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“I love you, too, mama.”

By the time we were dressed and headed downstairs, AJ was already in the kitchen. He looked between me and his mama and frowned and that shit made me laugh.

“Damn, AJ. The fuck I do to you?”

“Man, watch out.” He ducked my hand, moving out the way.

“AJ, what is your problem?” Rah asked.

“Ma, please. I can’t even look at you right now.”

Rah looked at me and I shrugged.

“Why can’t you look at me Ajontae?” Rah asked.

“Because you got that look on your face every time Auntie comes from upstairs with Pops. That shit just made my stomach hurt,” he explained with a frown.

Rah couldn’t say shit because her mouth was on the floor and I couldn’t stop laughing.

“First of all, watch your mouth and get out. Mase taking you to school this morning,” she fake fussed.

“Bet,” was all he said before grabbing his backpack and kissing his mama.

We rode for the first couple of minutes in silence minus the music coming through the speakers. After a while, AJ finally spoke up.

“Mase, can I ask you something?”

“You can always ask me whatever,” I responded.

“You love my mama?” He asked, looking dead at me.

“With everything in me. I wouldn’t be with her if I didn’t,” I answered.

He nodded.

“Good, because she deserves somebody that’s gone treat her right,” he replied. “Plus, Pops and Unc already gave me the green light to beat your ass if you ever hurt her.” I looked me in the eye when he said that shit. Little nigga had heart.

“I’ain tryna hurt your mama, so if I ever did hurt her… I deserve my ass beat,” I countered.

AJ nodded, apparently satisfied with my answer. I respected how protective he was of Rah, especially knowing how much she’d done for him.

Since he was already talking, I decided to ask him about Dexter.

“How you feeling about that situation with your biological father?” I questioned.

“Man, I’on even wanna talk about that nigga,” he answered. “I already told him I’on wanna deal with him. Pops been my daddy my whole life, and ain’t nothing changing that.”

“Then stand on that,” I told him. “You ain’t gotta let nobody pressure you into having a relationship you don’t want.”

“Exactly,” he agreed before glancing at the time. “Aye, you mind stopping at the coffee shop real quick?”

“For what? Since when your little ass start drinking coffee?” I asked.

“It ain’t for me.” He smirked.

“Nigga, that girl got you running errands already?” I questioned, laughing.

“Nah, I’m just grabbing this shit because I know she likes it,” he explained.