Looking back and forth between Uno and me, she snatched her purse from the floor and stomped to the front door. She didn’t even bother telling our daughter goodbye which was red flag number four if I were keeping count.
“You think Gianna is going to be good with staying the night without her mother?” Uno asked as he grabbed his keys. “And that bitch being in your condo… you think that’s a good idea?”
With my arms folded, I watched Wild chase my daughter around with a water gun as my mother shouted at him not to hurt her baby. Seeing him trip over his own two feet with her doubling over in laughter was all the confirmation I needed.
“Yeah, bro. I ain’t worried about Gia or that penthouse. I got so many security camera around that bitch.” I nodded as we made our way through the living room. I knew my brother like the back of my hand; he was going with me to drop this broad off. Glancing his way before I got in the car, I smirked and added. “And Gianna’s good. She’s home.”
“Where are you going, Jordie? I was hoping we could watch a movie.”
Lacing up my shoes, I glanced over my shoulder and smiled at the view of my baby girl. We’ve been staying at my parents’ house until I found one I felt was suitable for us to live in. Since I gave Wild the house I purchased for Gia and me, I lived in one of the penthouses downtown. I could have moved her in there with me, but there was no way I was going to have my child living somewhere not suitable for her. Downtown Milly Grove was notfor people with kids, and the people there that had kids were ghetto as fuck. Gianna deserved more than that.
“You remember I told you I work at night?” She rubbed her eyes and nodded as she walked into the living room. “Well, I wanted to go check on a few things before it got too late.”
“Those aren’t your work clothes, silly.” She giggled as I scooped her in my arms. “You look like you’re going to play basketball.”
Chuckling at how observant she was, I glanced down at my gym shorts and sneakers. I hated I had to lie to my baby and tell her I was going to work, but there was no way I could tell her I was going to find Mimi because she had me fucked up. I haven’t seen her since the day we left from shopping. We spent the entire day together, and it took everything in me not to fuck the shit out of her. I’ve always been attracted to her, but I never wanted to act on it like I did when I saw her damn near naked in the dressing room. Chandler was a fucking fool, and if he wasn’t careful, his girl was going to be good and taken.
In all honesty, she’d called me, and I kind of ignored her. It wasn’t on purpose, though. I’ve been so caught up in spending time with Gianna while also trying to figure out how Gia and I were going to split custody. I wanted nothing more than to take my baby and cut her mother out of her life, but it wouldn’t be fair to her. At the end of the day, I had no plans to bring chaos into Gianna’s life. I want to make it better and give her the best one possible, so I was going to attempt to work with Gia on a reasonable agreement.
“How about this…” I walked her into the room downstairs that had been transforming into her space over the last few days. My mother or I slept down here with her most nights because we didn’t want her walking up and down the stairs alone. “We can start the movie together, and when you wake up tomorrow, we can go to Kiddie Kingdom.”
“What’s that?” she asked with those expressive eyes that can get anything from me. “Is it a fun play place? I’ve never been to a fun play place before.”
I know she didn’t mean to do it intentionally, but the more she talked about the things her mother deprived her of, the more I wanted to kill Gia. I don’t know what the fuck Gia has been doing with my baby for all these years, and maybe it was best I didn’t. If I found out she was abusing my child in any type of way, Gianna would be growing up without a mother.
Turning on The Princess and the Frog, I snuggled with my baby girl as the movie began to play. She told me that it was so many Disney movies she hadn’t seen, and she wanted to watch one every night before bed. The funny thing was, not even twenty minutes into the movie, she always passed out.
As if on cue, her light snores began to sound off as she wrapped her arms around my torso. Running my fingers through her soft curls, I couldn’t help but wonder how I was so lucky to be blessed with something so perfect.
“It feels good, doesn’t it?” I snapped my head up and locked eyes with my mother as she walked into the room. I chuckled at her dressed in her Princess Tiana nightgown to match Gianna’s. “She’s a blessing that we didn’t know we needed.”
“I don’t deserve her, Mama.” I kissed her forehead before laying her down and tucking her in. “I don’t know anything about being a father. What if I mess up? What if I’m a worse parent than Gia? Hell, she hasn’t even called to check on her child. All she wants to know is if I’ve decided on a child support payment amount.”
After having Gia blocked from my phone for a few days, I decided that was a bitch move to make. At the end of the day, she was still her mother. She blew my line up, and I was thinking it was because she wanted to see her daughter. I called her everything but a child of God when she started asking me aboutmoney instead. That was another reason I’d prefer to have sole and physical custody of my baby girl. Her mama was proving to not only be an ain’t shit girlfriend but also an ain’t shit mama.
“You’re more than deserving to be her father.” My mother smiled as she sat on the other side of the bed. “You have so much love to give, Jordan, and I prayed to God that He would send someone your way to receive it.” She rubbed her hand down my baby’s cheek. “She couldn’t have a better father than you.”
“Thank you, Ma,” I said, kissing her cheek before grabbing my keys. “You sure you don’t mind staying in here tonight? I don’t want to hear Antonio’s mouth about not waking up to his wife in the morning.”
Without my parents and my brother, I don’t know where I would be. Before learning about Gianna, they were always there for me, but now I can count on them to be the same support system for her. Even Wild drops everything when it comes to his Gi Baby.
“Trust me… your father is out like a light,” she said with a wink, causing me to frown. “He won’t regain consciousness until daybreak.”
“Ma, why y’all be so nasty?” I shook my head and left the room. “I’ll see you later.”
After leaving my parents’ house, I tried my luck and called Noemi’s phone once more. I couldn’t help but chuckle when I got her voicemail for the fifth time today. She had to realize that I wasn’t that nigga of hers; I would pull up and show out on her ass. Whether she knows it or not, I’ve been having Money follow her all day, and right now, he told me she’s having the time of her life at Urban Oasis, a hookah lounge downtown. I hope she has had the time of her life thus far because the fun is coming to an end.
Forgoing finding a spot, I pulled up to the front of the club. They didn’t offer valet service, but I didn’t give a fuck. I wasn’t going to be here long.
“Excuse me, but you can’t park there,” the punk-ass bouncer had the nerve to say. “Not to mention, you’re out of dress code.”
Peering down at my ball shorts and sneakers, I adjusted my hat as I eyed him. Crossing my hands at my waist, I stepped to the curb and stood toe to toe with him. “What’s your name?”
“Joe.” He scoffed as he stopped a few of the other guys from entering the club. “But my name has nothing to do with you not going in. You aren’t dressed for this club, and you aren’t parked correctly. Get in your shit and move. Don’t make me tell you again.”
Grinning, I dropped my head and stepped back from him. Turning my hat backward, his eyes widened once my full face came into view.
“Listen… don’t be the reason your mother has to go on the news and plead with strangers to come forward with the whereabouts of her son. Get the fuck out of my way, and everything will be smooth.”
