Page 96 of Childish Games We Play
“Baby...” Layloni spoke as if she was in pain. Her caramel face was a shade of red. I looked down to her feet and noticed she peed on herself.
“Baby! What’s wrong?” I asked quickly losing my damn mind in the process.
“My water... my water broke King!”
I looked around in desperate need of help. Panic rose inside of me, and suddenly I didn’t know what the hell to do. I became so overwhelmed that I turned to the side and threw up. We went over this a million times and I still didn’t feel prepared enough.
“Reality to King! We got to get her to a fucking hospital before we have to give birth ourselves!” Rellianah snapped at me, causing me to go in action. I didn’t think it would happen like this, but I was blessed and happy, nevertheless.
My son was finally here… and life had never felt this full.
I stood still for a long moment just watching my wife in the hospital bed, cradling our nine-pound, two-ounce chocolate baby boy against her chest like he was the most precious thing in the world.
Because he was.
My chest swelled so hard it almost hurt. Dy’lon King. A perfect mix of me and his momma. His skin was smooth and chocolate like mine, he had a head full of hair which explained all of Layloni’s heartburn during pregnancy. Watching something I helped create breathe, move, and exist, was worth more than anything.
Layloni barely let anybody hold him. Nurses, family, whoever, she watched every single move like a lioness guarding her cub. My soft-hearted wife was finally showing a little bit of selfishness, and honestly, I loved every bit of it…Except when it came to me.
She watched me like a hawk every time I picked him up, ready to snatch him back if I so much as breathed wrong. Only person she stayed gentle with was my mom, and even then, her eyes never left Dy’lon.
Yeah… I already knew my house was about to be chaotic as hell. Between my mom, Layloni, and everybody else ready to spoil him rotten, my son wasn’t gone want for nothing in this life.
I walked over to the bassinet and scooped him up carefully, supporting his tiny head the way the nurse showed me.The moment I sat down and started rocking him, he opened his eyes and hit me with this big gummy smile.
My heart melted straight through my chest.
“This my boy right here,” I murmured, brushing my thumb gently across his cheek. His skin was as soft as silk. Everything about him felt fragile and pure.This tiny human was mine to protect, mine to teach and mine to love. My world revolved around Layloni, and this little king in my arms.
I looked over at Layloni, who barely had her eyes opened. Tomorrow they would be releasing her from the hospital, and I was impatient for it. I was ready to get my wife home, to tend to her properly.
“Thank you,” I whispered even though she couldn’t hear me.
My son fell asleep in my arms as quick as I picked him up to rock him. I got up carefully, placed him back in his glass bed close to Layloni and just looked down at the both of them until my eyes burned. My chest felt tight as I stepped out of the room, giving them a moment to rest.
Soon as the cool night air hit my face, I felt like I could finally breathe.
POP! POP!
Champagne sprayed into the air as Cream and Hussle stood in the parking lot with wide grins on their faces.
“Welcome to club, cuzzo!” Hussle yelled, shoving a Cuban cigar into my hand. “This shit hard as hell… but it’s worth every second.”
Cream took a long drag from his cigar, smoke curling around his face.
“Man… imagine if y’all dumbasses kept playing them childish games,” he said, shaking his head.
I exhaled slowly, watching the champagne drip down onto the pavement.
“I’m glad I got my head out my ass when I did,” I admitted.
I took a slow pull from the cigar, letting the smoke fill my lungs before releasing it into the night sky.
“She stuck with a King now,” I said with a smirk.
~The end~
