Page 5 of Fallynn West

“Yes, KeKe?”

“I’m hungry.”

I chuckled and ran my hand down my face. “You’re always hungry. What do you want to eat?”

“Can I go to work with you? I want some of those waffles Chef Q made for me the last time I was there. The ones with the whipped cream and fruit on top.”

“Hold on. Let me see.”

Leaning over, I was careful not to move her head while I grabbed my phone. I checked the time. If we didn’t leave within the next twenty minutes, we wouldn’t have time. My aunt was strict about her routine with Kehlani and dropping her off at day care while I was at work. I didn’t want or need to hear her mouth about throwing her off, so I sat up and so did Kehlani.

“We can, but you gotta promise me you’ll be ready to leave when I say it’s time. Auntie will be upset if we don’t have you dropped off on time, and so will my pockets. Can you do that?”

“Yes, sir. I already picked out my outfit.”

“Did you now? Go get it and show it to me.”

Eagerly, Kehlani rolled off my bed and ran to her room. While she went to grab her clothes, I headed to my bathroom to start getting ready for the day. I sent Q a text, asking if he was at the restaurant. When he confirmed that he was, I asked him to get Kehlani’s breakfast together before we got there. My babygirl loved to take her time eating, and I needed her food to be ready.

“Look, Daddy.” Kehlani came around the corner, holding up her outfit on a hanger. “It’s the new one you got me the other day. I think it will go good with my new braids.”

No one prepared me for being a girl dad, and every day, I prayed I was doing it right. From the outfits to the hair, I had no clue what I was doing. Grateful was an understatement when it came to my mom and aunt helping me, but gradually, I was figuring things out on my own as well.

“You like that outfit, KeKe?”

She dramatically nodded. “Iloveit. The shorts are purple. You know that’s my favorite color.”

“It is.” I chuckled. “That’s why I got them.”

“You know, Ms. Miles favorite color is orange. I told her yours was black.”

“Did you now?”

“Yes, sir. She’s my favorite. She comes to see me all the time. I think I’m her favorite too.”

“That’s good, baby. Come on. Let’s brush your teeth and stuff so I can get ready. Chef Q said he’ll have your food ready when we get to the restaurant.”

“Oh, yay!”

All I could do was wag my head when Kehlani dropped her outfit and skipped over to me. I picked her up, kissed her cheek, and set her on the sink. Together, we brushed our teeth while her favorite hygiene song played on my phone. It was the only way I made sure she properly brushed for two minutes, and it made it enjoyable for her.

Once we were done, I washed her face and moisturized her body with her favorite lotion. She stepped into my room to get dressed while I went to my closet to do the same. Every morning that I had to work was the same for us, and I wouldn’t trade it foranything in the world. Kehlani was my pride and joy, my entire life. If it wasn’t for her, there was no telling where I would be.

“Daddy, do you like my hair?”

Kehlani snatched her bonnet off, and the beads hit her all in the face. She swiped them away, peering up at me.

“It’s beautiful, KeKe. Did it hurt?”

“No, silly. You know I’m not tender headed.”

Her words made me smile. I walked closer to get a better look. One thing my mother, Grace, did was made sure Kehlani’s hair stayed done. Between her and my Aunt Faith, I wasn’t sure who spoiled her more. I knew it was because Kehlani was the only girl in the family so far. My mom had two boys, and my aunt had one. They’d been pleading for a girl, so when we found out my ex was having one, they went crazy.

The braids were cute and age appropriate for Kehlani. Her hair was braided into two pigtails at the top and braided down in the back. It was a nice style that would last a good while before I had to wash her hair again.

It didn’t take long for me to finish getting ready. Hand in hand, Kehlani and I headed to the garage to get into my truck. After making sure she was secure in her car seat, I got inside, and we headed to my restaurant, Daily Fix.

“Daddy, can we listen to my playlist?”