Turning A New Leaf

Seventy-Four

Fernando had hit Krist up that Friday, asking if they wanted something to eat that wasn't hospital food. Atira, relieved to have an excuse to be alone, suggested Krist go with him and bring something back for her.

"You've been cooped up this entire time, go get some fresh air," was what she'd told him.

He slightly protested but agreed at her insistence. She was glad she didn't have to tell him "Please just fucking go" because she sure the fuck was tempted. There wasn't much for him to do there other than repeatedly ask her if she needed things, ask questions that she had already answered, and then ask if she was mad at him.

They'd been inseparable for nearly an entire year at that point and her patience was wearing thin, regardless of how much she loved and adored him, she wanted time to be able to miss him.

"It's just me and you, buddy," she smiled at her newborn, rocking him in the NICU.

Gabriel was three days old and off the CPAP. However, he had a feeding tube as nursing or bottle feeding took too much energy out of him and he would fall asleep before he drank enough milk to gain weight.

Atira was over the moon to see his entire face without the mask. She may have been biased but he was an absolute beautiful baby, who looked way more like his father than everyone had thought initially. He had her forehead and eyes but everything else was Krist, including his facial expressions.

The time spent with him made her almost want another baby. Almost. Linda had warned her that once the baby is home, things aren't usually as calm as they are in the hospital, Gabriel who was not at all fussy, could be completely fussy at home.

"I really am not trying to scare you!" She told her daughter-in-law, "I just don't want you to go home and feel like you aren't doing something right because babies will completely switch things up. Krist was one of them...ugh, Brad too."

On top of the possibility that the even-keeled Gabriel may not be so chill, pregnancy sucked and it wasn't something she cared to do any time soon. Atira wanted to focus all her time and energy on her newborn as well as on her career, marriage, and family.

****

"You ever eat here?" Fernando asked as he and Krist took a seat near the window.

"Naw, drove by here a shit ton but never stopped," Krist replied, staring out the window towards Highway-99.

"Hella bomb food," he told him, "Aye, there was something I been meaning to talk to you about."

Krist cocked his head, looking in Fernando's direction, "Yeah? What's up?"

"I know you and my sister been talking," he began.

"Why? She tell you that?"

"Naw, overheard her telling Marisol, that y'all just friendly or whatever," Fernando said, "I just been thinking... you got a wife and kids, my boy, don't be putting yourself in the same kind of shit I be getting myself in, homie."

Krist clenched his jaw, "Ain't even like that, dawg, I ain't tryna fuck with her like that."

Fernando gazed out the window, "That may be so but you're like me and I know damn well I can't have females as friends, especially ones that I fucked with."

"I get what you're saying, bro, it ain't like that at all. Don't get me wrong, like, if I wasn't with Atira I would be thinking differently but it's legit just friendly talk. It's not like I'm sending her pictures of my shit and talking sexual to her."

"I hope you keep it that way, " Fernando began, adding, "And I'm not saying this because that's my sister. I see you doing good, homie, and don't want to see you fuck it all off because you wanna listen to your dick, ya know?"

Krist could feel himself becoming irritated by the topic and was relieved when the guy working the front counter called their number. He'd known Fernando going on a decade and never once got lectured by him. To get lectured over something that was legit nothing kind of pissed him off.

Fernando set the tray down on the table, "Aye you ready to grub?" He asked, handing Krist a chile relleno burrito. Fernando rubbed his hands together, "Hell yeah," he said to himself as he unwrapped his food.

"So what's been going on with you?" Krist asked, eager to change the subject.

Fernando chewed his food and shrugged, "Bunch of dumb shit that I don't want to think about right now."

The two are in silence for several minutes before Fernando spoke again, "Some fools shot my fuckin' house up so Angelina took the kids and left me. Ion know if she even coming back."

"Damn, bro," Krist replied.

"It ain't the first time our house been shot up but she is mad that I wasn't there when it happened. I was in Seattle so it wasn't like I could be there right away, you know?"

"What's in Seattle?"

Fernando dabbed his mouth his a napkin and sighed, "Your wife's homegirl," he admitted.

Krist gave him a puzzled look, "My wife's homegirl?"

He nodded, "Yup. Jillian."

"No fuckin' way," Krist chuckled.

Fernando lit up, his usual spark returning to his face, "Hell yeah, I been fuckin' with her since y'all's baby shower. Those uppity white bitches are something..."

Krist buried his face in his hands, laughing, "Bruh...."

"Aye, what's with white broads talking about fetishes and shit?"

"What kind of fetishes?"

Fernando shook his head, laughing to himself, "Jillian told me 'I hope you don't feel like I'm fetishizing you'. Shit, I'll be your fetish."

Krist swallowed, "I've literally never been told that."

"Ain't the first time I been told that."

"Guess nobody got a fetish for dumpy white boys," Krist laughed.

Fernando clicked his tongue, "Guess not," he grinned, "Dawg, you ever be up in that house?"

"Jillian's?"

"Yeah, shit swaggy as a muhfucker. I ain't gonna even lie, I wasn't even wanting to go home at first. Ain't never been spoiled by no female before but she had me in silk pajamas, buying me all kinds of shit."

"Damn, fool," Krist laughed.

"If my wife don't take my back, I might just go stay with her.