunch on the weekends. We usually had family and friends over because they loved to dote on the baby, but today there was only Sheree. She had talked me into making a proposition to Nicolo for her new business idea.

As I was placing the food on the table, the doorbell chimed. This brought Nicolo from his office to answer the door. I heard him greeting someone but couldn’t hear who. I didn’t have to wait long to find out who it was. Nicolo entered the dining room with his friend following close behind.

“Babe, you remember Mario. He’ll be joining us for lunch.”

I turned to greet my husband’s friend, but before I could welcome him, Sheree jumped up like her ass was on fire. The chair she was sitting in toppled over, and her face looked all flushed. What in the world was her problem?

My cousin’s eyes went wide, and she licked her lips as she stared at Mario. That’s when it kicked in. Sheree was in heat and poor Mario was her target. I laughed at the expression on her face, as Mario bent down to pick up her chair. The odd thing was, Sheree was silent. In my entire life, I had never known a time when she was not flapping her gums.

“Girl, close your mouth before a fly goes in there.”

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