“They look almost identical. Whoever he is didn’t stand a chance in the gene pool. Ever won that battle.”
I could see that without even seeing a picture of the nigga who’d knocked her up and left her to fend for herself.
“He doesn’t know where she moved to. He’s at least six hours away.”
“Doesn’t matter if he did now that I’m here.”
“Luca,” my mother warned, “just be careful.”
“I’m not going back to jail, Ma. Let that be the least of my worries.”
“OK. As long as that’s not a possibility, I can breathe.”
“Not even a possibility,” I assured her.
I reached for the file on her desk and secured it between my index finger and thumb.
“I’m going to take this with me.”
“Sure. What are you two about to get into?”
“Nothing. Going to see Pops and then dropping your aggravating a… your aggravating son off at the house.”
“Where are you staying?” my mom inquired, shifting Emorey from one hip to the other.
She was obviously getting a bit heavy. However, I knew that my mother would not put her down. She had an attachment to children that people hardly understood. I figured she was the reason I wanted so many – her and my father’s love for fatherhood.
“Come here.”
Reaching out for Emorey, I invited her into my arms. Surprisingly, her skinny arms extended as she climbed from my mother’s arms and into mine. Visibly relieved, my mom waited for me to answer her question. It was obvious that Laike had actually managed to keep a secret. I was proud of him because if he revealed the home he was building for me, he would’ve had to explain why.
“The home Laike built for me over the last few months.”
“Really?” Her brows hiked and stayed put as her eyes brightened with pride.
“Yeah. Maybe we can set up Sunday dinner or something soon. I’m still touring it myself. Once I’ve gotten acquainted with it, then I can show you around.”
“Sounds beautiful.”
“Sounds big.” Laike tittered.
Turning in his direction, I shook my head.
“Because it is, nigga. It’s twice the size we discussed.”
I’d been meaning to tell him about himself. Though I was thankful for the space, as I continued to discover new territory in the home, I realized just how much of an overachiever my little brother was. He’d aced my vision and seemingly one of his own, too.
“Aye,” he responded with a shrug. “What can I say? Got a little carried away.”
“A little?”
“What’s you name?” Emorey asked, pulling my face in her direction.
“Luca,” I told her.
“I like you face.”
“I like you face, too.”
