Page 5 of When I Thug You Like That

“And you got syrup on ya shirt.” I pointed to the brown dot on his white tee.

“Damn. I mean, dang.” He switched up quick.

“I’ll let it slide. Change once you finish,” I said, walking around the island to help Baby Jay.

Exactly thirty minutes later, the boys were full, everyone had on clean shirts, shoes were on the right foot, bookbags were on, and we were headed out the door. My parents lived only fifteen minutes from me, so it was a short drive to their house. When we pulled up to their driveway, my mother was stepping out of her car with a bag in her hand. I parked behind her and unlocked the door for Justin.

“Go grab that bag from your grandmother.”

He moved without hesitation, waving bye to his brother, as he got out.

I watched my mother love on him as he took the bag from her before she walked over to the car, disregarding me, and tapped on Baby Jay’s window.

“Heyyy, grandson,” she sang. “Roll this window down, Jamison.”

I rolled it down an inch just to fuck with her.

“Don’t make me cuss you out this early in the morning,” she threatened.

Laughing, I let the window down fully. Baby Jay disengaged with the iPad for three people without much convincing. Me, my mother, and Key. She’d learned long ago not to force his attention, so whenever he gave it to her on his own, she made the most of it.

“Good morning, Grandma,” Baby Jay greeted.

“Hey, boo. You going to school?”

“Yes.”

“That’s my big boy. Grandma love you. And I love you too, son.” She mushed the back of my head. “India meeting y’all?”

“Nah. But let me go. I don’t wanna be late.”

If I told her the reason for India not showing up, I’d miss the appointment altogether.

She pressed her lips together. “Hmph. Okay. Good luck with everything.”

“Thanks, Ma.” I went to put my car in reverse and paused. “Wait, Ma,” I called out through the window.

“Yeah?”

“I fed Justin before we left the house. If he ask for anything else, he’s just being greedy. He good.”

“Aye, be clear, this his granny house. He can raid my whole kitchen if he so choose to.”

I cracked up at the ATL reference. “Man, you a trip. When he get sick, that’s your ER visit, not mine.”

“Yeah, yeah. You worrying ‘bout getting to that school on time.”

I reversed out of her driveway and got back on the road.

“Aight, son, next stop, school.”

Abilities First sat in a large brick building with bright letters across the front and a playground off to the side. I parked in visitor parking but didn’t move immediately. Baby Jay’s focus had slowly shifted from the iPad to the kids running around outside.

“Daddy, play in playground.”

I turned in my seat. “Not right now, big man. We just taking a tour today.”

“Play in the playground,” he repeated, not trying to hear what I was saying.