Chapter 25
I maneuvered my way through the crowded street.
I expected nothing other than for the roads to be filled with cars and the streets to be filled with people.
It was grand opening day, and everyone had been talking about it leading up to this moment.
There were billboards all over the city, along with radio ads and social media posts for the grand opening of Jabari’s restaurant.
I continued walking along the streets until I arrived at the front of the building.
There was a big red ribbon and cameras everywhere.
The crowd was a diverse mix of cultures, all united in support of Jabari.
I continued to look until I saw a hand waving at me.
I made my way over to Danita and hugged her.
“You look good, girl!” she gushed.
“Thank you. I tried.”
“Hmm, I bet you did.”
I wore a flowy, white strapless jumpsuit with white pumps and gold jewelry. I added a bit of makeup to stand out more.
“Have you seen Jabari yet?” I asked Danita.
“No. Not yet. They should come out soon though.”
I became nervous thinking about seeing Jabari for the first time since I had last seen him. I fidgeted with the bracelets on my wrist. Danita reached over and placed her hand on me. I looked up at her, and she gave me a reassuring smile.
“It’s going to be okay.”
We stood there for a few more minutes until the commotion started.
People clapped and cheered as Jabari made his way out of the restaurant.
He wore his white chef coat and pink pants.
He had a fresh haircut, and his beard was trimmed to perfection.
Behind him was Gloria in a pink, flowy dress with white flowers on it.
She didn’t have on a turban or wig. Her makeup was beautiful and matched the color of her dress.
She looked beautiful. JaBria wore a fluffy pink dress and small white kitten heels.
She had a big pink bow in her hair. All of them looked nice standing in front of the crowd.
“Good afternoon, everyone,” Jabari declared into the microphone.
The crowd cheered even louder. Unlike me, I stood there trying to control the heat that shot through my body. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I could tell he was nervous, but he was also excited at the same time.
“Alright, alright, I appreciate all the love for real,” he said, trying to get the crowd to calm down.
The crowd went silent, and Jabari cleared his throat.
“Thank y’all for coming out to support. This means a lot to me and my family.
You know I’ve always had the dream of opening a restaurant, but I just didn’t know how to turn that dream into a reality.
It felt like every time I was on the path to getting things up off the ground, something would come in and push me off course.
Still, with the support system I have in place and the people that’s looking for me to win, I found myself back on the path each time. ”
The crowd cheered.
“I appreciate that, y’all. I would like to give a few shout outs to a couple of people. To the builders, project managers, and my newly hired staff, thank y’all. Y’all stuck it out with your boy, and I’m grateful for that.” Jabari looked over at them, and they all waved and clapped.
He looked behind him and reached for JaBria and Gloria. “To my mama...” His voice cracked. “Your battle alone showed me how strong I could be. I’m blessed that you are here to witness this. I love you, Mama.”
She kissed his cheek, and the crowd all swooned over their affection.
I could feel the tears building up. I tried my hardest not to let them fall because I didn’t want my makeup to be ruined, but I wasn’t sure how much longer it would last. He reached down and picked JaBria up.
She had a big, bright smile on her face, causing a smile on mine.
“To this special girl, thank you for loving your daddy the way you do. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love making all those food requests for you. Even when you’re older and married, I’ll still be there for you. I love you, JaBria.”
“I love you too, Daddy.” She hugged his neck tight, and he hugged her just as tight before he placed her down.
Danita sniffed beside me, and I was sure there wasn’t a dry eye out there.
“Before I wrap this up, there is one more person I would like to thank.” He paused and looked down. “Um, I’m not sure if they are here, so I’ll be direct and clear. Y’all make sure y’all got your phones out just in case I have to send this message to her.” Jabari laughed, and so did the crowd.
“To Amina Anderson...”
My body froze. Danita reached and grabbed my hand, and I was thankful. I looked directly at him. Due to the crowd size, he didn’t see me, but it felt as if it was just him and me there. He rubbed the back of his head.
“Amina Anderson, my Cancer, the one who put a spell on me.” He chuckled.
“I just want to thank you. You helped introduce me to a life of balance. You were my escape from the craziness of having to open the restaurant. I functioned better with you. You don’t understand the impact you’ve had on my family and me.
Thank you, I love you, and I miss you. Congratulations again on being the baddest nurse in the city, baby girl. ”
I no longer cared about my makeup. The tears rolled quickly down my face, while Danita rubbed my arm, comforting me.
“Now, somebody get some scissors so I can cut this big ass ribbon and get some food in y’all stomachs?”
The crowd cheered as he cut the ribbon. Jabari stepped to the side and allowed the staff to enter, and then the crowd followed. I stood in the same place, watching as people filled the restaurant.
“Amina...” Danita softly voiced.
I looked at her, and she had a smile on her face. “I told you that man loves you. Go get your man, sis, and don’t let him go.”
I nodded.
“Here, let me clean you up real quick.”
Danita reached into her purse and pulled out a tissue, wiping at my face. She added her lip gloss and smiled.
“Do I look okay?” I asked.
“Beautiful.” She hugged me and walked away toward the restaurant.
I searched the crowd, trying to find Jabari among all these people.
He stood in front of a reporter and a camera when I finally laid eyes on him.
He had an innocent smile on his face, and his eyes were bright.
I took him in for a moment. I couldn’t believe this was the man I had fallen in love with.
He checked all the boxes for the romantic spark in me.
He was beautiful inside and out. Besides my job, this was the best thing that had happened to me in a while.
I walked closer to where he was and stood behind the reporter.
He looked down at the ground, laughing before he looked up.
We instantly locked eyes. The world stood still, and everyone around us disappeared.
I waved and smiled.
“Um... Can y’all excuse me for a second?” Jabari asked the reporters.
They agreed and stepped aside. He walked over toward me and stopped directly in front of me. His tall frame towered over me with a big smile spread across his face.
“Hey, Amina.”
“Congratulations on the opening of your restaurant.”
“Thank you. Shit, thank you for coming. Did you just get here?”
I shook my head. “No, I’ve been here for the whole thing.”
He rubbed his hand down the back of his head and gave a cheeky grin. “So, you heard all that?”
I nodded. “I did.”
“I’m telling you it’s the Cancer spell.”
We both laughed at the same time.
“But just know I meant everything I said. I’ve been missing the fuck out of you, Amina.
I wish you were standing beside me up there, but I had to say what I needed to say.
I knew it would eventually reach you one way or another, but you had to hear it.
” He reached for my hands and took hold of them.
“Everything I said, I meant it. I spoke my truth up there. I love you, Amina Anderson.”
The tears flowed again.
“I love you too, Jabari Moore.”
“I can’t and won’t get enough of you, baby. You’re the missing puzzle piece. Please consider giving us another try. This time, we’ll do shit right. We’ll talk to each other. Whenever you’re in your head, I want to be that first line of defense. Let me love you the right way.”
I didn’t need to contemplate. I came here for Jabari, and the plan was to leave with Jabari. I moved closer to him and wrapped my arm around his neck.
“Yes, love me the right way.”
A big smile spread across his face. “See? I told you, you had a spell on me.”
“Stop! You make it seem all creepy and stuff.”
“It’s the truth. I’m hooked, baby.”
“Call it something else, please. Spell is kind of scary,” I said.
He stared at me for a second before he kissed my lips. “What about embrace?”
“Huh?”
“It’s something about a Cancer’s embrace... instead of a spell. It has a nice ring to it, right?”
I smiled. “I like it.”
“Good.” He winked.
Jabari kissed my lips again, but this time he poured more passion into it. I felt myself floating from how sensual the kiss was. Once he pulled away, he reached for my hand.
“Walk in here on my arm. Let the world know you’re mine and I’m yours.”
“I can do that.”
“Let’s go.”
Jabari led the way as we walked through the remaining crowd into the restaurant.
My heart was full, and I was excited for the next season of life.
I had my man, gained more family members, and was walking into a new career path.
For the first time in a while, I felt the stars had aligned just right for me.