Clemency. ✓

48

Shawn Carter,

"Daddy, your birthday is tomorrow?" Shai asked.

"Yep." I told her.

I sat the middle of the baby's bedroom putting together a shelf. I had been having fun going through things and putting shit together now that the baby's room was semi-ready for it to come home. We don't even know the gender yet.

"Are you gonna do something for your birthday?"

"Yeah. I'm going to a big party tomorrow night." I told her.

"Oh. Okay."

"Why?" I grinned at her.

"Cause you supposed to have fun on your birthday and knowing what a baby is isn't that fun." She shrugged.

I laughed, "It is fun." I told her.

"Are you excited to know what it is?" She asked.

"Yeah. Are you?"

"No, not really." She shook her head.

"Girl, you ain't been excited since the beginning." Lori smirked.

"If it does come, I just want it to be a boy cause I want to be my Daddy's only little girl."

"What do you mean if it does come?" She asked. "You gotta get ready for this baby regardless little girl."

"You'll always be Daddy's little girl."

"Not if it's a girl." She said. "I'll be your biggest girl and then you won't baby me anymore."

"Yeah, I will. Don't be like that." I told her. "Come here."

Shai came to sit in my lap. This was exactly what Lori and I were trying to prevent in the first place. We've had her shopping days and we've went to shop for the baby, but all she's seen us do when we're at home and fix things for the baby. We haven't done too much with her outside other than get her ready for school.

"Daddy isn't going to treat you any different than what I'm treating you like right now. I'mma always hold you and kiss you until you get to middle school and high school cause that's what Daddy's do. Okay?"

"Mhmm. Even when I get married?"

"No cause you not getting married. No boys."

"Daddyyyyy." She whined.

"Nope, absolutely not."

"Daddy, when I get older I can talk to boys." She said.

"When you 50." I told her.

"Daddy, I'll be dead by then."

"Hell, me too."

Lori and I busted out laughing. I didn't even realize Lori was recording our little moment. It would really be something funny to look back on in a couple years.

"Come on, you wanna go to the park?"

"Mhmm. Let's get ice cream too, Daddy."

"Yes ma'am." I told her. "Put your tennis shoes on."

She ran out the room and up the stairs. I yawned big running my hands through my hair. Then I looked at Lori rewatching the video on her phone.

"You wanna come with us?" I asked.

"No, y'all go ahead. I want a nap, honestly."

"Alright. We won't be long." I told her.

"Okay." She said standing up.