"Mommy." Caliyah calls out. "Yes baby girl? I'm in the kitchen."
"It's a man at the door asking for you." She says then goes silent. I walk into the hallway and see the door is cracked open. Is she talking about Jr? After he kissed me last night we got some space first of all, and sat down and talked.
I open the door, "RICO!"
"Surprise." He smirks. "Oh my God! Why didn't you call I would've came and got you!"
"Jr did that and what the fuck happened to your neck?"
"Caliyah is standing right here." I add. "Hi Uncle Rico." She speaks. He looks down and smile, "Hey baby girl."
Rico comes inside, while Jr does whatever he's doing in the car. "Is that bad man here?" Caliyah asks. "What bad man?" Rico asks, "That's who did that?" He adds.
"He's here!" She runs to back and slams the door. We both turn back and look at Jr. "Good morning Cay, what the hell y'all staring at?" He asks. "You nigga. What the hell you did for her to run off like yo ass got ten heads?" Rico looks from me to Jr looking as though he's now putting two and two together.
He raises up, "I know you didn't."
"Rico-"
His hand goes around Jr's throat and he lifts him off the ground up against the doorframe. "You lost yo fucking mind Jr. Putting your hands on her? In front of those kids? Nigga I ought to squeeze the life out of you!" His hand tightens, "but them two lil babies back there need a daddy..." He chuckles.
"This what we gone do Jr, you gone apologize to Casha and then your children and maybe I'll let you down untouched. You violated the code, I might have just got out but I'll go back. We might be homies but over that one you will die over. I let y'all do y'all thing since the beginning but if you ever step out of line again if me and you and Cay ain't stopping shit....Caliyah, Jayden come out here!"
I cannot believe what I'm seeing. We hear the door open and the of little feet approach us. "What's up Uncle Rico?" Jayden says as if his father isn't ten feet in the air.
"Jr what do you have to say to Casha?"
"I'm sorry for coming at you as I did. Yes I was angry but I should've heard you out from the beginning. I'm truly sorry and I'll never, ever, ever put my hands on you in that manner again. To Jayden and Caliyah, I never should have acted that way. That's not the example I want to set for you Jayden nor do I want you to think that's acceptable Caliyah. I apologize for my behavior and you won't ever see it happen again. I promise."
"Do you accept his apology?" Rico asks. "Yes."
"Caliyah?" She looks at me to Jr. "If he does it again I'm calling you Uncle Rico."
Rico laughs lightly, "You can do that."
"I accept it." She says. Rico let's Jr down to the ground. "We Good here then. Caliyah, Jayden meet your father Jr."
"Hi." Caliyah says. "What's up lil mama?"
"Jayden say hello to your father." I say looking at him stare Jr down. "Hey." He whispers as he fidgets with his fingers. "What's up son?"
"So if you're going to be here now you gotta be nice to Mommy and us or we're calling Uncle Rico." Caliyah says causing me to laugh. She is something else.
I walk back into the kitchen and begin to finish cooking. I had plans to feed three but now that Jr and Rico are here, I throw the other two pork chops in some flour and season them.
"Cay."
"What's up Jr.?"
"I'm really sorry."
"I heard you."
"Nah like forreal. Shit is fucked up."
"You did it."
He sighs grabbing my hand, "I shouldn't have did all that shit. It was unnecessary and if I wasn't so damn stupid I would've heard you out years ago."
"You right with yo stupid ass." He laughs pulling me to him, hugging me from behind. "I missed you."
"I kind of missed you too Jr." He lays his head on my shoulder. "You forgive me?"
"For the sake of children, Yeah."
"What about for the sake of us?" I flip the pork chop over trying to ignore the feeling of my heart being in the pit of my stomach. "Us?" I question.
"Casha and Jr. I ain't trying to rush back into anything because of how shit went down but you who I want."
"What if I told you I had a man?"
I feel him swallow hard. He's probably about to say something stupid as hell. I roll my eyes awaiting his response. "Well if that's really the case then ima just have to respect that." I turn around wanting to drop my jaw. "Really?" I ask crossing my arms under my chest.
"What else ima do? I would like to meet him though since he'll be around my kids."
"Jr.?"
"What Cay?"
"Are you serious? What the hell type of response of that? Are you just saying that because it sounds good?"
He chuckles at my amusement. "No. I'm deadass. Why you so surprised?" I take the food out the grease and sit them on the plate. "I don't have a man. I thought you were going to say something ratchet as hell. Maybe Rico did knock some sense into you."
"I ain't fucking up with you anymore. I gotta think before I say shit."
"Well damn." I mumble shocked. Ima need to keep Rico on standby forreal, Jr did a 360 that fast. I'm glad all of this is behind us. I feel like I can breathe now. I just don't know how things will be when we prepare to head back home. How is life going to be now that Jr is back and working his way to my good graces?
