After she swallowed her pill, I asked, “Are you ready for your bath, or do you want to chill out right here for a bit?”
“Will you start it running while I chill out for a bit? I just want to give the pill a little time to get in my system. By the time the water finishes running, I should be ready.”
“Okay. Any particular thing you want me to do?”
She shook her head. I could tell she was lying. She had preferences, but I knew she was trying not to be picky with me. “Az, look at me.”
She turned to me and gave me a soft smile. “Can you put Epsom salt in it? It’s in the cabinet under the sink. Also, can you run mostly hot water?”
“Of course. Never be afraid to express your desires or wants to me. Okay?”
“Okay.”
I kissed her forehead then went to the bathroom to get her bath started. My tub was much bigger, and I couldn’t wait until she had a chance to bathe in it. In the meantime, I would be searching for a house or building one. There was no way I would take her away from Cove City or Atlanta. Her family was here. I never intended to stay here. Once I got my degree, I was supposed to move back to Palm Beach and work at the firm there under Uncle Carrington. He was the perfect person for me to shadow. He knew his shit.
Now that I was falling for Azari, there was no way I would suggest uprooting her and Xavier, taking them away from everything and everyone they knew. I would just stay here in Atlanta and work at the firm here. RJ and Unc would understand that. As if I thought him up, Uncle Carrington called just as I turned the water on. I grabbed my phone from the countertop and answered. “Hello?”
“What’s up, son? You good? You never said what was going on.”
“I’m good. I uhhh, I need you to make a trip to meet someone.”
He was quiet for a second then said, “Oh. What’s going on?”
“He done got serious about Azari! That’s what’s going on!” RJ yelled from the background.
I slowly shook my head. “Why would you call me on speaker phone, knowing he was in the vicinity?”
He chuckled. “You’re not even on speaker phone. You know King of the Hood is always eavesdropping.”
“Tell him I said to mind his business.”
After relaying the message, Unc asked, “So what’s going on?”
“He was right.”
He fell out laughing. I heard RJ yell in the background, “I told you!”
Once he calmed down, I said, “I want to move her in with me. I want to build a life with her. We haven’t been together but a minute, but I can’t shake the feelings I have for her. I want to take care of her and her son. I’m thinking about building us a house here.”
“Damn. I know how you feel. It’s exactly how I was feeling about my candy cane.”
I smiled slightly. That was what he called Aunt Candace. Aunt Candace wasn’t giving his ass the time of day at first, though, because she wanted a thug nigga like RJ. She never told me that, but Unc revealed that one day when we were having a discussion about girls when I was a teenager. RJ was married, so he was off the market and off-limits, because his wife, Jazzy, didn’t play that bullshit. Uncle Carrington said he had to prove his street cred to her because he didn’t look the part. He didn’t have a single tattoo and looked like a nigga born in the suburbs. That was far from who he was.
When I asked him how he proved it to her, that nigga said he told her what it was gon’ be and stayed in her space untilshe gave him a shot. Then he started working with RJ on some illegal shit and ended up killing somebody to protect him. So he proved it to her by being aggressive and protective of everyone around him, basically, just being himself. I shook my head at the thought of all that. They were a whole problem back in the day, especially RJ. Word on the street was that he still was.
“Unc, the reason I need y’all to come is to make her comfortable with the pace of things. She wants to be with me, and I can tell it ain’t about what I have or surface shit. She really cares for me. She thinks if she accepts my help financially that y’all would think she was a user.”
I grabbed the Epsom salt from the cabinet and poured some in the bath water as I waited for what he would say. He was quiet for a moment.
“What type of financial help does she need, and why?”
“I would have to run down her medical history for you to understand. That’s what has her in a bind. She would be able to work if it weren’t for her condition. She’s on disability insurance, but of course, that isn’t enough.”
“I understand. Umm, . . . so Candace and RJ got to talking, and now Ryan Senior, Raquel, Noah, Taryn, Nate, and Kenya are coming with the kids. Instead of tomorrow, though, we will be there Sunday.”
I slid my hand down my face.Jesus Christ. They nosy as fuck.I didn’t want to overwhelm Azari, but at the same time, I knew it might do her some good. “Okay. The whole family?”
“Yep. Even Jazzy and all four of RJ’s kids too. Noah and RJ said she was beautiful inside and out. If Noah feels her genuineness, then there’s no question about whether she has ulterior motives or not. We will all be there Sunday, mid-morning or early afternoon. Candace and I will stay with you, but the rest of the family will stay at Nate’s house out there.”
