And If... {completed and edited 2024}

And If... You stop lying ?

"Thank you ! What's behind your back ? " He asked, getting excited.

"I don't know." He put a box of a medium size and wrapped in blue paper on the counter. RJ made a list and everything that he put on it was expensive, and Richard could rarely tell him no, so I already knew he got him something extravagant.

Looking more at those two interacting, I then realized that they were matching. Both had a black t-shirt with the Africa continent on it, in white, with black lantz twill cargo pants and some new dark grey Nike Air Jordans. Even their fresh cuts were the same. They were often doing it, and it was always unplanned. Crazy, right ?

"Mommy, look ! We're matching ! " He screamed as I nodded my head.

"Yes, baby, I saw it."

"And daddy finished your french toasts." He chuckled, pointing at my plate. I was too focused analyzing their outfits that I didn't notice him digging his hands in my food and he was just in front of me. I needed to stop trancing off so often like that.

I smacked my teeth, looking up at him. "Really ? "

"RJ, you're such a snitch, man."

He laughed, "that's my mother and I don't lie to her, not even for you. Sorry." He shrugged, then grabbed a strawberry from his bowl.

"I can't even be mad at you. I can drop him off, if you want."

"Oh, uh...well, okay." Since that pregnancy scare and our conversation about future babies, things hadn't been the same between us. It was awkward and the tension was thick in the air. We were some weeks later, and I still couldn't believe that he actually said what he said. He only wanted us to have kids with each other. I didn't know if I should be flattered or mad about it, but his words definitely shocked me.

Why would he even say those things ?

He couldn't be faithful, ruining our relationship for nothing and now he was telling me that. He was confusing me more than anything else. He was so weird.

"Okay. Lil' homie, go grab your school bag."

He finished his orange juice and did as he was told, leaving Richard and I by ourselves, in an awkward silence.

"So, how was your camp ? " I asked after clearing my throat and breaking the silence.

"Good. We worked on a lot. Everybody is ready for the new season, we really are motivated to get that Lombardi."

I nodded, "good." Then an uncomfortable silence settled between us. I couldn't even look at him, I felt ashamed. And other things were going through my mind, and heart. I didn't know what it was and honestly I didn't want to know what it exactly was. I wasn't going down that road once again.

"Tina--"

"I'm back ! " RJ cut him off, running down the stairs.

"Well, then let's go."

"See you later, mommy."

RICHARD'S POV:

* *''It ain't no fun if the homies can't have none

It ain't no fun if the homies can't have none

So let's share, share, share

We'll just share, share, share''**

I sang along as I was driving RJ to school. Six years old already. Everything happened so fast. It still felt like he was a newborn just yesterday. In no time, he'll be sixteen, then twenty-one and soon he'll be living on his own and have his own little family.