“This is so weird. Ugh.” Frankie hid behind her hands and shook her head full of kinky curls. “You two are in love?” She peeked from between her fingers and looked at me, then at her dad. We both nodded. “You’re boyfriend and girlfriend? Like in a real relationship?”
“Yes, sweetheart. It’s the real deal.”
“But…” Frankie turned to me and scanned my face then the rest of me. “You’re so pretty. You seriously want to be with Dad? Like on purpose? You’re not clout-chasing?”
I tossed my head back and laughed so loud it hurt my stomach. Evander grimaced at his daughter then shook his head. “Damn, am I that old and ugly?”
“I mean you dress nice, Daddy but…” Frankie’s face said it all. She had no idea what the appeal was between me and her father. That was fine by me though because kids didn’t need to understand everything.
I stood to my feet and walked over to Evander, linking our fingers together. “You’re not old or ugly, Evander.” I popped up on the balls of my feet and kissed his cheek.
“I have to actually see things like this regularly?” She gestured to me and Evander holding hands.
“Yeah. I’m afraid so, sweetheart.”
“No offense, Dad but you’re so old. How do you not see this, Xari?”
“I never thought about his age, honestly,” I told her. It was the truth too. It was the farthest thing from my mind.
“Okay,” Frankie pressed her hands to her cheeks and blinked a few times like she was committing something important to memory. “I guess I have to deal with this…right?” She asked.
“Yeah. There’s no way around it, kiddo,” Evander said.
“Well, then I owe you guys an apology for the way I’ve been acting this week and at the wedding.” She plucked at her cuticles then nibbled on her lip. “I was really mad. It felt like I was going to lose the only friend I have because of this.” She gestured to us.
“Oh, Frankie…” I moved to sit beside her. I had to hug her. I wrapped her in my arms and she laid her head on my shoulder. “I told you, we’re stuck together. You can’t get rid of me.”
“But now you’ll be all over Dad all the time.” Her pout was evident, and even though she was twelve, it was still very adorable.
“It won’t be like that, Frankie.” Evander sat on the other side of her and stretched his long arm around us both. “Things will still be the same. You might wanna knock on my bedroom door and get your mind wrapped around seeing us kiss sometimes or hold hands but the relationship you’ve built with Xari won’t change at all.”
Evander had a way with words on and off the page. Frankie’s uncertain eyes warmed when she heard her daddy talk. It made my heart skip a beat.
“Our relationship won’t change either.” He kissed her temple gently. “We just gained a new family member, that’s all.”
“You think you can live with that, Frank?” I nudged her with my elbow and she nodded.
“Good. Now, go put on your shoes. We’re doing movies at midnight and then IHOP,” Evander said before he stood to his feet.
“Are we celebrating your new girlfriend?” She asked a warm smile spread across her cute face. It wasn’t harsh or pointed. It was easy and happy. I loved seeing her happy.
“No...I’ll explain on the way,” he sighed.
…
TWENTY-FIVE
My knees bumped against the table in the family mediator’s office. They didn’t have many tall men come in and sit down. I pushed away from the table and rested my ankle on my knee. I looked at my watch then at the door. Where the hell was Alexis?
No sooner than the thought popped into my head did she walk through the door. She was decked out in Louis Vuitton from head to toe with Cartier diamonds sparkling in her ears, around her neck, and on her fingers. She got to keep all the jewelry I’d gifted her while we were married and it felt like she was throwing it right back in my face. I watched her touch the studs in her ear and check her watch before smiling at me.
“Hello, Evander.” I knew she had some bullshit up her sleeve because usually, she called me Van. Evander meant there was a world of drama waiting for me.
I knew I could expect theatrics from her but what I wasn’t expecting was for my father to walk through the door right behind her.