For Marli

58

Milani pov

Today was Marli's 8th birthday. Lord knows I cried like a baby. My baby girl really is growing up. Like it was almost like yesterday, she was a little baby. She really was what I needed the most. At the time, before I was pregnant with her, I was spiraling downhill. Just depressed and lonely. Stressed on top of stressed, but when I found out I was pregnant with her my world brightened so much. I had something worth living for. Everything I did was For Marli.

I had a duty and it was to be there for her. I didn't play about Marli. I just always wanted to do right by her. Give her the world, set her up to be free, happy, strong, and to be better than me.

At 12 am I climbed into bed with Marli as she slept. She felt me get in bed and laid up under me. "Happy birthday Marli." I whispered before kissing her forehead.

"Thank you mommy." She softly said before falling back asleep. I too fell asleep.

Minutes later, Keith comes in the room scaring me. I forgot he had a key to my house.

"I texted you that I was on the way." He said.

"Oh ok." I said.
"She asked for us to be together for her birthday."
He got on the other side of Marli and went off to sleep, best believe Madison was on the phone.

I knew Marli was gonna be so happy to wake up and see her dad.

A tear quickly escaped my eyes having the thought of the little family I created back together.
Keith even hopped up to tend to Kairo when he woke and put him back to sleep.

It means so much to me for my kids to have their father and Keith being the good father.

I was so worried for Marli when she was a baby. Chris wasn't the best role model. He did right by her, just not me. I didn't want her to grow thinking a man should treat her that way. Plus he wasn't always in the household. Her father figure was basically Rashaad.

Also, I didn't want her to grow up feeling incomplete because she didn't know who her father was. I didn't know how her life could be without a father, but all I knew was I wanted to do whatever it takes to make sure she was straight, she didn't want for nothing , she felt loved always, and carried herself well.

But I'm so thankful for Keith, he really came in and swooped us up. Change the whole trajectory of our life. Although, I tried my best, I don't know where Marli and I would be. Or how Marli would've turned out. She's such the daddy's girl.

When morning came, Marli woke up and exclaimed, "Daddy when did you get here!"
She jumped on her dad and hugged him.

He yawned and said, "Last night, while you were sleep."

"Thank you for coming daddy." Marli said as he kissed her cheek.
"You welcome baby girl ." He said to her.

"Mommy you knew daddy was coming?"

"I didn't, I was surprised too. He scared me coming in. I didn't see him text me he was on the way." I Replied.

"Happy birthday Marli." We both said.

"I wanna love ya! And Treat you right!" I sung.

"I wanna love you, Every day and every night, We'll be together, With a roof right over our heads." Keith came in singing along."

Marli always loved when we sung that to her.

The doorbell rung ending our song.

I went down to answer the door. It was Ryleigh's mom dropping her off to hang out with Marli for her birthday.

"Hi Ms. Mili."

"Hey Ryleigh, thank you for coming."

Ryleigh ran up to Marli's room to surprise her as I briefly spoke with her mon before she left.