"Look at you!" I said as my daughter twirled around in her kimono and makeup, anxious to show off her new look.
She strutted her stuff like she was a fashion model, proud to show me this cute Asian-influenced getup. Her makeup included bold red dots on her cheeks and bottom lip, garnet and bronze eye-shadow, and her hair was in small buns. This was the surprise she had for me.
"It's the new craze in Tokyo," Natalie smiled as Shan continued showing off. "All the teenagers are sporting the buns."
"Very, very cute," I said, before giving my daughter a big hug and kiss.
I'd missed her so much. Always did when she went away for weeks at a time. I was going to make sure to ask about every detail when we got back to Houston. Her adventures away from me in Japan were shaping her identity as a young woman. It was important for her to share her growth with me every step of the way. Especially since Natalie was influencing much of it.
Wallace came from the back room carrying his son on his shoulder. His smile was warm and inviting. Like it always had been with me. Even despite our failed marriage. I greeted him but immediately reached out my hands for that cute little boy that he was holding.
"Hey precious," I smiled as he handed Noah off to me.
"He just got up from a nap. So he's kinda cranky," Wallace said.
I looked the boy in his eyes, and sure enough, he had that I-just-woke-up-so-don't-fuck-wit-me look in his drowsy eyes. I kissed him and asked where ma was. Though Wallace's mother was no longer my mother in law, I still called her ma. We still had a very solid relationship with each other. Deep down, I think she liked me more than Natalie. But I knew she'd never tell me that.
"She's out with pops," Wallace said. "She should be back in an hour or so."
Noah started playing with my hair, making us giggle.
"He's getting so big," I said, feeling my arms start to ache from holding him. "Head full of hair too."
"I tried to braid it," Shan said. "But he wouldn't let me. Kept moving and squirming. It would be easier with a lil girl."
I looked toward Wallace, and then to Natalie and grinned.
"Well you better tell daddy and Natalie to get to it."
After we laughed a bit, Shan walked up to me, curiosity all on her face.
"So where is he?" she asked.
I looked at Wallace, who was giving me a funny smirk.
"Where is who?" I asked.
"Daddy told me you had someone for me to meet," she said.
I had called Wallace before hand to let him know I was bringing Carter over to meet Shan. I hadn't expected him to steal my thunder.
"I do," I said.
"So...where he at?" Shan smiled.
"Waiting outside," I said, studying her excited facial expression. "Do you know who it is?"
"It's him? Right? The teacher?" she asked.
Everyone in my family knew about Carter, even if I rarely spoke about him. They knew I had a controversial affair with him in college. They all thought he was the reason me and Wallace had broken up. My family rarely mentioned him by name when they brought him up. They always referred to him as 'him' or 'the teacher.' He was like myth, better yet, legend around these parts. I figure everyone had someone in their past with that kind of reputation. The one that had them whipped and head over heels.
