BaBy MaMa

Another Love TKO

"Ooh, baby. Whose house is this?" Champagne stared eagerly at the one-story brick home that I shared with Ky'Asia and Trey.
From the outside it looked elegantly massive with the chandelier glowing through the arched window high above the double French front doors.

"This my homeboy crib. He locked up an' I promised to help his wife wit' shit while he gone. I came over earlier to check their water heater an' I forgot to leave her some cash to pay the plumber so they can replace it tomorrow. I'ma jus' run in for a sec okay?"

I kissed Champagne on the forehead. "Since you been such a good student I'ma need you to use that imagination an' show me at least three new positions when we get to the room."

I leaned over and reclined her seat just a bit. I left Champagne concentratin' on what we would do later and made my way up to the house. I tried to think of how I could keep Ky'Asia occupied and away from the window.

Before I could even finish turning my key in the lock I could hear my son knocking on the other side of the door screaming, "Daddy."

I loved to hear him call my name. Ky'Asia peeked around the barely opened door; I nudged it just wide enough to slide in. I could see the red in her eyes from her crying. I didn't even say anything to her; I just grabbed her around her waist and kissed her.

I walked a little farther inside and shut the door behind me. As I kissed her, I could feel all of her tension seep out and her body went limp. I would have probably taken her right there if it weren't for my son tugging on my leg.

I released her lips and bent down to pick up my son. I couldn't believe he was still up at this hour. "Hey, man, what are you doing still up?"

His only response was to call my name as he laid his head on my shoulder. Damn, he did feel a li'l warm. I guessed Asia was tellin' the truth. I walked into the living room and sat on the couch with my family. My woman by my side, my son on my lap. It felt good to be there with them.

I guessed it didn't dawn on me how much I missed them until I was back with them and saw their faces. Ky'Asia looked fine as hell no matter what time of day it was. Even now with her hair pulled back in a ponytail and her pajamas on, she was fine.

We didn't say anything to each other; we just sat there like we did sometimes and enjoyed feeling each other's presence. Her head rested on my shoulder opposite Trey's and her hand tangled with mine. Before I knew it, my son had fallen asleep in my arms.

I got up to put him in his room. I placed him in his bed and kissed him on his forehead. He was my future. I never had my father and I was going to make sure that he never had to grow up like I did. I was going to make sure I was there for him and that he would be left with something besides my name when I left this place.

It was becoming clearer to me each day that I wanted to see Trey grow up. I wanted to be there when he graduated high school, bought his first car, asked me for girl advice for the first time. I needed to get some paper stacked up so I could finally go legit.

I turned to leave and saw Ky'Asia standing in the doorway watching me. Even in the dark, she was beautiful. She always reminded me of this china doll I'd seen at my aunt's when I was a kid. Huge, luminous hazel eyes surrounded by thick, dark lashes sittin' in a heart-shaped face.