Insecure Too (Completed)

19

Devonte

I was getting the hang of this father shit. I had a whole booster seat in the back of my car now, and when you walked into my condo, it was obvious a child stayed there. But Armon wasn't staying with me yet. I had him two days a week, but Renee said when he got comfortable enough he could start staying overnight. The thought was both thrilling and terrifying.

The bad news was that Armon was not feeling Yaz at all. When it was just me and him, he was talkative, running his mouth a mile a minute. He asked me hella questions, and he forced me to play all his games. This kid had more of a life than me, let him tell it. He always wanted to tell me about his play dates, and about his family drama. I tried to avoid all conversations about his family on Renee's side. But whenever Yaz was there too, he was tight-lipped and distant. Like today.

Renee had dropped him off earlier. Now he was in the dining room, sitting at the table waiting on a snack. "What do you want for your snack, Armon?" Yazmine was going in the cabinets, looking for kid friendly shit. Probably was about time for a snack grocery store run.

"He knows what I like." Armon pointed at me.

I tried to help the situation along. "Anymore Teddy Grahams?"

"Nah, but there's fruit snacks and pretzels. Which one you want?"

Armon shrugged his shoulders, focused on the coloring sheet he was working on. I had to give it to Yaz, because she never lost patience with him. No matter how many times he snubbed her ass.

"Well I guess that means you want me to choose for you." Coming over to the table, she had the box of fruit snacks.

Shit, I wanted some. "Lemme get one of those too." She laughed and tossed me a couple.

"Ain't you supposed to be at camp? It's like nine thirty.

"Yeah, I'm about to head over there now."

She was working at this summer camp for underprivileged kids. It was like a way to keep the kids off the streets and get them access to resources so they could pursue their hobbies.

I gave her a kiss and she was gone, taking all the sunshine she brought into a room with her. It was cool though, cuz my son was his own kind of sunshine. Well, when his ass wanted to be.

"Ewwwwwww." Armon scrunched up his face.

"What?"

"You kissed her."

"Yeah she's my girlfriend that means I can kiss her."

Armon gave me a look. "She's your girlfriend?"

"Yeah, remember I told you that."

"Yeah but sometimes people break up." He said this matter-of-factly. "Like my mommy used to be your girlfriend but now they broke up. And her has a new boyfriend."

This was news to me. But shit, it was her life. "Well, me and Yaz aren't breaking up." I switched subjects. "If you done with your fruit snacks, you gotta wash your hands again."

I helped him down from the chair and took him into the bathroom, where he had a stool for the sink. I remember when he first used to come over, I let him wash his hands by himself. Rookie mistake. He almost flooded the fucking house, all that splashing water he was doing. Now I watched him with hawk eyes, and limited hand washing to five minutes. Kid was tryna run up my water bill.

After he washed his hands he went into the living room to watch Paw Patrol. I saw I had an incoming FaceTime from Trey.

"What's up Tae? How's fatherhood?"

Trey had clowned the fuck out of me for being the first out of us to have a kid. "It's fucking fantastic. How's singlehood?"

"Nigga that's a low blow, you know I got my heart broken and shit to end up here." He tried to act hurt, but it ain't last cuz he had to brag about thotting. "But shit, I'm living my best life. I got hella hoes and none of them want nothing from me. It's lit!"

"Shit, if you say so." I knew that nigga was lonely as fuck but if he wanted to act like he was just loving the single life, I would let him. "How's everybody in Indy?" It was weird, because the last time I came down to Atlanta I tried not to worry about what was happening back home. Now, I was always asking about my fam back home.

"Well shit, I'm excellent. My job ain't too bad, and it still leaves me with enough time and energy to whup up on these niggas in the gym. Your brother don't be in the streets like he used to, aha. Kennedy taking all his time and attention. Your aunt good, and I have no idea what your dad be doing."

"Sounds about right." Andre and Kennedy's baby was due in like September so it was coming up on us. "Auntie been bugging me about meeting Armon. I'm thinking it makes more since to bring him up there then bring her down here cuz you know she hates flying."

"Shit, yeah bring the lil nigga. We all wanna see Devonte Jr. I bet he bad as hell."

"He not," I laughed. "Not yet at least. But I don't think he likes Yaz."

"Well he's gonna like me. See Yaz, she don't know how to get a kid on her side. Uncle Trey gonna spoil the fuck out of him, he ain't gonna wanna go back to Atlanta. But is Renee cool with you bringing him to Indy?"

"Ion know I gotta talk to her about it."

"So far she the coolest baby momma in existence. It's unbelievable. Good thing you had a baby with her and not ol girl from back when we was in Unity. Lala, Layla, whatever her name was. She would have stressed you the fuck out."

"No cap." See, being in Atlanta even had a nigga talking different.

"Yeah bring Devonte Jr. up here."

"Nigga you know that ain't even his name."

"Shit, it should be."

"Nah, I like Armon, actually."

"Yeah yeah yeah. But shit, let me get off FaceTime and actually do some work."

"You at work? On FaceTime?"

"Nigga when your name Trey Samuels, you do this type of shit."

"Yeah that's why you gotta get off. I bet your boss coming your way."

"Matter of fact she is so peace nigga."

The call ended and I shook my head. Something was wrong with that nigga.

My phone vibrated with a text from Trey.

My boss fine asf too. And she got a 🍑.

Me: Nigga stfu and do yo job

This nigga. He needed Jesus.

Filler cuz I been slacking. In my defense, I'm graduating from college in a couple weeks! After graduation, I should have more time to write. Don't give up on my story yet lmao.