Still Waters

Chapter 50

Shayna finally talked me into at least taking a shower while I had help with the baby. Then she talked me into doing my hair while she gave the baby a bath. Then she talked me into trying on outfit after outfit until I finally got the feeling that she was distracting me while something shady was going on downstairs. It wasn't, though. When we all came down, me and Sammie so fresh and so clean, Kenney and Drama looked up from the elaborate sound system that Collin had rigged up so that no one could figure it out but him. I sure as hell couldn't.

"Don't touch that," I said quickly. If they figured out how to work it, then he would know that someone had been there besides me.

"Ok..." Drama backed up and sat back down on the couch. Kenney remained standing where he was and looked at me like he was reading my mind. I hated when he did that.

"Listen..." I looked around at all three of them. "I can't stay out long." They nodded.

"We got this," Drama said easily, reaching for the baby. Shayna picked her up out of my arms and squished her a little like she was her new favorite baby, and then sat her down on Drama's lap. Sammie laid back and got comfortable, and then started grinning at Kenney from across the room.

"Looks like the homie has a new fan club," Drama chuckled, then looked down at the baby. "What about me lil shorty? What about me?" He grinned at her and she grinned back up at him, grabbing at his goatee, trimmed to perfection as usual.

"See? Everything's fine," Shayna looked like she needed to get me out of there before I changed my mind. Again, I briefly wondered if they were trying to kidnap us.

"Do not leave this house until I come back," I said to the guys in a mom voice that I didn't even recognize. "I mean it."

Drama chuckled, and Kenney just watched me, like he was observing and analyzing the overall situation.

"Where do you think we would go, Tashi? You know we would never take your baby from you." He said it quietly and deliberately, like I should have known that if he didn't stop me from bringing her back to that fool Collin the first time, he would never take her from me.

I stared back at Kenney, willing him to read between the lines.

"We'll take good care of her," Drama said, standing the baby up and bouncing her up and down.

"But...if Collin comes back..." I turned to Shayna and looked at her. She could see in my eyes that I was five seconds from not going.

"We'll take care of him, too." We all looked over at Kenney and knew he meant it.

Kenney's eyes locked with mine, and I suddenly blurted out "Don't leave her with him, Kenney." That old feeling of sending a message in a bottle came back to me. Only this time, I wasn't sure if I wanted him to open it.

"Why?" Kenney's voice was so low that I could barely hear it.

I looked at Drama. "Ok, Drama?" He nodded. "If Collin comes back, do not leave here, and do not try to take her with you. Just...call me and I'll come back."

"Why?" Kenney asked again, lowly, tuning redder by the minute.

"Be easy, man." Drama put a hand up toward him. "Don't scare the baby. We got this," and he flashed me his Billy Dee smile. "You know us, Tash. We got this. Whatever happens," he emphasized, "it's cool. We got you."

I nodded and then looked back at Kenney, who was still staring at me like what. did. he. do to her?

I shook my head nothing and then walked over to kiss the baby. "I'll be back. Mommy will be right back." Amazingly, she was too busy watching Kenney to notice that we were being separated for the first time since we had brought her home from the hospital. "Call me if he comes home, Drama." I gave him a long look, and his gaze lingered on my face sympathetically.

"It's ok, Natasha. On my life, we got this baby right here. This is our new lil homie."

"Don't leave her alone with Collin, Drama," I repeated to him, again hoping that he knew how serious this was. He nodded and kind of tilted his head questioningly.

"He never did anything to her," I explained further. "I just know that he'll go ballistic, ballistic if..." my voice trailed off and my eyes shifted toward Kenney.

"Not a problem. Got this. Go away." Drama shooed me, trying to lighten the heavy air. "You girls have fun."

Shayna took her cue, put her arm around my shoulder, and steered me toward the door. I looked back just in time to see Kenney's stone mask slide all the way off, allowing his real expression to shine through. He flashed Drama a look like he deeply resented having to be there and walked over to the couch and sat down. Drama just shrugged and started flying the baby around like an airplane.

She loved it.