The Brick Wall

Chapter 47

*Apologies...word count is over 6k...

Curtis POV

  Lots of firsts happening today.

  The first time I was bringing a girl around my mother.  The first time we were all going out as a kind of pseudo family.  But my favorite first of all? 

  Lennox first time on skates. 

  I'm not so dumb that I don't realize she's not going to actually be able to skate. At nearly ten months old she can barely stand up on her own without toppling down onto her bottom in just a handful of seconds. But, that's not going to stop me from giving her the first experience of being on the ice in skates.

  Collins had been ready, right on the dot, an hour later.  My heart leapt when she opened the door dressed in a pair of skin tight jeans, an oversized sweater and a bright orange beanie on top of her shiny brown hair.  "I see you got to at least have your first date with the shower?" I teased, my fingers threading through the straight ends of her hair. 

  "I may have squeezed in a little time with Cade, too. He's a jealous dude, had to give him his moment of time."

  "Multiple jealous men, huh?"

  Her brow furrows a bit deeper at my words. "Multiple?"

  I smirk, reaching to take her coat out of her arms and help her slip into it. "Pretty sure I haven't given you any reason to be feeling jealous, Pookie."

  I ignore the comment. "You got gloves, too?"  She eyes me warily, ducking her hand around the corner from her door, emerging with a pair of gloves that match the beanie on her head. "Planning on directing traffic?" I tease, nodding towards the fluorescent orange accessories. 

  "Listen, mister. Your car breaks down on the side of the road and you've got to walk a mile to get gas, you're gonna be begging me for this cap and mittens. Keep you from getting ran over! Don't knock it, Everett. You never know when you're gonna need bright, neon orange gloves."  She pulls the door shut, using her key to lock up the apartment. "And, my niece gave them t o me so we could match. Take it up with her."

  "I'll be sure to ask for a matching toddler set so Len can match her CaCa," I tell her with an easy smile, causing Collins to look up at me with puppy dog eyes. I swear I could get lost in the sea of brown.

  "Really?" she nearly whimpers.

  My  hands adjust her beanie, pulling it down lower to cover her ears. She smiles up at me, lifting a bit on her tip toes to meet my lips half way.

  Which would've worked out wonderfully if it wasn't for the persistent hand beating against Collins' lower leg.  "CaCa!"

  "Sorry!" my mother begs forgiveness, coming out into the hall the join us, the stroller being pushed out in front of her. "I told her to climb up but it looks like she scuddled right out of the apartment. Really, Curtis, don't leave the door open if you don't want an interruption. 

  Collins leans over, immediately forgetting about me, scooping up Len into her arms. "My Angel, baby!" she coos at the little girl. "CaCa has been missing her girl. When is daddy going on another road trip, huh? I get you all to myself again, right?"

  She looks up at me, Lennox on her hip, waiting for an answer. "Uh, yeah," I answer, almost taken aback. 

And here comes the spiraling thoughts.

 Did we just go into full on relationship mode, or just simply back to babysitter? 

"Put her in the stroller and we can take the elevator down," Ma insists.