Page 50 of That Fire

I nodded as Royal came back inside with my food. My soul was happy because that chicken and rice was on point. I smiled and wiggled slightly in my bed. Good food made me happy. He pulled the bed tray across me and lifted the bed a bit as they chuckled at my excitement.

When I was situated, Royal grabbed the fork and began feeding me. My smile was big. This man made me happy. I couldn’t wait until he truly made things official between the two of us. I would say ‘I do’ today.

“Let me help you, baby. You don’t need to have your arms up like that.”

I frowned. “You can comb hair, Royal?”

“Let me show you, girl.”

I gave him the brush and watched him brush my hair into a high ponytail. He was surprising me nearly every day with things he knew how to do. “As many times as I’ve held your hair up in a ponytail, I ought to be a damn pro.”

I bit my bottom lip, then laughed loudly. “You’re a fool.”

“I mean, I’m just saying.”

We were getting ready for the baby shower, and I was more than sure I would be in the hospital not long after, giving birth to these two beautiful babies. I was almost thirty-seven weeks . . . just where Bali wanted me to be. I couldn’t miss our baby shower though. I just hoped there wouldn’t be any surprises. I’d overheard Royal’s conversation with his dad about Crew leaving their house a mess. I couldn’t believe he was acting this way. He’d always been really sweet. This shit just came out of left field.

“What’chu think?”

I looked in the mirror and was wowed. “Is there anything you can’t do?”

“Yep. Live without you. Impossible.”

My lips turned downward and tears sprang from my eyes. He made me so happy. The way he expressed himself had my emotions going haywire. He gently swiped my tears away from my face and said, “That’s real, baby.”

I puckered my lips, and he leaned over and kissed me. “Can you do makeup?”

“Absolutely . . . not. I mean, I can watch a YouTube video and figure it out though.”

I laughed. “I’m just kidding. I’m going barefaced today. Moisturizer and lipstick will do the trick.”

“You’re beautiful either way. Your skin is glowing.”

“Thanks to you and the babies.”

“Naw. You had beautiful skin before that. We may have added to your natural glow though. More of them than me.”

I chuckled. “Don’t sell yourself short, baby. You’re amazing.”

“So are you, baby. Nikki called. She said Lareesa would be coming with her.”

I took a deep breath. “Okay.”

I hadn’t talked to Lareesa since that day on the phone, almost two months ago. She didn’t give me good vibes during our foursome, but when that nigga showed up at my house, it heightened it. She seemed sweet and nasty like I liked them, but something about her made my skin crawl. Hopefully, it was all in my head.

When I stood, my dress fell over my hips. Royal stood behind me and wrapped his arms around me. “Damn, baby. You so fucking fine.”

“Thank you. So are you.” Glancing at the time, I said, “Let’s get out of here. We’re late enough.”

He chuckled, then scooped me up to get me down the stairs. The baby shower was going to be at the family barn. I couldn’t wait to see the decorations. Iesha’s mom did them with help from my mama, Mama Chas, and Mama Lacey. My mama didn’t have a creative bone in her body, so I was pretty sure her input was minimal when it came to that.

Aunt Jen and Aunt Chrissy had the food on lock, and Aunt Tiff had helped them. They also found a lady in Beaumont to do our desserts. Her name was Jamie, but she had a company called Sajjisun Sweets. They said her cakes and cookies were delicious. Aunt Harper made a specialty cake in the shape of two babies clinging to each other as well. She hadn’t been feeling well, so they didn’t want to overwhelm her.

I had to assume there would be a lot of people in attendance, and I couldn’t wait to see everybody. I was hoping Crew didn’t come and crash the fucking party. That nigga would send me into overdrive and straight to the clinic. Most likely, Bali was going to admit me after the shower anyway to make sure I didn’tget my ass up. She said the longer they could stay inside, the better. I respected her expertise. She was an amazing doctor, and so was Noni. I would be seeing her after my six-week checkup.

Royal lowered me to my feet as he grabbed his keys and phone. I walked out the back door, then watched him lock it, then he picked me up and took me to his Escalade. I could have just walked to the Escalade. It was only a few more steps, but Royal would have fussed. He took his role seriously.

Once he’d gotten me inside, I smiled. This life was way more than what I was expecting. I didn’t realize just how sweet and sensitive Royal could be. What shocked me even more was his ability to be faithful, even with me not being able to satisfy him sexually. He was more than I even bargained for. I knew he was a good man, but this? I would never have guessed.