Page 22 of My Heart Belongs to You

Nadir:

See you later.

“What do you need from me?” I asked when I was finally able to get a word in.

The waiter came over with our food, interrupting them long enough for me to speak. Summer looked at Shiloh, waiting for her to respond.

“I’ll send you the notes I have on my phone. Whatever you feel comfortable doing is fine with me.”

I nodded. “So basically, I can just swipe my card when needed?”

Shiloh laughed, then shrugged. “I have no problem with that.”

My mom wasn’t too pleased, slapping my shoulder then saying, “Boy, you will do more than pay for everything. Matter of fact, we’re going to look at the venues Shi sent us.”

“When?” I was annoyed but I’d never let her know.

“Today.” Her eyebrow hiked, daring me to say otherwise.

Summer snickered, earning a glare from me before my eyes went back to my mom who was still looking at me. Her dark brown hair curls were pulled into a low bun, a style she wore frequently. The stern expression on her adorable, round face made me smile. In her ears were the pearl earrings my dad had given her many years ago. They matched the necklace she wore; a birthday gift from me. My dad always said he liked how pearls looked on her caramel-colored skin. Whenever I was stumped on what to buy her, I always went back to what he said. Over the years, I’d added to her collection with bracelets and necklaces.

“What if I had plans already?” I taunted her just because.

She smiled. “Well, I guess you’ll just have to cancel them.”

Everyone at the table laughed and I did too.

“Fine, Ma,” I conceded. “Ry, man. We gotta plan something for you too.”

He smiled. “Yeah, definitely. Me and the guys were talking about that. I’ll add you to the chat.”

“Anyway,” Summer sang, shooting Ryder a playful scowl that made him chuckle. “Mama, can you help me finish the registry while you’re here?”

My mom nodded, then grabbed Summer’s hands. “Whatever you need, My Sunny.”

Their interaction warmed my heart. Since Summer’s mom passed away, my mom and Mel’s mom, Ms. Heather Rose, had stepped up, helping however they could. At the time of the tragic accident, Summer was living here with her dad. I vividly remembered Mel’s call and the panic in his tone. My heart ached whenever I relived that morning.

“Thanks, Mama,” Summer replied.

Her voice was thick with emotion, prompting my mom to pull her into a side hug. Ryder rubbed Summer’s back dotingly. I wished there was something I could’ve done to make this less emotional for her, but the truth was, there wasn’t anything anyone could do. After Summer’s sniffles subsided, we fell into a light conversation about baby names, their birthing plan, and the babymoon trip they were excited to take in a month.

I was happy for them, but I couldn’t shake my sadness as I listened to their plans. It made me think of Vanessa and Avery, and all the plans we had for our future. There was a point when all we talked about was buying a house in Roseville and raising Avery and her siblings in a close-knit, loving environment. In an instant, everything changed for me. Pushing those thoughts aside, I returned my attention to Summer and Ryder. This was their moment and I couldn’t let my situation ruin the happiness I had for them.

“This space is perfect,” my mom mused as we walked through the last venue of the day. The event coordinator, Jordan, beamed from my mom’s praises. Since we set foot into the building, that was all she’d done. “Nadir, baby. What do you think?”

“It’s nice.” I shrugged a shoulder, uninterested in the task she’d given me this afternoon.

This venue reminded me of where Vanessa hosted Avery’s first party. My thoughts from earlier returned, causing knots in my stomach. Vanessa and I hadn’t been together that long when she invited me to the party. The only reason I attended was because I was wholly enamored with her and the precious baby girl I’d met a few weeks earlier. From then on, I vowed to be by their side. It sucked that the agreement wasn’t mutual. The many sacrifices I made over the years were in vain. My jaw clenched as I forced my attention to Jordan.

“Like I said, it’s a little over three-thousand square feet, outside catering is permitted, and we have space for a DJ booth as well.” Jordan motioned her hands around the space, emphasizing her points.

“I think this is enough space. The father-to-be has a big family,” my mom told Jordan. “I think the round tables would work best here. You said those tables can hold how many place settings?”

“Eight.” Jordan glanced down at her tablet. “Here’s a rendering of our last event. I like to show this to help with seating arrangements.”

“This is perfect.”

My mom took the tablet from Jordan and examined the screen.