Page 262 of When a Soul Cries

My mouth parted.

Rome slowly lifted his head and looked at me, all the teasing gone from his expression.

Before either of us could say anything, Halo patted his cheek and repeated it.

“Dada.”

Well, shit.

Rome looked back down at her like he needed to make sure the word had actually come out of her mouth.

“Don’t look at me,” I said. “I didn’t teach her that.”

“I ain’t say you did.”

His voice was quieter now.

Halo, completely unaware that she’d just changed the entire mood on my porch, grabbed his chain and started playing with it.

I opened the door wider and stepped back. “You gonna stand out there all night?”

That pulled some of the tension from his face.

“You ain’t invite me in.”

“I was a little distracted.”

Rome stepped across the threshold carrying Halo and the food. I closed the door behind him and turned the lock while he walked farther into the townhouse.

He slowed near the living room, taking in the changes I’d made since moving in. The couch and coffee table had already been delivered, along with a few other pieces I’d picked out, but I was still working on the place. A couple of boxes sat near the stairs, and framed pictures I hadn’t decided where to hang were propped against the wall.

Rome adjusted Halo on his hip as he looked around, nodding his approval. “You been doing something in here.”

“A little. I’m still trying to figure out what I want.”

“Looks good, though.” He glanced toward the furniture before looking back at me. “You picked all this out?”

“Yeah. Some of it came a few days ago. I’m still waiting on a couple things.”

“I like it.”

He headed toward the kitchen with Halo comfortably perched against him.

“Where you want the food?”

“On the counter.”

I followed him in, rubbing both hands over my tired face while he placed the bags down.

“Your girlfriend has been giving me hell at bedtime,” I said as I opened the cabinet and pulled out plates.

Rome shifted Halo higher against him. “How?”

“Fighting sleep, whining, sometimes crying. I thought it was the townhouse at first, but I think she got used to y’all little bedtime routine.”

His brows drew together as he glanced down at her. “I ain’t know.”

“Neither did I at first.” I set the plates beside the bags and started pulling containers out. “But considering I couldn’t get her satisfied five minutes ago and now she’s sitting there like she ain’t got a care in the world, I’m pretty sure I figured it out.”