Something about her being the first one to answer rubbed me wrong. The fuck did she mean he didn’t accept no. The fuck haveyou said yes to when it came to him?You know what… that ain’t your man, Klarity. Don’t even sweat it. Six weeks and you out this bitch.
I looked back at Royce and he smirked. What the hell was so damn funny? I scoffed and said, “Ms. Iris, can you show me to the room please? I’m feeling a little weak.” I didn’t have to have a c-section with CJ, so the pain was still present and intense.
She kept moving with me and CJ still linked to her. I really wanted to reach back and snatch my daughter from Royce’s hands, but I wasn’t about to show my ass up in here. I was fresh out the hospital and didn’t feel like even going there with him. Plus, I was the type to keep things private. I didn’t publicize my humiliation or embarrassment.
“Here you are sweetie. I filled the nightstands with diapers, wipes, formula, onesies and receiving blankets. If you need anything moved or changed around, let me know and I’ll have Junior handle it. Have you eaten anything? I can fix you and CJ something real fast. Maybe, a quick pot of surf and turf alfredo,” she suggested.
“Whatever you want to fix is fine with me. Thank you so much, Ms. Iris. I really appreciate you welcoming us with open arms.”
“I really don’t have a choice, Klarity. You heard Heidi. Junior hates being told no or for anyone to go against his decisions. He’s a maniac like my husband, but I have unwavering love for both of them. Well, now you and these kids are added to the list. I’ve been begging Junior for a grandchild, and he brought me two. I’m grateful believe it or not.”
Ms. Iris smiled as she spoke about my kids and that gave me a sense of peace. I didn’t think she would hurt them or care for them any differently than she would if they were her blood. As much as I wanted to be against her and her crazy ass son, they both kept the same amount of energy from the start. AllI’d received was love and support, I didn’t get that from anyone other than Seri. This was different for me, but I was accepting it at a slow pace. I was more receptive of Iris than Royce, to be honest.
This one room was bigger than my two bedrooms put together. The house itself was ten times bigger than mine. CJ was going to have a ball exploring. If I knew Royce, he probably had toys out the ass lined up for him. This would do for my recovery.
I took a seat on the bed and Royce entered with my baby. I wanted to shower so bad and just lay it on down with my daughter. He took her out the car seat and handed her over to Ms. Iris after she washed her hands. I was glad she knew what to do without me asking.
“Ms. Iris, do you mind watching her while I shower really fast. I won’t be long,” I assured her.
“I sure can. When was the last time she ate?” she questioned immediately cooing over Essence.
“Like two hours ago and she’s quite greedy. My breastmilk came in this morning so I can feed her once I’m done. I just need to get that hospital smell off me.”
“I got her. Royce, go help her in the shower. She can’t do too much bending. Oh wait, Klarity, do you want his help? That was rude of me to invite him into your privacy like that,” she said back tracking.
“It’s fine. He’s already invaded my privacy. It ain’t like I can do anything within the next six weeks without him. Will CJ be too much? Do I need to keep him in here?”
“If I know Senior, he probably snatched his little behind up and showing him the racetrack in the back. He’s fine. However, I’ll keep an eye on him as well.”
Racetrack? Like NASCAR? What kind of money do these people have?
“Thank you.”
She walked out with Essence closing the door behind her. Royce went to the bathroom and started the shower. I released a deep breath as I stood and began to walk to where he was slowly. That c-section really had my body tensed up and in pain. I swear I could pop a few Tylenol and just knockout.
When I walked in, I was blown away for the umpteenth time. The bathroom was damn near just as big as the fuckin’ room. The shower had no glass to shield it in as the two shower heads were on the right side wall. The tub was as big as a backyard pool damn near. It made no sense why it was that big. The marble that outlined the walls was white and gray with a hint of gold and the floors were all gray. He had exquisite taste.
“From what I’ve seen so far, it’s really nice. You did good,” I complimented.
“’Preciate it. Heidi helped me pick all this shit out.”
Just the mention of her made me cop an attitude. Royce had yet to clarify who the fuck she really was to him. With her speaking up first, I couldn’t help but think that maybe she was the only one that knew Royce better than anybody in his life. Jealousy coursed through me as well as irritancy.
“Heidi, that’s baby girl with the vitiligo, right?” I questioned with annoyance. My arms were folded across my chest as my hip poked out.
He looked back at me and released a low chuckle. Once more, he did that goofy ass shit whenever she was mentioned. I didn’t understand why he wanted me here if he had her.
“Yeah, that’s her. You got something you need to say?” he asked while grabbing two rags and towels from the shelf.
“Nope!” I kept it simple. That nigga wasn’t mine so he could do whatever the fuck he wanted to. We were nothing more than strangers where one interrupted the other’s life instead of going on about his damn business.
“Cool. Come here.”
Scoffing, I rolled my eyes but took those steps to him. I stood in front of him, and he undressed me slowly. He didn’t flinch at the oversized panties or bloody pad that sat in the sole of them. He trashed them and helped me inside the shower. Getting wet was something that didn’t seem to bother him.
I was thoroughly impressed at how he treated me. It wasn’t an ounce of inappropriateness going on. I held onto his shoulders for balance as I was scrubbed from head to toe several times over. Royce’s focus didn’t linger too long on any specific parts of me. All I had to do was stand there and he took care of the rest. I guess he was dependable in his own way.
“You good? What’s hurting?”
