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Bonus
Part IIcont’d
March | Present Day
The New Jersey air was frigid in March, but the sun balanced out the beauty of the day and a terrible longing for spring. My door was opened for me and a proffered hand appeared. With his strong assistance, I successfully stepped out hisG-550, landing balanced on my feet in one hundred-five millimeterDolce & Gabbana, Nappa Mordore heels. It was a risk, yes, I knew, but it was also my pride. At nine months pregnant, I felt pretty good and wanted the world to continue to see.
“You good?” he murmured.
I pulled in a deep breath, taking in the fresh, crisp air and the zesty citrus mixed with a powerful note of cedar and a hint of sandalwood scent flowing from his solid frame. I smiled at him. His virile figure glowed in the bright sun. No longer seeing him regularly, I couldn’t fight being taken aback by his handsome countenance. His wild, brown, and rich coils groomed by a lineup cut with savant precision. His dark and bushy brows, defined five o-clock shadow, and lightly sheened full lips were still a sight to behold. He also looked breathtakingly stately in a camel wool coat. Such a remarkable contrast to his warm walnut skin.
“I am. Thanks.” I observed the lawn around my father’s estate as we approached the pool house then was struck with a thought. “Did you finish the nursery?”
His forehead tightened, clearly thrown by my question. “Yeah. Just waiting for the crib. The dressers and changing table came in a few days ago, I think.”
“Oh, nice. Which hue did you decide on?”
“Ava liked the off-white wood, Jug voted for the ebony, and Frankie wanted the white.” He shrugged with his lips. “I thought the off-white worked better with that pink.”
“It’s mauve.” I snorted. “Not pink.” I knew because he stole the color from me when I discarded it as an option for the nursery at my place, deciding on lilac, eggplant, and ivory. Those were the type of conversations we had while waiting at my obstetrician visits. That was the most of what we saw of each other, and certainly the only time we held conversations. “You can’t jack my color and not even pay it any respect. It’s the name of one of the companies you have shares in for crying the hell out loud.”
He chuckled, leading me inside. “Yeah. I got you. But I’m pretty much done. Ava knows everything should be done by Wednesday. Then I’ll have my final walk-through.”
Ava…
I rolled my eyes internally.
“Like you do at work with your houses?”
One cheek lifted on his classically beautiful face. “Yeah. Right. I guess so.”
We made it to the glass French doors and I could already see the mauve, gold, and ivory décor. Eight foot ivory giraffes with gold patches stood next to each door. Jas opened one of them and immediately, eager guests packed in the eighteen hundred square foot room shouted, “Welcome, Baby Sinclair!”
Gushing and overwhelmed with the onrush of enthusiasm for the bundle in my belly, I turned to Jas, who grinned with a closed mouth, eyes soft on me yet alive with so much passion.
“So, in closing, I’ll say this.” Peach scratched the side of her nose, considering her words. With all of my best friends aside her, allowing her to speak on their collective behalf, my best friend spoke in the lowkey authoritative tone I’d harkened to since I began to understand her weird gifts when we were children. “When frustrated with life, you’d often say, ‘I need a dog’ or ‘I need a plant’ or ‘I need to volunteer at the senior home.’ And to those alleged needs, sometimes I’ve said, ‘You don’t need a dog or a plant or to volunteer.’ Then there were other occasions when I said, ‘Okay. Start with a plant, move on to life form and eventually, you’ll get to what your heart truly wants.’”
The room found humor in that. I smiled warmly as I sat next to Jas in oversized tuft seats at the top of the room, recalling those conversations.
“Well, to that I’ll say this is what your heart truly wanted,” Peach continued. “I won’t get too detailed publicly, but what I will share with you and Jas is that your heart was made to grow and nurture a family of your own. Your journey as a mother will mature your spirit and expand your mind to widths and breadths that will allow you to feed a community.Thenwill you bask in your purpose on this earth.
“But never forget, this is a journey, not a marathon. The maturation won’t be overnight, but purpose will have its day.” The room went up in applause as I tried fighting back welling tears. I joked about Peach being a sorcerer and mythical shit like that, but I knew she was the real deal. “Congratulations, Jas and Ashira.” Peach gave a neck bow. “We’re excited to see what this next installment of life will bring.” While the room continued their passioned ovations, my besties each air-kissed me while leaving the podium.
My shower was more than I ever dreamed of because when I turned thirty and realized I wasn’t close to being married to have children, I stopped dreaming for me. And I certainly didn’t consider the guests at such an event. Having mixed company in a room for a celebration was an event for me alone. At one point, Charmagne was at the podium with my dad. Of course, he didn’t invite her to stand with him, but Charmagne found her way up there feeling compelled to sing my praises when she saw him doing it. She included her son’s in there, too, which was to be expected.
Jas’ little cousin, Jonathan, brought his new girlfriend. He boastfully introduced her to me, a college girl from Queens, studying pre-med. Tanya and Antoine were in the building, too, gifting us several boxes of pampers. When I got to them, she winked and pointed my way. I knew either I’d warmed on her in St. Vincent. That or the premium liquor served today had.
Earlier, I’d seen my aunt, Kimberly, in what appeared to be a fascinating conversation with Chelsea. That swelled my heart. If anyone could win over my über-snobbish aunt, Chelsea could. She was amazing, that one. Shizu and Man behaved as strangers and likely because his girlfriend showed today. I doubted if my best friend cared; she and David had been hot and heavy since returning from Italy where they vacationed the week before my birthday back in September. He’d been talking marriage and Shizu didn’t balk at the idea.
Noelle and her friends played the dance floor hard stealing glances at Jas’ little brother, Nicholas. He was glued under his reticent parents until I pulled him out there for a jig where I was able to spark a smile that warmed him enough to laugh at my silly moves. I hadn’t seen him since July, but still thought he was the sweetest and, so damn cute, it roped my heart by the strings.
We weren’t the only ones enjoying the deejay’s tunes. Juggy brought Jos-Renee. I’d finally met her. She was a classy, full-figured diva. Well-spoken and highly articulate, too. Apparently, she was a romance reader as well and big time. While she was running down authors like Bailey West, Bianca Xaviera, Takerra Allen, Chelsea Marie, Charae Lewis, B. Love, K.C. Mills, and countless other Black romance scribers I had yet to try, I struggled to quickly type the names into my phone. She mentioned an author by the name of Love Belvin, but claimed she didn’t “fool with her” too much because her books were too long and angsty. She’d lost me at that last mention because I caught Juggy from the corner of my eye shooting winks and kisses to Corinne while she arranged the dessert table display.
Ezra and Lex were present today. He’d blessed the food, revealing an immense vocabulary, rasping words of blessings and inspiration. The women were checking him out, likely not able to believe a man who could be on the cover ofEssencemagazine, bearded and dressed as swagged and stately could be a preacher. Peach was nervous when I formally introduced them. She’d been scolding our friends for their lusty whispers of the bishop since before I arrived, including lusty ass Cecil. Azmir and Rayna were in the South of France and couldn’t make it, but sent a video to share their gifts as other absent family and friends had done, too.
There was a spell of Black magic and love in the atmosphere. I couldn’t deny that. It was all…eerie. The subworld I’d created with a man I’d fallen for and spent what I considered, at the time, the best days of my life within mere months. And just to know it was all built on a bed of lust and lies, and all for nothing. But I smiled and bore through it all. The food was delicious and beautifully displayed, the room designed for anticipation of a new life—royal-like. And the music seemed to have spurred happiness for all.
I’d just left my dad and the new project manager he hired to assist with the merger transition when I threaded through the tables and guests, admiring the work my friends had put into this event. The room was packed with over two hundred people, a number I thought was reasonable rather than hosting close to five hundred people easily. I knew too many damn people! Peach, Corinne, Becky, and Shizu were determined to throw me the best shower, but my overzealous father wouldn’t sit this one out. He wanted to hire an event coordinator and have my girls keep an eye on him or her.
