Chapter 17: Slow Down

When he had returned to his apartment all eyes were on him. “What the fuck are ya‘ll looking at?” He had looked around for half-pint beforehand and hadn’t seen her so he hadn’t felt the need to watch his language.

“Justin!” Then he heard the high pitch of Celeste’s voice.

“Sorry.” Justin mumbled when he saw the anger clearly etched on her face.

It had been a week since then and Justin had noticed that for the first time Celeste was acting like herself. She was vibrant, less sheltered, but what surprised Justin the most was that she was being nice to him. There were mornings when he woke up to breakfast and nights when he came home to dinner. He actually had a reason to come home now; Celeste was a great cook, even better than his mother and he would compliment her every chance he had.

“Mornin’.” Justin greeted, sitting at the table next to the toddler.

“Hiya Justin.” Tati reached over and placed a piece of bacon on his plate followed by a handful of scrambled eggs.

“Tati don’t.” Celeste reprimanded wiping the eggs from her fingers.

“Mornin’ Justin I’ll get you some more.” She took his plate, but Justin stopped her.

“That’s okay. Thanks half-pint.” Justin said ruffling the toddler’s curls.

“Well here is some French toast.”

Justin was definitely in high spirits; there was actually a smile on his face. He turned on the stool to look at Celeste as she rummaged through the cabinets for ingredients.

When she bent down to remove the biscuits from the oven Justin smiled, “I see you’re still wearing my boxers.”

“Hmm. Oh I like them is that a problem.” She removed the mitten and held her hand to her hip.

“No it’s not a problem. But next time can you not wear the good ones just so you can walk around the apartment all day.” Justin stood up to reach behind her and get a biscuit.

“Mmm this is good. How did ya become such a great cook? I don’t think I’m ever going to let you leave again.” He rambled licking the butter from his fingers.

When Celeste was done fixing everyone’s plate including her own she sat down across from a Justin.

“So what you gonna do today Celeste?” Justin asked leaning on the table.

“Bridget wants to take me out shopping. She said she’s tired of me wearing your clothes all the time.” Celeste chuckled.

“Oh okay.” He wasn’t mad, but he had planned to stay home today and he figured that she would be here with him, but if she had other things to do, then he wasn’t going to stop her from having fun. Now that he had thought about it, Celeste had been spending more and more time with Bridget lately.

“Why? Do you need clothes?” He thought she looked just fine in his clothes, but he wouldn’t mind seeing her in something more…womanly. However, he didn’t want to see her dressed in whore-like fashion as how her friend Bridget dressed on a few occasions.

“Oh yes I’ve already worn everything I bought with me, which wasn’t much to begin with and Tati needs some clothes because I don’t feel right accepting all the outfits Ms. Lou makes for her.” Celeste explained in between bites.

“Well how bout you? What are you doing today?”

“Me? Oh I’m going to practice a little today hang out with the fellas.” Justin lied. He didn’t want Celeste to know that he hadn’t actually planned to go to the gym.

“How long are you going to be gone?” Why was he asking these questions as if he was concerned about her whereabouts? Cause I am. He didn’t want to actually admit that he was going to be unhappy if she wasn’t here when he returned.

“I don’t know. Um…maybe a few hours.”

Justin nodded his head and then turned to Tati. “You wanna go with me half-pint?”

“Unh huh. I go with you.” The toddler giggled when Justin picked her up and placed her on his lap.

“Are you sure Justin? I mean are you gonna be okay with Tati?” She didn’t want to sound as if she didn’t trust him with her younger sister.

“Of course. What do you take me for? I’m great with half-pint.” Justin boasted. He stood up from the table and set Tati atop his shoulders.

“Bye Cee.” Tati waved happily.

“Bye.” Celeste smiled to herself as she proceeded to clean up the kitchen after they had left. Poor Tati.

~*~*~*~

“Here’s your ice cream half-pint.” Justin handed her the vanilla ice cream cone. She had been begging him to get ice cream since they had left the house.

“Oh goody!” Tati licked the sprinkles from the cone.

“Now since I bought you this ice cream that means you’re going to have to be a good little half-pint.” He figured this was the way to reason with children.

“Unh huh I be good girl.”

“Good.” See I’m great with half-pint. Justin smiled silently to himself as he grabbed Tati’s hand and entered the gym.

“Timberwolve! What up man?” Nick hollered from across the room.

“Hey Nick.”  Justin gave a slight wave proceeding to suit up for practice.

“You brought your daughter with ya.”

He rolled his eyes wrapping bandages around his knuckles, “How many times I gotta tell you. Half-pint ain’t my kid. She’s my…she is Celeste’s sister.”

“Mmm hmm that hot chick. I brought my kid too. Come here Nicky?” Nick held out his hand for his son.

He tried to ignore the fact that Nick had called Celeste hot. “Your ass got a kid!” Poor Kid.

“Hey not in front of the boy, Sheree’s already on me cause he repeats everything he hears.” Justin couldn’t believe that Nick was trying to be a good role model for his son.

“Alright Nicky go over there and play with Justin’s daughter.”

“She’s not my-never mind.” What was the point anyway? Nick might’ve as well been a brick wall.

Justin jabbed the rotating bag of sand continuously for almost twenty minutes. Nick made him so angry sometimes because he never thought about how his comments might affect other people before he opened his mouth. Now everyone thought he had a kid, and with Celeste nonetheless. One of his friends had actually commented that Justin had a case of “jungle fever” and got fucked over before he had a chance to get out of the fling. If Tati wasn’t around when that comment was said Justin would’ve surely hit him.

“Why would I have a kid?” He rambled until he was forced to stop when Slim came jogging over to him.

“What is it?” He held the bag to stop it from circling.

“Your daughter is mad.”

“Who told you-never mind. Where she at?” Justin followed behind Slim. I’m going to kill that damn Nick!

When he reached the room, he saw Tati in the corner being comforted by Big Tony and Nick comforting his son who was crying and looked to have a few scratches on his left cheek.

“What the hell happened? I leave you idiots to watch her and now she’s mad.” Celeste was going to be angry if he didn’t fix things before taking Tati home.

“Oh naw Justin don’t come up in here all mad. You’re little demon daughter scratched my son in the face.” Nick turned little Nicky around to display the red scratches on his cheek. Damn that looks pretty bad.

“Half-pint come here.” Tati slid off of Tony’s lap and stomped toward Justin. “What happened half-pint?”

“He say bad stuff bout my daddy.” She pouted and pointed at Nicky. “He make me drop my ice cream and say my daddy to poor to buy me one again.”

“You are poor though Justin.” Nick spoke up defending his son.

Justin hugged Tati to him as she started to cry. He lifted her in his arms and carried her back to Big Tony. “I’ll be back half-pint.”

“Nick I need to speak to you now.” He was angry and he had every right to be. If Nick would have listened to each and every time he declared that he wasn’t half-pint’s father then this could’ve been avoided.

“What?” Nick shrugged when they reached the other room secluded from everyone.

Justin jabbed Nick in the side. “I told ya ass I wasn’t her father didn’t I! Her father walked out on her family and you made her cry. Tell your punk ass son to apologize to her right now or I will-”

“Ow. Yo’ cool it!” Nick intercepted.

“Naw half-pint is crying. If she didn’t get a hit on your son I would’ve been even more pissed. But it’s not Nicky’s fault he has an ass for a father, he didn’t ask God for that.” With that said Justin walked away.

Nick was left standing there wondering why his girlfriend had said the same thing to him just before he left the house.

“Good job half-pint.” He ruffled her curls when she ran to him. If she was his kid she would’ve taken after him because Slim said that she had landed a nice one on Nicky.

“He scared of me now Justin.” Tati giggled chewing on a piece of candy Slim had given to her after he told her she had won the fight.

~*~*~*~

“What about this one?” Bridget held up a semi-transparent pink camisole.

Celeste scrunched her nose in distaste.

“You wear something under it girl, like a bra, it’s only transparent at the top anyway.” Bridget explained, already picking out the accessories to go along with it.

“Well in that case…I still don’t like it.” She walked away to the graphic tee shirt section.

“Come on Cee. You need to start dressing more sexy. You always wear Justin’s shirts, pants-”

“And boxers.” Celeste added.

Bridget rolled her eyes heavenward. “…and boxers. Look you can even wear jeans since it’s cold out.” She pointed to the long wall of assorted jeans.

“Oh okay.” Celeste didn’t feel the need in continuing to argue with someone as persistent as Bridget.

“Good. Justin isn’t going to know what to say when he sees you.”

“Justin? What does he have to do with this?” She had thought she was making this change to please herself not Justin. He never mentioned having a problem with her wearing his clothes except for this morning when he suggested she not wear his good clothes; as if he really had any to begin with.

More than you know. Bridget smiled silently. “So tell me about Justin’s friend Kyle.”

“I don’t know him like that. We’ve only had one conversation, which could not really classify as a conversation since he was the only one doing the talking. However, he’s nothing like Justin. I don’t even see how they are friends.” To her Kyle seemed to be a tad bit more caring than Justin, which wasn’t much seeing that Justin was careless. 

“Justin’s not that bad. He even offered to watch your little sis.”

“I know poor Tati.” Celeste shook her head in nonsense, praying for her sister’s safety.

~*~*~*~

“Ahh.” Justin sighed throwing himself onto the couch. He had finally gotten Tati to be quiet after trying for an hour.

“That girl is just like her sister.” Tati had given him so much trouble that it made him never want to have kids. Half-pint had complained about an upset stomach, which may have been from all the sweets he’d given her and she had reminded him a hundred times that he had to give her a bath. To suit her Justin gave her some warm milk and allowed her to sit in the tub until she was wrinkle.

“Justin!”

Justin stood abruptly when he heard the toddler’s voice, it was full of distress. He ran into the bathroom. “Yes half-pint. I’m here.”

“I’m finish.” She held up her arms to him.

“Ugh you’re wet. Let me get something to dry you off.” Justin reached behind him to get a towel then proceeded to lift Tati from the tub and place her on his lap to dry her off.

“Justin I’m hungry.” Tati rested her head full of wet locks against his chest.

Justin grimaced. “Ugh. Yeah me too.” He had thought Celeste would be home by now since it was going on seven o’clock.

Where the hell is she? When he had offered to take care of Tati he wasn’t expecting to become a babysitter. When Celeste got back hopefully she would be in the mood to cook, but in the meantime Justin would have to substitute something for dinner.

“I’ll get you something to eat once we find you something to wear.” He placed her on the floor.

“Okay. Bye Justin.” Tati giggled and ran out of the bathroom, naked as the day she was born.

“Half-pint get back here!”

~*~*~*~

“Thanks Ms. Lou. I’ll be right back.” He kissed her on the cheek and closed the door behind him.

“She needs to lay off the makeup.” Justin wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

He looked at his watch, which read eleven o’clock. Justin had tried to wait for Celeste before going to his fight, but if he waited any longer he would have miss the fight all together.

“Hey Justin.” When Justin looked up Kyle and Celeste were standing in front of him, holding hands at that.

“Celeste where have you been?” He purposely dismissed the fact that they were holding hands or else his choice of words would have came out more explicit.

“We were on a date.” Kyle spoke up reveling in the look on Justin’s face.

“What the fuck do you mean a date? And I wasn’t talking to you. Now Celeste where have you been?” Justin repeated, his irritation was clear.

“On a date.” Celeste mumbled, but Justin still heard her.

He could not believe that she had gone on a date and with Kyle of all people. “You lied to me. I was here watching half-pint all fucking day while you were out with him. I can tell you went shopping though cause look at how you are dressed. You look good though.” Justin seethed through clenched teeth and pushed roughly past the both of them.

“Your sister is with Ms. Lou.” He tossed over his shoulder and continued down the block.

Celeste had finally dropped Kyle’s hand as she watched Justin disappear into darkness. “This is bad…” She had taken advantage of Justin kindness for the day by leaving him with Tati and she hadn’t even called to check on them. Bridget was wrong, Justin knew exactly what to say when he saw her in her outfit.

“Justin!” She called after him; he stopped and turned around displaying a gaze that burned right through her.

“Yo’ Justin.” Justin flipped Kyle the bird in response. “It’s a’ight Celeste. He’ll get over it.”

Celeste shook her head. “No he won’t.” And with that said she took off down the street as fast as she could to catch up with him; stumbling the whole way in her two inch heels.