Page 13 of Senior

“Awww!” Salima cooed from the entry way behind him. “I love when you two are affectionate.”

Deuce rolled his eyes. “Dramatic ass.”

“Shut up, Stanley.” She mushed him as she came over to greet me. “Good morning, Daddy.”

She hugged me and kissed my cheek.

“Good morning, baby girl. Your coffee is ready.”

“Thank you. You know I need my caffeine before I get your son’s kids up for school in the morning.”

Deuce scoffed. “Now why they gotta be my kids?”

“Because they act like you. They don’t get that bullshit they be on from me. I was an angel as a kid. Mama Stephanie said they do the same shit you did at their ages.”

“Mama be exaggerating. I wasn’t that damn bad.”

Salima looked at me with her hands on her hips. “Daddy?”

“You were a fucking terror, son. Your mama and I were just talking about how you used to bully my damn kids.”

“He still bullies them,” Salima said.

“Your kids get on my nerves, Pop.”

“And I know damn well you get on theirs. You be tapdancing on mine.”

Salima broke into a fit of giggles, causing Deuce to throw her a glare.

“I’m glad you think that’s funny, wifey.”

“Deucy, be for real. You can be mean at times. You were mean to me when I first met you.”

“I wasn’t mean to you, love. I was trying to save your life, and you were doing all that damn screaming.”

“Gun to your head, what would you do? Exactly. I missed my daddy, but I wasn’t trying to meet him again anytime soon.”

He pulled her into his arms and pecked her lips. “Have I not made up for it, love? I mean, if you need me to get on my knees⁠—”

“Deucy! Not in front of your father!”

“Right,” I agreed. “Deuce, go make yourself useful and wake them babies up so they can eat.”

He waved me off before kissing his wife and going to do as I said. Salima shook her head as she started grabbing plates.

“You good, Daddy?” she asked as I pulled the bacon off the griddle.

“I’m straight, baby girl.”

“We missed you at Sunday dinner. You just grabbed a plate and left. Where did you go?”

I chuckled. “You nosy.”

“And is. Spill it.”

“I had a day in with Steph. She wasn’t feeling her best this week, so I wanted to make sure she ate and whatnot.”

Salima smirked. “Mmm hmm. You still pining after my mother in-law? You haven’t even joked about her in a long time. Let me find out you moved on.”