THE LOVECHILD Ft.Trey Songz

COLD Stone .

I walked out of my bedroom at the same time as the doorbell rang. I walked past the living room where Tarahji was sitting playing with her dolls and watching television at the same time to answer the door. I looked into the peep hole to see Jahbari. I licked my lips and took a deep breath before opening the door.

"Hi," I said to him once the door was open. He nodded his hello and I opened the door wider to come in and he did. This was the first time I had seen him since we last talked two days ago. That same night when Tarahji woke up from her nap I still didn't tell her about her father. I know that it was my fault that we are in this situation right now... but for some reason I felt like I needed extra support to tell her about him. So, I called him up this morning and we'd both agreed that we'd tell her together today over ice cream.

"You guys ready?" he asked me.

I nodded my head yeah and turned away from him to Tarahji, who was too busy playing with her Barbie's to see that we had company. "Rahji, baby," I called out to her. She turned around to look at me. Her eyes sparkled when she realized who I was standing next to. She got up from her seat with her Barbie doll in her hands and ran towards us. I watched as she ran and I frowned fearing that she might end up tripping or worst hurting herself again, "No running Rahj." I warned her.

"Okay mommy," she said and stopped running. She walked towards us and went straight to hug Jahbari which was in a crotched position waiting for her. They hugged each other. I watched as he hugged her lovingly and rubbed her back. "Hey, you're the nice man I met in the elevator." She told him. He nodded his head and smiled down on her.

"I sure am. Do you remember my name?" he asked her.

She nodded her head, "You're name is Mr. Jahbari and you live across the hall." She said remembering the little conversation that had that had taken place almost two weeks ago. I was surprised that she remembered. But like they say... little kids remember everything.

"Yup," he said nodding his head. "That's my name." he said reassuring her. "So, are you ready to go to Cold Stone to eat ice cream?" he asked her. The glint in her eyes sparkled.

She nodded her head hard, "Yes." She said smiling. "I want to get the birthday cake remix," she said with excitement. Tarahji loved ice cream. But I was one of those parents who didn't allow my daughter to eat too many sweets. But there's no telling what those parents or her godmothers were really feeding her behind my back. She had a way of bribing people into getting them to give her what she really wanted.

"Are you going to put down Fefe?" I asked her. She looked down at her right arm that had the cast which was holding her doll Fefe. She nodded her head. "Okay," I said. "Come here." I said. She walked over with her doll and I put on her jacket and together we all exited my condo. I locked the door and then we walked towards the elevator. The doors opened a few seconds later.

"Mr. Jahbari?" she called Jay. He looked down at her. She was holding my hands as we both stood on either side of her. She looked up at him. "Do you want to come with us to the ice cream store?" she asked. He smiled looking down at her. She had forgotten that he had said that we were going to Cold Stone Creamery.

He nodded his head, "Yes." Tarahji smiled happy that he was going with us. She started singing one of the kiddy songs from the show Yo Gabba Gabba and danced with her cast and baby doll Fefe. I had to admit this little girl was off the chain dancing and singing in the elevator. I watched as he looked down at Tarahji and started laughing and couldn't help but smile lovingly at her. The elevator dinged and he let me and Isis exit first then he and then together we all walked out of the building.

"Which car are we taking?" I asked him as soon as we got outside of the building. "Your car or mine?" He thought about it for a second.

"Your car." He said. "Doesn't she have like a car seat?" he asked me. I nodded my head. It made since that we used my car. We walked towards my car and I unlocked it. I opened Isis's door and was about to put her in her seat when she stopped me.

"I want Mr. Jay to put my seatbelt on for me." I looked back at him and he shrugged it shoulders. I watched as he placed her in her car seat and strapped her in. I felt a hint of jealousy pass over me. It wasn't because he was paying more attention to her, because I was cool with that. I had dreamt of this moment where he'd be around in her life. It was the fact that she didn't want me to put on her seatbelt for her. She wanted him to do it. I felt unwanted.

I felt unwanted and now that shit kind of scares me. For so long I had taken care of this little girl on my own. And now that he was back in her life... she was just about to find out that her father existed. And when she knows she'll run to him now. I watched those two laugh at a small joke that he said. He turned his attention back to me and closed the door.

"Are you okay?" he asked me. I nodded my head but I was sure he didn't believe me. "Look, I know this is gonna be hard to tell her." He said looking back at her through the window. She started playing with her baby doll again and she had a smile on her face. "But I want her to know today. So we're going to make this easy and understanding as possible for her." He told me. I nodded my head.

"You want to drive?" I asked him. He shrugged his shoulders and licked his lips. I placed the hands out in his awaiting hands and he walked around the car towards the driver's side. I opened the passenger's side and got in. I buckled my seat belt. He started the car and was about to back up when she yelled stop.

He put his feet fast on the brakes and looked back at her. "What's wrong, Tarahji?" he asked her. I looked back at her.

"You aren't wearing your seat belt." She said reminding him of what he didn't do. He looked down at his chest to see that he wasn't wearing his seat belt. "Mommy says it's always good to wear your seat belt. That way you're safe." She told him. He parked the car and put his seat belt on.

"Your mommy is right," he said smiling at her. She nodded her head. "Thank you," he told her. He looked at me and I gave him a small smile also. "Are we ready to go now captain," he teased her as he looked through the rear view mirror down at her. She nodded her head giggling.

"Yes," she said playfully.

He nodded his head, "Aye aye captain," and unparked the car and reversed out of the parking spot and drove towards the nearest Cold Stone which was fifteen away. Throughout the ride Tarahji talked nonstop and playing with her Barbie doll. At a red light Jay would turn around and tickle her and she would squirm, squeal, and giggle.

I watched as those two interacted. I didn't know how those two could interact the way they did so quick and they didn't really know each other like that. That I couldn't really understand. Usually it would take Tarahji a while to get comfortable with a person especially a male. But for some reason these two had hit it off. She was all smiling and giggling. She hugged him and most of all she was able to be herself even though at times it seemed like she was a little shy.

He parked into a vacant parking spot next to the creamery and we got out of the car and entered the creamery. We walked up to the small line and looked up at the menu. "Hmm," I said looking at the choices. I didn't know which one I wanted to get.

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