Messiah-
"Close your eye D, no looking." I said as I covered Delilah eyes with my free hand as I carried her to the kitchen where two dogs would be sitting in their separate dog cages.
I walked into the kitchen seeing Justus petting the dog through the little holes in the cage and Devonte side eyeing the dogs as Tanya quietly laughed at her boyfriend.
They're on good terms now. They have been for 2 weeks. They stopped messing around and they are really together. Devonte strongly believes the baby is his and Tanya wouldn't lie about something like that. She's not like that.
I signaled for Justus to open the cages. I chuckled as Devonte went behind the counter close to the back door just Incase he had to run.
"Daddy I open my eyes now?" She asked as I set her to her feet.
"Not yet D," Justus quietly opened the cage doors making the dogs was their tails.
"Okay now you can open them." I removed my hands from her eyes.
She opened her eye giggling a bit at she adjusted to the kitchen light. She completely missed the dog cages on the side of her as her eyes settled on Tanya and her still full belly.
"You said baby was coming last week!" She said as she let out an exaggerated sigh, placing her small hand on her forehead.
"I'm sorry Delilah. Baby said no. Maybe a couple more days." Tanya said assuring her the baby would come soon. She's past her due date.
Justus chuckled at Delilah making Delilah immediately turn her head towards him. Sometimes I just feel like my own daughter loves my boyfriend more but whatever, I guess.
Delilah looked down at the cages and gasped running up to them swinging the cages doors fully open.
"Close they cages back!" Devonte said stepping onto the couch.
"Get off of my couch like that, Devonte." I warned as I turned back towards Delilah.
The dogs happily danced around her wagging their tails excitedly at the attention trying to lick her face.
Delilah giggles as she turned her head.
"Hi puppy one and puppy two. My name Delilah Ronae Harris. What's your name?" Delilah said as if the dogs could talk back to her. "That one name is cloud and the small white one name is Honey." I said pointing at them. Delilah got up running towards me as the dogs happily followed her.
I lifted her up as she hugged me. "Thank you, I take care of them I promise. We go outside?" She asked pointing towards the backyard.
I opened the back door to our gated backyard that only had a small playground that Justus had put together for Delilah when I couldn't because of my injuries. I'm feeling much better now. I have an appetite for certain things and my wounds aren't hurting as much anymore. I can also go back to work on Monday.
I called the dogs names making their ears perk up. I directed them outside putting Delilah down so she can play with them.
"Devonte can you go get the dog toys out my trunk?" He nodded walking out the door to my car to get them.
***
"I still don't think you should go to work, Messiah." Justus said not liking the fact that I would soon be returning to work.
"I have to play my bills, J."
"Well shit, I'll pay. How much do you need?"
I flicked his bottom lip.
"I'm not having you pay my bills, J. I'm not even in pain anymore and I eat-,"
"Barely, but progress." Justus interrupted me.
"Justus. I'm going to work tomorrow and if it turns out bad I'll take more time off like you and Keem are trying to force me to do."
"Wait a minute, you aren't even supposed to be fucking driving! Messiah."
He's just now realizing that? I sighed leaning back on the bed. "Fine I won't go but since tomorrow is my birthday I'll go see my dad instead."
"How you going to get there?"
"Drive?"
"You're not driving. I'll drive you."
"Justus I was driving perfectly fine before. I can do it you don't have to baby me. I'm grown."
"Your point is?"
"Fine Justus. You can take me."
"I wasn't asking anyways. I was telling you but okay, I guess."
————
"Get out of the car Justus. You're coming in too."
"Man Messiah fuck-,"
I quickly flicked his bottom lip looking at the back seat. "J, said bad word." Delilah pointed out. "I'm sorry Delilah. I won't say it again." He said turning to look at Delilah who was mostly paying attention to her learning games on her IPad.
"Okay Justus come on." I opened my door walking to the driver side opening his door. I started walking to the back to get Delilah before Justus said he'd get her instead.
We walked in the prison and got patted down to make sure we didn't have anything on us. Delilah wouldn't even let the man get close to her and I had to calm her down before we could walk any farther into the prison. Seeing her cry like that really hurt me.
"I don't want to be here," he mumbled putting his hands in his pockets.
"Clearly you do if you wanted to come with me so bad."
"Not to meet your father, Messiah. I just didn't want you driving."
I shrugged his shoulders as I waited for my dad to walk in when he did I started to smile before it fell. I forgot about the whole situation. He walked up to the table, sitting down as he was eyeing Justus who had Delilah on his lap. "Who the fuck is you?"
"Bad word grandpa. This is J." Delilah introduced. Justus mugged him back.
My dad looked over at me and I nodded knowing what he was going to ask. He immediately started smiling. "Oh y'all dating, that's all you had to say," Justus looked to the side as Delilah looked up at me confused. "You and J, date?"
I nodded my head again as Delilah laughed. "Daddy got a boyfriend!"
I playfully rolled my eyes making her laugh more.
"Happy birthday, son. You're twenty years old now. When I turned twenty your mom put on a red-,"
"I don't want to know and there's children at the table." Justus looked up, mugging me.
"I ain't no child."
"You act like one-,"
"Messiah, shut up talking to me."
"Where's Mayla she usually comes with you," I looked to the side ignoring his question. "How's jail been treating you?"
"Nigga what you mean? Like shit."
"Grandpa!" Delilah yelled shaking her head in a disappointed motion. He apologized before turning back to me once again.
"You didn't answer my question." I played it off acting like I didn't know what question he was talking about. He then looked to Justus who shrugged his shoulders.
"Messiah," my dad warned.
"I don't know we fell out and now we don't talk anymore,"
"What happened? Y'all should fixed it Messiah I'm sure whatever you guys are mad at each other about is just something silly. Can y'all fix it?"
Before I shook my head Delilah started talking instead. "TT, mommy, and Ten be mean to me."
"Huh? You saw your mommy?" Delilah shook her head yes.
"And she was mean to you?" She shook her head yes again. "Well where is she now?"
"TT, her and Ten is at they house. Uncle Vonte and J picked me up." My dad looked up at me confused on what Delilah was trying to say. I didn't want to tell my dad what happened now he only got one fucking child and the other one is dead, my boyfriend killed his daughter.
"Messiah what is she talking about?"
Justus huffed putting Delilah down in the seat next to him. He leaned over the table as close as he could to my dad without the guards getting alarmed and started whispering to him. I'm guessing he told the whole story. My dads face fell as he looked over to me and Delilah.
"I'm sorry dad-,"
"It's not your fault Messiah. They were abusing Delilah and Justus did what he had to do to get her back. I would've never thought Mayla would do something like that especially since she was once in that position before too. Do you know where she's at?"
So Justus didn't say he killed her.
I shook my head no.
"One minute left!" A guard yelled.
"I'm getting out early. I get out next month, don't tell your mom though and Messaih call your damn mother she keep calling me saying you don't be picking up the phone nor do you call her."
"I will dad. I'll call her when I get home,"
"Bye Delilah, bye son and law."
"We ain't married," Justus mumbled as he lazily waved to my dad that was disappearing behind the metal door.
"I want ice cream."