Page 5 of After Midnight
Melo nodded seriously. “I got it, Daddy.”
“I know you do.” I patted his back and reached to preheat the griddle, the faint hiss of butter hitting hot metal filling the silence. Mornings like this—flour in the air, laughter still echoingthrough the house; this was the kind of peace I never took for granted.
Behind me, Melo hummed to himself, completely off-key. I chuckled. “That your new cooking song?”
“It’s ourpancake song,” he said proudly. “We gotta sing it every time.Pancake, pancake, in the pan. Me and Daddy are the pancake man,”he sang.
I grinned, adding the first pancake to the griddle. “That’s a good song, son. Guess it’s tradition now.” I finished breakfast and we feasted on blueberry pancakes, bacon, and cheesy scrambled eggs.
“Alright, Honeybun,” Angel announced standing up, wiping her mouth with a napkin. “We have to run a few errands before the party. How about we get you dressed and head out?”
“Okay!” Melo jumped up.
“Hold on now…” I looked between the two of them. “Nobody’s gonna help me clean?”
“Uhhh…” Melo said looking at Angel who was checking her imaginary watch.
“Yeah…we’re gonna be late, big bro. But you got this.” She clapped my shoulder before scooping up my son.
I shook my head, because her non cooking ass was always over here eating my food, but never wanting to clean. She was lucky I loved her and she was an amazing auntie. “No more blueberry pancakes for you!” I called after her.
“I prefer French Toast anyway!” she replied as they headed to Melo’s room.
I smirked, finishing the last few bites before wiping my mouth. My phone rang next to me and my best friend's face lit up the screen. “Boogie downtown. What’s the word?” I answered.
Bryan better known as Boogie, chuckled. “What good, Rem? What you doing?”
“Just finished breakfast with son-son and lil’ sis. About to clean up and then head to the restaurant.”
“Cool. You know why I’m calling, right?” Boogie asked.
I smirked. “I have an idea.”
“Calling to make sure your flaky ass ain’t flaking on us again.”
I stroked my beard in amusement leaning back against the kitchen counter as sunlight spilled through the blinds. “I’m still in. No last ditch cop out this time.”
“That’s what the fuck I’m talking ‘bout!” Boogie exclaimed unable to hide his enthusiasm, making me laugh.
I shook my head, already picturing him pacing around probably grinning like a fool. I knew he was geeked about me stepping my toe back in the world socially. When I lost my wife Kendrix to cancer four years ago, I went into a deep depression. For a minute there, no one was sure if I would ever be able to come out of it.
Honestly—I wasn't sure either.
There were so many days the house felt too quiet and empty. There were days when getting out of bed felt like dragging a body that wasn’t mine. Heavy moments where it felt like I just wanted to join my love in the afterlife. But over the last two years, and with weekly therapy, I had been slowly and painstakingly finding my way back to life.
My son was getting older and he needed his father whole and present. Melo was my light at the end of the tunnel. My whole reason for waking up and grinding each day. Even on the mornings when grief sat heavy on my chest making it hard to breathe, all it took was his small voice calling for me to push through.
Kendrix wouldn’t want me rolling over and giving up on life. She was always full of love, light, and energy. I saw those same qualities in our son. So…I clawed my way out of the darkness.And now—slowly—I was feeling like my old self again. The man that Kendrix fell in love with. The man that my son and my family needed.
I released a slow breath, dragging a hand over my face before pushing off the counter. “I'm actually looking forward to it to be honest.”
“You should be bruh, ‘cause tonight is ‘bout to be a movie,” Boogie said. “I’m talking ‘bout bottles, blunts andbig booty bitchesall night,”
I shook my head laughing. Sometimes he had a one-track mind. "Here you go. I’m not on that. I just wanna have a night out with my boys. Nothing more.”
“Fuck that,” Boogie scoffed. “We getting you some ass tonight. Or at least some head.Somethingnigga. A hand job would suffice.”
I went quiet, my gaze drifting toward the hallway. There hadn’t been another woman since Kendrix, and I wasn't sure if I was ready to give my body to another woman just yet. It's weird, but I would feel like I was cheating on her. Crossing a line I wasn't sure I had permission to cross.
