ᴍɪɢɪ ᴠᴀʀɢᴀs
Zuri's giggling filled the top floor of the lake house. The movie Princess and the Frog playing aloud on the smart television mounted in her bedroom. My pace slowed down while eavesdropping at the one-year-old's door.
"Miss. Froggy?"
"Yesss...?" Zy answered, completely in awe as her mother recited the famous soundtrack. Neither of them noticed me here and I didn't want to interrupt the moment. Sehven was even blushing.
You'll never think that she was hurting right now.
"Might I have a word?"
"Yesss, Mommy?"
"You's a hard one, that's what I heard...," Sehven snuggled up with our daughter as they sat in the middle of Zy's twin bed. Zuri's chunky self was comfortable in her mother's lap. Both showered and dressed in a T-shirt and shorts as their pajamas.
"Your daddy was a loving man — family through and through. You, your daddy's daughter. What he had in him, you got in you," If there was a question about Sehven's character or if she would bash me as a bad father if I did fail, it was terminated then. Not that there would ever be a chance nor a time when my paternal figure could be questioned. I wasn't losing my family.
Zuri's giggling and small talk slowly ceased in a matter of ten minutes. Sehven was rocking her as the movie continued to play. Familiarity kicked in and Zy couldn't keep herself involved much longer. It was well after 9:30, but also Friday night — so Sehven wasn't adamant about the usual hour-for-hour weekday schedule. It also promised that Zuri wouldn't wake up too early on Saturday morning.
Instead of turning on the nightlight, Sehven left the movie playing. Most likely it'll loop run until in the morning when Zuri woke up.
"I love you, Baby Cakes."
Not wanting to get caught at the door like a creepy ass nigga, I backed up quickly to the staircase. Strolling back down, so I could walk up on the last step, just as Sehven walked into the hall.
She may have not noticed my presence, but Zy did.
We hadn't spoken in a full day now. Over twenty-four hours since I walked out to them sitting in the store. Salice saw Sehven during her departure and whatever transpired between them, forced Sehven to distance herself. I was only lucky she didn't run.
Yet.
"Hey, mama," I spoke, divulging in attempted conversation for the whatever time this was. The silent treatment met me most times. Failure to elaborate on her feelings.
"Zy sleeping?"
Sehven looked over me from head to toe. Reading me, if I can say so. What she was trying to figure out — I wasn't sure. To see if I was okay, check my energy, or make sure everything was in place. Or all three.
My departure this afternoon was met with the same nonsense. No communication on her end — Zy hugged me for almost fifteen minutes though. Sehven worked from home for a while and as I left, her eyes followed me out the door. She knew how I departed and I can promise, that's exactly how I came back. Maybe a little higher, maybe a little bit richer.
But that's it.
Sehven nodded eventually. Her walk into the bedroom was slow, but she left the door open and I took that as a clue in my favor.
With her ready for bed, it wouldn't be long before this chance was completely off the table.
"Can I talk to you?"
