HARDAWAY | trilogy

V2 - Chapter Thirty One.

𝐆𝐈𝐎𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐈 𝐉𝐎𝐇𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐍

"Aye; I really 'preciate you watchin' Boogie for me."

Bouncing him lightly in my arms, my orbs averted to Shawn as he packed diapers in the baby blue, quilted dinosaur diaper bag on the brown couch in his duplex house. Boogie babbled by my ear as I patted his back over his puffer coat while standing in my white on white Nike Air Huaraches.

"It's no problem," I assured him. "Work finished and now I can spend time with this little guy," I added while softly pecking his chubby cheek.

"Tomorrow mornin' around nine, that's when I'll be back," he informed as he zipped the diaper bag and grabbing the gray carseat.

"Going on a trip for the school?" I questioned; referring to my old high school since he is— now— the Athletic Director.

"Uh, na'. . ." he carefully grabbed Boogie from me, sitting him in his carseat. "Doin' a favor for a friend. This favor gon' help me find Carmen."

"Carmen?" I reiterated in confusion, "Carmen has been missing for nearly a year now. Police haven't found anything. We would know first."

"Yeah, well... police ain't the ones doing the favor for me."

"Hm. . ." I studied him as he buckled Boogie in and made sure he was comfortable, "I've heard stories — about you and Coach Burgess when y'all were younger. The only person I know that has connections to even find somebody that's been missing for that long is. . . Profit."

"Giovanni—"

"Look, Shawn, you have Boogie now and he's without a mother. Why risk yourself to do this favor for Profit?"

"Because I'm desperate," he admitted, "Because I need confirmation on if she dead or alive. We only got two months with each other and somehow I fell in love with her. I think bout her every night, piecing shit together and blaming myself cause I had the connection to protect her the last day I saw her but I backed off cause she told me to. If I woulda went ahead and done what the fuck I meant to do, she would be here. But she not. So, now I'm doin' whatever to get her back here. Ain't nothing nobody can say or do to stop me from doing that."

"And what if it take months? Years?"

"Then that's how long it takes," he shrugged.

"And what if she's—"

"Dead?" He finished my sentence, "yeah I've thought bout that and my mind is ready to hear those words. I can't go without knowin' no more."

"Right. . . I really understand."

He looked at me as he breathed deeply, "thank you. Now, let's get y'all on the road. I got the carseat."

Nodding my head I take ahold of the diaper bag and placed the strap on my shoulder before we walked out the door and to my '07 Chevrolet Equinox in the driveway. I got in as he made sure Boogie's safely buckled. When he closed the door I raised the window down and said, "You love her and miss her; so do we. But — be careful. Boogie need you. Not having one parent hurts. Don't have him grow up without both."