*rap with Icee and T-Zack
Don't fuck with me, don't fuck with him
Stay in yo place, get the fuck outta our face
Don't fuck with me, don't fuck with him
T-Zack rolling with me, you my man Icee
Don't fuck with me, don't fuck with him
Ride to da end, yo that's my best friend

As Kitty entered her eighth-month, her sisters wanted to throw a big baby shower for her. Just another reason to have a big party. They were having it at Sarena's house. She and Victor had a large four-bedroom house and a huge backyard. It was mid-August and nice outside so they were having it outside. It was going to be co-ed, so all Icee's friends came as well. All the Facts were there. It was themed, everyone had to wear blue for a boy. Sarena did it up with the games they all had to play.

Kitty and Icee sat at a King and Queen throne, and had to wear crowns and were the judges for all the games.

Instead of gifts, because Kitty and Icee had already accumulated everything that baby would need for the next two years, friends and family could donate to the Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition of Springfield. Kitty was very interested in helping kids and babies trying to find a home, so they as well donated a large check to the organization. The baby shower was more or less a party to celebrate the baby to come.

Everyone with children brought theirs and it was the first time Kitty got to hang with T-Zack's kids in all the years of knowing him. Tyrone was now six and the last she saw of him was at her wedding. T-Zack's other son was four, Andre, and then there was two-year-old Erykah. Yes, he had named his kids after Andre 3000 of Outkast and Erykah from Erykah Badu the singer. Heck, T-Zack's first name was Tyrone, but he never went by it, so his oldest son's name was an ode to Erykah's song by that name.

"Maybe we'll name our next one after our favorite entertainer," Kitty said as she held a sleeping Erykah. "Beyonce for a girl!"

"Hell naw!" Icee said.

"You named our son, I have to name our daughter."

"Yeah, but we're sticking with names in the family. You know I'm named after my grandfather? That's how we do it in the Curtis family."

She looked down at Erykah and could not wait to hold her son soon. She wanted a big family because she grew up in a big family. Icee wanted six, but that was too many. Four for sure. Depending on how she felt after that, maybe another. If her mother wanted and had the six she wanted, she could have what she wanted. Having six daughters, the first at only eighteen, was not something seen a lot. How she continued to be a good mother after her husband left when Nola was only a few months old, was a testament to the woman she was.

She hoped she could be half as great as her. Hopefully, with Icee by her side, they would be great parents. She knew marriage was hard work, she did not live in some fairy tale that magically everything would be perfect. Some days Icee got on her nerves to the tenth power, but she loved him, flaws and all. She knew she was not the perfect wife either, but hopefully, Icee loved her flaws as well.

It would take a village to help her. She was so blessed she had five sisters that she was close with and could count on for anything. Not just her sisters, she considered them her friends. Besides Fayme, none of her friends from her past were still around. It was hard for her to make friends when her sisters set the bar high.

"Girl, get this heavy baby off you and near that belly," Sarena said, picking up Erykah. "Who baby is this?"

"Sorry, I got her," Michelle said, coming to get the baby then walking off.

"I just wanted to hold her, then she fell asleep," Kitty said, picking up her plate of cake Marcello made for everyone at the party. It was a hit and she did not even tell them it was vegan.

"You're going to hold your own soon," Sarena said, grabbing a chair and pulling it near her "You're nervous. I know you. You're thinking about all the things you could do wrong, and thinking you're not going to be a great parent."

"Well, there is a lot-"

"Stop it!" Sarena said. "Girl, you are so ready for this. I may be the oldest, but you've always been second in command of the rest of them. Don't think it was LeyLey's immature ass that helped mommy when I wasn't there. It was you. You changing NoNo's pamper when you were only six, barely outta them yourself. You cooking for everyone at ten when I was out being a teenager. You picking up the slack when I got married and moved out. You have been a mommy already."

"That's just with my sisters, this is different."

"How? You have the motherly instincts in you Kit, best believe. Do you think I had this same talk with Ashley? No! Because her ass was wilding out when she got pregnant while still in hair school. She wasn't ready mentally for having a kid. But she had mommy and me, and you, to help her."

She groaned, remembering babysitting for Atiya all summer before she moved off to a dorm on campus. She could not wait to get away from the crying baby in that small house. She loved her sister, and she loved her niece, but at eighteen, she was not thinking about babies.

"I'm going to hire a nanny," she admitted to her sister for the first time. "Ashley suggested it, Icee agrees, and...there's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"You asking me? Hell no there's nothing wrong. Thankfully I was living with my in-laws when Brandy was born and next door to you guys. Still was a lot to handle. But you got this Kitty. Don't stress over the little stuff," she said, then rubbed her belly. "I can't wait to see this little boy. Girl, a boy in our family is like a precious jewel. Brandy, Monica, and Atiya gonna have a field day with him."

"I know!" Kitty smiled. "I can't wait to see how you decorated his nursey."

"It was soooo fun!" Sarena said. "Not having to worry about money and furnishing that mansion, girl...I want to move in there."

"Soon, soon, soon! I love the loft, but that house is our dream home."

"Bet that. Have a sleepover with all of us there."

"And the girls too. I can't believe Brandy is twelve now and going into seventh grade. Looking like your twin," Kitty said, looking over at her oldest niece playing rowdy with a group of kids and Pops. She was the tallest of them all. Definitely got her height from her father. Her curly hair from her mother.

"And already boy crazy. You know Victor on high alert since she got breasts."

Kitty laughed. Victor stayed on high alert since the day she met him. He never knew moving next to six girls would change his life. He became father, brother, boyfriend then husband, teacher, doctor, protector, and bodyguard to them over the years. Her first little crush was on Victor St. James, the boy next door. She never told her sister that of course, it was weird. She was too young to even know much about boys, but she knew Victor was the kind of boy she wanted.

Silly crush. Victor had been family to her since she was eight years old. He was the only father figure that Nola ever had. Victor would fill in and drive them to school activities when their mother couldn't. He took Nola to daddy-daughter functions. Things her dumb father missed out on. They owed Victor so much.

After the baby shower, while Icee drove her home, she was deep in thought.

"What's wrong babe? You're quiet. Tired?"

"Yeah," she said.

"It was a nice party. Pops super excited, he hasn't been around kids in a long, long time, so he had fun playing with all the kids there."

"Mmm-hmmm."

"You should have had your girl there, Gin. She's trying to be the godmother, she should have-"

"I changed my mind," Kitty said.

"Oh. Okay."

"I mean, I love Ginger...but she is not...the parental type. Not now anyway, maybe she will be later. She's still young. But I want IceeJay to have someone that can be like a second parent to him."

"Whatever you want."

"I asked Sarena to be godmother."

"Cool. That's cool. You know Rena tough, my boy needs someone tough like her."

"Good. Because I want Victor to be godfather."

"Say what? Babe, I already asked T-Zack and you know my man geeked about it."

"So. I want Victor to be IceeJay's godfather. He's the only man I trust."

"You trust me."

"Maybe. But Victor is family."

"T-Zack is my family. He's my best friend."

"T-Zack has three kids of his own."

"Victor has two! What's your point, Kitty?"

"I want Victor to be IceeJay's godfather."

"I already asked my man, he said yes, and that's that."

Icee pulled up into their garage, and she kept quiet. She like T-Zack just fine, but did she trust him with her child? She trusted Victor and she wanted him to take care of her child if anything ever happened to her or Icee. And even still, she wanted Victor to be the man in his life to teach him all the things he taught her. What did T-Zack know how to do? Rap and run a record label?

She started to cry.

"Kitty, come on babe, stop that," Icee said, once he parked the car. "What's wrong?"

"I want Victor to be the godfather! With him and Sarena, I know IceeJay would have great back-up parents. I mean, we're going to be great too, right? Don't we want the best for our baby?"

Icee held her as she cried, rubbing her back.

"Okay, look," he said. "If you think Vic will be a better choice, I trust you with that. I'll tell T-Zack to sit this out. Maybe the next one-"

"Great," Kitty said, pulling away and wiping her tears after the show she put on. "I'm going to call Victor and ask him now."

"What the hell? Kitty, you wrong for that!"

"I love you," she said and kissed him before getting out of the car.

A/N: I don't know much about The Godfather/mother traditions so I researched it. 🤷🏾‍♀️ I feel like it should be the BEST option in case the parents both die. Sorry T-Zack, you're not it. Godparents also build a stronger bond than just aunt/uncle so even though they are related to the kid, I feel this makes a stronger bond.

And legally, still get that in writing!