Page 97 of Certified to Handle You 3

I left the room and went down the hall to check on My’Love. She was knocked out when I walked in her room with half her blanket kicked off and stretched across the bed.

I walked over, pulled the blanket the rest of the way off her and leaned down to kiss all over her face until she started squirmin’ and turnin’ her head away from me.

“Come on, Mama,” I said, pickin’ her up before she could get comfortable again.

I kissed her cheek a few more times while she laid her head on my shoulder, still halfway sleep. “Let’s go brush them teeth.”

I carried her in the bathroom and sat her on the counter while I got her toothbrush together. She was still rubbin’ her eyes while I brushed her teeth, and when I finished, I cleaned her up, changed her pull-up and got some clothes on her. By then she was wakin’ up more, but I still picked her back up and carried her downstairs with me.

When I got to the kitchen, I sat My’Love on the island and called the chef to come in. While I waited, I grabbed her sippy cup, poured some orange juice in it and handed it to her. She took it with both hands, and I stood between her lil’ legs lovin’ on her for a minute, kissin’ all over her cheeks until she started squirmin’ and laughin’. I laughed, kissed her one more time and kept my hand on her while she drank her juice.

When the chef got here, I had him make a real breakfast for my girls. I wanted thick brioche French toast with cinnamon and vanilla, Belgian waffles, cheesy scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, crispy bacon, and some warm biscuits with butter and strawberry preserves. I had him make cheese grits too, then cut up strawberries, pineapple, watermelon and grapes for My’Love.

While everything was gettin’ made, I sat at the island with my baby in my lap and let her eat some strawberries. She was wide awake by now, makin’ all kinds of noise and pointin’ at shit she wanted me to give her. I kept kissin’ on her cheeks and handin’ her fruit while she leaned back on me like she owned my ass.

Everything was done less than an hour later. I fixed Toni’s plate myself, made mine, then made My’Love a lil’ plate and put all of it on the tray with the fruit and they drinks.

My’Love was already headed out the kitchen by the time I picked the tray up, so I followed behind her and watched her go all the way to the stairs.

“Slow down, Mama,” I told her when she started climbin’.

I stayed right behind her while she made her way up, ready to drop all this shit in my hand to catch her if her foot slipped. Soon as she got to the top, she took off toward my room, and I shook my head while followin’ her with the tray.

By the time I walked in, My’Love was already climbin’ in the bed. Toni reached for her and pulled her into her arms, kissin’ all over her face while she twisted around and laughed. I watched ‘em for a second before walkin’ over and settin’ the tray across Toni’s lap.

“Thank you, baby,” she said after I leaned down and kissed her.

“You welcome, beautiful.”

I got back in bed with ’em and grabbed my plate while My’Love sat between us eatin’.

Toni started on her fruit, and My’Love reached over for a strawberry off her plate like she ain’t have the same shit on her own. Toni moved her hand and told her to eat her food, but she reached right back over there. I laughed and kept eatin’ while Toni looked at me like I was supposed to do somethin’ about it.

A few minutes later, I looked over and Toni wasn’t eatin’ no more. Her fork was still in her hand, but she was just sittin’ there lookin’ at her plate.

“You good, baby?” I asked.

Toni swallowed and put her fork down. “My stomach don’t feel right.”

I stopped eatin’ and looked at her. “You feel sick?”

“Yeah.” Toni put her hand over her stomach and closed her eyes for a second. “I feel like I’m finna throw up.”

I took the tray off her lap before she could try to move it herself, and she threw the cover back and rushed toward the bathroom with her hand over her mouth. I put the tray down and got up behind her, and by the time I walked in the bathroom, she was already bent over the toilet throwin’ up.

I went straight over and grabbed her hair, holdin’ it out the way while I rubbed her back. She threw up again, and I crouched down beside her without sayin’ much while she got everything out. I hated seein’ my wife sick, ‘cause she damn near never got sick, so I was already payin’ attention.

When she finally stopped, I kept her hair back and rubbed my hand over her back.

“You done?”

“I think so,” she said, sittin’ there another second before reachin’ for me.

I flushed the toilet, helped her up and walked her over to the sink with my arm around her. She brushed her teeth and washed her face while I stood behind her with my chest against her back, rubbin’ her hips and watchin’ her in the mirror. She looked tired as hell, and she had already been sleepin’ more than usual lately.

I reached in the shower, turned the water on and got it how she liked it before lookin’ back at her. She was still by the sink with one hand on the counter, and I walked over to her.

“Baby, you got any more pregnancy tests?”