Page 36 of Meet Me at the Altar

“I know, but I wasn’t sure if you really would.”

“Well, you can thank Kalli for that. When doubt arose, she had her foot on my neck.”

Mrs. Nicole released Andrès and turned to me with a smile. “Kalliope, it’s so good to see you again. How have you been?”

“I’m great, Mrs. Nicole,” I replied, walking into her open embrace and returning her hug.

“And your parents?”

“They’re still the same. Pressuring the rest of us for grandchildren that we’re not in a hurry to give. She says that one isn’t enough, especially since DJ will be graduating and leaving for college before we know it.”

She laughed. “That’s the same thing I’ve been pressuring this one for,” Mrs. Nicole replied, bobbing her head at Andrès.

“He has to find a woman and settle down first. What happened to that Mercedes girl your mama told me about?” Leon asked from his spot on the couch.

I felt Andrès tense up, and I wanted to tell Leon to shut up. Because while Andrès was behaving, I wasn’t sure how much longer it would last.

“I told you that they broke up a while ago, Leon,” Mrs. Nicole answered. “He is single again.”

“That’s what I came to tell you, Ma,” Andrès stated firmly, lifting our clasped hands to his lips. He kissed my knuckles, smiled at me, and my heart squeezed in my chest. I couldn’t love him more than in this moment. He was so loving and vulnerable.

“Baby, you and Kalli are finally together?” she asked with hope shining from her eyes.

“Kalliope and I are getting married,” he answered, dropping a kiss to my forehead.

Mrs. Nicole shrieked her joy, and the Statens stood and congratulated us. After all the congratulations and hugs were over, Mrs. Nicole went to get something to drink for Andrès and me, and Mr. Leon spoke up again.

“I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into, baby girl. Andrès can be a handful.”

“Mr. Leon, that was years ago. It’s been a decade, and he’s grown up a lot since then.”

“That’s what we’d like to believe,” Mr. Leon muttered.

“We all had our wild years. We grow up, things change, and we look back on those years and learn from them. I’m sure the same is true with you too, Andrès, right?” Mr. Staten asked.

My stomach churned because I knew things wouldn’t get any better. I suspected it would only grow worse from here.

“How much changing can one person do, though, Arnold? I mean, the boy didn’t fall too far from the tree. His daddy?—”

The way Andrès moved so quickly and so close to his stepdad, I could have sworn he had superpowers. The funny thing about it was that he didn’t release my hand with his movement. So, while his voice was low enough for only Leon to hear, I heard it, too, because I was right there.

Chapter 13

Andrès

“Ithought I told you the last time I stepped out of your house, don’t speak on my daddy. You don’t know shit about him, so I suggest you keep his name outcha muthafuckin’ mouth.”

“Listen, son, you’re not about to walk in my house checking and disrespecting me.”

Leon Porter was an ignorant muthafucka who wasn’t worth my time. I hadn’t begun to check him, and he needed to pray that was the only thing I would do.

I had wilded out a few years, smoking weed, drinking, and fighting. I knew that I was rebelling because I missed my dad, and I hated the way that Leon always spoke down on him. Shit wasn’t the same, and as much as I could have him kissing my ass and eating out of my hands if he only knew a fraction of who I was now, it wasn’t worth it.

“You made it very clear a few minutes ago that I wasn’t your son. Don’t let that word fall from your lips in relation to me again. A’ight?”

“Is everything okay?” Mama asked, returning with our drinks. I would always take the high road for her because shewas worth it. She set the drinks down, and Kalliope tugged on my hand. I stepped away and accepted the soda Mama gave me.

“Everything is fine. Come on, babe. Let’s sit down over here,” Kalliope suggested, pointing at the couch a little distance from where Leon had been seated.