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| O N E  M O N T H  &  A   H A L F 
L A T E R |

        I arrived late to the photography studio where I spotted Celine standing on the side. She watched as Kennedy adjusted Jalen for his next shot.

Because Celine missing taking her maternity photos, she at least wanted to have Jalen's one month photos taken.

Not wanted to make noise, I shut the door softly—not making much of a sound in the process.

Walking over to where Celine stood, I came and stood right beside her.

"I thought you said you couldn't make it?" she asked smiling softly

"Meeting finished faster than I thought" I whispered

It's been one hectic ass month. From TV interviews to the Championship Parade to the sponsorships showering in, some of which required me to travel a bit. Then we have me staying nights as often as I can to help Celine with Jalen, who by the way, wasn't an easy baby.

He cried more than most, making me wanna cry along with him especially when you're fueling on a couple hours of sleep.

I wouldn't trade it for the world though.

She nodded back in response before staring back forward.

"He almost done?" I curiously pointing to the set

"I mean yeah, unless you want to take pictures holding him? I took mine earlier" she said to me not taking her eyes off Jalen.

I forgot to respond as I looked to where her eyes were set at.

"She's like the damn baby whisperer" I mumbled to Celine "how she get him so still?"

"It's beyond me honestly" she said back before looking at me "so you gonna do it?"

"I'm not even wearing appropriate attire" I said to her as I gestured to what I was wearing, which consisted of a white plain shirt, a denim jacket, black pants, and Air Jordan's.

Celine looked me up and down before meeting my gaze "you went to a meeting dressed like that?" she asked with a raised eyebrow

"When you're a star wide receiver and a two time straight super bowl champion you can go to a meeting dressing however the hell you want" I said to her with a smug smile on my face.

She rolled her eyes before pushing me playfully, "you're mad annoying"

"Aye don't go pushing me" I said laughing before she pushed me again.

I guess the banter going on between us caught Kennedy's attention as she turned around and looked in surprise. She probably didn't notice I even walked in.

Standing up from her squatted position in front of the set, she walked over to us camera in hand.

"I didn't know anyone else was coming" Kennedy said to Celine with a smile before turning to me "Hi, welcome"

"Nice to meet you again" I said back to her curtly.

"Yeah I didn't think he would come, so we are both surprised" Celine said fluidly

"Well I'm just finishing up-" she started to say before Celine cut her off

"Oh I was wondering if you could squeeze Chris in? He wants to take some shots with the baby" Celine said to her "Unless you don't have time..."

"Oh that's fine I could squeeze him in" Kennedy nodded politely

"Okay great" Celine said clapping her hands together

"Is what I'm wearing okay though?" I asked Kennedy curiously

She looked me up and down for a moment before meeting my eyes again.

"You can remove the denim jacket. For the set I'm using I think a white shirt would be best" she said nodding

"Okay cool" I said before pulling off my jacket and playfully throwing it over Celine's head

"What the-" she said as she pulled it off her face and glared playfully

I turned to face Kennedy to see she was biting her lip to hold her in her laugh.

"Should we get these shots in?" She said pointing over to the set.

"Yeah" I said before following her. Turning my head back to Celine she stuck a middle finger at me causing to to chuckle.

Finally reaching the set, Kennedy began to instruct me where to stand. Picking up Jalen carefully, she placed him in my arms.

"Okay so kind of cradle him in your hands" she said as she instructing me as I followed what she said "yeah just like that"

Propping up her camera on her tripod, she began to take several shots.

We did a couple different poses, and then we finished up.

"I think that's about it" Kennedy said giving me a small smile as she grabbed the camera off the tripod and began to inspect the pictures "Yeah we are good" she nodded

Walking up next to her, I looked over her shoulder as she flipped through the images.

She really was a bomb ass photographer, I gotta give it to her.

Celine walked up behind, "is he still sleeping?" she asked as I turned around with him cradled against my chest.

I checked on him, and yep, he was still sleep "looks like it"

I was surprised Jalen had slept through this whole thing.

"Damn" she said sighing

I felt her.

The more he slept the more likely he was to be wide awake at nights.

The simple solution is to wake him, but Jalen gets real grumpy when we do that.

For a one month old, he already has some personality to him.

"So I'll edit these and clean them then have them sent to you as soon as possible" Kennedy said causing Celine and I to shift our focus to her.

"Thank you so much, Kennedy" Celine said sincerely

"No problem" Kennedy said with a smile "it was great working with you guys, y'all are a cute couple"

"We aren't a couple, but thank you" Celine said laughing lightly

"Oh... well this is awkward" Kennedy said laughing nervously

"No, no, that's okay. It happens" Celine said reassuring her with a soft smile

"We should get going though, but thanks again" I said trying to hold in my laugh from how flustered Kennedy looked.

"Alright then, y'all have a good one" she said as me and Celine nodded.

Following Celine, as watched as she collected her things.

"Can you put him in his carrier and carry it to my car outside please" she asked

"Yeah, I got it" I said as I walked over and kneeled down to the carrier and place him inside gently.

He began to move around a little as if he was about to wake up causing time to freeze.

Once he finally settled down, I let out a sigh of relief before securing him.

"Sometimes I swear you're afraid of him" Celine said snorting out

"Shut up" I said shaking my head as I stood up from kneeling position.

Celine lead the way as I followed her out to her car.

"Actually Celine you mind if I take him for a few hours?" I asked as we arrived at her car.

My question causing her to abruptly turn to look face me.

"Chris-" she said sighing before I cut her off

"I'm just gonna visit my mom's and then I'll bring him back" I said to her

"You forget I'm his food source Chris" Celine said laughing lightly

"Awe c'mon Celine" I said whining

"He's only a month old-" she said before stopping as she looked at my facial expression "aw c'mon Chris don't do that. Hey, you know what how 'bout I come with you?"

"Is it cause you don't trust me alone with him?" I asked calmly

"Chris stop don't do this" she said sighing in frustration "it's just too soon for him to be away from his mom you know this, be rational. It's not about not trusting you, you're his dad Chris of course I trust you"

I sighed, before looking her over.

Celine hasn't been Celine since Jalen got here and you could see it.

"Okay my bad" I breathed out "it probably wasn't the best suggestion, but you just seemed exhausted and I thought maybe a few hours away from him would get you rested up"

"Look whose being sweet" she said covering her mouth in shock "and you don't even get sleep either"

"Shut up" I said rolling my eyes as I tried to keep in my smile

"But Chris as nice as that sounds, realistically..." she said trailing off "my milk supply isn't really that good, if I were able to pump like that and he was a little older, hell you can take him all you want"

"I feel you" I nodded as I pulled her back passenger seat door open and placed Jalen securely inside which took me a few minutes.

Placing a quick kiss on his forehead then his cheek, "okay buddy be good to your moms", I said before I pulled myself out of the car and faced Celine again.

"So you want me to go with you to your moms or?" She asked softly

"Actually I'll see her another time, you get home. I'll probably go chill at Hunter's instead" I nodded

"Oh...okay" she said smiling softly "make sure to call her up though, see how she's doing"

"I will, and I'll see you tonight" I nodded as I walked past her to my car.

Picking my phone out of my pocket, I called Hunter.

He answered after the second ring, "what's up?"

"You free?" I said to him

He laughed before responding "hell yeah I'm free what are we getting into?"

"I don't know yet, I'll think of something" I said to him "well you think Tevin and Luke's weird ass would wanna join too?"

"Yeah I'll call them now" he said "we should head to your place though, cause Nadia and Kai are here so y'all can't come to mine"

"Alright cool, that's fine"

"Congratulations Chris on joining the Dad life" Luke said raising his beer up enthusiastically

"Amen to that" Hunter said clinking his beer with Luke

Luke then held his beer out to me, playfully rolling my eyes I clinked beers with him.

"Aye lemme get in on that" Tevin said getting up from his seat

"Uh uh" Luke said as he pulling his beer bottle back "you got like three more months to go before you join"

"Mmhm" I said agree as Hunter, Luke, and I laughed as Tevin sucked his teeth in annoyance and sat back down.

"How's it feel being on team no sleep?" Hunter asked as the laughter settled down

"You right about that. Jalen wakes up at least three times a night" I said before taking a sip of my beer.

"Oh that sucks. No tryna brag or anything but Kaiya was the calmest baby, barely woke up during the night" Hunter said

"Oh yeah same, Luca was the best baby" Luke said with a smile

"Man Hunter lying. When Kai started teething, he called my ass up complaining he ain't getting no sleep" Tevin said causing me to turn to Hunter with a raised eyebrow

"N-nah I'm talking about Kaiya when she was a newborn" Hunter said

"The hell you stuttering for?" I said laughing as everyone but Hunter joined in

"Man fuck y'all" Hunter said trying to hold in his laugh.

After the laughter died down we all basked in the few seconds of silence before Luke broke it.

"I wanna go on vacation" he said outta nowhere

"Deadass, last vacation I took was Disney world with the fam three weeks ago" Hunter said

"Yo we should all deadass go on a trip, like to Fiji or some shit" Tevin said enthusiastically clapping his hands together "I know Alexis would be down to go relax before the baby's out"

"It could be like a couples trip" Hunter recommended sitting up

"Yeah except, I'm single" I said slumming in my chair

"Take Celine" Luke said shrugging

"You're funny" I said scoffing "all y'all gonna be all boo'd up and I'm stuck with Celine?"

"Nah he's onto something. Celine can come she needs a break too and aren't you too like friends with benefits or some shit?"

"Mmhm points made" Tevin said abruptly cutting in after Hunter stopped talking.

"We slipped up that one time! We aren't friends with benefits" I exclaimed

I don't know where they got that idea from but they must've lost their damn minds.

"So your telling me you've been sleeping over at Celine's place every night and nothing is happening?" Luke asked with a raised brow "Yeah don't believe it"

"Yeah Luke is actually onto something" Hunter said nodding

"Man y'all buggin" I said waving them off

"I didn't hear you deny it though" Tevin mumbled with a smile before finishing off his beer.

"Y'all are mad annoying" I said laughing in disbelief "ain't nothing going on with me and Celine alright?"

I don't know why I was getting so embarrassed, it true we don't do anything.

"Yeah okay" Luke said snickering

"You know what I don't even think she'll be down for the trip anyway. She would have to bring Jalen cause she breastfeeding" I said remembering what she told me earlier

"Man put that little boy on formula for the week and leave him with his grandparents, he'll be all right" Tevin said shrugging

"Y'all trippin" I said shaking my head

"So you in or not?" Hunter asked "I could plan it for next month?"

Standing up as to head to the fridge for more beer, I pointed to them "I'll get back to you on that"


| A U T H O R ' S    N O T E |

Sorry for the wait once again.

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Chapter not edited. Grammatical errors.

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