Wayne nodded slowly. “That’s real.”
“Ny ain’t ever asked for perfection, just peace,” I said. “Effort and loyalty. I got her on all that shit.”
Kev snapped his fingers. “That part. You been loyal to the streets, the code, and to the gang. Now it’s just time to transfer that loyalty home.”
Wock leaned against the wall. “That woman loves you out loud, bro. And it ain’t even ‘bout what you do or what you got. She really fuck wit’ your wild ass.”
“Exactly.” We all laughed, but the weight of his words stuck wit’ me.
The tailor came back over wit’ a fresh jacket for him, and everybody started movin’ again, but I stayed seated for a second. I pulled my phone out and opened Nyomi’s latest text ‘bout comin’ to her appointment in the mornin’.
We was finally gettin’ her checked out for this postpartum shit. Ilovedthe message, heart damn near softenin’. Even if I didn’t always know what the fuck I was doin’. Even if I still had anger issues and old habits to kill, I was goin’ all in for her. ‘Cause that’s what real niggas do when they finally find somebody worth bettin’ it all on.
Kev stepped out the dressin’ room shruggin’ on his jacket. “Y’all got vows ready? Like, y’all writin’ your own or just recitin’ that traditional shit?”
I paused, jaw tight. “Nah, we wrote our own.”
Wock shook his head. “Damn. You really gon’ cry, huh?”
Antt leaned back and threw his head back laughin’. “Nigga gon’ be up there wit’ the mic like, ‘From the moment I slid in you raw, I knew you was mine.’” Even the tailor snorted.
“Fuck you, bro,” I shook my head hard, laughin’ but turned serious. “Naw… on everything, I’ma keep it G but respectful. She deserves that shit.” I was really about to marry the love of my life. An hour later, niggas stepped out the tuxedo shop, and I lit up a blunt as soon as I hit the curb.
“Aye,” Wock said, hands stuffed in his hoodie pockets. “We hittin’ the bar or what?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I reserved the back section atStrokes. I need a drink and some wings after all that standin’ still bullshit.”
Fifteen minutes later, the smell of liquor, smoke, and fried food hit me as I walked in.Strokeshad been the chill spot since high school on some lowkey shit. TVs mounted all over, pooltables in the back. We sat in our usual section, and the evening started off wit’ Cajun lemon pepper wings and shots.
Kev took a shot class and asked, “So what’s the word wit’ this nigga Coogs? I heard he got out and shit.”
I exhaled smoke slowly from the blunt I was smoking. “Been out for a minute now. He hit me talkin’ crazy like he wants back in or whatever. Told that nigga I could put him onto a legal bag.”
Wock smacked on the wings. “That’s what’s up.”
“That’s what I thought too,” I said. “Nigga told me I was soft like I turned into a ‘suburb’ husband while he was locked up.”
Antt’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, he on bullshit?”
“Somethin’ like that.” I shrugged. “I hung up on that nigga and ain’t talk to him since, but I know Coogs. He plottin’ like a nigga turned his back on him and shit.”
Wayne blinked. “He said that? Nigga, you held him the fuck down. Where was them other old heads he fucked wit’ back in the day? Gone.”
“Exactly,” I muttered before takin’ a shot.
Kev shook his head. “That’s wild. Fourteen years in the box will fuck wit’ a nigga’s mind. He probably still see the world how it was when he went in.”
“I get that,” I said. “But I ain’t the same nigga neither. We grow. We elevate. I’m not tryna give no grown-ass man a pack when I can give him paperwork wit’ a tax ID and a keycard.”
Wock nodded slowly. “Real shit.”
“Plus, I got a family now. I ain’t lettin’ some old loyalty drag me back in the streets deeper than I already am. And Wock, I ain’t passin’ the nigga off to you, either.”
“Did you tell him that?” Antt asked.
“I did,” I said. “Told him I respect what he did, but I’m not gon’ let him throw shade on the man I done become.” I took a slow pull from my blunt, then sat up straighter. “But that don’t mean a nigga can play wit’ me.”
Wock exhaled through his nose and picked up a shot glass, grinnin’ and shirt. “Glad to know the elevation ain’t made you a hunnid percent soft, nigga.”