He wouldn't write a letter because he couldn't without beginning it 'Dear Sylvia' and ending it 'Yours sincerely' or 'truly' or 'affectionately.' He's that sort of precise imbecile. I tell you he's so formal he can't do without all the conventions there are and so truthful he can't use half of them. — Ford Madox Ford, Parade's End

A Couple Days Later...

Bricks...

As Zee slept, I held her close in deep thought. Since she's gotten back from New York, she's been under the weather. Mostly morning sickness and exhaustion. We haven't seen any blood in her vomit since that night but we're keeping a close eye out for it. Just in case.

"Baby, you need to get up its time to eat again." I tell her. She stirs in her sleep, turning over and buries her face in my neck sighing heavily.

"What time is it?" She questions. I look at my watch.

"4:15." Zee pops her head up with wide eyes causing me to laugh.

"Forreal?" She questions in shock.

"Yea you didn't get much sleep in NY did you?" She shakes her head no, sitting up while putting one of my shirts on. She's been sleeping on and off for the past two days. I'll wake her up to let her know it's time to eat. She ain't starving my baby.

"You weren't next to me those two nights." She pouts, looking back at me. I nod sitting up, pecking her lips.

"What you want to eat though?" She lays her head on her knee shrugging.

"I don't know. I'm not craving anything like I usually do."

"Come on so you can choose what you want." She nods and yawns, climbing off the bed making her way to the kitchen. I follow behind her, adjusting my drawstrings of my joggers. Zee browses the fridge, frowning at the selection.

"Whats wrong?" I question.

"I want something quick." She whines, reaching for the box off top the fridge. I laugh at her short ass trying to reach, she climbs on the counter grabbing the Froot Loops box. I stand in front of her, she leans on my shoulders as I pick her up by her waist helping her down.

"What is up with you and cereal?" I question, hugging her from behind moving her hair to the other side of her neck.

"Nobody really cooked around the house when I was growing up. So cereal was the best quick thing for me, and oodles and noodles. So when I don't feel like cooking, I eat either or." She explains.

"Well you with me now you don't have to eat junk for breakfast." I tell her, kissing her ear. She sighs and moans laying her head back on my chest.

"Well this is what I want Bricks." She sasses popping a couple of Froot Loops in her mouth. I shake my head sighing, watching her pour the milk in her bowl. If she didn't watch my moms cook, Zee would literally eat cereal and and Ramen Noodles all day everyday. I hate that.

"Since you standing behind me, can you rub my stomach like you always do." She whines. I nod doing as requested.

"You feel nauseous?"

"No, I just wanna be touched right now." She sighs, finishing her cereal making another bowl. I shake my head laughing, as the bell rings.

"Button that up." I tell her. She nods, heading to the room. I pull the curtains to the side seeing it's FedEx delivery. I didn't order anything, and if Zee did she would of told me to look out for it. I furrow my eyebrows, opening the door.

"Is Zee Dubois?" The scruffy dude questions. I raise a brow, calling Zee. She comes to the door, telling whoever she's talking to on the phone she'd call them back. She's about confused as me.

"Are you Zee Dubois?" The guy questions.

"It's Gomez bruh." I correct highly irritated. He gives me a look so I give him one back. The fuck?

"You'll have to excuse my husband, he can be a bit rude at times." Zee says with a screw face rolling her eyes. I huff, about to walk off but she grabs my wrist.

Zee...

"Who is this from exactly?" I question. I know damn well ain't nobody's government named by the name of Zee. If so I would love to meet them.

"The name and address is on the box. Just sign here and take the package. I have to do my next deliveries, I'm on a time schedule." I sigh heavily, signing the iPad and taking the big package.

Bricks takes it from me, I close the door and lock it. I follow him up the steps to the kitchen, he sits the box down on the counter. I look around the box as Bricks leaves to go to the room.

"What's wrong with you?" I question irritated. He sighs throwing his head back, looking at me.

"Nevermind yo go ahead. You tripping." I flag him off.

"I'm tripping? Please tell me how I'm tripping yo." He scoffs stepping to me. I push him back screw face.

"Come on you always doing too much, getting upset over bullshit. Whatchu mad because I told the man excuse your behavior? You were being rude, like." I say calmly.

"How the fuck was I being rude yo! Please explain to me." He laughs. That's how you know niggas are crazy. When they laugh while arguing, and shit don't be funny. Bricks is that prime example.

"All I said was your last name is Gomez, like fuck outta here b." He flags, smacking his lips.

"It's not what you said, it's how you said it. It's always how you say things to people. You always ready to jump down somebodies got damn throat, never can just breathe and talk like a regular person." I shake my head and he smacks his lips.

"Man whatever." He mumbles under his breath, walking off.

"Yea whatever to you too." I say to myself as he slams the door. He's always getting mad over the stupidest shit like that irks me. He can never calm his nerves, always ready to fight when no one is even threatening him. That's his problem.

I sigh wiping the sensitive tears, walking back to the box. I search for the senders name and address, spotting it once I turned the box right side up. I read the name, Knight Dubois confused.

"Knight Dubois?" I say to myself. Just then my cell rings with  an un-stored number. I slide the icon to the right, putting the phone up to my ear.

"H- hello?" I stutter.

"You have a collect call from...Knight... an inmate at Rikers Island Men's Correctional Facility. Do you accept the charges?" The person questions on the line. I furrow my eyebrows, playing with the necklace on my neck.

"Helloooo?" The person irritatingly speaks. Rude.

"Yes." I finally say.

"Go ahead."

"Zee?" The deep raspy voice calls. I clear my throat, taking a seat on the couch.

"Yes." I say shyly. He chuckles.

"I know this is odd, I'm calling and you don't even know who I am."

"Yea, um not to be rude or anything but who are you?" I question kind of shaken.

"Odd introduction, but I'm your father Zee..." I jolt my head back.

"My father, Dimitri Banks is dead. So who is this? Are you sure you're calling the right person?" I question and he laughs through the receiver.

"I'm guessing you didn't open the letter yet, or the box. Take a look." He says in a tempting tone. I get up from the couch, taking the letter off of the box. I hold the phone between my ear and shoulder, opening the big vanilla envelope. I take out the letter, seeing something else fall out with it. I pick up a picture of a strange man in a tan jumpsuit, holding a baby furrowing my eyebrows.

"That's you and me by the way. Your mother brought you in to see me. You were just a few days old." Knight says on the phone. I feel the tears brewing, sitting the picture down on the counter.

"Is this real?" I question.

"Well it ain't photoshop." He chuckles. I laugh a little sniffing.

"No baby girl this is real. It's all real." He assures. I nod looking down at my feet as I kicked nothing in particular. Just thinking on how my whole life has been a lie.

"Are you anything like Sirod or Dimitri?" I question.

"What do you mean?" He questions confusedly. I sigh heavily shaking my head. I don't know if I should snitch or not. Especially on a collect call. They record shit.

"Can I come see you?" I question with a little excitement.

"Yea, I can have you put on the visitors list." He inquires. I nod, sighing in relief.

"Ok when is a good time to drop by?" I hit palm my forehead, and he laughs hysterically on the line.

"Well I can assure you, I'm not going anywhere. But the hours are from 9am to 6pm. So any time between then." I nod, as the phone beeps. I'm guessing his time is up.

"Well I gotta go. Minutes are running out. I'll put you on the list right away though, ok. I love you." He says. I choked and the phone of course hung up. I mean I don't know the man, but I'm guessing he's nothing like Sirod and Dimitri. Neither one of them said they loved me and we lived in the same got damn house.

I stuff my phone in Bricks shirt pocket, nibbling on my bottom lip contemplating on if I should open the box. Deciding to open it, I look in the tool drawer for the box cutter and of course its not in there. I close the drawer, going into the bedroom.

I witness Bricks getting dressed and I didn't bother to ask where he was going. I open the closet door, reaching at the top of it for the box cutter. It's not up there either, so I grab my pocketbook finding mine under all my stuff. Can't be too careful now a days, might have to cut a mafucka one day.

I head back to the kitchen, cutting the tape that's over the flaps. When I open it. I see it's a bunch of baby things in neutral colors. A note is written in the bottom of the box that made me smile.

Zee,

I know you're confused as of right now, but just know it'll all be explained to you. I know I haven't been in your life, but I'm willing to make up for lost time. I miss you dearly and hopefully these little toys and things will bring joy to your little one or ones.

Love Your Father,

Knight D. ❤️

P. S. I hope to see you soon baby girl.

I look over the neutral color toys and clothes, shaking my head with a smile. How can a total stranger love me more than my own "parents" that I grew up around? What I want to know is why Sirod didn't mention anything about my real father. Something isn't right here.

"I'm going out aight. My nigga Kev hit me up for some drinks." Bricks mumbles. I turn to attention, nodding. I take the box off the counter, taking it to the room. I put it on the floor of the closet, closing the flaps of the box back. Bricks comes back in the room, grabbing his phone off the nightstand.

"What's that?" He questions.

"Some stuff my biological father gave me for the baby." I sigh, turning to him. He furrows his brows confused and I nod in agreement.

"Yea. When I know what's going on, I'll catch you up." I tell him. He nods pulling me into a hug, pecking my lips slowly.

"I'm sorry for being an ass earlier. I really do need to watch my temper." He mumbles against my lips. I nod.

"I'm glad you know." I tell him, biting his lip slipping my tongue into his mouth. He grunts, gripping my ass making me moan. He rips the shirt open, exposing my lingerie. His tongue dominates mine, walking me backwards to the bed. We breathe heavily, my hands roam up his shirt feeling his body I wanted so badly against mine, but I didn't want him just this second. His phone rings in his pocket, he sighs pulling back taking it out his pocket.

"Yea." He answers, tossing me back on the bed by my ankles. I laugh hysterically, sitting up on my elbows.

"Yo where you at? I called your ass an hour ago." Kev informs. Bricks huffs taking my panties off, smiling at my jewel.

"I'll be there nigga damn." He hangs the phone, putting it in his pocket. He then pouts causing me to laugh. I know he was trying to eat before he left, but that would be nothing but a tease.

"I gotta go b." He mumbles saddened. I nod, pulling him towards me kneeling in the bed.

"I'll keep it wet for you baby just go." I tell him, kissing him. He pulls back with a smirk, kissing my cheek while leaving out the room.

"I love you."

"I love you too and be careful." I tell him, hearing the door close. I climb off the bed, putting my panties on as my phone dings with a text message. I see it's from Tyrone.

Pops: The Twins are coming to you, be ready in fifteen minutes.

I sigh heavily, making my way to the closet to pick out my attire. I know it's because Bricks told him he was leaving, which means he doesn't want me home by myself. I'll be glad when this madness with these people after me is over. I mean I'm not doing shit but living my life. Why do people wanna end it?

Uh oh, Knight coming into the picture. Y'all think that's a good thing or bad thing? 👀

Why did Sirod keep this information? 👀