“Titon, and Nakeem wanted to be here, but they had to take care of some things, but they got you a bunch of gifts when they come see you,” Yaro told Sunshyne who jumped up in her seat with her arms extended in the air.
“I get more toys mommy!” Sunshyne pumped her little arms in the air bouncing in her seat.
“Okay, calm down,” I told Sunshyne, making her sit back down.
“Y’all really don’t need to get her anything else.” I smiled as I looked between Niko and Yaro.
“I hear you but we gotta make up for lost time,” Yaro said with a loop sided grin on his face. Yaro had always been the ladies’ manof the brothers. All five of them were ladies men but Yaro was a flirt and had no problem stealing other niggas girls.
“I’m sure the stuff y’all got her today is more than enough.” The two of them filled my trunk with bags and bags of toys and clothes. I couldn’t image what else they could have gotten for Sunshyne.
“She can have whatever she wants. As long as one of us are breathing,” Niko confidently replied. Niko had the kind of presence that screamed he was the leader. He had a powerful aura that made people gravitate to him naturally.
“Okaaay…Sooo if that’s the case where y’all been since Sonni died?” I asked the elephant in the room.
I didn’t understand if they were all so willing and ready to help now, where they had been all this time. From what I gathered Nakeem, Yaro and Titon only did six months a piece and Niko had to do two years yet none of them tried to reach out to me or find out what was going on with Sunshyne and me. I heard what Niko said when he told me about Priscilla, but they knew how their mama was, none of them thought to double check. Even if she was supposedly taking money from them to give to me, it still never dawned on them to talk to me personally? It didn’t add up in my book.
Niko and Yaro shared a knowing look before Niko let out a sigh.
“If I’m being a hunnid with you, I figured our mama was up to some bullshit, but shit was hectic out there. None of us were in the place to do anything besides give you money to help with Sunshyne. We should have def put that money in ya hands ourselves. I guess I underestimated our mama.”
“Man,” Yaro cosigned. “That lady hell in heels.”
“Literally. To blame me for Sonni’s death and put me and Sunshyne out knowing we didn’t have a place to go.”
“That’s shit wasn’t ya fault. Don’t let her or nobody else tell you anything different. Sonni wasn’t living right and that shit caughtup to him. Pricilla the only one who don’t want to accept the shit for what it is.” Niko snarled with a look of anger flashing across his face.
Hearing Niko not blame me for Sonni’s death felt good knowing everyone didn’t think like Pricilla’s miserable ass. I wasn’t sure how I was about to maneuver allowing Sunshyne to get to know her uncles and dealing with my current situation. Something would have to give because it wouldn’t be right for me to keep her away from them. Not when it seemed like they were genuine in their actions.
“My daughter finna turn three next week. Can I come get Sunshyne for her party?” Yaro asked.
“Of course. I’m surprised you only have one daughter,” I teased Yaro.
“Nah, that’s Nakeem. I’m one and done. I’m tryna enjoy my wife before I have another seed.” Yaro laughed.
“You have any kids?” I asked Niko, turning my attention to him.
“Nah. I’m straight on kids. I’m cool with being the rich uncle.” He cooly replied with a smirk.
“I fee-” I lost my voice when I felt a foreboding presence stand at the end of our table.
I regretted my decision to look up into the malice filled eyes of Marlo. I was sure he wanted to kill me and that scared me. I never thought I’d see the day where Marlo would make me fear him. However, today was that day. Niko and Yaro quickly picked up on the tense energy between Marlo and me.
Oblivious to what was going on Sunshyne face light up when she saw Mikael.
“Unky! Look I got more Unkies,” she said to Mikael and pointed over at Niko and Yaro.
“Nah, little bit you only got one Unky,” Mikael gritted out sounding jealous as his eyes darted over to Niko and Yaro with his lip turned up in disgust.
“Bitch ass nigga you got me fucked,” Yaro chuckled angrily as he prepared himself to stand up but Niko placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Chill, our niece is right here. Let these corny ass niggas make it.” Niko said in a tauntingly calm tone.
“Let me show you lame,” Mikeal replied back evenly.
“Marlo,” I called out to him. I wanted to nip this in the bud before things escalated. Marlo worried me the most because he had yet to address anyone. The calmness he was showing outwardly didn’t match the energy coming from the inside of him. “This is Niko and Yaro,” I pointed to each brother as I said their names. “They’re Sunshyne’s uncles.”
“I really don’t give a fuck who these niggas are. Really the only reason I’m not on no other shit it cause of Sunshyne.” Marlo coldly said giving me a heated glare.