"Is she back yet?" My mom asked me.
"No."
"Well the dance ended a whole hour ago." She groaned. "I want to know if she enjoyed herself."
I sighed and didn't say anything else. She was doing too much because it was just a simple father and daughter dance.
"I'm getting on your nerves aren't I?"
"Yes. Jay needs to come back from overseas so you can forget about little old me and I'll be back to the stepchild."
"You know what? Call me when they get there." She hung up.
I smiled to myself. I loved telling her that she treated me like a stepchild when it comes to Jay. Jay was her only boy since our brother Gianni died and my mom did any and everything for him.
It was true when they say that black moms will kick their daughters out at eighteen to fend for themselves but take care of their overgrown ass sons until death.
The door opened and Quan walked in carrying a sleeping Juju. I stood to take her from him but he stopped me. "I got her."
I waited for him to come back out to see if we could talk. I needed to at least tell him I was carrying his child.
"Um, I want to run something past you real quick before I leave." Quan said when he came out. He was looking extremely nervous.
"What's wrong?" I wondered, tucking my leg underneath me.
"So Juju asked me if she could call me Dad while at the dance and I told her yes. I said yes because I didn't want her to feel left out amongst the other girls."
I looked at him for a moment. "Okay?"
"Then on the ride here she asked if it was okay to always call me Dad."
I sighed while running my fingers through my hair. I knew that this was coming. "And?"
"I told her that that's something we need to talk to you about. Together. I look at and care for her as if she's actually my child so why not?"
"That's a big step to take. It you want to do that it's fine but we still need to talk with her." I said.
"I know and I'm all for it."
I looked him dead in the eyes because I was about to get serious. "Ja'Quan Daye, if you even think about doing my child wrong, I swear on my brother and sister's graves that I will kill you and your entire family will be dressed in all black."
"Really Siani?"
"You want to be her father and have her call you Dad so bad then you better be the best damn father in the tristate area. You're going to be there for the rest of everything. Every dance, recital, school event, prom, graduation, first day of college, first heartbreak-" I rambled off. "Do you understand? No matter the terms you and I are on, you're not backing out of her life. So speak now if you're not up for it."
"I'm here! Even through our break right now, I'm here. She calls me every night on that iPad, she stops past my classroom every morning and afternoon. You and I may not be straight but me and Julianna will always be good."
"Okay and there's a few things that I need to get off my chest."
"I'm sorry to cut you off but I'm tired Si. I'll come past tomorrow because I have some things that I want to say also."
I could just blurt it out. "Fine." I looked away from him. "You should go now. I stood and held the door open.
"Can I take you out tomorrow for brunch at Warmdaddy's?"
