In Too Deep (Urban) Book 4 | The Sideline Series

Chapter 17

Sincere

Tuesday afternoon, I found myself slaving over the stove cooking dinner for these bad kids who were all over the house doing their own thing. I was only cooking dinner for five tonight, just like last night, even though there's six of us in the house. Since Sunday at five in the morning, I haven't seen Effrin or had any type of interaction with him. He hasn't called me and I haven't tried calling him either. All the two of us needed was some time away from each other for awhile to clear our heads.

I don't know what the hell he was on that night but I knew he was drunk off of Patron. He knows he can't handle too much of that stuff because all it does is make him go crazy and get him stupid drunk and I'm sure he was smoking weed too, like every other night but it's no surprise. I've been trying for years to get him to stop smoking but it's just something he won't let up on. It's irritating and I hate kissing him when he smells and tastes like smoke. I used to like it when I was younger but I'm just too old for that now and he is too.

"Mama."

"Theodore," I called in the same tone as him.

I knew these kids like the back of my hand, including Theodore. Even when he was younger he'd spend weeks at a time over here so I knew him just like one of my own, so I knew his voice without even having to turn around. I was never able to do this when I was younger and didn't have any kids but now that I'm older and wiser, I don't even have to turn around to know who's walking in, even when they're trying to sneak up on me.

He smacked his lips. "You didn't even turn around. How'd you know it was me," he asked coming up next to me.

"It's just my motherly instinct," I replied. "What brings you in here?"

"No reason. I just smelled the fish cooking. You got corn bread, greens and some mac & cheese?"

I laughed, "This ain't no soul food restaurant Theodore and do you know how many calories is in all of that? And I'm not trying to kill y'all with that fattening food."

"So, what are we having then Mama? I mean, we can't have fish without the rest of that stuff," he replied trying to look around for the rest of the food.

"We're having fish, mac & cheese and greens. No corn bread. It's not good for you Theodore but I can secretly make you some," I nudged him.

He smiled, "Alright cool. And what do you want in return?"

"Nothing but a good boy."

"Man," he corrected me.

I laughed and held up my hands in defense. For some reason the past few years have been flying by so quickly that I haven't realized how old they've turned. To me, they're still the same three little kids running around in the back yard chasing each other because they've got cooties. "My bad. All of y'all are getting so old on me but I need you to be a good man for me."

"Aren't I always," he asked, smiling.

"No. I heard about you and Victoria. I don't want y'all sleeping together but at least use a condom all of the time," I replied. "I'm gonna put her dumb ass on the pill though because I know sometimes you forget about the condom when you're in the moment."

He chuckled, "I know but she always makes me put one on."

"You don't want to put one on? I'm not saying the two of y'all have a disease but anything can be contracted and my daughter is not getting pregnant. The both of y'all already know how I feel about that children before marriage stuff. Effrin and I messed up but I want y'all to get married," I informed him.