Odell POV-
"Wake y'all ass up." Dontae yelled over me sleep, with Avi in my arms.
Oak was crying.
"Oh lady bug what's wrong?" I took her from Dontae.
"You and mommy left and didnt come back." She wiped her eyes.
"Aw baby. I'm sorry okay?" I wiped her eyes.
She shook her head yes.
"Mommy was sick and daddy just stayed with her a while okay?"
"Yes."
"Gimme kiss." I told her.
She gave me a kiss.
"Me and Oak worried bout yall asses. Came with our weapons and everything." He held up a baseball bat. "I was ready to use it."
"Sorry Dontae."
"Sorry? Nigga. I don't want your sorry. I want ten grand for the emotional stress you put me under. Had to break the lock on the door, cause we knocking and shit and yall not answering."
"I am so sorry Dontae its my fault." Avi held her face in her hands.
"Yea its your fault. Footloose. We thought you kidnapped Odell and ran off again."
"Okay Dontae, you can go we got her." I said irritated.
"I'm not leaving without compensation. 10 million."
"You just said 10 thousand." I said.
"Its for Oak and me. Tweety deserve a cut too."
"Here's a 100 Dontae. Thank you for watching her all day today and for checking on us." Avi got up and got some money out her purse.
"I guess, it'll do." He put it in his pocket.
"We really are sorry." Avi said.
"Another hundred and I'll accept the apology."
"Donate just go." I said annoyed wiping my hand down my face, while Oak sat on my lap with her arms wrapped around my neck and head on my shoulder.
"Fine. But next time, I'mma let Footlose kidnap you." He left out.
"I'm sorry Odell." Avi sat on the bed with her face in her hands.
"What you apologizing for? Its my bad I didn't call to tell him where I was."
"I know but—"
"We good. Oak's good. You good. We good." I told her.
She looked at me.
I laid back down with Oak on my chest. Oak had clearly worked herself up so badly, she had no energy for nothing else but sleep.
"You wanna talk to me about yesterday?" I asked Avi.
She sat on the bed with her legs crossed facing me.
I looked at her. Her eyes were red and puffy and you could tell she was just as tired as Oak.
"Just lay down Avi. We'll talk later." I said.
She laid down, facing away from me.
My phone lit up on the night stand next to me. It was East-Side. I turned my phone over.
"What do you need from me Avi? To make this easier on you? What do you need?"
"I don't know." She faintly said, still turned away from me.
"You do know. And if you want it, you need to ask just like you did yesterday. Otherwise its not gonna happen."
I looked at her back which was facing me.
There was a moment of silence.
"I don't want to inconvenience you."
"That's not asking."
She sighed and then took a moment.
"I need you....here." She said faintly.
"Come here." I told her.
She turned around and laid her head on my pillow next to me.
Oak's little body was going up and down on my chest from my breathing. I rested my head against Avi's.
"I'm here then. I'm here."
Avielle POV-
"Look mommy. Look." Oak said excited showing me her handprint on her t-shirt.
Odell and I were on the floor making hand painted t-shirts with her. Yes plenty of newspaper was down so we wouldn't stain the floor.
"I see baby its so pretty."
"Its all over my hands." She held up her hand to me.
"We'll wash the paint off when you're done sweetheart. Just finish making the design you want."
"Pop-Pop do your hand on mine." Oak directed him to put his hand in the paint and then on the shirt.
Odell followed her command and did it.
"Mommy do yours too. But do yellow." She directed me.
I followed her command and did it.
"Yay." She said excited. "We all did it."
"Yes we all did it baby." I smiled at her, then looked at O.
He was scrolling through his phone with his unpainted hand.
He had spent the past two days here with me and Oak. Only leaving to run errands.
"O if you have to go. I understand." I said.
"I am going to have to go later. But I'm cool for now." He put his phone down and focused his attention on Oak, who was putting more colorful hand prints on her shirt.
"I appreciate you been there for me. Therapy has been stirring up a lot past demons and its just been hard to deal with."
"I feel ya." He said still watching Oak.
"Dr. Lee asked me three of my happiest memories. And I told her when Oak was born. When Shawn stole that suit and dress to take me to that father/daughter dance. And my last one was..."
He wasn't paying attention anyway. He was looking at Oak. Why bother I thought.
"Oak can you make me one to match yours?" I handed Oak a blank white T.
"Yes. Its gonna pretty." She said taking the shirt and laying in flat.
She was already a like a little grown person.
"You said three?" He looked at me with a serious expression.
"Oh umm...I can't remember the other one. When I think about it, I'll let you know." I said.
"Hm." He said then turned his attention to Oak.
"What are your three happiest memories?" I asked him.
"Umm..." He thought. "High-School." He chuckled. "Just that entire time was great. Me and my friends were bad as hell."
We both laughed.
"Uh... lets see. Graduating Harvard and being the only black higher up in my company. As a black thats a hell of achievement." He turned his attention to Oak.
"Oak we might have start a t-shirt business ladybug." He smiled at her really being into this making finger art on shirts.
"And one more." I said.
"I don't know I have to think about it." He looked at me, then back at Oak.
My heart dropped. I was looking for him to say some memory with me. So I could tell him my best memory was him too. Avielle just tell him. What do you lose?
I would just be embarrassing myself. Nevermind. His mind was preoccupied on his girlfriend. That's why he stayed checking his phone.
"I remembered my last happiest memory." I said.
"Yeah, what?"
"Uhh... I got to style Rihanna for a shoot while in Spain. It was pretty dope."
"I bet." His phone lit up ringing. He looked. It said East-Side, but he didn't answer.
"Do you remember yours? I'm sure you've had good memories?"
"Nah a lot of my last few years have been forgetting what I thought were my happiest." He got up and went to the sink to wash his hands.
"I'll be back Sunday to get Oak to start my week." He said finishing up washing and drying his hands on a paper towel.
"It was you Odell." I just blurted out. I don't know why I did that or where the courage come from.
"My happiest memory was not Rihanna. It was when you asked me to be your wife." I looked down.
I felt like I was standing naked and helpless. I never admitted anything like this in my life. Let alone first.
I am not used to being vulnerable. Vulnerable got me beat, and talked about by my dad.
My heart felt like it was beating out of my chest waiting for his response. I looked up because he was so silent.
He was standing, leaning on the counter with his arms folded, looking down.
"Why did you lie then?" He didn't look up.
"I hate being vulnerable Odell."
"And what do you think I have been? You have stabbed me in my back Avielle. It took three years to stitch that up. You came back with Oak. Meaning those stitches was ripped out, leaving me bleeding again. I put a bandage on, blood still dripping, but I'm trying to heal. And despite all that, I spent the past two nights with you. And put down my girl, who genuinely wants me. You don't think that's vulnerable?"
"My past Odell..."
"That's not a fucking excuse." He yelled.
Me and Oak both looked shocked.
He lowered his voice so he wouldn't scare Oak.
"The first time around I was the only one who gave in a lot of situations. I sacrificed my very heart for you. Not this time around. You want me, more than this co-parenting thing, you sacrifice something. Or else keep your feelings to yourself."
He went over to Oak. "Pop-Pop sorry for yelling ladybug. I love you. A million times. I love you." He attacked her with kisses where she laughed.
"See you soon." He kissed her forehead and left.
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So yall what do you think? O cut his hair or nah? I personally think its just slicked back. I'm not believing until he take off that hat. 😂