Page 1 of Meet Me at the Altar

Prologue

“If you can’t follow my rules, you can get the hell out of my house!” Leon shouted, walking into Andrès’s room.

“Don’t worry. You ain’t gotta tell me twice!” Andrès jerked his closet door open and grabbed several pairs of jeans, shirts, and shoes, and shoved them in different duffel bags on his bed.

“Drè, where are you going?” his mother asked, following him back into his closet.

“Mama, don’t worry ’bout me. I’m good.” He mumbled through clenched teeth as he grabbed more clothes and threw them into another duffel bag.

His mother watched in dismay as she realized that her son was serious. Nicole Porter knew that with his stubborn ways and impatience, much like his father’s, it wouldn’t be easy to calm him down and ignore Leon. Nothing short of an apology would do, and her husband was just too prideful to ever issue an apology to anyone, but still she had to try.

“Leon’s just talking because he’s upset, that’s all. He doesn’t mean it. Leon, please tell him that you don’t mean it,” Nicole pleaded, spinning around to confront her husband.

Andrès grabbed a smaller bag and tossed grooming items and cologne inside of it as his mother and her husband argued.

“I meant every word I said. Since he’s got all this bravado and mouth, let’s see what he can do. I’m not raising no grown-ass nigga in my house. Out there smoking and running wild around the streets like he ain’t got no home training. Coming in my house at any time of the night. He can’t even keep a job!” Leon shouted.

Andrès threw his bags on his shoulders and grabbed the others in his hands before he spun around to glare at his stepfather. “Nigga, first, let’s be clear: You ain’t raise me. Your ass came up in here when I was fifteen. My daddy did all the damn raising that I needed.”

He stormed out of the room and down the stairs, with his mother and Leon hot on his heels.

“Andrès, please don’t leave,” his mother pleaded as he stepped onto the front porch.

“No! Let his ass leave; he’s grown. Let’s see him take care of himself now. I guarantee that he’ll be back here within a couple of weeks.”

“Mama, I suggest you start planning that nigga’s funeral.”

“You fucking threatening me?” Leon shouted, stepping closer to Andrès as Nicole threw herself between the two angry men in her life.

“I don’t wanna disrespect you, but you’d better get out of my face right now,” Andrès warned.

“What you gon’ do?” Leon shouted back.

“Leon, stop! You’re antagonizing him,” Nicole declared, pushing her husband slightly.

Despite his anger, Leon did exactly as his wife asked, but Andrès never moved an inch. She turned back to Andrès and attempted to reason with him. “Baby, please, just calm down.You should sleep it off tonight, and I’m sure that cooler heads will prevail in the morning.”

“Mama, I don’t belong here. I haven’t for a long time, and we both know that. Truthfully, I should have gone to live with Daddy when he first left.”

Andrès could see the sting of hurt in his mother’s eyes, but they both knew he spoke the truth.

“That would have been an even bigger mistake. Your daddy wasn’t shit.” Leon goaded.

Andrès rushed Leon as his mother jumped in the way again. He easily shoved his mother aside and drew back his fist. Just as he pulled forward to hit Leon in the mouth, a tiny hand grabbed his arm, and a soft voice pleaded, “Drè, don’t! It’s not worth it. He’s not worth it.”

It was only because of her that Andrès dropped his arm. He stood panting as he stared at the man in front of him. “Nigga, you lucky tonight. If it weren’t for these two women saving your ass, I would’ve beaten the shit out of you.”

“Get out!” Leon shouted.

“Drè!” Kalliope Robinson, his neighbor and best friend, shouted when Andrès made another lunge at him, but Leon jumped back. “Yeah, like I thought.”

“Andrès.” Nicole called out again as he ran down the steps with Kalliope right behind him.

When his mother grabbed his arm, he spun around and hugged her close to him. “I love you, Ma. I’ma be alright. Go inside. It’s cold out here.”

“Please, baby, don’t leave. Where are you gonna go?”

“I’ll figure it out. I promise I’ll be okay.”