Dal rolls her eyes hard as fuck. “I’m always nice to her colorist, bougie ass.”
“When Van’s here. I know she’s OT, and you still need to be cool. That’s my girl,” I smirk.
Auty scoffs. “I was about to comment on how you do seem better, but then you go and say some bullshit like that. Can’t be all the way right claiming her Bug’s Life looking ass.” Turk and Ty snicker at her while Brina just shakes her head at me.
“What about Mace, Shad?”
I pull on one of my braids. “Didn’t she just leave with Brandon, B?”
Pay’s brows furrow. Auty curses under her breath. Dal and Brina’s faces pale.
“H-how do you know his name, Shad?” Pay asks, making me smirk.
“Told yo ass this nigga’s looney. Turkey, get him!” Auty hisses.
“C’mon, Dub. I’m tryna see my nieces and nephew anyway.” I follow Turk deeper into his crib to where the babies are, snickering at the girls discuss how I could possibly know who that nigga is.
“Niggas disappear for three months and back on that good bullshit. You showing your crazy all willy nilly all of a sudden. Never thought I’d see the day.” Turk glances back at me before opening the door to the nursery.
I shrug, going up by Cody and Cam’s portable crib. “One thing I’ve learned these few months is that I can’t keep hiding myself. Shit not good for my mental, you know? Besides, the girls all batshit themselves, they can handle it. Maybe Pay will stoplooking up them nasty ass pimple popping videos if she knew muthafuckas know about them.”
Turk squeezes my shoulder and snickers. “Yo ass. Don’t be watching my lady’s browser history, nigga.” He pats me one more time before picking up Rue and bringing her to me. I pick up Cam, and both babies smile when they see each other.
“Can’t believe we went from stepping on niggas to having babies.”
Turk pulls Rue’s headband down a little and sniffs. “I know, right.”
My app already showed me niggas is en route to my show, so I have no problem letting myself into Nut’s house. I make my way right to the theater room, where Denver, Anaïs, the nanny, and my lil shorty are chilling.
Denver sees me first, and a grin splits his face before hopping up and running to me. “Uncle Shad! You’re back!”
This nigga grew at least four inches over the summer, coming to my shoulder now. His growth spurt makes him look even more lanky and awkward, and his voice has lost most of its childishness, opting for it cracking between squeaky and deep as hell.
I dap him up before pulling him into a headlock. “I never stay away for long.” I let him go in time to grab Anaïs, who followed him and was about to jump on me.
“I missed you Uncle Shaddy,” she said, squeezing my cheeks. “Don’t leave again.”
“Yes ma’am. Y’all been good? Watching over your baby cousins?”
“I been good. Boots has been on time out twice this week,” Denver snickers.
Anaïs cuts her eyes at her brother before fluttering her lashes at me.
“Lil Mama, you not the baby anymore. You gotta be a good example for your cousins.”
She picks up the tie of my hoodie and plays with it. “Okay, Uncle Shaddy. I’ll be good just for you.”
My heart melts. I know this is how she gets us. Talking in her cute lil voice, telling us she’ll be good, only to do something not even a couple hours later. Most of the time it’s harmless “science experiments.”
Like when she flooded her bathroom flushing the rocks from her fishbowl down the toilet.
I set her down and she goes to step on Denver’s foot immediately for snitching. They take off running through the house.
“Don’t be running like that!” the nanny yells, making me freeze. When I get a good look at her, all the wind is knocked out of me.
Her hair’s different, in small braids pulled into a bun instead of her usual short cut. And she’s bundled up in a sweatsuit instead of scrubs. But it’s still Sheryl Freeman, Sean’s mom.
I haven’t seen her in years.
