For Marli

IV

Keith Pov

After work, I headed to Milani's house to have a talk with her and to see Marli.

Pulling up to her house she was arguing with some dude that was rushing out the house angry, getting into his car.

"Fuck you nigga, don't bring your bitch ass round here no more. I'm done for real! I never did and never will need you!" Milani yelled. Never knew she had a side like this, she always seemed nonchalant.

"Bitch fuck you, I'm done with you too." He yelled before speeding off.

"You good?" I said getting out my car.

"Yea.."
"Who was that?" I asked.

"My ex boyfriend, we're on and off." She said as we walked in the house.

"Oh ok."

Marli was in her playpen just crying. I picked her up and comforted her. 

"I don't think he should be around Marli ." I said.

"I don't think you have that say so." She snapped back.

"I do, I'm her father ."

"I'm her mother, this is my house. He helps take care of her."

"Great he does that, but if he can't be consistent. It's not needed. Yal are on and off. Therefore he's coming and going. If he's arguing with you and talking to you crazy in front of her that's not good for her, nor you. She'll grow up talking to you crazy too cause what you allowed. And I don't care if it's not directed to her or she's too young to know or remember , it still effects her. If it wasn't affecting her she wouldn't be crying right now. Our daughter deserves a healthy environment. " I said.

She rolled her eyes and walked off.

"Milani, I'm not done talking to you." I said following her to her room.

"I'm done." She replied. She sat in her bed and looked at her phone.

"Aight, well me and Marli about to go to the park and she can stay with me." I said walking off, knowing it's gonna trigger her.

Milani hopped out of bed so fast and said ,"No she can't go!"

I knocked on Micah's door and he said "Come in."
"Hold Marli right quick I need to talk to your sister." I sat Marli in his lap as he continued to play the game and went to Milani who was standing behind me.

"Come talk to me Mili." I said going downstairs. She stood for a second and followed me. We went to her back patio and she sat down.

"What Keith ." She said.

"Stop treating me like a stranger. I am Marli's father. When I said, I want to be there for you and Marli, I meant it. When I said I want to be involved, I meant that too. I should be apart of every decision you make with Marli. I should be there at emergencies and new milestones . I shouldn't be catching shit last minute. You can't do that shit to people that care. My people had to drive 5 hours last minute just so they can make it to Marli christening, that's not fair . And There is no reason why I can't keep her, I'm just enough a parent as you are. She has family on my side that love her as well.Stop treating me like a stranger."

"You are! We don't know shit bout each other -" she said before I cut her off. "You not trying to get to know me Milani, I know about you. I listen . I listen to what you tell me, I listen to how your people speak of you. I'm trying, you're not. But I'm not forcing shit. If you don't want me to be there for you, that's fine but I'm gonna be there for my daughter . You're tryna keep me a stranger to her. I'd be over here everyday if you would let me. I'll take her everywhere if you let me. I honestly don't need your permission, but I'm being respectful ."

" You're stepping in 6 months later trying to play father role, when it's been me being mommy from the jump. Me and my family handling shit on our own, from the jump. It was us everyday at the NICU with Marli when she was a newborn. So sorry that it don't come to mind to call you to tag along.I don't intentionally leave you out, I'm just doing what I know. In the heat of the moment, I get shit done. With or without help. She hasn't stayed with you or your family because I don't know you. I don't know where you live, who comes in out of your place, who lives there with you, I don't know if you got pets or not, I don't know how you get down . The day Marli came out me, was the day I had to protect her. Sorry for protecting my daughter. It's just been us, so sorry I'm having a hard time adjusting."

"You speak of me like I'm a deadbeat or something . Like I knew you was pregnant. Like I chose to not be in her life first quarter. You trusted me with your body that night and now you can't trust me with OUR child? I became daddy mode soon as you said she was my child. I dropped everything to see our child. I come every time you say I can come. I never flaked I'm here front and center. I haven't gave you a reason not to trust me. I'm here Milani and I'm staying . Marli is 50% of me, could really say 60% since she looks exactly like me. So I have 50% right to have her on my own and for her to be around her family on my side. Like you tripping man, you not doing this alone no more mami." I said to her.
She sat there quietly.

"Milani."

"Aight , before she stays with you, I have to come to your place and baby proof everything, for me to feel ok."

"That's perfectly fine ." I said .

"Aight."

"You gon open up to me or not? So we can get to know each other."

"I will."she sighed.

"How long you and ole boy been dealing with each other?"

"Since highschool." She said.

"How did he feel about Marli coming in the picture. "

"Him and I were broken up for two months when Marli was conceived. It was him who was supposed to be meeting me at the jazz club that night,but flaked because we got in a stupid argument. But like it wasn't no big deal he got a girl pregnant a year before I got pregnant . So when we do deal with each other it's like brady bunch."

"Do you feel you're truly done with him?"

"I want to be." She replied.

"What did he say about me being in Marli life."

"He was just like stay out of the way and just be a father to Marli. But I told him he had no say so of what we got going on."

"Oh aight."

"But he's out the picture."she said getting up and us going back into the house.

I got Marli out of Micah's room and we went back to Milani's room.

Marli really turned into a daddy's girl. It feels good to have a piece of me. Creating memories with her and just being a father. It's a whole newfound happiness.

Her and I ended up falling asleep in Milani's bed after a couple hours of watching tv.

I woke up around 11pm and left to go home. Milani sent me a text. It was a picture of Marli and I sleeping . I made it my lockscreen and posted on my page.

Everyone was shocked I had a baby. They thought she was my twin , and then my instagram fans was hoping me being their "husband ", that I didn't have a baby on them.

I have a huge following on instagram and I'm guessing Milani's has one too, because people started tagging her saying "oh this milannotmulan baby daddy." "Ain't that milannotmulan baby." "Oh wow gotta be a different baby cause they don't even follow each other or have any mutual friends. "

I looked at Milani's instagram. She's just so beautiful to me. She had pictures here and there of Marli or Marli and her pictures , she posted a picture of Marli and I'm guessing her ex's son. I managed to find her ex instagram and he had a post of the whole family portrait . It was a picture of Milani, Marli, him , and his son. They had to be really serious with each other.

Yea, if Milani and I ever become a thing; he'll very much be in the way. You can just tell that , he not just anybody she can get rid of. Since high school, man. This nigga gon give me a hard time. But we'll see if she means what she say about being done.

Next day milani posted it on Marli's instagram acount she made for her. Captioning it , "💚💚Marli x Daddy💚💚"