Kennon Halim
I was in my front room waiting on my daughter to get off of work. I'm proud that she has an honest job, but tonight was the final straw. I hated that she was ignoring me, my little Princess.
She walked in through the garage and I heard her put her keys down. She walked passed me and was about to go up the stairs, but I called her name. She looked at me before shaking her head and went up the stairs. I sighed and went into the kitchen. I remember when she was little, she loved making strawberry cupcakes, so I'm gonna try to make 'em.
"Daddy! There's pink stuff on your face!" She giggled and pointed out. I had put it there on purpose because I know she thinks it's so funny.
"Where? I can't find it!" I yelled and she yelled and raised her hands for me to pick her up out of her high chair.
I got out of my seat and picked her up. She touched the icing on my face and laughed.
"It's right there! You need na..kin." She said. My baby girl is so smart. I nodded and took a paper towel off the rack and wiped my face.
"I wann cupcake." She whined and I picked up one and took a bite. She took it out of my hands and tried to make her mouth big to make a big bite, which made me laugh.
After we got done and I cleaned up the mess, I took her to her room so she could sleep but she whined as soon as I put her down.
"I wann sleep in you bed!" She yelled and I nodded, picking her up taking her to me and Tasha's room. Tasha wasn't off of work yet.
I laid her down and decided I would just give her a bath in the morning since she was so sleepy. I laid next to her and she whined again.
"What now, Princess?" I asked irritated.
"I wann sleep on you back!" She said. She loved to sleep on my back which was so fucking weird to me, but whatever made her happy was okay with me.
"Goodnight Princess." I said, but she didn't even respond. I heard her light snores and chuckled before falling asleep.
Once I took them out the oven, I looked over them. I wanted to taste one but they were too hot. I iced them the best I could. I heard Katoria's footsteps coming to the kitchen.
When she got in here she looked at them, then me and started to look in the fridge for something.
"I love you Princess." I said. She turned to me and there were tears in her eyes. I knew she couldn't keep this act up for long.
"I love you too Dad, but I just don't agree with what you're doing."
"I know you don't, your mother didn't either. Listen, it was the only thing I knew when I was younger. There was no hope for me, and I know you know about Harlem. It's not as bad as it used to be, but everything was about money back then. I saw my father and uncles doing it, so how couldn't I follow in those footsteps?"
"Well, you know better now, right Dad? Why won't you stop?"
"I have to keep my last name alive. You don't get it and I don't think you ever will. You don't have to accept it, Katoria, but just know I love you, and I can't take you ignoring me. You know how much of your life I already missed? I'm not tryna miss no more of it."
She was letting tears fall now. I hugged her and she hugged me back.
"I'm sorry for ignoring you, Dad." She said and sniffed.
"I know, and I love you too."
She pulled back and looked at the cupcakes.
"Dad, you still remember how to make these?" She asked and I laughed.
"I think, taste one."
She picked one up and put it on a plate. She tasted the icing first and nodded, letting me know it was good. She bit into the cupcake and shook her head spitting it out.
"Dad! What did you do?" She asked. I shrugged.
"I tried to make them from memory."
"Oh my gosh, you have the worst memory ever!" She said and laughed. I nudged her then hugged her. I got my little Princess back.
