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The smile on my mother’s face is priceless. The entire room is looking at me now like I’m Beyonce. All the attitudes from earlier are gone along with the tension.
“That’s great, Summer.” Mom sings.
“I wish I had that type of money in a savings,” Lanique adds.
“So, you’re going to give us the money?” Raina asks the most important question.
I chuckle, “Hell no. Are you crazy?”
Immediately the smile on my mother’s face fades.
“I can’t even get you people to show up for my graduation, and you want me to give you ten thousand dollars? I don’t care if I have it just to wipe my ass with, I won’t give it to you. I told you the day your son put his hands on mine, I was done. And I meant it. Now you want me to pay for a house I’m not even welcomed in, you guys are insane.”
“I can’t believe she would be that selfish,” Pixie cut says.
I shrug. “You better start believing.”
“I told you not to invite her mama. Nobody is going to kiss her ass for…”
Her words are cut off when MJ storms into the kitchen with tears in his eyes. “Mommy! Mommy! Come quick, Aunt Summer’s crazy boyfriend is beating up daddy!”
My heart sinks to my feet. Gabriel doesn’t beat up anyone. If he’s fighting Mitchell, he’s trying to kill him. Everyone in the kitchen including myself makes a mad dash to the backyard. I hope I can get there before it’s too late.
Beast
The moment Summer walked away, I went over to the sand table with Gabe. Squatting down near my son, I scanned the yard.
“Are you okay?”
He looks up at me. “Yes.”
“What are you doing?”
“Building Stark Tower.”
I’m pretty sure that’s something from that superhero movie he’s made me watch a hundred times. The structure he’s built is about a foot long. It’s rectangular in shape with some type of rounded structure sticking out from the side. Gabe has been working on it since we got here.
“It looks good,” I say.
I’ve noticed that it’s no longer hard for me to conversate with my son. I’m not searching my head for the right things to say or being mindful of if I’m standing too close or could possibly hurt him. All those concerns are still there, but much quieter now, more natural. It seems I am capable of being a good father.
“Hell yeah you are. You learned from the best, Kid,” Priest says in my head.
“I’m almost finished with it,” Gabe says proudly grabbing my attention.
Suddenly, the little boy Summer pointed out as her nephew comes over to the table with two of his friends.
“Aye MJ, what’s wrong with your cousin?” One of the boys asks.
I notice Gabe tenses a little but doesn’t look up from his project.
“I told you he’s slow,” the cousin says and the boys with him laugh.
“Kill the little shits.” Mother growls in my head. “You must protect the boy.”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath trying to keep my mother at bay. I don’t kill kids.
“So he’s retarded?” One of the friends ask.
