Page 85 of When I Thug You Like That

“You don’t have to. My daughter does. The same daughter I raised.”

“Yeah, and some of the shit she do is questionable too, but I ain’t ‘bout to go back and forth witchu about it. You said she’ll be back in a few minutes, right?”

She rested her hand on her hip and rolled her eyes. “Yeah.”

“Cool. Then we’ll wait a few minutes.”

I could tell she wanted to cuss me out but pulled the door open farther to let us inside. I walked past her into the apartment and sat on the arm of the couch with Baby Jay in front of me.

“Wanna watch TV?” Vanessa asked Baby Jay.

“Yes.”

“Okay. Come here and show Grandma what you wanna watch.” She waved him over with the remote in her hand.

Baby Jay looked to me, and I gave him the okay. I wasn’t going to interfere with her being a grandparent just because I didn’t fuck with her. Baby Jay walked over to her, and she had him point to which app on the TV he wanted her to select. Once he’d settled on a YouTube video, she kissed his forehead and handed him the remote before sitting in her recliner.

A few minutes passed before the sound of keys in the door caught our attention. India walked in carrying a plastic bag and talking on the phone.

“Yes, girl. I just got back to my mom’s. Let me call you back.”

Hanging up, she walked over to Baby Jay.

“Hey, my handsome son.” Hugging him, she kissed his forehead.

“Hi, Mommy,” he spoke, eyes still glued to the TV.

She turned to me. “I thought you were dropping him off.”

“He’s here, ain’t he? That’s dropping him off.”

“Yeah, but you’re here too.”

“That’s only because he don’t trust me wit’ my grandson,” her mother commented. “Like I’m gonna sell him for a pack of cigarettes or something.”

I wanted to say, “or dope”, but I didn’t wanna get into a back and forth before I left.

“I stayed because I felt like it. Anybody got a problem wit’ me, oh well.”

Vanessa huffed, getting up from her recliner and walking into the kitchen.

India looked over at me and shook her head. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“We gon’ talk about how you forgot to let him know I was picking him up early?” I pointed to Baby Jay.

“No. That did slip my mind though. This morning was a little rushed.”

“Aight.” I dropped the subject.

“But lemme talk to you in the other room for a second.”

She started toward the back before I could give my answer.

“Come sit over here, champ.” I waited until he was seated on the couch before walking to the room I saw India enter.

When I did, she closed the door behind me and locked it. That should’ve been my first clue as to the type of timing she was on.

“Wassup? What we talkin’ ‘bout?”