1
****
"How is she already two weeks old?" Atira asked, rubbing baby lotion onto Audrey's chubby arms.
Audrey Belinda Samson had been born July 1st at three A.M. The labor itself had been easy, the little girl making her appearance in just two pushes. She'd been a bigger baby, weighing nine pounds, three ounces, and measuring twenty-two and a half inches long.
Atira had suffered a hemorrhage after the birth that resulted in her needing a small transfusion that she was able to bounce right back from.
"I feel like it's flying by, Gabe is already almost a year," Krist remarked, watching Gabriel cruise along the furniture in an attempt to steal the TV remote.
"Bruh..." Krist began, watching Gabriel reach a chubby arm up for the remote.
Gabriel looked over his shoulder, his round brown eyes twinkling, his smile showing his four teeth, he knew what he was doing.
"Gabe, you can't have that," Rocco snatched the remote from his brother's slobbery grasp, placing it on the back of the couch, "Dad said no."
Gabriel furrowed his blond eyebrows, gurgling back at Rocco as if talking back. Rocco did a handstand off the sofa, making Gabriel cackle.
"When's Uncle Brad and what's her name coming over?" Rocco wanted to know, his feet swinging in the air.
"They should be here anytime," Krist told him, "Watch your feet, you're gonna hurt your brother."
"My feet aren't even near him," Rocco argued.
Krist groaned, "Bruh, I really don't even care, just watch out for Gabe."
Rocco somersaulted forward, landing in a frog position, "You need to simmer down," he told his father.
"You know..." Krist began, staring at his son wondering how he ended up with a child who had his mouth that somehow bullied him and only him.
"Grandpa is coming with Marky, too?"
Groaning again, Krist nodded, "Yup both of em and Marky's mom."
It had been Atira's idea to host a family get-together of sorts with Brad out of prison, it wasn't something Krist would have wanted to do. With Rocco and his child-uncle Marky friends, she felt the only proper thing to do was invite trashy Marcus and the Mrs over.
She'd never met the senior Samson and really had no idea as to what she was getting herself into.
"I'm sure it will be fine," Atira assured her husband multiple times.
Krist winced, "Bro, imagine Beetlejuice if he was a drunk that worked at the chicken factory...that's my dad."
She cocked her head, "Krist..."
"Bet."
****
Brad and his little family were the first to arrive, a relief to Krist, not that he was eager to hang out with Madison. It was good to see his brother though. He'd seen him twice since his release already but it wasn't bad being around Brad, he liked him.
Brad was carrying Gwendolyn on his hip, she was already four months old with Madison's square face (or what Krist called a Lego Head) and Brad's pale blue eyes.
Krist held Gabriel up, "Aye, bruh, that's your cousin," he told the squirming baby.
Gabriel crinkled up his face, howling as he tried to get down. He was an independent little boy, the same way Rocco had been. As soon as he could figure out how to get around, he wasn't trying to be held or kept captive in his playpen.
"She is so stinking cute," Atira cooed, passing Audrey to Krist. She looked to Madi who very clearly did not want to be there, "She looks a lot like you."
Madison nodded, "Yeah, just with Brad's eyes," she mumbled folding her arms across her full chest.
"I was disappointed that Gabe got brown eyes," Atira told her, trying her best to stay civil, "I hope Audrey gets Krist's."
"Yeah," Madi mumbled.
"Aye, I haven't shown you the house yet," Krist said to Brad, tickling one of Gwendolyn's bare feet. He really just wanted to get away from negative-ass Madi.
"What's her deal?" Krist whispered as he showed Brad Rocco's bedroom.
"She's just pissed off I won't let her come stay in that apartment with me because I think she needs to stay in sober living," Brad muttered, "She thinks I'm just trying to fuck other women."
Krist tilted his head, "Are you?"
"Not even, I just need space right now and I don't think she is ready to live anywhere else."
Krist nodded, "Is she ever going to be ready?"
"I would imagine so," Brad said, gazing at a photo on Rocco's bookshelf. It was he and Krist as young children, sitting on their Grandma Audrey's porch swing. Krist had the same shit-eating grin Rocco had, Brad was wearing his grandfather's rubber mud boots, grinning so big his eyes were closed.
"Mom gave Rocco that," Krist told him, "He said he wanted a picture of you and me 'but not big like they are now'."
"I remember that day," Brad said thoughtfully, "We were what? Like four and six?"
"Something like that," Krist said, "I broke that stupid ass ceramic duck cookie jaw and you told Grandma that you did it."
Brad laughed, "Only because I told you to get us cookies."
"You were always fucking getting me in trouble for your shit that was your idea," Krist shook his head.
"Except for that day," Brad pointed out.
Their conversation was interrupted by the low rumble of their father's Dodge Challenger as it crept down the gravel driveway.
"Oh, joy," Krist rolled his eyes, telling Audrey, "Your grandpa is here."
Brad wrinkled his nose, "Why did you even invite him?"
"Atira thought it would be nice," he muttered.
"I'm assuming she has never met Dad," Brad said in a hushed voice.
"Nope."
****
The two brothers emerged from the house to greet their father, his wife, and their five-year-old brother, Marky.
"I wanna drive your car!" Rocco shouted as the elder Samson exited the neon green car.
"I'm sure that could be arranged," Marcus said boisterously, "Nice place, you guys got out here."
Mrs. Samson stepped out of the car in all her white trash glory, just as Krist had expected. She was no older than her mid-thirties, with frizzy strawberry blond hair, and a ruddy complexion with freckles that dotted her face and chest.
She was wearing a pair of cut-off jean shorts that left little to the imagination, cowgirl boots, and a cropped halter top that read "Trucks, Dirt Roads, and Country Music".
Krist and Brad exchanged bemused smirks as she bounced over to them, titties jiggling.
"Hey, you must be my new sons," she let out a loud smokers laugh, "I'm Naveah, your dad's wife."
Krist shook her hand, nodding politely, "I'm Krist and that's Brad."
"Nice to meet you," Brad said, his eyes lingering on Naveah's blatantly braless chest.
Naveah gave a little flirty grin to him, "You must be Brad, I've heard all about you."
Krist scowled at his brother, as funny and on par as it would be for his family, he really, really hoped that Brad didn't pursue their dad's wife. Shit was messy as it was.
"So you're my grandpa?" Rocco asked Marcus, hopping on one leg, "And Marky is my brother?"
Marcus laughed, "No, Marky is your uncle, he's your dad's brother."
Rocco furrowed his brow, "But Marky is a kid like me, and my Dad is all old."
"Your dad ain't all that old, buddy," Marcus coughed, spitting phlegm into the grass.
"He's like your age," Rocco said, also spitting into the grass.
"You need any help, honey?" Naveah asked Atira, following her into the house.
Atira sat Gabriel in his exersaucer, "I suppose you could help me carry the meat out to the grill," she said, thinking.
"Sounds good," Naveah said, "So, how'd you and your man meet?"
"In high school actually," Atira said, setting two trays of meat on the counter, "We fell out of touch after I moved and then came into contact again right before Rocco's fourth birthday. How did you are Marcus meet?"
"He was a regular at the bar I work in, he'd come in every night and finally asked me out. Well, asked me to come back to his place and I guess you could say, I just never left," Naveah giggled.
Gross.
"Well that's sweet," Atira said, leading her out to the grill area. Brad was holding Audrey while Krist fiddled with the grill.
"Here, let me do it," Marcus said, essentially shoving Krist out of the way, "I can tell you ain't much of a barbecuer."
Krist shrugged, "I guess not."
****
Audrey tucked on his chest in her Boba Wrap, Krist got to work assembling salads and side dishes.
Brad watched him, amused, "I don't know why, but seeing you like that is hilarious to me."
Krist tilted his head, "Like what?"
"Baby wearing in the kitchen," Brad cackled behind a closed fist.
"It's my calling, bro," he laughed, "I'm a whole-ass housewife."
"I guess so, if it works for you two though, that's what matters," Brad replied, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Hey...so what do you think of Dad's...wife?"
Krist raised his eyebrows, chopping a cucumber, "Shit..." he shook his head, "I think Dad needs to keep her on a tight leash, that's what I think."
"Why, you think she fucks around on him?"
"Really? She looked like she was ready to jump on you the moment she saw you."
A smug smirk lingered on Brad's lips, he shook his head in denial, "Not even."
Krist gave him an open-mouthed look, "Bro, don't even...seriously, don't."
"I'm not doing anything," Brad laughed in a way that did not convince him whatsoever, “How do you think he managed to pull her?”
“Brad…it ain't like she a catch, she probably just saw he had a place to live and that's all it took.”
****
“Any of you want a beer?” Marcus asked, “I got a cooler full in my trunk.”
“Whoo, I'll take one, Daddy,” Naveah said lewdly tongue kissing her husband in front of everyone.
Now, Atira didn't care about PDA in general but her stomach churned watching her father-in-law’s tongue wrestle with his wife.
“Get me one too, Daddy,” Krist whispered in Atirs’s ear, giving her ass a firm slap.
“Brad? You want one?” Marcus called to his eldest son who pointed to his ankle monitor, shaking his head.
****
The small gathering overall had gone well. Marcus hadn't made too much of an ass out of himself, Krist limited himself to two beers, and despite the vast differences between Naveah and Atira, the two women got along well.
The only issues at the gathering had been Madison and her sulking and Rocco and Marky getting caught flipping cars off near the road.
“That went so much better than I expected,” Atira told Krist as she rocked Audrey in the living room.
“Fuck for real,” Krist agreed, helping Gabriel into his pajamas.
“You know…Brad is well…ugh…but he can do way better than Madison,” Atira said, placing her daughter over her shoulder and firmly patting her back. “She’s just so toxic and just a party pooper.”
“For real, she always been though.”
“Babe, she literally followed Brad around nagging him and she didn’t even help him with the baby,” Atira continued to gossip.
Krist helped Gabriel to his feet, holding him by the hands, “Sheeeit, look at you bro,” he smiled, returning his attention to Atira, “Eh, I didn’t think it was that bad, I mean, she is always with Gwendolyn so maybe he was trying to give her a break.”
Atira rolled her eyes in the Marcia Brady, “Sure Jan” fashion.
“Maybe I’m just a negative Nancy but she just doesn’t strike me as someone who is exactly motherly.”
