Capri 3

10. Capri

capri

. . .

Quameer rubbed on my stomach while kissing it while we were in bed. It had been a week since the gala, and it was still all the news spoke about. While the news covered it as some thugs that thought they could rob the wealthy attendees, we all knew differently. Forty called and told us that before I could cross the room back to them, Morgan and Parker were in a heated conversation. He only heard the tail end of their discussion, and it sounded like Morgan bit off more than he could chew and owed the CV’s some money.

Before what happened could even register, I felt Big Mike pick me up and run out of there with me in his arms. I was put in the back of the SUV, and then IG’s came out of nowhere to make sure I got away safely.

It took everybody to keep Meer from wanting to go back inside and kill those niggas for shooting while I was there. Goon was able to get Morgan out of there, and Morgan’s ass was so shaken up that he had Goon stay with him that night.

I think it was registering to Morgan that everything wasn’t all peachy. He couldn’t walk around demanding shit, and then not coming through when it came to making promises. His reach wasn’t as strong as he thought it was, and they were desperate and coming for blood. Quasim said he heard that the hit came directly from Tookie behind the wall.

Money was getting tight for the CV’s so they were becoming desperate, and Morgan was stringing them along. I would bet that was the reason he and Rich were in a heated conversation because the pressure was probably coming down on Rich from his people.

“Daddy don’t know what you are, but I can promise you ‘bout to be loved and spoiled like yo mama and sister.”

Beretta barked and jumped on the bed. “And clearly Beretta. You know she thinks she’s your woman, right?”

“B, you need to chill… I’m trying to get some from your moms while everything quiet,” he groaned, as she nuzzled herself underneath him, looking at me like I didn’t belong.

The little fuzz ball had enough attitude for a full Great Dane. She ran around this house following behind Meer and forget about when Peach put that motorcycle vest on her little stuck-up ass.

Meer continued to kiss my stomach while Beretta made sure she was in his skin. “What do you think the baby is gonna be?”

“A boy.”

“Meer, do you seriously think it’s going to be a boy?”

He nodded his head and continued to kiss on my stomach. Today was my gender reveal and I was excited. It felt nice to have some family time and some positive news considering all the negative shit I had been around.

“What do you want the baby to be, Sug? You haven’t mentioned the gender you want… everybody else been placing bets, but you… you been quiet.”

I smiled as he continued to caress my stomach. “A healthy baby… I don’t care if we have a boy or another girl… I just want them to be healthy.”

“Well, shit, you got me looking all bad and shit because I want a boy.” He leaned up and looked up at me.

There was a time when I didn’t think I would have ever gotten this or would be blessed again to become a mother. God really spun the block for me, and I promised myself I would always be grateful for whatever he sent my way.

He sent me exactly who I needed, so I didn’t care about the gender because me and Meer had created a little piece of us, and for that I would always be blessed. “I don’t believe that, though. I believe you want whatever God blesses us with… doesn’t matter if it’s another girl or a boy.”

Kissing my stomach, he leaned up and kissed me on the lips. “And you better fucking know it… plus, I plan to get you pregnant at least three more times.”

“Meer, what? I’m not trying to be pregnant every year… I gotta show off this body I know this baby going to give me.”

“Exactly the reason I’m shooting the club up every fucking time.” He kissed my stomach once more before going to get the door, since he locked it thinking he was gonna get some.

Soon as he opened the door, Ryder came barreling into the room with Gams behind her. “We made you breakfast, Suga… we have to keep my little sister nice and fed… she has to come out fat like me… right, Daddy.”

I knew the subject of Ryder’s birth was so sensitive, because other than photos, he wasn’t there to see his baby girl come into the world. “Yeah, just like you, Peach.” He fixed his face, as Gams rubbed his face.

He kissed Gams on the head and went into the bathroom. “Meer, you alright?”

“Other than having to pee, I’m straight, Baby,” he called behind him.

Gams came, sat on the edge of the bed and gave me the tray of food she and Ryder prepared for me. “I could get used to breakfast in bed.”

Ryder smiled wide. “Daddy says we have to take care of the queen… because you are the queen of the house.”

“Oh, did he?”

She shook her head and took a piece of my bacon and handed it back to me. “Now, Ryder, why would you eat her bacon?” Gams chuckled.

“I’m hungry, too.”

I handed her the fork while I took the spoon. “Share with me… I’m not that hungry this morning.”

“Nervous?” Gams asked, as she became comfortable on the side of the bed.

I moved over some. “Come on, Gams… climb into bed with me.”

She kicked her house shoes off and climbed up on the bed with me, Ryder taking the other side. “Yeah, are you nervous, Suga?”

“A little. I’m nervous to become a mommy… scared I will do everything wrong. It’s silly, but I’m nervous to meet the baby.”

It felt like I was waiting for a job interview and had finally gotten the call back that I was granted an interview but had to wait nine months for it. I knew my baby wouldn’t remember the moment they were born, and it was silly to be nervous, but I was so nervous.

Nervous because being a mother wasn’t easy, and I witnessed my own mother make mistakes. I never wanted to make mistakes when it came to the little person I was supposed to be raising.

Gams grabbed my face and kissed both cheeks. “You cannot mess this up, Suga Pie. When I became a mother, I was nervous and scared, too. The mistakes you do make will mold that child. No parent is perfect, and I don’t care what they say. The mistakes of my own mother molded me into the mother I am today, and so forth. Mina is a good mother, the best kind of mother to her boys. The mistakes Jean has made will only mold you into a better mother, not saying Jean isn’t a good mother, but you will learn from her mistakes. The only gift we can give our children is the gift of learning from our mistakes and watching us.”

I hugged Gams around the neck while tears fell down my cheeks. “Thanks, Gams.”

Meer was leaned in the bathroom doorway watching me, Gams, and Ryder. Well, Ryder was tearing up my food while leaned against me. “What you thinking, Meer?”

He walked over toward the bed and climbed his tall ass between me and Gams, and snuggled under both of us. “How fucking blessed I am.”

Peach slapped a piece of bacon in his mouth and leaned up. “Sorry, Daddy… I didn’t mean to slap you with the bacon.”

Gams kissed Meer on the cheek. “Remember when you spoke about having this. You didn’t think you ever would, and now look at this. Your wife is beside you with another blessing on the way. I told you not to doubt my God… he makes us wait to see how badly we want it, and you two wanted it.”

Sim tapped on the door. “Alaia and Erin are downstairs… said you need to get your makeup done.”

He rested in the doorway. “Come on, Sim… come get in the bed with us… there’s enough room.” Meer snickered.

Quasim laughed. “Nah…actually, Gams and Peach get off that bed. Capone told me about that call.”

“Why, Uncle Simmy?”

“It’s cooties on that shit, Ry… come with Uncle Simmy.”

Gams cackled and shook her head as she kissed me and Meer and stood up. “No cooties on Uncle Simmy’s bed because he too busy being the damn Pope… it might fall off when you finally use it, Sim.” I held Peach’s ears while he and Quameer talked shit to each other.

“Yo, Blaze?”

“What up, Slime?”

“Fuck ya.” Ryder came running to him scared of the damn cooties he lied about, and he picked her up.

“You wanna ride with me to pick up Ms. Blair?” Quasim asked Ryder, who was excited to be going anywhere with her uncle.

I pulled the covers from my body. “You’re driving all the way back to the city to pick her up?”

“Problem?” Sim asked.

I held my hands up. “None... since you going to the city do you mind grabbing me some sticky wings?”

“You gonna turn into a damn sticky wing,” Meer clowned me, as he got even more comfortable under the blankets.

Quasim winked. “I got you. Anything for my niece.”

Meer damn knocked me back with how fast he jumped up in the bed. “You know the fucking gender?”

Sim laughed. “No… I just have a feeling about these things.”

I ignored both Sim and Meer and went to brush my teeth and stuff before meeting the girl’s downstairs.

The gender reveal was at Alaia’s house, in the backyard. They had set up everything over there, so I got my makeup done over at Erin’s house. We spent the entire morning talking and just hanging like old times.

Except, this time I didn’t leave our talks feeling even worse about my life. I could participate in the joy they both felt whenever they discussed their marriages. We hadn’t even been married that long, but I felt so much joy when I referred to Meer as my husband.

He was my entire world, and I loved him so damn much it hurt at times. I knew he felt the same because the man had tears in his eyes as he made love to me. I’ve never had a love like that, and it used to scare me. Now, I knew I never had it because I was waiting for him.

“Big B in the muthafuckin’ house!” Blair came into Erin’s bathroom, and Beretta jumped up and started nipping at her damn legs.

I don’t know how I got stuck on Beretta duty, but she had been sitting on Erin’s ottoman watching our every move like she was a part of the ladies. “Beretta… sit, now,” I commanded, and she looked at me before returning her attention to Blair.

“Where the fuck did he get this damn dog from and why do you have it?” Alaia broke out into laughter and picked Beretta up.

“He calls her B, so I guess she thinks the name is reserved for only her.”

Blair laughed as she hugged and kissed both Alaia and Erin. “Can we talk really quick?” she asked me, and I became nervous.

Killing someone wasn’t easy and that stayed on your mind if you weren’t used to it. I worried about Blair, but she continued to tell me that she was alright. I also knew that you had to give people space, so that was what I had given her.

Not like I had much of choice because I had been busy since what happened at the house. I abandoned the chair I was slumped down in and followed her out onto the terrace off Erin and Capone’s bedroom.

“E, your panties are on this side of the bed.”

She started laughing as she rushed over toward the side of the bed. “I’m a grown ass woman and married. I ain’t got to explain shit to you hoes.”

“Then why you shoving those panties into your pocket then? What happened to being grown,” Alaia teased.

Erin couldn’t help but to blush thinking about my brother. While she was blushing, I was second guessing sitting on the bed when I came over earlier.

Those cooties Peach was scared of was all over my damn clothes. Luckily, I had switched clothes and was now in my dress. I wore a cream color draped off the shoulder bodycon dress, and Meer was wearing a matching two-piece cream pants set that matched me. Considering this man tried to wear a royal blue two-piece set, I was able to talk him down.

By talking him down, I got on my knees and made him agree while staring up at him with his dick in my mouth. His ass would have agreed to paint the sky green for me in that moment. Blair closed the sliding door, and I sat on the edge of the couch, careful not to mess my dress up.

“Blair, just tell me what you have to tell me… you see my hands,” my hands were shaking because I was so damn nervous.

She sat down beside me and grabbed my shaking hand. “I am alright. I wanted to tell you in person that I am alright. You text and check in with me often, and I know you will carry the guilt of me doing what I had to do.”

“You didn’t have to do it, Blair. I would have never wanted that on your conscious,” I stressed to her.

As much as I appreciated and loved that she protected me and Zoya, I wouldn’t have wanted her to have this on her. This wasn’t her stealing out of a department store. This was a murder, someone died in that house, and she was the one that killed them. Something that heavy followed you forever, and I loved my friend enough to not want that on her.

“Since Alaia started bringing me around, and we reconnected, you have been there for me. It was like no time has passed, and you have welcomed me into your family. Capri, your mother calls me… do you know what that means to me? After my mother passed and my family washed their hands with me, I had no one and never thought I would have a family. I fell for the wrong man, hoping he could give me that safe and familiar family I craved growing up. You’ve done that… between you, Alaia, and Erin, I feel so welcomed with you three.”

She kissed the back of my hand. “Alaia will pop up to chemo even when I tell her she doesn’t need to come. Erin calls to check in with me and sends me groceries when she knows that I’m weak from chemo. Even when you were away, you called every appointment and sat and talked with me because you knew it was a distraction. Even the few times you had dumb ass Meer on three-way with us. You don’t understand how much that was needed in those moments. I needed those moments.”

She used the back of her hand, and gently patted my face so I didn’t mess up my makeup. “Blair, you are like family. I don’t know everything you went through when we lost touch, but I am here and want to learn and know. On your time, of course… I love you, and I could never repay you for what you did for me.”

“And me… I love you, and I’m here, too.” It was then that we both realized that Zoya had slid the door open and was standing there. She took a seat on the opposite side of Blair, and we hugged her. “You know me, I’m not open to new friends, and really stick to myself or my sister. Since allowing you both further into my world, we’re sisters… what happened in that house happened, and we don’t ever have to speak about it… unless you need to.”

Blair laughed. “I am more than fine acting like this never happened. Enough about this… today is you and Meer’s day, and we need to be celebrating that.” We stood up and hugged.

“Yo, Ms. Lawyer… let me know if I should take pictures of the backyard in case you want the same thing!” Goon called from the backyard.

Zoya looked over the railing and laughed. “Gerald, I am not having your baby. I’m not having children until I am married… I’m wifey material, not a baby mama.”

“Fuck you meannn, I can call my guy right now and get you a fat diamond to match that ass… then we can work on making chocolate babies in Santorini.”

“Gerald, you can’t even leave the damn country,” she reminded him, as if he didn’t have plans to leave the country to travel with me to Monaco.

He smirked, exposing his gold teeth. “Like that ever stopped me before… there’s a dance floor over there… save me one dance to “Baby Hold Onto Me”.”

Goon was wearing Zoya down because she looked away and blushed before turning back to look at him. “One dance, Gerald.”

“Bet.”

Zoya turned to look at us and we acted like we weren’t all in their business before going back inside the house.

Meer met me outside of Alaia and Cappadonna’s house, and I kissed him while taking in his outfit. He held his hair tie in his hand, and I immediately put his locs up and grabbed his hand. We walked inside of the house, and I couldn’t believe my eyes.

From the foyer to the backyard there were balloon arches with both pink and blue balloons. Stuffed animals hung from the ceiling, and she had different color roses littering the balloon arches. I couldn’t help but to become emotional as I looked at all the effort she and Erin had put in for me.

“Yo, Joy… the hell with the stuff animals hanging like they on a damn noose?” Meer said, and Alaia stuck her middle finger at him.

Cappadonna pulled his wife close to him and kissed her head. “I told her ass that shit looked weird, but she and Erin wanted to get on me about it.”

“Stop, this is so fucking beautiful… I can’t believe you both did all of this for me.” I hugged both my sisters as they littered me with kisses.

“Um, you may have saved our lives a time or six… we needed to return the favor,” Erin kissed me on the nose. “I love you, Capri… today, tomorrow and forever. You are so deserving of everything that is happening for you.”

Alaia wiped her face. “When I came into this family you welcomed me with open arms. You welcomed me and my daug?—”

“Joy, don’t fucking ruin the moment… our daughter… our daughter.” Cappy looked at his wife and she waved him off, as she often did.

My favorite thing to witness was Alaia coming into her own when it came to her marriage with Cappadonna. She allowed him to lead, but she also told him when she didn’t agree with something. She went from never speaking her mind to now speaking her mind.

“Promise is my niece; you are my sister,” I reminded her. “Jaiden is my nephew, you are my sister… when Cappy and Capone married you both, you came with extra family. I couldn’t see our family without them. I love you both so much, and I would bust my shit again when it comes to you both.”

“Not with my baby in yo’ stomach,” Meer said, and I laughed as we continued into the house until we made it to the backyard.

Alaia and Erin had the entire backyard converted to a blue and pink wonderland. The long table was in the middle of the backyard, with the perfect view of the lake. On one side of the table, there was pink with pink and purple roses. Then, on the other side, there was blue with blue and baby blue roses.

“Pick a pin, and that’s the side you gotta sit on.” Alaia held a bucket with blue and pink pins, and Meer grabbed a blue one.

“I don’t want to pick one…. Can I just be neutral.”

“Absolutely.” Erin laughed.

The gender reveal felt like a big family reunion. Even though we saw each other often, it felt nice for us all to be together. Mina sat on the back porch with Papa, as everyone enjoyed the party. Meer held my hand, pulled me onto the dance floor and held me in his arms.

“Long As I Live” by Jaheim played, and I smiled as I looked into his eyes, and we danced. In this moment, it felt like the beach after our wedding reception. There was no one around, just the two of us.

“To not make you weak, but strengthen you instead,” Meer sang softly in my ear and my stomach got butterflies.

He removed his hand from me and reached out and Peach came over and he picked her up, while holding me around the waist as we danced. Meer didn’t care how old Peach got; she would forever be his little girl.

Peach kissed me on the forehead as we danced in the middle of the dance floor. “I promise to never let you down… both of you,” he looked at me, then he looked at Peach.

“I love you, Daddy.” Peach kissed her father on the head, and then looked at me. “I love you, Suga.”

“Love you so much more, Peach.” This moment was special because she needed to know how special she was. Just because a new baby was coming, she was cherished, and we loved her. I couldn’t promise her that things wouldn’t change in our home, because babies came and changed things.

However, I could promise that nothing would ever change when it came to me and her. I looked to my left and smiled so wide when I saw Papa and Mina walking onto the dance floor. She clung onto her husband like I would do with Meer. Gams and Quasim came onto the dance floor, and they circled around us, as we all danced.

Peach smiled as she looked at her grandparents, uncle, and great-grandmother surrounding us as we danced. “Lawd a mercy… why is that rat on the dance floor!” I heard my mother holler when Beretta ran onto the dance floor.

Quasim reached down and picked her up as she locked eyes with Meer. This damn dog was going to be the death of me. Gams went over to kiss Mina and Papa, he leaned lower so she could kiss his forehead, leaving Sim alone.

My face hurt from how wide my smile was when I saw Blair come onto the dance floor, and slip into his arms. Sim was usually tense, and he held onto her like he never wanted to let her go. I hated when people tried to predict my future, but with Blair and Sim, I knew she was going to be the next Mrs. Inferno.

The wife to the head of the Inferno Gods, and I couldn’t wait until it happened. Until then, I learned not to push and allowed what was supposed to happen – happen.

“Ms. Blair likes Uncle Simmy, and I think he likes her, too… he never likes girls,” Ryder whispered to me and Meer.

“Let Cappadonna tell it,” Meer laughed, as we heard fireworks explode above us and all of us looked up to see the sky littered with pink.

Sim had gave Beretta to Peach while Meer still held her in his arms. I looked in Meer’s eyes worried because he had wanted a son. When our eyes locked and he smiled, revealing that smile that I loved so much, my heart was at ease.

“My girls.” He kissed Peach on the cheek and let her down.

The girl was jumping all over the damn floor screaming in excitement. “Yeah boy… yeah! I’m gonna have a sister!” she yelled in CJ’s face, as he held his sister’s hand.

“Who the fuck raised her?” Meer asked watching his daughter turn into someone else. “How you feeling, Sug… tell me something.”

“I’m going to have another daughter.”

Meer’s smile was wide as he kissed my lips. “Another daughter… and you gonna fix all those mistakes Gams was talking about with her.”

“I love you so much, Quameer.”

He kissed my lips. “Impossible, because I love you more.”