Nina straightened in her seat.
“Oh my Lord.”
Jio had saved the best for last. He took that route on purpose, knowing that their final destination was beyond breathtaking.
It was the kind of home that seemed built for generations of summer weddings, holiday brunches, cousins sleeping three to a room, and older women saying grace over meals that began as lunch and ended somewhere near midnight. Beyond the main house, Nina could see glimpses of the water glittering through the trees. All types of cars lined the circular driveway. Black trucks. Vintage whips and foreign convertibles were all she saw.
People moved across the lawn carrying garment bags, flowers, welcome baskets, and bottles of champagne. Nina nodded, “We’re going to have the best weekend ever.” She felt it.
“Yes, we are baby! I’m ready to get out. I gotta shit!” he told her.
A young man in a black polo opened Nina’s door. “Welcome to the Gotti Estate.”
Nina looked at Jio because he’d clearly forgotten to inform her of the most important fact.
He took the paper bag from her lap and grabbed her tote from the back seat although she reached for it first.
“I can carry my own bag.”
“You can do a lot of things you not doing today.”
“I’m not handicap,” she said with an attitude.
Jio looked down at her stomach then back at her face.
She didn’t want to argue but the way she said his name was a warning to tread lightly. “Jio….”
“I didn’t say nothing.” He held his hands up to show her that he didn’t want no smoke.
She poked his chest. “You thought it.”
Nina took a deep breath, which warranted Jio to check in with her. “You nervous or nauseous?” With her, he could never be too sure.
“A little of both,” she openly admitted.
Jio leaned down and kissed her temple. “Don’t be.”
“You’re mine. That’s all they need to know.”
SIXTEEN
“YOUNG NIGGA BUT I GOT OLD CASH.” KODAK BLACK
The Gotti Estate smelled like lavender, fresh flowers, and weed. She loved it though. Luggage filled the foyer and there was a short woman with a heavy Caribbean accent directing florists to go towards the ballroom. To the right of her was another lady who Nina assumed was the wedding coordinator since she had a clipboard in hand and a headset that she whispered into every few seconds after looking down at her notes.
The house was flooded with children of all ages. They happily darted in between adults. No one bothered to make them go sit their asses down somewhere. The Marcelles would never. Nina instantly felt bad for her two nieces, who were already being groomed by their grandmother to be just as pompous as she was. She prayed her future children were the perfect blend of her and Jio’s worlds.
It was time for another nap because this was the third or fourth thought that she’d had about children today.
What she understood was that no matter the tax bracket, in any family gathering she could always count on three things: someone was going to be in the kitchen cooking, one family member that had to laugh harder and louder than anyone else,and lastly… there was always that one person that had to let everybody know all they’d done to pull the event together.
Lo and behold, Jio introduced her to all three of his family members that played those roles within the first ten minutes of them arriving.
The way that they all loved and doted on Jio was exactly how she expected it to be from The Gottis. Hugs, kisses, and tons of questions. Everyone wanted his attention. His name was being shouted from every direction. They’d awaited his arrival. Jio was clearly everyone’s favorite and the golden child of the family. She was greeted with all the love that she’d ever prayed for and it felt overwhelming but in a good way. His family hugged her tight and kissed her cheeks so many times that she lost count.
She’d never had the chance to see him be someone’s brother, cousin, nephew, or just a regular man hanging out with his folks. Seeing his guard come down softened her. Jio was laughing easily, smiling hard and listening more than he talked. It was as if he took off his armor piece by piece and placed the made man title to the side for the next two days. His family didn’t just respect him, but they loved the man, and it showed. She was happy they were there. This was what her needed. A few days away from whatever had stolen his joy. No responsibilities. No calls. Just a whole bunch of love. Jio was where he was supposed to be… he was home.
Eventually, one of his aunts insisted they stop standing downstairs entertaining people and go put their things away. Jio happily took the gateway. Nina went to reach for her bags, but he moved quicker.
