February 25, 2044
Santa Monica, California
| Third Person Omniscient |
| continuation |
"Dad?" Nilan asked while turning her head towards him. They were on the way back to Sage's house after spending longer than expected at Universal.
"Wassup Ni?" Chris said glancing at her before looking back at the road.
"Do you love us?" She asked referring to her and her siblings. Chris furrowed his eyes and looked at her.
"Of course I love y'all. I love y'all more than myself sometimes. Why you ask me that?" Nilan looked to the back to make sure her brothers were sleeping before she continued.
"Cause...you forgot me at practice...you missed E's date...you never home...and when you are home...you make ma cry. She cries a lot these days." Nilan said softly. Chris kept looking forward, not wanting to look at Nilan. She played with her fingernails and bit her lip contemplating if she wanted to say anything else.
"When you were born, you looked just like your sister Royalty. You remember us telling you that?" Chris asked while looking at her. She nodded her head. "Me and ya mama was spooked! Like scary movie spooked but when I held you in my arms for the first time...I felt feelings that I've felt only a few times in my life."
"What were they?"
"I felt safe, seen, and a love I couldn't explain. I felt that way about all of y'all but you...it happened as soon as I held you in my arms." Chris turned his head and was met with her eyes looking at him, wondering where this was going. "Royalty was my first born...a lot of shit was going in my life but when Royalty came...she saved me...Shit sound crazy, huh?" Nilan made a 'you said it, i didn't it' face and Chris chuckled.
"How could RoRo , who was a baby, save you?"
"I wasn't ready to be a dad when Ro came to be honest. Me? A dad? That shit sounded like a damn joke to me but I was just scared. But when I looked at Ro and held her for the first time...whatever the world had to say or feel about me, my ex leaving, my inner battles, whatever...it didn't even matter in that moment. All the chaos in my mind stopped when I was around Ro. I loved music but being a dad gave me another sense of purpose." He pulled into Sage's driveway and parked the car. "I'm telling you this because I felt that same feeling when I held you in my arms...a new sense of purpose...a love that was heavy but in a good way. I felt that way about ya mama too and I still do...I just been dealing with my own shit, NiNi. But from now on whatever I'm dealing with won't make you, Z, Ever, or ya mama cry anymore. I'm not going anywhere, baby. Okay?" Nilan nodded her head. "Now get out and give your dad a hug." Nilan smiled and got out the car.
Chris walked around and opened his arms for Nilan. As he held her in a tight embrace, he kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back.
"I love you." Nilan said.
"I love you more." Chris kissed her forehead. "Imma wake your brothers up. You go ahead inside. I'll see this weekend." Nilan nodded and walked to the front door where Sage was standing.
Chris opened the back door on the passenger side and shook Ever.
"E? E get up, we here." Ever yawned and rubbed his eyes. Ever looked at Zaire and smacked his chest, making him jump out of his sleep.
