Page 60 of Pretty

“Language, daddy.”

“My bad, li’l Drew.”

“Is that what you want to name him?”

She had suggested naming our son after me from the start, but I wasn’t sure. I didn’t want him to ever feel pressured to walk in my footsteps. I was a popular athlete, and I had lived a wild life. That wasn’t a reputation that I wanted to bestow on him, and I didn’t want him to feel the pressure of living up to my legacy. I wanted our son to do whatever it was he wanted to do.

“Yeah.”

“What made you finally settle into that decision?”

“I thought about it for a while, and I realized that just because I don’t want him carrying my football legacy, it doesn’t mean that he cannot carry the name. He can still build his own path and his own legacy. All I have to do is make sure that he’s clear on his life’s path. I’ll let him know that my legacy and my dreams aren’t his responsibility, but I do want him to be Andrew Jennings too.”

“Is that the second or junior?”

I chuckled. “Oh, you’re letting me choose that? Wasn’t it you who said that junior was country?”

She giggled and rubbed her belly. “Yes, baby, that was me. I still think it is, but I also think you should be able to have a junior. You can have what it is that makes your heart happy. After all, our son will carry on your bloodline, and that is a very important legacy that we don’t take lightly.”

“You’re right.” I pushed up and kissed her lips slowly. “Andrew Jennings Jr. it is then.”

“I’ll just call him DJ, though. I’m not calling him junior.”

I chuckled and rubbed small circles on her belly. “That’s fair, babe.”

I stared at her for several long seconds before she asked, “What?”

“I’m the luckiest gahdamn man in the world. I didn’t do anything to deserve you.”

“You always came through. No matter what was going on, you happened to show up at the right time. I believe it was divine timing, but I appreciate you always being there.”

“I appreciate you allowing me to be there.”

I scooted closer to her and wrapped her in my arms. These days of being at home with my wife and relaxing in bed were the best ones ever. I couldn’t have imagined back in my football days that life could ever be this great. Life couldn’t possibly get any better than this.

A LITTLE MORE THAN A YEAR AND A HALF LATER (SEPTEMBER)

“Mama Queenie, show ’em how it’s done!” Pretty shouted as my mother moved to the beat of the music.

My mother dipped down low, with my father behind her holding onto her hips.

“Aye! That’s my mama, old man!” I shouted.

“That’s my woman, young buck!” Coach shouted back.

They laughed and kept dancing. “Don’t be a hater all your life, Drew. Go dance with your woman,” Dani teased, walking past me.

“Shut up. Ya man is sitting at the table pouting. Maybe you need to go show him some attention,” I declared, nodding at Matt. My sister and my boy had started dating eight months earlier after he came to me and expressed his interest in her. I’d had a long heart to heart with him. Matt was a good guy, but he knew I didn’t play about my sister. I had no doubt that he would treat her well.

“I’m about to,” she replied, sticking her tongue out at me.

I rolled my eyes and headed toward Pretty who danced by herself. It was Labor Day weekend, and we had thrown a cookout at our house.

Pretty’s parents, siblings, and their significant others were here, and my parents and sister were here. Jason had brought his wife, and Matt was here with Dani. My father had claimed the grill two weeks ago, and he’d made sure he arrived early this morning to make sure no one took that right from him.

I didn’t care, as long as all I had to do was chill, eat, and enjoy my family, I wasn’t complaining. I watched Enzo’s and Maël’s kids play in the pool. My eyes wandered to DJ who sat on Mama Mer’s lap. She enjoyed playing with her grandboy, and he loved his nana. Pretty was glad her mother had someone new to dote on and could ease up the smothering she did on her.

My son loved both of his grandmothers, and they both spoiled him equally. Sometimes, Pretty and I found ourselves fighting to have time with him on the weekends, because his grandmothers were always claiming all his time.