Enjoy!
After a long flight back to his hometown, Nate crashed at the only place he'd be able to rest easy, his baby mother's house. Monica didn't come in until late that night with a sleeping Tamia on her hip. When she landed eyes on Nathaniel, she rolled her eyes. The feeling was mutual but, she wouldn't dare leave him out on the street. Once Monica put their daughter down in her bedroom, she returned to the living room where Nathaniel stood looking at photos.
"Why the fuck you ain't tell me you was coming? I could have had company over here." Monica snapped snatching the frame from his grasp.
*Monica*
"I called you two weeks in advance lettin' you know that I was coming but all I got was the voicemail and you better not have no niggas around my daughter Monica." He warned.
Nathaniel didn't care about what Monica did with her free time but when his kid was around all of that hoe shit was out of the window. He hadn't been inside all of thirty minutes and the feeling of hatred for her had surfaced. The reminder of not having a place to stay made him keep his cool.
I need to hit up my nigga Dave cause I can't do this shit with her ass. He thought.
"Nigga, you in my shit so, lower your fucking voice. You ain't been here for four years and all of a sudden you think your opinion matters, well, it's not needed. Not now, or ever." Monica turned to leave but stopped. "And, you need to be up in the morning to walk her to school, I got other shit to do." She stomped out of the living room and slamming her bedroom door.
"Sorry ass excuse for a mother." He said aloud.
He took the cushions from the couch and pulled out the bed. Taking a few things to shower, Nathaniel headed to the hall bathroom and closed the door behind him.
She acts like I've never tried to do my job as a father while I was locked up, I don't understand what her issue is. That's coo though I'm gonna get my angel outta here and away from her ass. He thought as he turned on the shower.
After a decent shower and a little of Monica's leftover cooking, Nate laid down in on the couch. Just as he was drifting off to sleep, the sound of the refrigeration opened. He closed his eyes again but they were lifted by a pair of small hands.
"Excuse me, mister." The little voice whispered. "If you are not my daddy you need to go, now." Her soft voice was laced with attitude which made Nathaniel inwardly smirk.
My shorty know I don't fucking play. He thought playfully snoring like he didn't hear.
"I know you heard, mister." She folded her arms.
"Who you talking to like that, Tamia Ali?" Nate asked making her gasp.
The shock of hearing that familiar tone after all these years shook her. Tears streamed from her eyes, Tamia may have been a four year old but thanks to her grandfather she knew exactly who the man in front of her was. Dad. He looked a lot rougher than in his pictures but that didn't stop her from hugging his neck.
Little Tamia sobbed holding onto him tightly. "You came back." She cried into his shirt.
Nathaniel lifted her head up making her look him in the eyes, in that moment he 'd forgotten about the previous disagreement he'd had with her mother. He quietly wiped her tears and kissed her forehead.
"Don't cry baby, okay? I'm here, baby." He kissed her forehead. She nodded her head.
"You promise not to get into trouble." She sniffled holding out her pinky finger.
He smiled small. "I promise, baby and if I do you can beat me up." Wiping tears from her eyes, Nathaniel promised.
"Deal. Now, can you help me out and get some to drink mommy put it the juice up high?" Tamia asked sweetly.
"Yeah princess. I got you."
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"Ouch! Ouch! Trina, why you gotta braid so tight? Sis, I'm about to look all types of Korean to my students tomorrow because of you." Katrina smacked her lips and ignored her best friend and colleague, Candice.
*Katrina Lee*
The two had met over four years ago during an orientation for the private school Annabelle Pointe Elementary. Their bond was tighter than ever after an altercation between Katrina and her abusive ex-boyfriend Andre'. He was still doing time for it. Instead of taking the chance of leaving her alone, Candice moved her friend in with her and even had registered for self-defense classes. She refused to allow her friend to go through that emotional pain.
"Shut up you just tender-headed. Now, stop moving I'm almost done with the last one." Turning her head to the side, Katrina finished the box braid.
"It's over!" Candice sang making Katrina shake her head and clean up the mess on the living room floor. "Oh, snap! Kitchen beautican, slayed my life."
*Candice above*
"Run me my money." Katrina said looking into her camera as she took a picture of herself.
"I gotchu you baby." She cheesed poking her butt cheek. "Let me get the mess up you can go relax." Katrina nodded handing her the grocery bag with trash.
"You sure, I can clean everything up in like five minutes?" There wasn't much to clean up but the several packs for unused hair and supplies she'd used during the process.
"Girl, I said that I got it. Go find something to do." Her friend joked cleaning up the small mess.
"Alright, I'll just go to bed then see you in the morning, Candice. Night, girl."
"Night, boo. Make sure you set the alarm cause I don't need to be late."
"Yeah, that won't be a good look for the school's best teachers to arrive late." Katrina said before entering her bedroom.
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The morning had come swiftly for the daddy-daughter duo, they'd rushed out of the house and down the street to the school after waking up late. Monica hadn't bothered to wake them either, she must have seen them knocked out on the couch and got jealous. Hater. Didn't really matter, Nathaniel was going to get Tamia to school ON TIME.
Tamia held onto her father's neck as he jogged down the street of the school. Her ponytails bounced along the sides of her face making her giggle. Soon his pace slowed coming up to the school yard. A few parents drove up in their luxury cars with their noses in the air.
Bougie ass school. He thought.
"Princess, what time you get out? So, I can be out here early." He looked over his shoulder at her.
"Three-Thirty but I stay with Ms.Lee for tutoring. She keeps me until Mommy comes." Tamia informed.
"I'll talk to her and see what time to be here, okay?" Carefully putting her down on the ground, Nathaniel grabbed her hand and opened the door for her.
"Okay, Daddy." She smiled widely while he fixed her skirt.
He smiled back just as a group of children in kindergarten walked out of the cafeteria with their teacher who held a tray of food. The way her hips swayed in lengthy shirt made him gulp. She moved with such confidence and class. It was effortless.
"MS. LEE!" Tamia shouted waving.
Ms. Lee smiled at her and held up her finger. She grabbed the attention of another teacher, whispering in hushed tones briefly looking over at Tamia then nodded. She waited for her class to be placed into her room before walking over to Tamia and Nathaniel. Strutting with a tray of food in her hands, she smiled happily.
"Hi, sweetheart. How are this morning?" Katrina greeted her with a tight hug.
"Good." Tamia dragged moving back over to her father.
"And, who is this? I've never gotten the pleasure of meeting." Smiling small, Katrina asked.
"My Daddy." The look on Tamia's face was nothing like when she spoke of her mother, this look read happy.
"Well, it's nice to finally meet you. I'm Ms. Lee." With a free hand, they shook each other's hand.
"Mr. Casey, nice to meet you too." The firm grip from her hand make him smirk.
"Tamia, how about you take this tray to the classroom while I speak to your father for a minute, yes?" Katrina said.
"Yes, ma'am. See you later, daddy." She nodded giving her dad a hug and kiss.
"See you later, be good." He attacked her cheek with kisses making Tamia laugh.
The two watched Tamia walk into the classroom with the tray until she entered. Nathaniel found it hard to focus being near the kindergarten teacher. She smiled lightly before speaking.
"Mr. Casey would you mind taking a walk with me there are a few things we have to discuss about Tamia?" Nathaniel nodded.
"Yeah, it's no problem." He followed alongside her and walked towards the empty cafeteria.
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