Baby Boy - 7

Safaree checked the time on his phone as he entered Nicki's house to find it more quiet than usual. He followed the sound of Dora to Nicki's room. Sade was sitting next to the mummified body that was Nicki, and staring at the television. 

"Hey, Smoochie." He said in a cool nature but she still responded in a burst of energy. 

"Daddy!" She screamed as she ran to the end of the bed where he met her. He picked her up and kissed her forehead.

"What's up, Smooch?" He asked as he walked to Nicki's side of the bed.

"Ora." She pointed to the television.

"You watchin' Dora, Mama?" He corrected her. He smiled as she nodded before sliding out of his arms to dance to the song they were singing. He sat on the side of the bed and nudged Nicki. "Yo!"

"Hm?" She barely stirred.

"You was supposed to be ready by one." He watched Sade sit on the ground and focus on the television until he heard Nicki move. She dropped her arms over the covers before rubbing her eyes.

"What time is it?" 

"Two." He watched as she yawned and stretched. "Has she even ate?"

She cut her eyes at him as to say 'what do you think' before pushing him out of her way. When she stood, all she wore was a sports bra and some shorts. Her belly was starting to round at four months, but she was still small. The glow that illuminated from her skin was powerful. He was in a trance as he began staring at her full breast.

"I'm fat. I know." She rolled her eyes. He chuckled to himself as she walked away. She touched the top of Sade's head as she walked pass her knowing that Safaree would be on her heels. Lately, he wouldn't give her a moment of peace.

"What y'all eat?" He asked as she began brushing. 

She pulled her toothbrush out of her mouth to say, "Food."

He huffed, "What did y'all eat?" 

She spit and turned to him, "We're not talking about this."

"The last time we checked your sugars-"

"Safaree, we're not gonna talk about this every fucking day." She whined.

"You need to take care of yourself."

"I've done this before."

"You didn't have diabetes the last time you were pregnant, Nicki."

"Safaree," She put her hand up. "I just woke up after getting two hours of sleep. I really, really don't wanna talk about this."

"Why haven't you been sleeping?"

She huffed and rolled her eyes before starting to brush her teeth again. He was really starting to annoy her. Everyday he watched her eat and forbid her from eating anything unhealthy. He was constantly calling and texting her to check on her health and tell her what was good for her. She was glad that he'd finally gotten a place of his own, but that didn't stop him from popping up and throwing away all off her sweets. She cut her eyes at him and rolled them just thinking about it. 

"...and this is where the magic happens." Safaree said as he led Nicki and Sade into his bedroom. 

"Magic?" Nicki asked. "Your wand must be cursed." She said as she plopped down onto his bed. "This is nice though. Why my baby don't got a bed though?"

"Wait." He said as he lifted Sade onto the bed. "Is the wand supposed to be my dick?" 

"Safaree!" Nicki cut her eyes to Sade who was jumping on the bed. 

"My bad." 

"You gone answer my question?"

"The bed?"

"Yeah. You had two at your mom's for the girls."

"Yeah, but the social workers are coming through to see if I got my shit together. They want her to have her own room."

"Oh." She nodded. "RahRah is still with Misha's mom?"

"Yeah, and that bitch be trippin' worst than Misha." He shook his head. "She don't ever wanna let me leave with my daughter. I swear, none of them hoes that way trust men but always got they legs open." 

"Well, you'll have no problem getting Sahara, right?"

"I shouldn't. Misha mama don't want none of them damn kids, but she in a pissy mood cause her daughter locked up."

"That bitch got herself locked up." Nicki rolled her eyes. "And let that bitch know that I know real motherfuckers who lay they heads right where she lay hers."

"Who?" He looked at her crazy.

"Don't worry about that."

"Don't be tryna be on no gangsta boo shit. Leave her alone. You fucked her up already." 

"Safaree-"

"Nic, I don't need no extra shit that might keep me from getting custody of this little girl. Just chill."

"Whatever." 

"You got that damn promotion, workin' with them White folks... I thought you'd have some class by now."

"Shut the hell up!" She laughed as she tossed a pillow at him. 

"Damn." He laughed. "You teaching my kids how to stick niggas up for they cookies and milk too?" Nicki laughed harder.

"Safaree, please."

"Niggas got connections and shit." He shook his head. "Aite, I need to drop y'all off."

"But we don't wanna go." Nicki pouted.

He laughed, "Cute, but I gotta go see Little Bit."

"We can't stay here?" She asked. "Or what? Ya other baby moms coming over?"

"Who?" 

"I don't know. You know how you do, nigga."

"How?" He twisted his lips.

"You knock bitches up two at a time. I can't be the only one."

"Man." He mushed her head and she swatted his hand. 

"Bring me back some jello."

"No." He said sternly.

"You can get sugar free. I haven't eaten in two days." She whined.

"Why?"

"Can't keep shit down." She glanced behind her to see Sade taking selfies on her phone. "I don't know how she knows how to do this shit."

"Cause you always doing it." He watched Nicki take her phone and begin deleting the awkwardly angled pictures. "That's all you want?"

"Soup and crackers?" She said before looking up at Sade who was whining trying to get the phone back. "Oh, and get her a happy meal."

"Nicki." He dead faced her. Her list was getting longer and longer. 

"Safaree."

"It's nuggets in the freezer. Knock yourself out."

"But-"

"Bye." He kissed her forehead before kissing Sade's. 

Safaree stared at Nicki as she stared at Sade. The light from the television bounced off of their faces as he watched the most beautiful scene unfold. Nicki finally looked up at him and smiled. 

"I love watching her sleep." She laughed lightly as she explained herself.

"I know." He smiled.

"She's so beautiful. Like, some kids are just cute but really, Safaree..." She looked down at her sleeping child. "She's gorgeous."

"And so are you." He caught the sparkle in her eye as she looked up at him and blushed. He swore to himself that he could've stayed like this forever. The only thing missing from this perfect picture was Sahara. 

"Thanks."

"Look, Nic... I'm just glad that we're getting back to a good place."

"Me too."

"I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that these kids have everything that they need. No more fuck ups. Y'all got all of me."

Suddenly, she felt as if those butterflies that she'd thought were long dead sprung back to life. She was actually starting to like him again. In the past few weeks, he had really grown up. Everything that he was promising, he was doing. There were no more lies, no more drama... Just the man that she always knew that he could become. 

"Thank you." 

"I know that there's probably no way in hell that you'll give me another chance but Imma prove to you that I can be the man you deserve." He nodded to himself as he sat back and placed his eyes on the television. "Watch."

She grabbed his hand. They locked eyes. She kissed the back of his hand before locking their fingers together. 

"I believe in you." She said before closing her eyes. 

Just as she had watched Sade, he watched her sleep. Everything that he had said, he meant. He knew that in his heart of hearts that this was his very last straw with Nicki. He could either use it to build the life that they'd both so badly yearned for, or he could self destruct once again and send it up in flames. 

"So, you taking him back?" One of Nicki's friends remarked with a hint of an attitude.

"Did I say that?" She snapped. "I really feel like y'all judging me or some shit."

"No." TT said.

"That's how I feel." She shrugged. "But when bitches had me covering black eyes and had me driving they niggas to shops to pick up cars that I helped fuck up, I never looked at them how y'all looking at me." She looked around the table as she watched guilt visibly take over them. 

"Love make you do crazy shit." Sherika shook her head.

"It's not even about love." Nicki said. "I'm not in love with Safaree. I just see him... I don't know... Not changing, but becoming who he's supposed to be and I like it." She shrugged. "I like him. I like the idea of falling in love with a whole new person. A new beginning. I love the idea of a family with the father of my kids. Is that wrong?" 

"No." Sherika stated as she looked around the table at everyone who had gone mute. "It's perfectly fine." 

"Just know that I will fuck that bitch Misha up on site." Candi said. "And Safaree if that shit ever happens again."

"Safaree fought off four belligerently drunk grown women so I could walk away without a scratch." 

"Safaree." Sherika batted her eyelashes. "My hero." 

"Shut the hell up." Nicki threw a fry at her. They all began laughing.  

 

"You told him this stuff?" TT asked.

"No."

"Why not?" Sherika asked.

She blushed, "It's so fucking weird. I... I have like the biggest crush on my baby's father." 

"What?" They all said in unison before laughing.

"This shit is so weird, yo." She laughed. "But I've hated him for so long, it feels weird to start liking him. I can't wait to see him. I hate when he leaves..."

"Are y'all intimate? Romantic?" Candi asked.

"No." She shook her head. "It's weird. We joke and laugh, sleep in the same bed, he's always complimenting me... But it's like we're both scared to go any further."

"You have to tell him how you feel." Sherika beamed. Nicki looked around at all the smiling faces.

"You bitches was just ready to kill him and disown me."

"Bitch, that was before you had gone all school girl crush on us." Candi waved her off. 

Nicki rolled her eyes, "Whatever. I'm not bringing it up though. He needs to focus on getting Sahara and bringing this new kid into the world."

"Punk ass." Sherika said to which Nicki threw another fry at her. "Bitch, we gone fight."