Page 159 of Certified To Handle You 2

When every touch started feelin’ attached to a schedule, I had to remind my wife that I wanted her too. I ain’t want her thinkin’ the only reason I pulled her close was ‘cause some app said today might be the day.

I ain’t mind havin’ another lil’ girl if that was what God gave us, but deep down, I wanted a son. I wanted a lil’ boy with my face followin’ behind me, touchin’ everything I told him not to touch and learnin’ how to take care of his mama and sister.

Every month that passed without Toni gettin’ pregnant annoyed me more, but I tried not to let that shit turn into pressure on her. Her body wasn’t no machine, and she already carried My’Love for us. All I could do was keep lovin’ on my wife,keep tryin’ and believe our next baby would come when it was time.

By the time we left the park, My’Love had grass on her clothes, juice on her shirt and one shoe halfway off her foot. I buckled her in the car seat while she fought me ‘cause she was tired and ain’t wanna admit it.

Toni got in the passenger seat and started lookin’ through the pictures she took like she hadn’t watched the whole day happen in front of her.

“My baby had fun,” she said while turnin’ her phone toward me at a red light.

The picture showed My’Love on my shoulders with both hands grippin’ my head while I looked up at her. “Send me that,” I told her before the light changed.

“I already did.”

“Send the rest too.”

“I sent all of ‘em.”

I glanced at her. “Then why you still holdin’ the phone in my face?”

“‘Cause I want you to look at it.”

I shook my head and reached over to squeeze her thigh. “You had fun too.”

“I did,” Toni admitted while settlin’ her hand over mine. “I like when it’s just us.”

I looked over at her for a second before puttin’ my eyes back on the road.

By the time we got home, My’Love had found another burst of energy that ain’t make no damn sense after everything she did all day. I got her out the truck and carried her toward the front door while Toni followed behind us with her purse and a few smaller bags.

“I’mma get the stuff out the trunk in a minute,” I said.

Soon as we stepped inside, I tossed My’Love in the air and caught her against my chest. Her whole face opened up, and a loud squeal came out of her before she started kickin’ her legs for me to do it again.

I tossed her one more time, caught her and kissed her cheek while she laughed.

When I stopped, she looked at me for half a second before her face crumbled and she started cryin’ like I had done somethin’ horrible to her.

“Do it one more time, baby,” Toni said while closin’ the door behind us.

I looked toward my wife. “That’s how this started.”

“She just want one more,” Toni replied as My’Love reached both hands toward the ceilin’ and kept cryin’.

I sighed, lifted My’Love and tossed her again. Soon as she went up, the tears disappeared and she squealed before I caught her close. I waited a second after settlin’ her against my chest, but the second she realized I was done, she started cryin’ all over again.

Toni laughed while settin’ a few of the bags near the wall. “Okay, okay, baby. One more time. She not gon’ cry after this.”

I looked down at My’Love, who had tears runnin’ down her face while she stared up at me like her whole life depended on another toss. “Come on now, Mama,” I told her. “That’s enough. Daddy arms tired.”

My’Love cried harder and threw her head back.

Toni stepped closer and rubbed our daughter’s back. “She don’t understand yo’ arms tired.”

“She understand everything else,” I replied. “She know when somebody tell her no.”

Toni tilted her head and looked up at me. “Just one more time, baby.”