Page 24

Before AJ could get any closer, Tae stepped in front of him and grabbed his shoulders.

“Nah, nephew. Don’t even waste your time on this nigga,” Tae warned, looking toward Dexter. “I’ll kill this muthafucka for breathing on you wrong. You ain’t gotta do shit.”

I watched AJ struggle to control his anger. His fists were balled at his sides, and his chest was rising and falling rapidly. I knew that look because I’d worn the same expression plenty of times when it came to Kat. The difference was that I’d had nobody step in and deal with that hurt for me the way I intended to for my son.

“Pops, can we just go?” AJ finally asked, looking at me.

“Yeah, son,” I answered.

I turned my attention back to Dexter one last time. Stacks was still standing between us, but that didn’t stop me from making sure he understood exactly where we stood.

“Don’t let me catch your ass around my son again. Next time, I’ll make sure you never make it back,” I warned.

Dexter didn’t respond, and that was probably the smartest decision he’d made since getting out of prison. I dapped Stacks and Buck up before taking AJ toward my truck. Tae followed us to the parking lot, and I told him I’d see him at the house.

Once AJ and I got inside, he was quiet as I pulled out of the parking lot, which wasn’t like him. Normally, he would’ve been telling me about practice or whatever girl he was talking to, but I knew seeing Dexter had pissed him off.

I let him have a few minutes before I spoke.

“You good, son?” I asked, glancing over at him.

“I’m straight,” he answered, looking out the window.

I knew he was lying, but I wasn’t about to force him to talk before he was ready. I remembered what it was like being his age and feeling like the people who were supposed to give a fuck about you didn’t. The difference was that AJ had people who loved him enough to make sure he never questioned where he belonged.

“Pops, I wish that nigga would just leave me the fuck alone,” he finally admitted. “I’on want shit to do with him, and I’on know why he can’t understand that.”

“I know, son, and I’ain gone force you to have a relationship with him,” I assured him.

“He had all these years to be my daddy. Now he’s home and think I’m supposed to just forget everything because he wanna come around?” AJ questioned, turning toward me. “I’on even know that nigga.”

I glanced at him before looking back at the road. He wasn’t crying or asking why Dexter didn’t love him. He was angry because somebody who’d never been present was now trying to force his way into a life that had continued without him.

“You ain’t gotta explain shit to me. I know how you feel, and I respect it,” I replied. “But don’t let that nigga have you out here doing some dumb shit. You got too much going for yourself to be getting into trouble behind him.”

AJ looked over at me, and for the first time since we’d left the field, his expression relaxed a little.

“I love you, Pops,” he said quietly.

I reached over and squeezed the back of his neck before returning my hand to the steering wheel.

“I love you too, son. Ain’t shit about that ever changing,” I assured him.

The rest of the ride home was quiet, but it wasn’t the same uncomfortable silence as before. AJ eventually pulled his phone out, and I was glad to see him getting back to himself.

When we pulled into the driveway, Tae’s truck was already parked outside. I knew he hadn’t gone home because he wanted to make sure AJ was straight. My brother could be an ignorant muthafucka, but when it came to our family, there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do.

AJ grabbed his bag and headed inside ahead of me. By the time I made it through the door, I saw everybody sitting around the table.

“Daddy!” Leah yelled, throwing her arms around my waist.

“Wassup, princess?” I asked, picking her up and kissing her cheek.

“Mommy said you was bringing AJ home. Why y’all took so long?” she questioned.

“Daddy had to handle something, baby girl,” I answered, kissing her forehead before putting her down. “Go finish what you were doing.”

She nodded and hurried back toward her crayons. I walked over to my wife and kissed her before taking a seat beside her. She immediately noticed the swelling around my knuckles.