“Thank you.”
She walked out wrapping herself in a towel. I washed my ass over a course of fifteen minutes before following suit. I handled the rest of my hygiene at the sink, then left out the bathroom completely. When I walked in the room, she had Essence in her arms feeding her. My Baby was worn out, you could see it all over her face and in her movements.
I quickly got dressed and took Essence from her. She was ready to be burped anyway. “Food then sleep or sleep then food?”
“I just want to sleep, but I have to eat something. I haven’t eaten anything, not even a damn cracker.”
“Aight, hold on. Let me see what Mama cooking.”
With Essence in my arms, I went and found Iris. She was in the kitchen packing up food. There were two bowls sitting on the counter wrapped up.
“What’s this, Ma?” I asked while tapping Lil’ Mama’s back.
“Some chicken pot pie. I figured she needed something heavy on her stomach. Take it to her. You need me to get my baby?”
“Nah, I got this. Has CJ eaten yet?”
“He just did. He’s with Senior over at the house watching movies. He seems to think it’s a Tinseltown for real. After I’m done cleaning, I’m heading that way. Those are push gifts for sweet pea back there?”
“Hell yeah. I had to make sure she was showered, especially for giving a nigga this princess right here. I can take one, can you bring the other?”
“I’ll bring both. Go get comfortable with her. I’m right behind you,” she instructed.
I headed back down the hall to the guest bedroom me and Klarity shared. I climbed in bed with her, and she looked at me with irritation. She ain’t have to say shit, her eyes were talking for her. She was already running on a low battery, I wasn’t ‘bout to make it worse. I climbed out just as fast taking Lil’ Mama’s bassinet with me.
Iris walked through the door seconds later with the food and drinks on a tray. She gave us both a bowl and she left the same way she came. Silence surrounded us as she began to eat. Nothing could’ve prepared me for this moment. If you asked me who the hell I was gon’ marry to fulfill the damn terms of The Oath a year ago, Klarity would’ve never been mentioned. Now she was all I could see.
“You need anything else?” I questioned. She shook her head no and continued to eat. As long as her and my kids were good, so was I.
Twelve
Klarity
The feeling of soft kisses and his low baritone voice in my ear woke me from my slumber. I couldn’t tell you how long I’d been asleep because time here seemed to run together. I was waited on hand and foot by not only Royce but his family as well. A service I’d never experienced and probably wouldn’t ever again once I left.
“Wake up, My Baby, you leaking milk.”
Hearing that caused my eyes to shoot open. I fell asleep once I ate and didn’t remember waking for shit. I sat up and my entire shirt was soaked in milk. I’d totally forgot that I had a fresh newborn. I was so damn tired it didn’t register.
“Shit! Aight, give me a minute to wash up.”
“I got you covered.” He pointed to a bowl of water with a rag in it.
I had to hand it to him. For a crazy man, he did things I didn’t think he would. He noticed things about me before I could and whenever I thought things would get tough, he was right there. I’d had the most carefree couple of weeks with him since I’d stepped into adulthood and that was seventeen years ago. The life he lived really was easy.
“Where’s Essence?” I asked letting him slip the shirt from over my head.
“Sleeping. I just changed and fed her. All she does is eat, sleep, and shit. How long she supposed to keep doing that?” Royce asked. A small grin appeared on my face. He was a first time dad and it showed. He had no experience whatsoever.
First time dad… Klarity, you are just as crazy as him now. These aren’t his kids!
“She’s going to do that for a few months. She’ll be more active as time goes on. Where’s CJ?”
It seemed like I hadn’t seen my son since we got here. Every time I turned around, he was gone some damn where having the time of his life. He had no care in the world for me. He was breaking my heart the way he didn’t stick around long enough for me to see his little handsome face.
“He’s in the kitchen eating with my mama. She just made breakfast. You want to try and walk out there or stay in here and eat?”
“I can walk, Royce. I prefer not to right now, but I can. It’s discomforting.”
