Rini

with you

ricky pov

after breakfast we decide to go on a walk. we walk first to a coffee shop. "hey can you get me my drink please, I'm going to use the bathroom," she asks, "a-" "matcha latte with oat milk. go" she smiles at me gratefully. i am in line with alex and he starts to fuss, i reach down and pick him up, "hey hey.." i say, "next!" i walk to the counter, "hii," i say. "hi, what can i get for you," "um, ok can i have a matcha latte with oat milk and a cappuccino with almond milk." i say. "thanks," "that your baby?" the barista asks. "mhmm" "he's cute," "ya he is," nini says coming round taking alex. "hi, did you order," she asks, i nod. i pay and we go and sit down at one of the couchs. nini is bouncing alex on her knee. he's giggling and squealing. "she was hitting on you you know," she says mockingly. "no she was no." i say defensively," "Richard yes she was. might i remind you you have a girlfriend." "how was she hitting on me." she looks at me astonished, "cute baby, i swear men can be so stupid." she murmurs. she didn't sound jealous at all. i laugh, "no" she smiles at me, "yes." "ricky bowen" a barista shouts. i get up and grab our drinks. alex i s already in his stroller. "ready," i ask handing her her drink. "yess" 

we walk to the coffee shop heading towards nowhere.  we walk and talk for a while. we arrive at a park we weren't meaning to go to. "lets go to the slide" nini says, picking alex up out of the stroller. i stand at the bottom of the slide with my phone taking a video, "ready" nini says, "your recording right," "yes nini I'm actually gen z." i say, she laughs and says, "ready alex," alex is on her lap, and she pushes off raising alexs hands, and saying, "weee" he's gigling and laughing. "wave to dada," she says, pointing to the camera, "sayy hiii dada." "hii alex" i sayy laughing. "your turn" she says giving me alex and taking my phone, I walk up to the top of the slide, nini yells up, "you look like a dad," I'm holding alex like I've seen tiktok dads hold babys, and alex likes it. i laugh, "i am a dad nini" she laughs, "ready," i yell down," She nods, videoing us. "ready buddy," i say, "woooo" i yell going down the slide. when i reach the bottom, alex is laugh and squealing. "there's our little manns," nini coos.she taking pictures of us. "swings?" she asks, i nod. we set alex into the baby swing. we keep talking and laughing taking pictures. were like a real family. 

we leave after an hour. walking back to the apartment. we stop at slices for lunch. "take out" red asks, we nod. "two cokes to go," red adds, we nod again. "ok 15 dollars please. so nini, your trending on insta and tiktok" "again" she says, "well that's not new" "you might not like it," he brings out his phone and opens tiktok, there is a video of me and nini in the park playing with alex. thankfully alexs face is blocked out in this one, but as red scrolls some of them arent. "what the hell" i say taking reds phone. "that's our kid, we haven't even discussed if his face should be out there. hell no one knows that he exists. or that he's our kid." i look over at nini, shes paniced and shes on the phone. painting to it, "my publicist and security. i didn't think i was as big." she says, "hi cheryl can you get some protection from this please. i don't want my sons face all for the world to see." she says  angerly into the phone, "ples cher do something I'm begging you." she listens for a moment, "thank you," she hangs up and answers another call. "baby," she says into the phone, my heart clenches. "yea i talked to her, damage control." she listens, "i didn't know" she pauses, "mmhmm, mhmm, ok love you bye." she looks frustrated. "needs I'm sorry." "its, i don't know." she lays her forehead on my shoulder. "ughh" red gives us our food, "I'm sorry neens," he says sympathetically. "thanks red." she says. before we walk out she covers alexs stroller with the cover. we walk quickly back to the apartment. 

i got calls from my parents so did nini and we keep getting calls. "i am so sick of this, why cant they jus tlet me be. its called boundaries, its like they have absolutely no perception of the word. i don't feel safe." she says, "i feel like there are eyes everywhere. ugh im so angry." i pull her into my arms. "i feel the same. I wish that people where better but some aren't." she nods. "im just really angry."