She was in her cute, mermaid bathing suit, and her long, thick hair was pushed back in a ponytail, making my ovaries scream at how adorable she was. His son was just as handsome as he stood there in his red and white Polo swimming trunks that matched his dad’s. The kids were cute, but it was the man that I was obsessed with. My man. Like I said, he wore the same red and white Polo swimming trunks as his son, and a white tank top clung to his body, showing those abs that I loved to squeeze on when he was on top of me and digging my back in. All the tattoos that were on his neck, arms, and hands showed, making it damn near impossible not to drool over him.
“Don’t the three of you look adorable,” I said, walking up to them.
“That’s all y’all. I think y’all outdid us,” he said, followed by a laugh. “Zakiya and Jr, I have some people that I want y’all to meet. This is Journey, Jada, and Jaden. Lastly, this is daddy’s beautiful girlfriend, Takari,” he said.
“I remember her, Daddy. She’s the lady from the movie theater. Remember her son was kicking my seat?” his daughter asked, making both me and Za’Kai laugh. “Why did you call her Shrimp if her name is Takari? You must like Shrimp. That’s my favorite too,” she said, smiling and making me smile right along with her.
“I told you she’s a handful. Little girl will talk you to death if you let her,” he said and then put her down.
Instantly, Jada and Zakiya clicked although Zakiya was older. Jaden and Jr clicked instantly as well while Journey entertained her phone that I let her get just for the weekends. Looking like one big ole family, we headed over to the water. The kids took off while Za’Kai and I stayed back to find an area that was suitable for all of us.
I removed the towel that I brought out there and I laid it down on the sand. The sarong that was wrapped around my body was quickly removed, leaving me in just the two-piece swim suit. I looked at Za’Kai, who was sitting on the sand, and when he looked at me, he cockily patted himself on the back.
“Boyyyy, my daddy would’ve been proud of me,” he said and let out a loud howl right before I lay on my back.
I laughed at his theatrics, and then focused my attention on the kids. My kids were water babies and had been trained on how to swim before they could even walk, but that still didn’t stop me from being an overprotective parent and making sure they were okay.
“Journey hates me. I’ma have to give lil mama some money or some shit, so she can get her hair and nails done. Something because she’s not fuckin’ with me,” Za’Kai said then removed his tank.
“She doesn’t hate you. My daughter is a lot like me. It takes her a while to adjust to change. She’ll eventually come around,” I let him know.
“On some real shit, Shrimp, I have my thought on why I think your daughter not fuckin’ with me. I probably should have been told you this shit, but I handled it. I didn’t want to get you all riled up about it, so I kept it a secret. Plus, the next time I saw you after it happened is when the shit happened between you and your bitch ass ex-husband,” he said.
I was looking at him, like go ahead and get to the damn point!
“Months ago, I was in the projects, and I heard arguing going on behind the wall. Next, it was a girl crying and a man’s voice. It didn’t take me long to figure out what was going on. That was your daughter back there behind that wall arguing with this little nigga that stays over there. He’s a lot older than her though, but to me, he a little nigga. I’m not sure what all happened, but when I came, he was choking her. I laid hands on the nigga and told your daughter to take her ass in the house. That was it. I don’t think she liked the way that I handled her little boyfriend, and that’s why I feel like she don’t like my ass,” he said.
I lifted from my back and looked at him like he was crazy.
“Za’Kai, why the fuck would you keep some shit like this from me? You just sat here and told me that you witnessed a grown man choking my daughter! You don’t think that was some shit that I deserved to fuckin’ know?” I barked.
My eyes left his, and then they landed on my daughter, who was sitting down just at the edge of the water. Jada sat in her lap, and she took pictures of them on her phone. I wanted to call her over so badly and grill her, but I didn’t because I knew where it would lead.
“On some real shit, Shrimp, that was months ago, and I figured you knew about it by now! You acting like I purposely kept the shit away from you. Yes, in the beginning I did because I felt like it wasn’t the right time, but all this time, I thought you knew, that’s why I didn’t bring it up,” he said.
I was annoyed, aggravated, and pissed the fuck off all in one. For months, I’d wanted
to know who had gotten my daughter pregnant, yet this nigga knew who it could have possibly been all along. Not to mention the fact that he knew that a grown ass man had choked my daughter. I was mad at Za’Kai for keeping it a secret and even my daughter. Why wouldn’t she tell me some shit like this?
I was getting ready to stand up, but Za’Kai reached out and pulled me over to him. As much as I tried to fight him off me, he still managed to get me into his lap.
“I’m sorry, yo. I shouldn’t have said shit—”
“That’s the reason I’m mad now! Because you didn’t say shit!” I yelled and rolled my eyes.
“Mannn, them hormones coming in like a motha fucka right now! What you want me to do? I already stomped the nigga out. What else you need me to do? Say the word, and I got it,” he said.
I thought about it long and hard.
“I’ll handle him myself. I’ll come to the hood tomorrow, and I just need you to show him to me,” I said.
Za’Kai looked at me long and hard, as if he was trying to see if I was playing or not, and then he burst out laughing right in my face.
“Fuck your little ass gon’ do? You got a whole nigga right in front of you that’s willing to fight any little battle that you need me to! As long as I’m around, you don’t ever have to worry about getting your hands dirty. On some real shit, yo, your ability to go toe to toe with anyone or anything behind your kids is sexy as fuck. I can only imagine how you going to be when it comes to our son,” he said and pulled me to him.
I rolled my eyes at him because it was far too early for him to be predicting the gender, and I playfully acted as if I didn’t want him touching me. That didn’t last long, though, because in seconds, I had my arms wrapped around his neck and I was tonguing him down like it was just he and I on the beach.
“Ma, please! Can you stop? That is so disgusting,” I heard a voice from behind me say.