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"Tell him." Siraj whispered to her now ten month old daughter, putting her iPhone in front of her face were Exodus was talking to them through FaceTime.
"Dada! Dada, mama!" She got her father's attention before pointing to Siraj, which made her laugh as Essence took the phone from her.
"Girl you keep saying that and I'm asking what you want, you ain't saying nothin'." He smiled down in the camera, looking at her two bottom teeth leak drool.
"Mama, dada, hmph! Hmph!" She expressed, pointing to Siraj's belly that was ready to pop while getting the camera as close to it as possible.
"Y'all hungry fat ma?" He asked, and Essence turned to look at her mom as if she was asking if that was the response they were supposed to be getting.
"Dada!" She clapped to congratulate him once Siraj nodded, earning a laugh from both of her parents.
"Aight baby. Siraj what you want to eat fat girl," He put his attention back on the road, using his free hand to put his phone back in the holder that propped it up.
"Chic-Fil-A. Don't get my baby no nuggets either Exodus 'cause you always do even when I tell you not to." She looked in the camera, as tiredly as ever. Just talking was enough to make her lose her breath.
"Essence love them chicken nuggets. You be tripping. She be telling me."
"Ok well get them and then you change the three shitty diapers that come right after." She frowned her face up, watching him make the exact same stank face which caused her to laugh.
"Fries and mac it is. You finna take a nap?" Exodus asked her, glancing down at the camera to see Essence crawling over Siraj's belly, then laid on top of her.
"No I just w-Saior!" She smiled, listening to her daughter burst into a fit of laughter after blowing raspberries on her belly.
Siraj picked her up and blew the same raspberries on her neck, making her laugh harder as she squirmed to get out of her mother's tight but playful grip.
"Mama! Stop!" She had a toothy smile even though she only had six teeth in total, slobber spilling from her mouth and dripping onto her white onesie.
Siraj loved her baby so much. Essence was the missing piece that Siraj didn't even know was missing. She made everything in life so fun; waking up, taking baths, buying groceries and spending Exodus's money at the mall.
Her parents watched her grow every single day, whether it was her teething because of teeth coming in, stumbling to try and stand up on her own, crawling like she had the speed of a cheetah, or figuring out the food that she didn't like-such as carrots and ice cream from McDonald's.
It was hard to believe they had a baby that would be one year old in just two months. Every time they looked at her, they still saw the image of that same baby who was covered in Siraj's inside after being pushed out with their whole family in the room.
