I placed the last stuffed lion on the gray bookshelf next to the gray crib that Kellon put together, and stepped back to admire months of hard work. Hard work I’d insisted on us doing ourselves. Despite my rich baby daddy’s desire to pay someone to do it for us, we did it ourselves. The nursery was finally done.

I walked over to the rocking chair and lowered myself carefully, rubbing my swollen belly. In less than two weeks, I’d be meeting my son. It was surreal how much my life had changed in the last almost nine months. I could barely wrap my head around it all, but it was all for the better. Doing something I’d always dreamed of doing, I picked up my phone, opened the video app, and hit record.

“Hey, baby,” I said softly. “It’s your mama. You’re not here yet, but you will be soon.”

I angled the phone to get my belly in the frame.

“You’re entering a world with so much love. Daddy and I just finished your room. I designed it. Daddy painted it and put together your crib. What I’m trying to say is your parents have been loving you since the second we knew you were in my belly. I can’t wait to meet you, hold you, kiss you, and show you this big, beautiful world…”

My words trailed off as I wiped the tears from my eyes before they could fall. I hit save just as Kellon walked in carrying the thick baby book we’d been slowly filling out since month five.

“Phee, I know you not still in here crying,” he teased then dropped a kiss on the top of my head.

“I can’t help it.” I sniffled. “We’re going to be parents soon.”

“We are.” He sat down in front of me and tucked a folded envelope into the back of the book.

“What’s that?”

“A letter… for J when he’s older.”

“Oh, so I can’t see it?” I smirked, reaching for it. “Y’all can’t be keeping secrets from Mama.”

“If you insist.” He pulled the letter out and removed it from the baby blue envelope. “I would read it to you, but I think you may want to read it yourself.”

He handed me the letter. I hadn’t even read the first few lines before tears built up in my eyes again.

J,

I hope you always know I wanted to be your father before I ever saw you. You changed my life just by existing. Still, if you’re reading this, then it means you’re old enough to start asking questions. You may have read something online or heard something from a friend that has made you question who your family is.

There are answers in this letter that will be best coming from me. The truth is, Ty, I’m not your biological father.

I didn’t help make you. I didn’t give you your DNA, your eyes, your blood type. But understand this and never forget it. I chose you. Every single day, I chose to be your dad. I will be there the day you are born, and every day after.

I won’t lie to you and tell you a hero’s story about your biological father. I won’t demonize him either. Know this, he made some sad choices that hurt people, including your mom, which is why I had to step up and protect you.

Remember this, kid. If you ever doubt where you come from, just look around. Look at the people who show up for you every day. Look at the people who choose to stay. That’s your family.

And no matter how old you get, I’ll always be proud to call myself your dad.

Love,

Your Dad

I stopped reading. Tears dripped down my face, and I just looked at the man I would soon spend the rest of life with, with love and admiration.

“You tryna make me suck your dick in this baby room, ain’t you?”

“Maybe.” He smirked, pulling me carefully on his lap.

“Thank you. Thank you for stepping up when everyone else passed.”

“Thank you for sitting in that stairwell.” He grabbed the letter out my hand and folded it back up nicely before placing it back in the envelope.

“You know… this is probably the only room in the house we haven’t christened,” I said, tugging at his pants.

“Gone now, Phee. You’re too far along.” He tried pushing me off him, but it only helped me release his dick from his shorts.

“Dr. Gaines said sex this late in pregnancy is good for a healthy delivery.”

“Is that right?”

He kissed my neck as I slid down on top of him reverse cowgirl style. A collaborative moan escaped us as he bounced me up and down in his lap right there in the baby’s nursery. The pace was slower this time because of how far along I was, but it was perfect. Our bodies were colliding, celebrating our love.

“Ooh,” I moaned as he stroked effortlessly inside me.

“Ooh what?” He kissed my ear, wrapping his big hands around my neck from behind. “Ooh what, Phee baby?”

“It f-feels so good,” I stammered.

He was so deep inside me. His dick was tapping my G-spot relentlessly, sending sensations through my body. I was on the verge of exploding.

“It feels so fucking good.” Kellon’s grip on my neck tightened as my walls squeezed against his manhood.

He grunted. “Tell me who you belong to.”

“You… You. I’m yours!” I rotated my hips in his lap feverishly.

“Slow down before you have this baby.” He tried to still me, but he was pounding into me so good I didn’t care if I had the baby tonight or not.

“I love you, Kellon Barnes!” I screamed out. I was on the verge of exploding.

“I love you… too, future Mrs. Barnes! Now, cum on this dick, baby!”

And I did just that.

“Uh… Kellon!” I screamed as a sharp pain in my back jolted me from my sleep. “Ah!”

“What? What’s wrong?” He hopped up, looking around confused. We’d just made our way into the bedroom a few hours ago.

“I think my water just broke.” I pointed to the wet spot underneath my legs. “I think… I’m in labor!”

“Like, right now?”

“Yes, right now!” I shouted.

Kellon hopped up frantically, helping me out of the bed before grabbing the bag we’d packed a few days ago and helped me onto the elevator. Monte was off already, so Kellon was driving.

“Call Dr. Gaines!” I screamed at him as a contraction hit on our way down to the elevator.

“Already called. She said go to the hospital,” he said calmly.

He certainly was a lot calmer than me, but then again, he wasn’t the one that a little human was trying to push out of.

“Kellon, this is all your fault!”

“You the one that couldn’t stay off this dick,” he said, lifting me into his arms bridal style and carrying me over to the Bentley. “What’s that you said… having sex would help speed things up?”

“Not this fast! I didn’t know it was going to happen this fast!”

“Well, baby boy must be tired of being poked in the head.” He laughed.

“Not funny.”

I panted through another contraction as Kellon got me situated in the car. He ran around to the driver side and climbed in. He didn’t waste any time taking off down the street and flying like a bat out of hell toward the hospital.

We got to the hospital fast, and I was immediately taken to the labor and delivery unit. Everything from there was a blur. The hours blurred into one another. Our parents arrived, and I went on a journey of pain, pressure, sweat, and screams I didn’t even know I was capable of. Kellon never left my side once. He held my hand, fed me ice chips, whispered encouragement, and at one point, literally let me choke him out mid-contraction. He said it was better than me breaking his throwing hand.

“Get this baby out of me now! Before I die!”

“You’re not dying, baby,” he said rubbing my head with a wet rag. “You’re birthing life.”

“Just one last push,” Dr. Gaines coached, and I took a deep breath.

“One… two… three… push!”

“Ahhh!” I screamed.

Finally, a little cry pierced the air. Just like that, my son was here, and I was a mother. The nurse placed him on my chest, and he was perfect—tiny, sweet, and covered in me. I sobbed. Kellon cried too.

“You did it,” he whispered to both of us, kissing my forehead then kissing our boy.

The next day, I watched as Kellon stood at the counter in our hospital room and signed his name on the birth certificate, solidifying his commitment to us… to our son.

Jeronee Kellon Barnes

He looked back at me. His eyes were full of love.

“Our son is perfect,” he said.

“He is.”

“Let’s tell the world!”

Kellon pulled out his phone and snapped a photo of me in the bed holding our son skin to skin with his lips on my forehead. I was tired and glowing, but the picture was beautiful. He kissed us both then posted the photo with a simple caption.

@KellonBarnes: He’s here. My first son. My everything. @Phileighthebarber gave me the greatest gift I’ll ever hold. #BabyBarnes #LoveMadeHim #DadLife