Clemency. ✓

35

Shawn Carter,

"DADDY, YOU BROUGHT PIZZZAAAAAA!" Shai screamed opening the front door a little wider.

I chuckled, locking it behind me, "I did. You want some?"

"Yeah." She smiled.

"Hey, how y'all doing?" I spoke aloud.

"Good." A few replied.

"That's good." I glanced at Shai already munching on a slice of pepperoni. "Where your Mama at? She gone be mad if we eat it all."

"In the bed. She's really sick, Daddy." She said.

"She got some medicine?"

"Mhmm, my Grandma gave her some." She said guiding me upstairs, she peaked her head in the bedroom door. "Mommy, my Daddy is here with the pizza."

I walked in to see her in the bed with a couple of her cousins sitting on her sofa.

"Wassup?" I spoke.

"Sup." They said.

I slid the pizza on the bed, then picked up Shai.

"Daddy, I missed you." She said in my neck.

"Daddy missed you too. Why your Mama been sick? You been cooking again?"

"No, she just been really nausea." She said,

I chuckled, "Really what?" They laughed.

"Really nausea. She been throwing up."

"Oh. You mean nauseous." I told her.

"That's what I said, Daddy." She said as I placed her on the bed.

"I know. You just used the wrong tense. That's alright. You gone learn about it in school."

"Daddy, I can't wait to go to school." She grinned.

"Me neither." Lori said.

We laughed.

"Hey Shai," She started. "Can I talk to Daddy alone for a second?"

"Uh uh cause I need to talk to my Daddy about something important." She shook her head.

We laughed.

"Okay, well I need to talk to Daddy about something important too. Here, take the pizza and go eat and then you can come back."

"Okay." She said hopping off the bed.

"Bye Daddy."

"Bye." I said as her cousins followed.

I went to sit in the corner of her room in her swinging chair. It was comfy as hell.

She sat up to put her hair in a low bun.

"How are you?" She asked.

"Good, you?"

She sighed heavily, "Sick as hell, but I'm good. How was work today?" She asked.