Loving Khyree (That Zaddy Collection Book #1)

36

Travion

"I'm so amazed how much you've grown...." I looked around, I was at one of the shops. Dad was hunched over a turbocharger.

My turbocharger.....

"Dad....?" He looked back and gave me a smile. He looked just like how I see him in the pictures Unc be giving me. This time he had some coveralls and a wrench and some more tools around him.

"Hey son....c'mon help me out with this bad ass turbo charger." Something made me walk up to him quick. This had to be a dream. It was just me and him.

"Wh....how?" I asked confused, looking around the shop. His Pontiac sat in the corner with the hood up. I dream to have this car one day. It sat in the garage at home. Unc had it washed and detailed every month.

"I needed to talk to your brother first.... I just couldn't believe that he was alive all this time." Dad shook his head in disappointment. He continued and I just silently listened, still tripping at the fact I was having a conversation with my dad. Who died almost 16 years ago....

"His mom lied to me about Khyree. Told me she had a miscarriage. If I  knew she was lying, I would have been came for him and raised him the right way." I didn't say nothing and watched him clean out the exhaust inlet.

"What about....?" I couldn't call her a mother, I just knew her name was Marianne.

"I seem to have bad luck with women son. I thought Carly was the one for me and everything proved that she wasn't. I met your mom fixing her car one day and I thought she was a second chance at love for me. I married her after two years and she got pregnant with you, right after. I was already 46 then and she was 42, so you came in perfect timing. The day you were born though....." I watched dad look up in thought.

I got the turbine wheel and looked at it, this model would be good for the turbocharger. It would give it good air flow. I heard dad move around with the turbo charger again.

"I couldn't be with someone who didn't want my child because of a difference. At that time, in my mind, I lost one child and I wasn't gonna lose you because she couldn't accept you. Me and Mari accepted you regardless, you are my son. A Harding...."

Deep in my chest, I felt that pride and acceptance from my dad. I always use to think in the back of mind that he died as a punishment for the abomination I am. I didn't care if Marianne didn't want me, but unc told me that Dad did everything in his power to raise me, his life was just taken earlier....

"You're not an abomination." My eyes shot up to him.

"You're not an abomination, a freak or a mistake. I wished that I could be alive and see how big you and your brother will get jn the future." Dad threw his finger my way to come closer. Dad pointed at the air inlet and I helped him in cleaning it out. I always was interested in cars. When unc was better than he was looking now, he always took me to the shops and showed me how to build an engine from scratch, taught me everything about cars. I just wished that I had those moments with dad.

"I wished I was the one to show you everything about cars too. Mari did an amazing job for me though, this turbo charger bad ass. I woulda never came up with the idea. You're gonna take Harding motors far, son." Dad looked up at me and gave me a smile.

"You reading my mind dad?" I laughed at him. Oddly it didn't freak me out that I was having a conversation with my dead dad in a dream. It felt comforting. Just a lil confusing on how this is possible....