Three's Company

84

Cam

The kids ran through the trampoline park screaming and laughing chasing either, while me and Deon grabbed a seat in the empty parents lounge area. We had brought along our Yeti cups and poured beer inside.

Me: Dawg...we got Nuri & this lil nigga fucking. Now you and Jess talking about getting back together. I thought me and Jay had a lot going on.
Deon: I don't know how you handle your kids growing up in that manner. I can't even think about Morgan. Thank God we still have time.
Me: Alright. So what we gon do, bro?
Deon: I'm going for it.
Me: And you're sure this is what you want?
Deon: I miss her. I've forgiven her. Maybe it was unrealistic to ever think she'd leave Garrett alone. Maybe I should've went this route this first time. Maybe we'd still be happy and together.
Me: You can't base your happiness on that.
Deon: I've gotta start being a realist.
Me: You've always been that.
Deon: Things are different now.
Me: Ima support you regardless. I just want to make sure you're doing what's best for you. You went from moving on to wanting that old thang back. Plus extra.
Deon: And funny enough this is the most free I've felt in awhile.
Me: As long as you're happy, bro.

"Daddy! Daddy! Uncle D! Watch us race!" The kids hopped on a zip line and flew into a foam pit laughing and then jumping up to run to the trampolines.

Me: And what happens if you meet a baddie that sweep you off your feet?
Deon: First of all, nigga. I can't be swept. Secondly, I'm tryna get like you. If you know what I mean...
Me: My dawg!
Deon: I'm tryna be slutted out!
Me: You been through it! You deserve bout three or four of em!
Deon: And this way, I have em. If you can't beat em! Join em!
Me: You better be careful!
Deon: Bro...after all that shit, I went and got snipped. I'm never having no kids. I was crazy for even tryna be a family man in the industry I'm in.
Me: You wylin'!
Deon: If my clients can do it, so can I. My boy Jalen through a party a few weeks back to celebrate his contract extension. Nigga...I invited four chicks back to the room...took a couple of them honey packs that the young boys are taking. I went all night.
Me: Bro...what?!
Deon: You gotta try it.
Me: Nah I'm good on that. You gon fuck around and catch something.

I'm sitting here listening to my boy talk and I ain't never know him to party and fuck random chicks. This is when I knew he wasn't as healed as he was claiming. I also wondered if he had more than beer in his yeti. Cuz when he gets tipsy, he gets a little loose lipped.

Deon: Nah bro. I get tested monthly.
Me: When you start doing that?
Deon: When I got divorced, nigga.
Me: So this is why you all barking up Jess tree again.
Deon: That's my baby, man. For life. I just decided I don't wanna lose her. It's a lot of women in this world. But that's home.
Me: You just be careful. You've had enough shit for one year. And stop taking them fucking honey packs before your damn heart stop.
Deon: Speaking of, I got something for her. Check this out.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and now I'm looking at this nigga crazy. Like truly I think he's out of his mind. He comes to sit on the couch next to me and turns his phone screen in my direction. I look at it confusingly. "Nigga what the fuck is that?!" It's a nigga standing shirt in the gym bathroom flexing and holding his meat. "Oh shit. My bad. That's one of my clients. He sent me a picture of him getting big. We tryna get this money." I looked at him stupid. "But why you save it, bro?" He swiped over to another picture. "Nigga, you know I didn't save that shit. I must've hit the damn button in our text thread. But this is what I was tryna show you." I looked at the phone, not really believing the answer he gave me. That shit was weird. Among the other shit that he's been saying. And now that he was closer, I could smell the alcohol on his breath and he definitely wasn't drinking no damn bear.

He showed me a set of diamond earrings. "I got these for J. They dope right? She's such a good mom. A good woman. I just wanted to show her that I appreciate her. That I never stopped loving her." The earrings were dope. But my brother was definitely on some shady shit and I felt some kinda way that he was being secretive about it. Me, of all people. We were better than that. Between the wild parties and now this, I was worried about him. And I hoped he wasn't out here tryna cope in unhealthy ways.

Deon: I got something for Mo too.

He pulled a smaller jewelry box out of his pocket and handed it to me. I opened to find some small diamond stud heart shaped earrings. "These are beautiful, man. She gon love em." He closed the box and put it back in his pocket. "I love that little girl, man. That was the hardest part of everything. I was scared that I wouldn't be able to be in her life anymore. I've been there since the beginning. She's mine too." "I know, bro," I replied.

The kids played for what seemed like three more hours before they finally came and told us they were tired and hungry. We gathered everybody up, helped them get their shoes on and took them out for pizza and ice cream.

By the time I made it back home, it was 3pm. Jay was asleep on the couch, the kids immediately ran in the house and went upstairs to FaceTime Morgan and play Roblox, like they hadn't been with her all day. "Mom is sleeping, so keep it down y'all."

As soon as I said that and the kids were out of sight and hearing distance, Jay started to readjust on the couch. I'd taken my shoes off and set them on the shoe shelf in our washroom. "Hey," she said quietly. "Hey baby...I didn't mean to wake you up." I went over and gave her a kiss and pushed over the center ottomans to lay next to her. "It's fine. I probably slept way too long. What time is it?" She snuggled up to me and closed her eyes back. "The kids have fun?" I kissed the top of her head and held her. "Yeah. I ended up texting D. We met up with him and Morgan. You see the pictures I sent you?" She felt around for her phone. "Baby, I don't have a clue where my phone is. Me and Justice went and got massages and I came home and passed out on the couch. I don't think I've seen my phone since we got to the massage place."

Me: Oh so you had a good time.
Jay: The kid-free peace and quiet is unmatched. We went to lunch and that massage put me in a trance.
Me: She probably put you in a trance too.
Jay: Shut up!