Page 48 of Certified to Handle You
Toni smiled and gave him a side hug with My’Love on her hip. “Hey, Richie. How you been?”
“Same ol’ same ol’,” he said. “It’s good seein’ you, though. You look real good.”
“Thank you,” Toni replied.
I glanced at Kay’Lo, and I almost shook my damn head ’cause his face was tellin’ on him bad. He was lookin’ Richie up and down like he was tryna figure out how somebody could walk out the house lookin’ like that. His expression wasn’t disrespectful enough to start nothin’, but I knew Kay’Lo well enough to know he was fightin’ his thoughts.
Richie looked at him and gave him a nod. “Wussup?”
Kay’Lo nodded back. “What’s happenin’?”
That was it, and honestly, that was enough.
Everybody knew what it was with Kay’Lo and our family. It wasn’t no need to keep bringin’ up old shit when everybody already knew Deuce was gone, and Kay’Lo was the reason behind it. Grandma Glo lost a grandson behind all this mess, Uncle Darnell was still missin’ with no proof of what happened to him, and even though a lot of people knew Deuce had been wrong for what he did, family grief was a muthafucka.
Some folks wasn’t ever gon’ rock with Kay’Lo, and Kay’Lo wasn’t ever gon’ lose sleep over it ’cause he ain’t rock with them either.
But Toni and My’Love was standin’ right here, so everybody was keepin’ it cool.
Richie reached his hand toward My’Love. “Come here, girl. You so pretty!”
My’Love just stared at him. She looked at Richie, then looked down at his hand, then looked back at his face like she was tryna figure out who the hell told him they was cool.
I pressed my lips together so I wouldn’t laugh.
Toni bounced her a lil’. “It’s okay, baby. That’s cousin Richie.”
Richie smiled wider and reached for her again. “Come here, pretty girl.”
Toni let him take her, and the second My’Love got in his arms, I saw her whole lil’ body stiffen up. She ain’t scream yet, but she was thinkin’ about it. Them hazel eyes got big, her mouth tightened, and then she turned her head slow until she found Kay’Lo.
Kay’Lo was already lookin’ at her…
And the way he was lookin’ at his baby had me ready to fold over on the porch, ’cause his face was damn near sayin’ the same thing hers was.
Richie tried to bounce her. “Aww, you alright.”
My’Love’s bottom lip folded down so hard it looked painful.
Toni reached a hand toward her. “My’Love, you okay. Girl, he not gon’ hurt you.”
My’Love opened her mouth and screamed so loud the whole porch paused.
I turned my face away ’cause I knew if I looked at Kay’Lo, I was gon’ bust out laughin’. My’Love wasn’t cryin’ regular either. She was cryin’ offended, like Richie had personally disrespected her by pickin’ her up.
Toni tried to calm her. “Baby, it’s okay. You gotta get used to yo’ other family.”
Kay’Lo wasn’t goin’ for none of that. Before Toni could even finish, he stepped forward and took My’Love out Richie’s armsso fast it looked like he had been waitin’ on permission from nobody but himself.
“Come on, baby,” he said, already cradlin’ her to his chest.
Richie held his hands up. “Damn, I ain’t do nothin’.”
Kay’Lo ain’t even look at him again. His whole focus was on My’Love while she huffed and puffed against his chest, her lil’ hands grabbin’ at his shirt like she had just survived somethin’ terrible.
“You good, mama,” he said, kissin’ under her neck while he rubbed her back. “Daddy got you. You good.”
Kay’Lo looked at Toni. “I’m finna take her to the truck so she can calm down.”
