Love Unconditionally

28. Overcoming Pride

KyLeah

"Wassup Ky," Keenon said, walking up the bleachers. I had Brae sitting in my lap, bouncing him. He kept tryna reach for any and everything that was close, including the lady's hair that sat in front of us.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" I asked, sliding over. He took a seat beside me.

"Uh, I came to see the boys game. I seen little Kirsten out thea. She ain't a baby no mo," he laughed rubbing his chin. I laughed with him, shaking my head.

"She isn't. She probably weigh just as much as I do now."

"Real. Who's this little fella?" He asked referring to Braelyn. I stood him up in my lap and started making silly faces. He giggled, slobbing on his hands.

"This handsome man is Braelyn," I cooed, smiling at him. He reached for my hair but I pulled back. He thought. "He has an obsession with my hair." Braelyn screamed, clapping his hands together. I don't know why he was all hype now but he was and I was okay with it. Maybe he'll wear himself out so he'll sleep through the night.

Keenon pinched his cheeks, getting him to smile. He held his hands out to Brae and surprisingly, he went to him. "He likes to squirm so mak-"

"Ky," he said cutting me off. "I know how to hold a baby. I got this." I threw my hands up in surrender and watched as her interacted with my son. Brae held on to his finger, shaking it. He made eye contact with his tattoos and started scratching at it, like he did all the time with Ant.

"My husband has tattoos and he does the same thing."

"It's cool. My niece does the same thing. I find it funny." It was an awkward silence, although there was a game going on. I thought back to when Keenon and I went to school together and all those times he'd help me with Kirsten. I used to think it was because he felt sorry for me but he didn't have sympathy for me. He was just being a good friend.

"Hubby coming? I'd like to meet him."

The question threw me off because it was so random. "Uh, yeah, he said he would make it. I'll be happy to introduce you."

"For real? I was just joking. I don't want to cause problems."

I frowned before laughing. "Problems? How? We're just old friends."

"Yeah, but do he know that?"

I paused, thinking about how I never really told him that I ran into Keenon. It just seemed like all we had been doing for the past few weeks was fighting that we never talked about anything. I don't have feelings for Keenon in that way so I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem. Ant knows I wouldn't cheat on him.

"I'm a take your silence as a no," he chuckled.

"It's not that I'm hiding it, it's just we haven't really seen much of each other lately."

He looked at me and sighed. It was like he still knew me. "Ky, iono what ya marriage got going and it ain't my business to know but I knew you once. And you not a quitter. If it's something you want, don't let nothing get in the way. Especially not me. I respect you as a friend and I'd never interfere with what you got at home."

"Thank you." I gave him a faint smile, wiping under my eyes. He wrapped his arm around me, giving me a hug as Braelyn crawled back in my lap. His tiny arms squeezed around my neck.

"You know I got you." He smiled at me as he leaned over, resting his arms on his thighs. We joked about the old days and how we both used to get put out of class for laughing. Those were the days.

Kirsten

"Share punk," Ishmael said, pushing my head. I laughed, spilling my iced tea. We sat outside the gym, passing the time until the game. He bought me a pack of Skittles, which are my favorite. He knows I don't like to share Skittles.