I'ma take the time to get to know you

I made my exit from the backyard and ventured back into the house. I avoided the eyes of peering family members and started my search for Danielle.

Just as I was about to enter the kitchen, I halted at the voices of what seemed to be Maya, Evelyn, Danielle and Dave.

I prepared myself to turnaround and head into the family room, as to not interrupt a private conversation when I heard my name.

"Maybe I should just go wait for Danielle, what they're saying is none of my business and..."

Then I heard my name again.

"Girl it's your name so that makes it your business"

I ended the debate with myself then nestled my body behind the entryway to listen.

I was damn near shocked that both my dad and grandfather were comfortable around her. My whole family actually, I remember one time I brought Millie here when she was pregnant, my mamma almost killed her, Danielle would've helped her and my grandfather shook his head at me the entire time.

But they all seemed love Laya. I was in the kitchen bothering Danielle when my ma began her line of questioning.

You'd swear she worked for twelve or some shit, the way she investigated my life.

"Now David, tell me what's goin' on with you and Laya" she began.

"Right you bring this girl heya and I barely seen you talk to her the entire time" Auntie Evie added.

My mother and aunt were about to go in on me, I could feel the verbal ass whooping coming. Danielle knew it too, that's why her big bellied ass sat at the kitchen table laughing.

"Ma", I sighed. "Me and Laya cool, we friends. We just had a disagreement in the car, so I'm letting her ass cool off." I shrugged.

Laya and I were not just friends and I was more bothered about what went down then I cared to admit. I had to tell my mamma that to prevent her from prying into my life. Ever since my relationship with Millie, she's been determined to fix me up with someone.

"Bullshit. Friends my ass. So try again Dave. I ain't never known you to bring any of your assistants or female friends to a family party like this. So that's telling me y'all got something more going on"

I couldn't get shit pass this woman. She was too smart.

"Ma I'm trying to make it into something more but I don't know how to get through to her. I ain't ever dealt with a female like her before." I admitted.

My mother put the dish towel down and turned to face me.

"A female like what...exactly?"

"He means that Laya ain't one of them easy hoes who'll open they legs for a purse and dinner at Nobu", Danielle exclaimed while stuffing her face with food.

I mushed her head to the side and received an agitated growl in return.

"Dave leave yo' sister alone and answer my damn question." she commanded while folding her arms.

"He's basically saying that she isn't Millie or any of them fast ass lil girls I see him with on the Shaderoom", my Auntie Evie responded before me.

Damn can I get a word in?

I laughed and shook my head. Here we go again. Every time a gossip site posted me with someone, these three were always the first ones to text me about my 'shitty' taste in women.

"That should be a good thing. Allaya seems like such a wholesome girl, so what you need to do is take your unwholesome ass and fix whatever you broke."

"Now ma, you know that ain't fair. Who said D broke anything, for all we know Laya might not be the girl we expect. After all she looks like she's a decade younger than you." Danielle said.

"Danielle shut up! Your father is eleven years older than me" my mother retorted.

"Exactly and Laya is a mature girl for her age. Danielle you should be on her side cause she got Liam's little bad behind to sleep." My aunt said.

Watching these three discuss my love life like I wasn't there, was hilarious.

Truth is, things with Laya were different from anything I ever experienced. I've seen so much fucked up shit in my life and only one thing has brought me joy so far, my daughter. But with Laya, I feel that same feeling coming back. She's frustrating, stuck up and before, everything she did got on my last nerve. But I wouldn't want her no other way.

She got angry at me because in her eyes, I was trying to control her. It was my fault for moving too fast with her. I should've known betta. After all that shit she told me about her dumbass daddy, I finally understood why she was so independent.

I hadn't realized that I said all that out loud until I lifted my head and saw everyone staring at me with wide eyes.

"Aww the little hoodlum is in love", Danielle gushed, breaking the moment.

My mom walked from behind the island, and looked in my eyes.

"Baby if she means that much to you, you got to take your time. She may not seem like she don't need anyone, but trust me she'll learn soon enough, and you gotta be there for when she does. And you need to lay out exactly how you feel to her. I know you men like to be mysterious and all but you gotta tell her how you want things to go."

"Right Dave. She ain't looking for someone to take care of her, she needs an equal." Auntie Evelyn jutted in.

Danielle was speechless with a small smile on her face. I looked at her for her input, since everyone was giving me advice.

"You heard with those two said. All I can say is don't hurt that one, the quiet ones are always crazy."

I rolled my eyes and moved from my spot on the counter to pick up a cookie from the plate on the table.

"Now that we're done with that. Have you talked to your father David?" my mom asked with an arched eyebrow.

I sat at the table next to Danielle and shrugged my shoulders.

"Talk to him about what Ma? You know me and Dad ain't with it like that."

My father and I have a rocky relationship. It wasn't always like that, we were actually pretty close growing up. But my dad was in the drug game for most of my younger life. He worked with my grandfather and together they ran an empire before he went to jail. With no one home to take care of my ma and sister, I had to be the man. I turned to the streets with Pop and when my dad came home he didn't like that I was following in his footsteps.

We bucked heads a lot over that topic and I actually spent a while not talking to him over it. Cause no one was gonna tell me how to be a man when they weren't there.

We've been at odds for years but it's been better since I've dropped that lifestyle and now that I'm a business man and musician.

But even that ain't good enough for him. And now my ma been trying to force a relationship between us.

"Dave you gotta actually bond with him. Y'all use to be so close and now look at y'all." her voice cracked with the last word.

Here come the tears. I knew my mother well, she was gonna put on a sad face and maybe shed a few to get me to talk to him.

"Maya cut the fake tears and take this baby. Danielle, Pops about to murder your husband at the domino table, so I suggest you go get his ass." My dad walked into the kitchen with Liam in his arms and a mug on his face. I ignored everything that he was saying and picked up my phone to answer a few messages.

"And Dave yo cousin talking to Laya, so if that's your woman, I suggest you remove his ass before he takes her home." he spoke roughly.

"But before you go, I need to have a word with you."

I followed him out of the kitchen door to the side of the house. He leaned against the wall and said "The streets been talkin, one of my old connects in the Bronx told me that Ro about to be released on probation."

Hearing that shit made my blood boil. I was getting flashbacks to that night and a nigga was starting to see red.

"When"

"Ion know yet. But what you gon do about his ass. You know he can't be breathing in our city for long."

"I want that nigga dead as much as you do. So you ain't gotta worry bout that. His ass gon be handled."

"I know you gon handle it but what I'm trying to tell your hard headed ass is to be smart with it. This shit been a long time coming but one fucked up mistake could have you doing ten to life lil nigga. What I'm trying to say is let me help you."

I looked at my father to make sure he was serious. This was a part of our life that we never discussed and he was offering to help me.

"Aight when I figure out what I wanna do I'll let you know"

"I'm serious Dave, you got too much to lose over this" he stated.

And with that I promptly left the area to move Tyrell's funky ass from Laya. I've seen him talk to anything with a pulse and I'd be damned if I had his corrupt ass talking to her.

When I walked out there, she sat at one of the picnic tables gazing at her phone with Tyrell in the front of her. I watched as her facial expressions morphed into ones of happiness then disbelief and then anger.

I went to the food table and made two plates for the both of us. I hadn't seen her eat all day so I knew she was hungry.

Laya was somewhat of a picky eater. Earlier she told me that after her ma died, she never ate potato salad again because her ma didn't make it. And she don't like her food touching. So, making sure that everything was separated and deliberately leaving off potato salad, I filled the paper plate and made my way over there.

I slid effortlessly onto the bench in opposite her and pushed the plate of food in the front of her face along with a fork.

I glanced and Tyrell and said, "Move".

"Wassup cousin, I was just talking to my girl-", he babbled while trying to dap me up.

"Move nigga." I mugged him.

He must not fucking get it. Tyrell raised his hands in surrender and left the table. I moved my eyes to Laya.

"I say this with all seriousness, you have anger issues." she laughed out.

I honestly didn't get what was funny. She had a lame ass nigga talking to her and she didn't even know it. I know he's blood or whateva, but a pussy ass nigga is a pussy ass nigga.

She peered at me through her long eyelashes and a half smile graced her lips as she put down her phone and started eating the plantains on her plate.

Everything she did was damn adorable.

There was a silence between us but it was almost like I could hear the gears turning in her head, as she searched for something to say.

Instead of waiting for her to collect her thoughts, I took ma's advice and beat her to it.

"Today didn't go how I had expected it to and I'm sorry for that. I rushed things and should've been more patient with you and I understand that now.", I began.

She looked like she was about to interject. But I picked up a napkin to wipe my mouth before speaking up again.

"But that sure as hell don't mean I'm gon quit trying. I get that you use to being alone and taking care of yourself and shit. But now that we friends, you ain't gotta be alone."

I took another fork full of food into my mouth and chewed before going on.

"Now that we on the topic of that friends shit. Me and you ain't just friends. And you know that. For your sake, we ain't gonna put a label on it. And for future reference this gon be the last time me and you have an argument like that without talking it out. I promise to try and hear your side of the story before I react.", I said in all seriousness.

She looked up at me with soft eyes and muttered a soft "Okay." I was expecting a bit more sarcasm and heat from her spicy ass but that was all she had to say.

We ate for a few more minutes uninterrupted and I got up to throw our trash in the garbage. When I sat back down she was playing with her fingers.

"I'm sorry too. I definitely shouldn't have acted that way earlier, I was being childish and stubborn and I'm sorry for that", she released.

"I'm not use to gifts and stuff like that without a price coming with it. You know?"

She took a deep breath and went on.

"Also I like you too and I want to be more than friends but I'm kinda scared considering this is all new to me but I'm willing to try because you are."

Good. Babygirl was getting it. She said exactly what I needed her too. I stretched across the table and attached my lips to her. Just so she know that this shit was real.

She gave in effortlessly. Now all that was left to do, was to show her that I got her, if she'd let me.

_____________

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(Idea 686 by Jayla Darden)