I ain’t even yell or snatch her ass up like I coulda. I let her get her shit off and run to her girls. Sia called me not too long after Nyomi crashed out, so I knew where my woman was, andit was cool. I knew she needed space, but that didn’t mean I ain’t feel it. Fuck. I felt like niggas was fallin’ apart lil’ by lil’ when we was supposed to be the strongest ‘round this time. Our weddin’ was two weeks away, and we kept goin’ through fuck shit.
I ain’t have no reason to lie. I really ain’t know Meja was one of the nannies we was gon’ interview. We fucked around for like a month or so years back. It wasn’t shit serious; we just linked up and fucked, or I got my dick sucked. Plain and simple. I wasn’t sweatin’ her ass, and I knew she wasn’t on me. This postpartum shit had Nyomi trippin’, and I hated it. Ballin’ up my fists, my phone rang on the coffee table.
I exhaled through my nose and picked up. “What?”
“Ayo, watch your tone, nigga,” Keema said without even breathin’ first. “I’m already aggravated.”
I adjusted Kassim in my arms, head fallin’ heavy on my shoulder. “What you want? I’m not in the fuckin’ mood right now.”
“Granny’s prescription fucked up. Her insurance actin’ up. Some new bullshit ‘bout her coverage not includin’ the dosage. I been on the phone wit’ these people all mornin’.”
I closed my eyes, heat rollin’ through my chest. “Why the fuck I’m just hearin’ ‘bout this shit?”
“Um, ‘cause I just found out, Knuck,” she snapped. “I’m tellin’ you now so you can get ahead of it. The pharmacist said we gotta pay outta pocket this time, and I ain’t talkin’ twenty dollars. Try eleven-hunnid.”
“Aight,” I muttered, already openin’ the bank app on my phone. “I’ll send it.”
There was a pause on her end, then a sigh. “What’s wrong wit’ you?”
“Nothin’. I’m straight,” I lied.
“Keon.”
“Me and Ny got into it again.”
“Keon!” I told my sister what happened, and all she did was suck her teeth when I was done. “You be fuckin’ up.”
“What?” I muttered, watchin’ Kassim’s lil’ lips tremble in his sleep. “You don’t thinksheforced it? Shit wasn’t even thatdeep. Actin’ like I planned it or some shit,” I gritted. “Like I’deverbring somebody I used to fuck ‘round my family.”
Keema was quiet for a second. “…I mean,” she said slowly, “youdogot a history of not thinkin’ shit through. And this sounds like a move you woulda made just to say ‘we got help’ without actually vettin’ who the hell she was.”
I tightened my jaw. “I just told your ass Kelly set this shit up.”
“Well, it sounds like you needa be firin’ Kelly’s ass!”
“Exactly…” I sat down slowly on the edge of the couch, eyes still on Kassim’s face. “Now, she’s wit’ her girls draggin’ my name through the fuckin’ mud.”
“She’ll come back,” Keema said confidently. “Let her breathe. The baby got her full-time and her business took a backseat. She’s a boss bitch, so that’s hard as it is. She still tryna find her own rhythm again. That don’t mean she don’t love you.”
“I ain’t tryna lose her, Keem.”
“You won’t, nigga. Relax. Matter fact, hire me. I’ll take good care of my nephew! You know that.”
“Oh, hell nah,” I laughed and hung up on her ass, then sat there in silence. I looked down at my lil’ man. My son. My peace. “Daddy got us,” I whispered, kissin’ the top of his head. “Daddy gon’ fix this shit.”
???
T w oh o u r sl a t e r, the front door finally opened, and Kassim wiggled against my chest. I heard Nyomi pause in the entryway, like she was tryna decide whether she really wanted to come in. After a few minutes, she stepped into the livin’ room playin’ wit her keys. Her eyes went straight to Kassim before lookin’ at me. Her eyes were puffy and red as fuck.
“I don’t wanna keep fighting with you,” she finally said, sighing heavy as shit.
I just nodded, pickin’ Kassim up to put him in his bouncer. She sighed again, not movin’ no closer to me. Leanin’ back against the couch, we had a fuckin’ starin’ contest, not sayin’ shit ‘til I spoke first. “C’mere.” I leaned forward, elbows restin’ on my knees.
“Keon…”
“Don’t make me say it twice, Nyomi.” She chewed her bottom lip like she always did when she wanted to stay mad. Her body had already forgiven me, though. It was that fuckin’ stubbornness holdin’ on for dear life. Shoulders dropped, she walked over slowly ‘til she stood between my knees. “I would nevereverintentionally have you or my son ‘round a bitch I done fucked wit’. On my soul, it was just a fuck up on my part for not really checkin’ in wit’ Kelly. I apologize and Kelly’s ass is already cancelled.”
She folded her arms across her chest, her pissed off face goin’ soft now. “I believe you. I just… snapped. I shoulda known better.”