“Hurry up, Ma. Come see them and then take the crew home with you. They’ll meet them when they get discharged.”
She hung up and I pocketed my phone. If I knew my mama, she wasn’t coming in here alone. More than likely, she had the entire family with her. She never listened. I was hoping she did this time though. This was something that was sprung on her last minute and Klarity was new into both our worlds. I was leaving her no time to prepare.
“Royce, I can only deal with your mother and Seri right now. I don’t feel like seeing nobody else or faking a smile right now. I’m tired,” Klarity spoke softly.
“I got it, My Baby. Relax for me, aight? You want her to stay in this onesie or what you got packed?”
“Has she had her first bath yet?”
“What that mean?” I questioned. When I told her this was my first time doing this shit, I wasn’t exaggerating. I ain’t have a reason to be there for nobody else and they lil’ demons. “I ain’t let them do shit. She literally been in my arms since they handed her over in the OR.”
“The nurse will come and wash her off as well as wash her hair. It’s a quick lil’ bird bath but that’s all she needs. And… I’m sorry for being a burden on you. I wasn’t expecting to gointo labor so suddenly. Thank you for being here and making sure we were safe. I don’t know why you chose us but we’re appreciative,” she voiced.
I couldn’t help but chuckle. She was apologizing as if I was going to be somewhere else but here. She might’ve not known it, but it was always going to happen this way. From the first time I put Mercedees and Striker on her, I knew the end result. It was her playing catch up.
“You’ll know soon enough on why. Stop asking questions and accept me, beautiful. I promise I’m the best thing that’ll ever interrupt your life, My Baby. Rest up though. I got this. I’ll have my mama bathe her and shit before she gets up out of here. You cool with that?”
Nodding, she said, “Thank you, again. And Royce, don’t take your eyes off her. I don’t care who’s in here. The nurse should bring in some bottles as well. My milk hasn’t come in yet and she needs to eat.”
“Anything else, my love?” I inquired.
I was smiling from ear to ear seeing her in mommy mode. I was loving her lil’ HBIC shit she had going on but still making me feel like I had some control, too. It fit her. Hell, if she was my wife she was gon’ have to show she wasn’t no pushover.
“That’s all. I’m just really tired and want everything to be still. Can you handle that please?”
“I can,” I replied with that same goofy ass smile still plastered to my face.
A light knock came through and in walked my mama with my Pops, CJ, and Serinity behind her. Surprisingly, it was just them. My mama must’ve known how this shit worked because she was respecting Klarity giving her the time she deserved.
Serinity walked over with CJ placing him on the bed and immediately pecked Klarity’s face over and over telling her how proud she was of her. I wanted to mush her rude ass right on upoff my woman, but I kept my cool and let her have her moment with her cousin. Iris came right to area for Essence. She’d been asking me for grandkids, and I’d be damned if these ain’t fall in her lap. Pops stood shaking his head as his gaze shifted between me and Klarity. I already knew what he was thinking. I beat him at his own game, and he couldn’t stand it.
“Oh my God. Look at this beautiful baby girl. She is all of perfect,” Iris cooed.
“Will you give her a bath, Ma? Klarity said something about washing her off and her hair. You know how to do that, right? You can’t get the umbilical cords and shit wet.”
“Of course, I know how to wash a damn baby boy. This ain’t my first damn rodeo. Give her here.” She gently removed her from my arms and walked over to the sink on the backwall.
“CJ, how you feeling man? You good?” I had to check in on lil’ man. I was sure he ain’t know what the hell was going on.
“Mommy had my baby?” His lil’ face was scrunched up out of confusion.
“She had yo’ lil’ sister, big man. Yo’ grandma giving her a bath. You want to see her?” He nodded wildly, and I stood grabbing him with me. We walked over to baby girl, and she had her eyes wide open looking up at my mama like she knew her. “How long she been up?”
“As soon as I started washing her hair. She is precious, Royce, and so dang on tiny. Klarity had a beautiful baby,” she complimented.
“Can you call ole girl and get her a nursery together in the crib? We’ll probably be up out of here in the next two, maybe three days.”
“No Royce. Let that girl go home and get her life together. I’m sure you barging in her life caught her by surprise and she needs time to think and even weigh her options. Leave her alone,” she whispered.
The same face CJ made minutes ago was now etched across mine. All the time she needed could be spent under my fuckin’ roof where the hell her and my kids belonged, especially Essence. She ain’t have no other option but that one. I didn’t know what the fuck Iris was talking ‘bout.
“Mmmm,bump all that. Can you get the girl to do their rooms or not? Essence needs a nursery and CJ need a room. If you ain’t gon’ do it, I’ll just have Cedees or Striker hook it up for me.” I wasn’t here for all the extra shit. She knew I would make it happen with or without her.
“Have you even asked her what the heck she wanted to do? You can’t just hold that girl hostage and claim her and her kids as yours, Royce. That’s rude and delusional as heck. I raised you to have common sense and dag on it you need to act like you got some,” she fussed.
“CJ, yo’ granny don’t want to fix yo’ room up at my crib. Ask her why.” Yeah, a nigga was bringing the kids into it. I knew her weakness better than anybody.
“Why Granny?” he asked without hesitation.
