Mine

Turk

I sure do make some pretty babies.

Rue Bea Atkins got my eyeballs sweating, yawning long and hard in her sea foam green swaddle.

“You the cutest baby girl I ever seen. Your cousins are coming this year, too, but you’ll be the oldest. So you gotta boss up on ‘em like your Uncle Nutty does us. Technically, out of everyone, Denver will be oldest, but out of yo peers it’s you. Even if yo cousins end up being boys.”

My Lil’ Rhubarb settles, not even opening her eyes. I unwrap my lil’ burrito and put her on my bare chest, laying down on the couch in her nursery. 

“You gon’ run me ragged like yo mamas, I’m already knowing,” I say to her. “I’m up for the job, though. I do this Daddy shit, prolly why you picked me. And if I can get yo mamas in line, I know I can keep you on the straight and narrow.”

“You love talking mess.”

I look up and the smile is automatic.

This scene is familiar.

Me lacing my baby with game. And my cinnamon apple trying to act like I’m not speaking that real.

She walks further into the room, losing my t-shirt she usually sleeps in. I gingerly sit up straight, placing Rue on her bralette-covered chest when she settles next to me.

“Hi, mama’s baby,” she coos, leaning back. The sight shifts something in my chest.

“You gon’ gimme another baby?”

Autumn snorts as quietly as she can. “We just got a newborn, Turkey.”

I tap my lap, and she turns her body so her feet are in my hands. She closes her eyes.

“Do you remember Deucey as a newborn? We never got any sleep.”

“We were in awe,” I chuckle, different memories flashing through my mind’s eye. “I couldn’t believe we made something so perfect. I had my own family, and shit was lit.”

“Blow outs and leaking breast milk was not lit,” she laughs. “And now we’re doing it all over again.”

“It’s three of us now, instead of two,” I reason.

Autumn’s eyes pop open, and she beams at me.

I stand, and take our daughter from her. She follows me into our room, and I place her in the bassinet on the bed.

Patience pops up like a vampire, her eyes wide and alert.

“She’s sleep, go back to sleep,” I assure her, punctuating it with a kiss.

“Okay,” she mumbles, settling back onto the bed.

After Rue’s comfortable, I pad out of the room with Autumn. We get three steps before I lift her into my arms.

“We can still practice the baby-making, at least.”

She giggles, kissing me all over my face as we walk the hallway toward the living room.

It’s been our favorite place lately, for our us time. 

I talk a good game, but most of the time, when the house is sleeping, we lay down on the couch and just talk. 

Talk about everything we didn’t talk about these last few years.

Things we wanted to say but didn’t.

Things we glazed over.

She’s never been this open with me.

I savor every moment of it.

“I love you, Auty,” I murmur, laying her on her back.

“I love you, Turkey.” She palms my cheek, and I kiss it.

In the moonlight, lust overflowing from her eyes, she’s beautiful.

Mine.

I still can’t believe it.