If Only

17| Appreciation

"Angel. Angel face, wake up baby."

Quinton hovered over his wife's sleeping frame, then leaned down to kiss her forehead after brushing stray hairs out her face.

"Mmm," she hummed. Nadira rolled her neck, letting out a sigh. Slowly, she opened her eyes then shaded them from the bright light of the sun. 

"Good morning, baby," she spoke groggily. 

"Morning, mama. Happy Mother's Day." Nadi closed her eyes again and smiled, thanking her husband. 

"Where's Bean?" Quinton looked down at his leg and picked up his son, Quinton Jr., and kissed the top of his hair. Nadira eagerly sat up and reached for her baby, who giggled with drool escaping his mouth onto his chin.

"Hi, JuJu Bean! Can mommy get a kiss?" The nine month old stared at her, then pushed her face back on the pillow and laughed. He leaned down and smothered her with kisses, causing her to giggle. When Junior finished, he laid his cheek on his mother's.

"Aw, thank you papa," she coo'ed, kissing his nose. 

She heard a grunt, then sat up with her son to look at Quinton. 

"What?" She asked him. 

"You know what," he grumbled, watching Bean toy with her necklace. 

"Oh my gosh, stop it, Q. It's not that serious," she playfully rolled her eyes.

"Ever since he came, he just been takin' over. Stole my spot on ya chest, stole my woman, stole my name, and now he gets called papa. I'on like it." 

"Baby--"

"Baby? That's what we doin' now? My name is papa," he fake cried, holding his chest.

Nadira laughed and got out the bed, padding into the bathroom. "Ju, your daddy is mad jealous. I don't know why he treats you like that. He knows he's still papa." She handed Junior to Q, performing her morning routine as they both watched.

"I'm still papa?" He asked, looking at her through the mirror.

Dira wiped her mouth with the towel, then turned around to face both them. "Of course. You're big papa, forever and always. Mmkay?" She kissed his lips twice.

He nodded, satisfied. "What you wanna do today, Angel face?" 

Her heart fluttered at his term of endearment. "Nothing really. We can't really go anywhere because of the quarantine, anyways. Just wanna spend some time with my handsome men today, y'know?"

"True. You hungry?" Nadira nodded. He grabbed her hand and led her downstairs, revealing a spread of food.

"Good, 'cause me and li'l man cooked." Nadira shook her head and grinned, getting on her tippy toes to kiss her husband. 

"Thank you, papa," she muttered, her lips still on his. 

He pulled away and swiped his bottom lip with his tongue. QJ made a noise in his father's arm, wanting attention too.

"Thank you, too Bean." She kissed his cheek and allowed him to lay his head on his dad's shoulder. 

Later in the afternoon after opening her gifts for her first mother's day and successfully tiring their son out, the couple found themselves back in their room watching a movie. Quinton noticed that his wife kept rolling her neck and shoulders, so he shifted his body over hers and pressed his thumbs at the base of her shoulders. She sighed in content and relaxed underneath him. 

"Tired?" He asked, noticing her eyes closing as he moved to massage her scalp. 

"No. You?"

"Nope," he spoke, popping the p. "Want a massage?"