Page 59 of Certified to Handle You
Her father leaned back a lil’, then his eyes came to me.
“So,” he said, calm as ever, “what exactly are your intentions with my daughter, Renza?”
I wiped my mouth with a napkin, sat back in my chair, and looked at him without rushin’ it. I already knew what type of time he was on, but I also knew he was just bein’ a father.
“I’m serious about her,” I said. “I don’t play about her.”
He nodded once, but that ain’t move him.
“Serious is a start,” he said. “But that don’t always mean structure. I’m talking about long-term. She needs stability, and direction.”
I heard him. I really did. And I respected it, ’cause I knew he wasn’t just talkin’ to talk. He was speakin’ from how he raised Reni, from the life he built for her.
But at the same time, I wasn’t no lil’ ass boy sittin’ at this table.
“I get where you comin’ from,” I said, noddin’. “And I respect that, for real. I’m not takin’ none of what you sayin’ light.”
I leaned back further in my chair, keepin’ my eyes on him.
“I care about Reni the right way,” I went on. “Everything I’m doin’ with her got intention behind it. I just want it to be done the right way, not rushed or halfway.”
Reni shifted next to me, and I felt her knee press against mine. I ain’t look at her, but I knew she was listenin’ close.
Her father nodded slowly, like he was takin’ that in.
“Love and intention matter,” he said. “But again… so does direction. I just want to know she’s buildin’ with a man who understands that.”
“I do,” I said.”
He looked at me for a second, like he was sittin’ with what I said, then gave a small nod. Then he shifted the conversation.
“So how do your parents feel about you and Reni?” he asked.
That one hit a lil’ different.
I ain’t even get a chance to answer right away ’cause my mind went somewhere else for a second. It wasn’t that I ain’t think about bringin’ Reni around my people… I had. Plenty of times. But my family wasn’t regular, and I knew that.
The women in my family ain’t play about me. Once they latch on, that’s it. I knew they was gon’ treat her like she was locked in for life, and if shit ain’t go how it was supposed to, it wasn’t gon’just fall off clean. It could turn into tension. And I wasn’t tryna put that on Reni.
On top of that, we had just got through ’Lo’s trial, and that shit had the whole family movin’ different for a minute. Everybody was already dealin’ with enough, and bringin’ my girl around in the middle of all that would’ve had everything feelin’ heavier than it needed to. She would’ve got overshadowed for sure.
I knew what I felt about Reni. I knew where I was goin’ with her. I just wanted it to be right when I did it. That’s really it.
Before I could even say any of that shit out loud, Reni shifted next to me.
“Daddy…” she said, givin’ him that look. “You doin’ too much.”
He glanced at her, then back at me like he wasn’t even tryna be funny with it.
“I’m just asking a very simple question,” he replied.
“I know,” she said, calmer now, but still firm. “But we came over here to eat, not do all that.”
I kept my composure. I just let her handle it, ’cause I could see she ain’t like where it was goin’. And hell… I ain’t either.
Her mama spoke up then, smoothin’ it out. “Alright now, let’s not turn lunch into a meeting.”
Her pops gave a small nod and let it go without draggin’ it out.
