Please excuse ANY errors.

December 26, 1998

~Daryl's P.O.V~

"Ion know, I just don't like that nigga." Yasir spoke shaking his head.

"You keep sayin' the same shit without sayin' shit. Why?" I questioned.

"He meddles too much in our family business as if he family." Yasir finally came up with an answer.

"Mm... And what family business was that?" I followed up with another question.

"Just family stuff."

"Nigga, you gon' answer the question fully or not? You continuously do that shit not knowin' how guilty it make you look." I shook my head at him.

"I'm not. It's just somethin' that happened between us earlier this month. He butted in makin' sh- stuff more hectic than it was. Instigating. It's like she took his side too as if I was in the wrong. Now she mad at me and ain't talked to me since. You see she ain't even give me shit for Christmas?" He asked me.

I eyed him. "She said she gave you money."

"That was BEFORE Christmas. That don't even count. It feel like I ain't get shit from her, but I gave her somethin'. All that money she got and she listenin' to DeVanté and bein' stingy. Just don't make sense." Yasir shook his head.

"How much?"

Yasir's face scrunched up. "How much what?"

"How much money it was that she gave you?" I asked.

"It don't matter."

"It is determined by the court of law that you are GUILTY. You sound like it and everything. You don't want to say the amount because it was a lot and you don't want to tell me what y'all was arguin' about because it was probably somethin' you started. Tia bein' Tia, she probably sat quiet and he defended her. Sounds about right?" I raised my eyebrow.

"WRONG. She got in my a- she got on me this time. SURPRISINGLY. I didn't even do anything to nobody, but we- she had a screaming match while I just kept calm like always because she's too damn sensitive. Then her dude kept saying slick stuff to me up until they left my crib. Tia ain't as much of a sweetheart as you paint her out to be either. That girl got some pent-up anger in her. She is mentally ill."

"All the shit you been doin' all over the years? I would be too if I was her. And you expect ME to believe YOU kept calm? Especially "

"But you ain't. You ain't her. You are you for a reason. Plus, all I didn't was help her. I was always there to protect her when she needed it. I was there when she first landed in NYC, tryna figure out what her problem was all these years when she was on that weird ass suicidal talk, I was one of the first people she told about that shit our cousin did. I was her ear, then when them niggas put her in the hospital..."

Yasir was a lazy bum and his mother allowed him to have a bum fest all the damn time. All he did was eat, sleep, shit, talk on the phone, and sneak to neighbors' houses to sleep around. Let me not forget his gambling problem. With that being said, I had to make him get up and go to New York. He was so hyped about going there for the first time, talking about the women, parties, and all the other shit with his compadres. When the day did come, he complained about how tired he was and how he didn't even wanna go to New York.

What the fuck was he tired of if he ain't do shit with his life? I made him come with me. Just like I MADE him get a job and I MADE him get his own place. Well, when he moved out, he and Ashari moved in. This man has only NOW got his "own" place or places he stays in which is very short-lived. He ain't ever been in his own or independent. Yet, talk the most shit.

If she didn't give him any money, I guaranteed that he would claim she ain't love him or come up with some bullshit, and she would most likely give in. But since she has been or was... He saying it regardless. No matter what it's like she can win for losing.

"I even got into a fight with that big Death Row dude for disrespecting her. There was a fuckin' shootout and everything. I risk my life because that's my sister. Shit, she owes me for all those damn times. I was damn near her bodyguard is how I see it."

"You got some damn nerve. Yes, you did help her. Okay... But you also hurt her too. Don't forget how you told her business to your mama. You gaslight her every time. Yeah, you were there for her then, but she is still here for you. Or was recent? She helpin' you a lot financially, and she damn near always had yo kids even after all the working and running around she does. Knowin' you-"

"A'ight, but where my emotional support from my sister that I gave her? I mean, there had to be somethin' if she told me about that molestin' shit. Ain't no type of bond." Yasir chuckled.

"I assume you expect her to be your protection right? Your bodyguard?" I question. "Oh, shit! I forgot!" I snapped my finger. "She is! Financially that is. What you need to do for emotional support- I suggest yo ass get some type of therapy or some shit. Plus, she ain't feel comfortable with tellin' you everything when she did, because there's more to the story than any of y'all will ever know. She been through a lot and she still give and give and give and while you sit on yo ass with no fuckin' job and piss and moan."

"And you keep mentioning her dishin' out dollars like money equates to love. Anybody can throw out money. You see how much she money and shit give away to these people she don't even know? She don't know or love them people. And the reason I ain't got not job is because I'm a single father. Ain't got no babysitter or no babysitter money," he shrugged. "That lil money your lil daughter throw at me ain't hurting her in no way, shape, or form."

I scoffed aloud. "You hear yourself!? Then talkin' about you ain't got no babysitter. Me, ya mama, and ya sister if you ain't burn yo bridges with her be havin' those kids. Plus, you ain't even been with yo kids like that. Even on this trip. You too stuck on that girl."

"Why you keep raisin' yo voice? And ain't no way I'm goin' to no therapy. I have been through a lot too. As an alpha, black man in America it's what's expected. I mean, my whole life was just turned around. I'm a single dad of TWO kids and I lost my job. I jumpin' from location to location." He shook his head. "All that shit that happened to her ass was in the past and I don't even know why you or she stuck on it. I'm talkin' about now. What happened to me was recent,yet, yall feel sorry for her. You and mama always takin' up for her. On her side everytime."

"Yasir? Didn't yo ass just list a whole bunch of shit you did for her in the past?" I said rhetorically. "YOU the one still stuck in the fuckin' past. Since Tia has been in therapy, she seems to be doing fine. My daughter looks happy and more stress-free since she stopped talkin' to you."

"Well, my sister seems to be what she called me, ungrateful. She walk around like her shit don't stink and you inhalin' it too. Why do you take up for her so much anyways?" Yasir squinted at me. "Her dude and her struggles with her past are her stress, not me. I'm the peacemaker, made to look bad.

"Cause I stand up for what I feel is right," I replied. "If I see and feel that Tia is in the wrong, I'm gon' speak up. It just so happens that I feel like she is in the right and you ain't no damn peacemaker. I think you got that mixed up with a peace disturbed." I laughed at that last part, but still truthful.

"So she always right?" Yasir laughed. "You are SO delusional when it comes to her. You can't seem to understand that she can be just as wrong as the next person."

"And you like milk. The older you get the worse you are. Spoiled rotten all your life. Babied. At this pace, you gon' end up dying old and alone. Plus, you ain't single no more. You got that Bianca lady, remember?"

"See why you bringin' her into this? How I'm gon' die alone if I'm in a relationship?"

"You just said you a single fath- Look, you and yo bullshit makin' my head hurt, so I'm through," I said standing up from the patio chair.

"I'm an alpha black man. The MOST desired man across the globe." Yasir chuckled, shaking his head at me.

"If that's the case, how come our race face the most discrimination around the world? I traveled to many places, but you haven't. If you hype up a certain race of women and degrade your own race of women, other races of women feel a sense of superiority and would want you based on that. Plus the stereotype about us bein' in bed. I just want you to know that you sound dumb as hell." I said turning away from him.

Just as I turned around, I saw Mrs. DeGrate walking past and noticed the door cracked open. I could've sworn I closed that shit. I didn't hear it crack open either since we were sitting pretty far from the door.

"She ain't even yo fuckin' daughter noway," Yasir mumbled and I turned around quickly about to say more shit.

"Tia told me to tell you the food is done," DeVanté said pushing the door open.

"Okay," I replied walking inside the house.

"You good?" DeVanté asked me once I made it to him.

"Nahh..." I shook my head.

DeVanté's eyes adverted to Yasir and with no further questions, he seems to understand. "Oh, okay." He walked away with me right by him.

I chuckled under my breath due to mutual understanding walking further into the house. Truth is, I don't really consider Yasir as my son because his lack of respect for me is indefinite. However, I do consider his children as my grandchildren. I love those kids so much. I do love Yasir too, but it isn't relentless. He has said and done too many hurtful things to me and the ones he claims to love.

Not everyone deserves unconditional or relentless love. That shit is dangerous because when you do and people without your best interest at heart will eventually destroy you little by little, in most cases, you end up losing respect for yourself trying to accommodate the same ones who wouldn't do it for you. Not to mention, people push further when they see you aren't doing anything as a response to their wrongdoings to you and expect you to be forgiven every time.

Yasir is testing everyone just to see how far they would allow him to go. I can see things for what they are and this is clear as day. It's a shame that a man in his mid-thirties doesn't have himself together and doing the same shit he's been doing. Well worse... That's why you can't show everyone that you have a good heart. Don't get having a good heart and gullible mixed up either. There's a big difference. Sadly, my wife is both when it comes to her son.

I walked into the dining room where the food was either being laid down on the table by my mother, wife, and Mrs. DeGrate, while Tia, DeVanté, and Maria set up the plates on the table. They were just finishing up, so I sat down. Everyone else started coming to take a seat as well. I wish they hurry their asses up. Shit, I'm famished. That goes for the ones who weren't doing anything and were lollygagging around.

"What we havin' today?" Dalvin asked taking a seat.

DeVanté spoke while taking a seat. "Blessed are your eyes, for they are to see. Blessed your ears for they stand at attention." He said then proceeded to bark.

"Oh, yeah?" Dalvin questioned. "What does the Bible say about your neck? Do we wring it out or am I supposed to shorten it by stomping on that big head of yours?" Dalvin questioned. "Your head is big enough for it."

"Now that is some of the stupidest shit I EVAHH heard y'all say," Senior said laughing. "Y'all know good and well the Bible don't say that." He told Dalvin.

"Who's gon' say grace?" Mrs. DeGrate spoke up.

"I got this," DeVanté said raising his hand.

He then took a deep breath. "Lord we thank you for the food and may all dogs go to heaven."

"Oh, and don't forget giraffes and geese! Amen." Dalvin replied.

"Amen!" A lot of us just said it because we were hungry. Shit, I sure in hell am, and I immediately started eating.

"Haha, my uncle's are dummies!" Darnell, Derek's son yelled out.

"Amen to that," Derek replied.

"I second that." Tia agreed, laughing, and kissed De's cheek.

"Can y'all be serious?" Senior asked them. "Didn't even pray right."

"You want them to be serious and pray again even though we already started eating," Yasir said with a mouthful of food.

"The Lord knows we are thankful for the food. He would want us to eat." My father spoke up smacking on his food.

"Amen to that." I co-signed.

"Let's just eat." Mrs. DeGrate shook her head.

"Everybody already doin' that, mother," DeVanté replied. "Mm- mm GEWUD." He smiled at her, nodding his head in delight.

"Be respectful." Senior pointed. "Honor thy father and they mother."

"It was-" DeVanté shook his head. "Nevermind."

Mary turned to her husband. "I didn't feel disrespected."

"A Bible verse a day with keep the hate away, ain't that right, Reverend?" I spoke taking a drink from my cup with a raised eyebrow. "Matthew six, verse twelve: treat others as you like to be treated. Matthew six, verse twelve. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

"Talk about Bible verse." DeVanté chuckled, raising his glass. "Now that's a prayer. Amen!" He then drank from it.

"I'm not one for non-subliminal messages. I'm more of a DIRECT person. I just think we all should practice what they preach." I spoke again before eating.

Now that is not just directed towards Reverend Senior, it was directed to a few people in this here room.

"So, did you all enjoy the Christmas cookies?" Maria asked us.

There were various responses of yeses around the room.

"Then why are they still there?" Maria questioned.

"We- we uh- we left them for you and the kids, honey," Derek replied.

"What cookies?" Masir asked. "I want a cookie."

"The colorful ones with sprinkles," Dery replied to Masir. "The ones mommy said we would make, but she really did all the work?" Dery raised his eyebrows trying to see if Masir got the hint. Masir sat there lost like his daddy. "The ones my daddy threw out to pretend we at AT LEAST SOME?"

"Yucky!" Masir and DJ spat, shaking their heads in disgusted.

"Now he remembers!" Derrin smiled.

Maria looked at Derek and he quickly came up with something. "They fell on the floor!" He exaggerated.

"Well, that there is the definition of not asking questions you don't wanna know..." Dalvin trailed off.

"Nuhh-uhhnn, daddy, you-"

Derek gave his son THAT look that parents give their children and that shut him up. "Eat yo food."

"The drinks are cold," Tia spoke up coming with something on the spot to change the subject.

"She ain't make it." Dalvin shrugged.

"Mm mm mm, GEWD." DeVanté said for the second time. "Oh and not because you didn't make it. It's just good." He replied to Maria.

"Thank... You?" Maria said confused about if it was a compliment or not.

"It's a compliment." DeVanté chuckled and Tia elbowed him. "I don't know what I mean. Know what I'm sayin'?"

"Never that," Derek replied to his big brother. probably trying to get the spotlight off himself. "We don't."

Many of us began laughing.

"Amen to that!" Dalvin then raised his glass to the sky then took a drink.

Bianca butted in. "This real raw."

Derek cleared his throat "Speaking of raw-"

"Don't nobody care!" Dalvin said cackling. "If you don't mind me askin', what flavor was those cookies supposed to be?" He asked Maria. "New flavor called brick?"

"Christmas!" DJ shouted, answering his question.

"Right, that was a dumb question. I liked them." Yasir pointed out. "All I needed was some milk to soften them."

"Had to be a lot of milk," Senior replied clearing his throat. "Must got some good teeth."

"Donald..." Mrs. Mary raised her eyebrows at her husband.

DeVanté jumped out of his little world at his name being called. "Huh?" DeVanté spoke up looking to Tia. "Babe, I ain't even did nothing."

Tia laughed. "I didn't say anything. That was your mother. We don't sound the same."

"I just heard my name and it sounded like a warning of some sort." DeVanté chuckled. "My bad. It's dad because she don't call me that. Oooooh, you in trouble." DeVanté cackled and Tia laughed.

"You are so irritating," Tia muttered to DeVanté, giggling in the low.

I decided to speak up. "Speaking of your cooking-" My wife eyed me thinking I was gon say something off and I cleared my throat. "I heard your Mexican food is slammin'? I would definitely like to try some because I ain't ever had authentic Mexican food. Where are you from?" I questioned.

"North Carolina, but my parents were born where you're referring to. In Mexico." She replied.

"I'm sorry for assuming. Your accent is thick though." I replied.

DeVanté smacked his lips. "Fake." He teased.

"Careful, she may hit you upside the head with a cookie. Give your big-headed behind a concussion." Dalvin smirked at DeVanté. "Hard cookies," he mumbled.

"She throws it in the air, common sense will tell you to catch yo doggy treat," DeVanté said laughing.

Dalvin was laughing too. Derek on the other hand. "Aye, leave Maria-" he glanced at his girlfrind. "And her cookies out of this world. Y'all can go at each other, but not her... And her cookies."

"Right." DeVanté agreed even though he had been in on it as well. "That's mean. And you are correct, Derek, they are out of this world. Extraterrestrial." He chuckled lowly after that statement.

"Babe, don't be so mean," Tia muttered.

"Telling the truth and being mean sometimes go hand in hand. It's a thin line between the two." DeVanté muttered back to her.

If you hadn't noticed already, in sitting in close proximity to them. DeVanté is in fact sitting next to me with my daughter next to him.

"She may not be able to bake, but she can cook. Many black folks don't know how to bake." Derek defended.

"Ain't none of them in this house right now though." DeVanté raised his eyebrows. "The only one we know is Maria and I don't know about the others-" DeVanté glanced at Bianca.

"Oh, honey. I can make a mean tater-tot casserole." Bianca replied.

"Yeah... Ewww. Sound like it's nasty." Derek shook his head.

"Don't call me that. Say that to Yasir." DeVanté replied.

"It's just an expression." Bianca defended.

"Regardless of what it is, ma'am, call me by my name, respectfully. Thank you very much." He replied in a very respectful tone.

"Pipe down. Ain't nobody means it like that." Yasir chuckled.

"I like how DeVanté sayin' that as if he can cook." Dalvin laughed. "The ladies... Okay, but a lot of us men's in here don't know how. So we are in here."

DeVanté looked offended. "I can throw some stuff in the oven and even actually make a few things. How 'bout you, Dalvin?"

"I admitted that I can't. However, WILL slave over a hot microwave. I'm quick to do that." Dalvin chuckled.

"True that." Derek and DeVanté said together laughing.

"Derek, you too." Dalvin shot out. "Who's to say you ain't give Maria the recipe to some of that... Stuff."

"Food." Derek correct. "And aye, I may have given her a few pointers." Derek played along.

"Nahh, he said it right the first time, Derek. It's... Stuff." Senior replied.

"Can't blame it on us, it's our parents' fault," Dalvin said looking in the direction of their parents.

"Y'all are all grown now. Can't blame nothin' on y'all's parents now." My wife said giggling.

"Start 'em off young. Ain't that what you said about your kids?" DeVanté asked.

"Yasir is only good with breakfast foods. Outside of that, this guy sucks." Ashari spoke up.

"I don't think that's a man's duty." Bianca butted in. "Mmm, maybe that's why he left you."

"Correction: I LEFT Yasir and ain't goin' back. Don't get hostile with me. Get it right, HONEY." Ashari smiled.

"Don't want you back." Yasir chuckled.

Ashari smiled. "Not what you were saying about ten days ago, but okay." She nodded. "That's completely fine. Finally a mutual agreement."

"Either way, the outcome was these two beautiful grandkids we have." My wife replied to both of them.

It isn't no either way. Yasir literally told us the day he was arrested that Ashari broke it off with him. What the hell is he feeding this new young lady? Can't be the truth. What's new? He feeds everyone else lies too, including himself.

"And more to come." Bianca smiled.

"Awww, congratulations. I thought you were eating for two." My father replied and my mother gave him a look of disapproval.

"No." My mother squinted.

Bianca frowned. "I ain't pregnant. It's all this soul food y'all been feeding me. Black people food hit different. That's the upside of slavery."

We all looked at her like she was crazy. "Bich, what you say?" Ashari questioned.

"Nobody else took offense to what I said, just you because I got yo man." Bianca rolled her neck and flipped her extensions behind her.

"Ain't nobody put it up to your mouth and make you eat it." Senior chuckled, making light of the situation.

"So everybody else just gon' ignore that?" Dalvin asked everybody.

"I mean, what else am I supposed to eat? Y'all kind of food is just fattening and good." Bianca spoke up. "All the fastback cooked in lard, the sweet Kool-Aid, and everything else."

"Who is this y'all you speak of?" Dalvin frowned.

Bianca smiled. "I mean no harm. I just meant soul food. That's all."

"And we ain't even had no Kool-Aid here," DeVanté replied. "Or no fatbacks. We ain't use no lard either. What is she even talkin' about?" He pointed his thumb at Bianca.

"That was some kind of juice we bought here and put into a pitcher," Mary replied.

"Oh." Bianca nodded.

"Yeah..." My wife trailed off. "Don't do that."

"I'm sorry. Again, I didn't mean it like that." Bianca replied.

"Back to Dalvin. I can do a lil something actually using a stove, oven, and air fryer." DeVanté told his brother.

"When there's proof, let me know," Dalvin said in disbelief.

"Babe, can you back me up."

After chewing her food, Tia replied with her hand covering her mouth. "He a'ight."

"You sure was smacking on my chicken on our flight here. I had to snatch the bones away from you before you nibbled away at them too." DeVanté laughed. "Grease dripping down yo lips and all..."

"Boy, bye." She playfully rolled her eyes.

"It's a joke by the way. I shouldn't even made that joke with certain people in the room." DeVanté made it known, referring to Bianca because of what she had said earlier. "Sorry, Maria. I'm messin' with you. I didn't even know you made cookies or touched them."

"No wonder." Maria chuckled.

Shade... This is what this new generation likes to call it was thrown, as well as many jokes. The good thing about it is that we're able to laugh through it or change the conversation. After dinner, all the men who didn't help prepare dinner or set up went into the kitchen to do the dishes, and there sure are a lot of them. This is like something that's happened to be a mutual, but nonverbal agreement. I have no problems because I do that at home too. Grant it that there are only two of us regularly. After loading the dishwasher, Yasir left the kitchen with just the men left.

"Derek, I know they were a little mean to Maria, but you gotta tell her to stop using the whole family as test dummies. You know how your family is already. Hell, I even know and I only met y'all a month ago." I told him.

"I agree." DeVanté nodded. "Sorry, but I couldn't help the jokes. They were just popping up constantly. Maria knows how I get down. I did apologize though."

"At the end." Derek nodded.

"I also lied," DeVanté revealed. "I had their cookies and played frisbee with the kids. It was fun. There was a lot of strength in them. Probably still out there somewhere. I lied to make her feel better."

"Sometimes you got to," I replied.

"Do you like my new dress?" Senior asked in a feminine voice. "Yes sweetheart, it doesn't make, insert body parts, look big."

"Damn, just like that?" I asked him. "I don't tell lies like that. It just be like yes, the food was good type of stuff. Those types of white lies."

"Now it's almost the other way around. They want certain places to look big. Just not the stomach and arms." DeVanté replied.

"Right, the question is if it looks big enough. Times done changed big guy." Dalvin patted his dad's shoulder.

"I have lied about her baking plenty of times. It just doesn't taste good, but I try to make her feel better." Derek shrugged.

"I think you should tell her the truth. That ain't gon' solve nothin'." DeVanté shook his head.

"So I can be in the doghouse?" Derek frowned. "No."

"She can't take honesty? If that's the case then..." DeVanté trailed off.

"What you should do is have her taste it and see what she thinks first, then reply." I shrugged. "And don't get me wrong, my wife can cook. Women do have their dishes."

"Not mines." DeVanté shook his head.

"DeVanté... I told you she uses us as testers. She has to because most of that shit she makes, she doesn't even eat. All them meats she has us tastes before anything." I replied.

"Well, I ain't ever had nothin' bad," DeVanté replied.

"Her baked Mac and cheese used to be like the Sahara. She was a young teen, but still." I replied. "I haven't had anything bad from her in like a decade."

"When I was a teen, I ain't know and I still don't know how to," DeVanté said taking up for her. "I just learned how to make the packet with the powder."

"You riding hard." Dalvin chuckled.

"Got to." DeVanté shrugged.

"Ladies probably be lyin' to y'all too. So ion see nothin' wrong with it." Dalvin replied. "Honey, was it good?" He spoke in his regular voice before changing it. "Yes." He laughed. "In her mind, she be thinking otherwise."

"This nigga think he the shit," I said in a feminine voice, rolling my neck.

"That's their fault," Dalvin replied. "At the end of the day, who that's hurtin'? The woman."

"Nahhh, that's selfish." DeVanté shook his head.

"I'm single, so what's your point?" Dalvin questioned.

"Ouch, that's probably why." Derek laughed.

"That's for when you are young. When you old, you don't always wanna prolong it. Barely want to. Sometimes you can't." I replied.

"It is said only about fifty percent of women reach orgasm vaginally. That's low compared to the ninety percent of me who reach one." Derek explained.

"Numbers was most likely lower back in y'all's days." DeVanté cackled after saying that.

"Probably was because women were told for so long that it's only to conceive," I spoke up. "So... That's about right."

"These women now be wanting men to go miles just to start."Dalvin shook his head.

"Just admit you're lazy. Besides you gotta get the engine starting to warm up the car or you gon' have all kinds of problems." DeVanté replied to his brother.

Derek agreed. "Right, if it's bad, that can leak into other parts of your relationship. Cause a bunch of other problems."

"Exactly." I agreed.

"Take heed to this advice, De," Derek told his oldest brother.

"You should take heed and marry Maria. Y'all been together all this time and seventy-eleven kids together." DeVanté chuckled. "Take that advice. This is a really awkward conversation to be havin' with pops and my lady pops in the same room. I'm layin' low."

"I second that." Senior laughed.

"The man probably don't wanna get married." Dalvin shrugged. "Pushing that in everybody is wack to me. I personally prefer the bachelor life."

"I want to in the future, but I wanna make sure," Derek replied.

"Be sure of what son?" Senior asked.

"Make sure she's who I wanna spend the rest of my life with. You know what I'm sayin'?" Derek raised his eyebrows.

DeVanté burst out laughing. "Yeah... Yeah, I know what you sayin'." He shook his head. "So you had kids with her and STILL tryna see if she's the one. After how many years? That's a- that's backward, Derek."

"It is. It really doesn't make no sense." Senior replied.

"No I love her, I just feel like marriage is a bigger responsibility," Derek replied. "You givin' up so much."

"More than kids!?" DeVanté said surprised. "First of all, y'all ever speak on the topic? Is that what she wants?"

"We have and she does. Many women do which is why they eventually propose to men." Derek told us. "Most of us just say yes because we not ready to let them go. It doesn't mean that's what we want."

"Ion like that though. That's weird. Maybe I'm just old-fashioned." I shrugged.

"No, I find it off as well because most men know in the beginning stages of the relationship what it is and what it ain't. To me that's just telling me the man wasn't planning on marriage in the first place, so why get on your knees for a man? I wouldn't feel right, myself with no woman proposing." DeVanté shook his head.

"Well, while you figure that out. Just know, she's probably doing the same, and eventually, she gon' get tired of waiting. It feels like a waste of time to women which it is. Mainly if y'all talked about this." Senior shrugged. "That's what my mama told me, except she didn't wait on nobody. She saw signs and acted accordingly."

"I think it's a modern thing. People don't count anymore." Derek told his father.

"Don't blame that on modern women. My child was being courted before getting with ex-fiancé and DeVanté. Like fishing. I taught her how men operate and signs to spot out that she couldn't before." I replied.

"Ex-fiancé?" Senior question. "She was engaged before?" He said surprised.

DeVanté nodded. "Yes, she was."

"What happened to this one?" He asked.

"Things happened." DeVanté chuckled. "Why?"

"Just like he taught his daughter what signs to look for, I wanna do the same. Some people just ain't for you." Senior replied.

I frowned at him. "So what you tryna say? I taught her when she was a teenager. If DeVanté doesn't know by now after all the women he has probably been with, then I don't know what to say."

"Wow, how do you know how many people I have probably been with?" DeVanté asked.

"You don't even know." Derek chuckled and DeVanté threw him a look.

"I don't, the keyword was probably, so you told on yourself," I replied.

"No, I didn't. I actually ain't been in too many relationships." DeVanté revealed. "I can count on one hand."

"Plus your brother." I pointed to Derek. "Don't be on edge because I was that type of man once upon a time. As long as the past don't coincide with the present and future, I think you're fine. I respect you too because it took me a little longer than you. You're still in your twenties. As long as my daughter good, you good."

DeVanté smiled at me. "Thank you, Daryl. I appreciate that. There was a key I want pops to take heed of. If the past don't coincide with the present or future, then it doesn't matter. If you still on the same stuff that you were in the past, you ain't grown a bit."

"I just don't want you on the same STUFF you was on before." His father told him.

"I ain't and won't be going back. That road was too dark. My body feels different now in a positive way." DeVanté told his father.

I already know what they're speaking about because I already know. I did my research on DeVanté and know a lot about a lot of things. Some things I just won't know. Yes, I taught my daughter what to look for in men, but it's also her decision to choose. However, I will be there if something between them were to happen in the future if I know about it. Two out of three ain't bad. That one bad one was when she was a teenager. As an adult, she seems to be making the right decisions and it isn't up to me to live her life.

You lead your kids in the right direction. The Bible says: Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Too bad Yasir was already too old, stubborn, and lazy for me to get through to him. He was in his twenties when his mother and I were serious. My daughter seems to be happy with him as she was with the other guy.

DeVanté seems to be treating her as she deserves to be treated and nothing less, and he makes her smile. She was always smiling because she's goofy, but she's- they're clearly in love. One of the best things is seeing your child become someone that they've only dreamed of becoming. The first time I saw her falling in love with herself was a beautiful moment, and so is falling in love with someone else.

Author's Note: There will be chapters that have two dates above a character's point of view. The reason for that is that the settings take place going into the next day, but from the same characters point of view. Also, I done want to ruin certain moments with that. You'll know when the time is mentioned. Next chapter you'll see what I mean.

Word Count: 6,010

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❤️Thanks for the support that you've been giving me. I'm very appreciative.❤️