Epilogue
Several Months Later
“Brudder! I can’t believe you won a fucking Grammy! Two Grammies actually!” I screamed as we hugged one another. We had gotten back to our rooms after being at the Grammy Awards. Never in a million years did I think we would be celebrating such a momentous occasion, but I had never been prouder.
“Man, it still doesn’t even feel real, but here we are.”
Ari, Nova, and I all cried when Keynauri’s name was called.
When he got nominated, he tried to downplay it as if it wasn’t a big deal, but I believed it was because he didn’t want to get his hopes up.
A nomination for an award like this was a huge honor, but I had no doubts he would take home at least one.
Keynauri had taken the world by storm, and his career had blown up in ways he never imagined.
He was now performing shows internationally, and we were all so proud of him.
My heart was full watching my brother accept an award for his talent and hard work.
It may have been biased, but I didn’t believe anyone deserved it more than him.
“The internet is going crazy right now. Not only did you win this award for yourself, but you also won it on behalf of all the black men out there with a dream and a story to tell. You have beaten the odds and become a role model for many young black men and women too. I’m truly honored to call you my brother.
I love you so much, brudder. I don’t even know what else to say except you did that shit.
” More tears sprang from my eyes as I thought about everything he had overcome to get to this moment in life.
Keynauri would always be a hero in my eyes, no matter what he accomplished.
“I appreciate you, Boogie. Having you here with me made this moment even more special. We went through hell together, but we came out on top. I’m thankful to have you in my corner cheering me on, and I want you to know that I’m right here, doing the same for you.
We have beaten the odds and made something of ourselves.
I’m proud of you and the woman you have become.
You are an incredible mother, wife, and entrepreneur.
You have made a living encouraging women through your life and testimony.
Women all over the world look up to you, and that is something to be proud of.
“I’m thankful for you, and as long as I’m walking this Earth, I’ll always be here for you.
Even though I don’t like having to share you with that crazy-ass nigga you call a husband, there are no other hands I trust for you to be in.
Thank you for believing in me and speaking life into me when I was at my lowest. I love you for an eternity, Lyric.
” Keynauri wrapped his arms around me, and I cried into his chest. He truly was the best brother in the world, and I was thankful for him.
“Damn, I was gonna join, but I don’t want to intrude.”
I smirked when I heard the familiar voice.
“We have room for one more,” I told him, making space for Jacq to join in.
“Yeah, get your high-yellow ass over here,” Keynauri teased. The two of them had grown close and I was beyond grateful.
Life had taken us on so many twists and turns, and while there were some things I wanted to forget, there were others I was grateful for.
After the sudden deaths of my donor and aunt, Keynauri and East sat me down and told me the truth about what happened to my father and everything else.
When I found out the man who rescued my daughter was my biological brother, I wanted to reach out to him right away.
Essex was nervous, but he agreed to set it up for me.
Jacq and I hit it off right away, and he stepped into his brotherly role with ease.
Noodle and my nieces, Keyami and Kiaya, took to him right away and had him wrapped around their fingers just like everyone else.
Keyaire took a little longer to warm up to him, but once he did, they were as thick as thieves.
My brothers and I decided not to dwell on the past, and instead, we were determined to create our own family and start fresh with the people who mattered most. Jacq was dating, but he wasn’t quite ready to settle down and have kids.
Essex had recently brought him onto his team to take the lead in his absence.
He was still involved, but he had taken Gunna and Luciano’s offer to expand and move up in the organization.
East kept me out of his illegal business, and I had no complaints.
He was home a lot more now, and that was all that mattered to me.
He still had his restaurant, along with many other business ventures, but he made sure to hire enough staff so he didn’t have to be there physically unless it was absolutely necessary.
“Look at this.” Essex came up behind me as my brothers and I ended our hug. He wrapped his arms around me as he showed me what was in his phone. I smiled when I laid eyes on our little boy, Easton. He was only seven months old, but his little ass was chunky as hell.
“Look at my baby. I miss him so much.” I pouted. We decided to leave him home while we traveled because he was still young. Plus, we were going to be going from one party to the next all weekend.
“Fat ass. Granny sent another picture of him chewing on a turkey wing. Bro is gonna be a hundred pounds before he turns two,” Essex joked.
“Aye, you leave my baby alone. Hell, I’ve tasted Granny’s food, and I don’t blame him.”
Instead of hiring a nanny, we asked Granny Nessa to stay at our house and watch the kids.
Aunt Pam and Joy were there to help her, and we made sure there was plenty of food and everything else they needed.
We offered to pay them, but they cussed us out.
Essex recently purchased his aunt her dream car and finally convinced Granny to move into a nicer neighborhood closer to us.
She and East made up after I buried Shaylyn.
Her death rocked me to my core, but it also put things in perspective for the two of us.
Life was too short to leave things unsaid and hold grudges toward the people you loved.
The two of them had a heart-to-heart, and Granny apologized for the way she dropped the ball in his life.
She ended up cutting Enoka off after she paid someone to break into her house and attempt to rob her own mother.
Granny didn’t want to tell East at first, because she felt like it was karma, but I wasn’t having it.
As soon as I told him, he jumped right into action and caught the people responsible.
My man loved his granny, and regardless of what kind of terms they were on, he would never allow anyone to harm her.
I could tell how much her presence made a difference because he was much happier with her around, and our babies loved her to pieces.
“My granny’s food is good and all, but I’ve got something else I’m tryna taste. What do you say we skip these after parties and have our own little post award celebration,” he proposed.
“I like the sound of that, Mr. Norris.”
“I’m glad because a nigga is dehydrated, and I need you to climb on top of my face and ride my tongue, Mrs. Norris. Damn, I love the sound of your name on my tongue.”
I giggled because he had been saying that since we got married.
We decided to keep things small and private, but it was beautiful, nonetheless.
Essex gave me my dream wedding and made me feel like a princess.
Every day, I found myself falling more and more in love with the man God had blessed me with, and I was grateful he never gave up on me.
“I love you so much, Essex. I’m sure you probably get tired of me saying it, but I’m thankful for you.
Not only have you given me an irreplaceable and indescribable love, but you also gave me something I always wanted in life: a family.
You saw my worth before I even knew I possessed any, and for that, I’ll always be indebted to you.
I’m honored to be the woman who gets to carry your children and your last name. I love you so much.”
“You already know my love for you is deep and never-ending. You saved my life in ways you’ll never truly understand.
You give my life purpose, and you elevate me just by being in your presence.
I’m proud to call you mine, and our children are blessed to have such a beautiful, strong, and resilient momma.
You are the backbone that holds us together, and I’m thankful each day I get to wake up to my little piece of Heaven.
I love you forever and always, Lola B. Don’t ever forget that shit. ”
As I looked around the room, I was reminded that family wasn’t limited to the people you shared DNA with. We may not have had the traditional family, but we were solid, and our crew was filled with love, loyalty, and safety. I finally had everything I wished for in life, and it was all for me.