ᴀᴜʙʀᴇʏ 'ᴅʀᴀᴋᴇ' ɢʀᴀʜᴀᴍ
I was standing in my backyard, letting the fresh air hit me as I threw the tennis ball across the yard.
Max, my German Shepherd, bolted after it, with Bella, my little Maltipoo, trailing behind him like she thought she was just as big and fast.
Chubbs was chilling on the patio, seated with his phone in hand, probably responding to a hundred messages that popped up after we touched back down in Toronto.
"Yeah, so you could either go and interview with Unc at Club Shay Shay about the fight or hit up The Breakfast Club," Chubbs said, glancing up at me.
I didn't even have to think about it. "Man, you already know I'm choosing Unc. The Breakfast Club is way too messy. I know they're gonna hit me with some left-field questions, especially that nigga Charlamagne," I said, shaking my head.
Chubbs laughed, tapping on his phone. "You ain't lying, bro. You know Charlamagne gonna have a Twitter fit once he sees you chose Unc over him."
I smirked, imagining the chaos. "Let him. I'd rather sit down with Unc any day of the week. He's family, you feel me? He gets it. It ain't about stirring up drama; it's about the real convo."
Chubbs nodded, sliding his phone into his pocket. "Yeah, and you know Unc gon' ask you questions but it'll be from a place of understanding, not just for clicks."
I threw the ball again, watching as Max sprinted like he was racing himself. "Exactly. I'm not about to give Charlamagne the chance to get under my skin. Plus, Unc's got that energy I need right now. It's been too much noise lately."
"True," Chubbs agreed, standing up to stretch. He gave me a knowing look. "But you know it's only gonna be quiet for so long."
"Yeah," I said, catching the ball as Max dropped it at my feet, ready for another round. "But right now, I'm just enjoying the calm before the storm."
Me and Chubbs kept talking as we made our way inside, heading through the patio doors and into the kitchen.
The laughter hit my ears before I even saw them, Ava was sitting at the kitchen counter with my dad, both of them giggling over something that must've been hilarious.
"Daddy!" Ava shouted, jumping off her chair and sprinting towards me with her arms spread wide.
I scooped her up, holding her close. "Hey, princess, I missed you," I said, planting kisses all over her cheeks. She squealed and tried to push my face away.
"Did Mommy just drop you off?" I asked, still holding her.
"She's been here for a while now," my dad chimed in, leaning back in his seat with a grin.
I frowned, looking at Ava playfully. "And nobody thought to tell me?" I raised an eyebrow, pretending to be hurt. "And you didn't come say hi to me first? What's up with that, huh? We got beef or something, little girl?"
She squealed as I started tickling her sides, her tiny feet kicking as she squirmed in my arms. "No, Daddy, stop! Stop!" she laughed, but I could see how much she loved it.
"Oh, now you want me to stop? But a minute ago you didn't even want to say hi," I teased, tickling her a bit more until she was breathless with laughter.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" she managed between giggles, her small hands gripping onto my shirt.
I finally let Ava catch her breath as I set her back down. She hugged my leg tightly, looking up at me with the biggest smile.
