EPILOGUE
Fourteen months later
“I just wanna say, all y’all dead ass wrong for these cocktails, knowing I can’t drink,” I vented, eyeing everybody sitting around the table.
We were in Nassau, Bahamas for a few days. Love asked me where I wanted to go, and this was the place I picked. What I didn’t count on was these negros tagging along.
When I first mentioned it to Jayda, her and Messiah decided to make it a foursome without my permission. Then, four turned into six, when Tiffani and Trey invited themselves.
“Bitch, who told you to get knocked up fresh off parole? That’s what yo’ fast ass get.” Jayda called herself checking me, rolling her neck with attitude as she sipped her glass.
Many meetings and anger management classes later, I was finally off papers and free to do what I wanted. Apparently, that’s quitting my job at the gas station to have babies because I was six months pregnant with our son, Love Jr.
“Hey now, hop off my wife.” Love paused his conversation with Messiah and Trey to insert himself in the conversation. Did I fail to mention we’re married now?
The ceremony was a small one with only our immediate family, but I preferred that than a big one anyway.
His mama couldn’t wait to tell everybody at her mental health treatment facility all about her new daughter in law and grand baby.
Since the incident at the hospital, she changed dramatically.
With the help of his Auntie Delia, who insisted I called her Auntie now, his mama stayed on top of her treatments and enrolled in outpatient therapy.
“Hop off mine, muthafucka!” Messiah added, and we all shared a laugh.
He and Jayda tied the knot a few months after Love and me.
Messiah claimed we inspired them, whatever that meant.
Turned out, Jayda was wrong about him being back in the streets.
Although he and Love brought in a hefty cash flow with their business, she told me he made sure to be home by ten every night.
Love told me what they were doing the day after we had sex for the first time.
I wasn’t mad at all because we all had to eat out here.
He promised me he wouldn’t bring his business home, and that still holds weight today.
I knew he distributed cocaine throughout the entire east coast now, but other than that, he told me nothing, and I didn’t mind being in the dark.
He kept the lights on at our new house, paid for my tuition since I started college four months ago and brought me a brand new 2026 C-class Mercedes to match his. Saying all that to say, I don’t need to know everything.
“Y’all crazy as hell, man.” Trey stopped kissing Tiffani to add his opinion. When it came to PDA, I thought me and Love were bad. We didn’t have nothing on them two muthafuckas, because at least we came up for air.
After he got Valentine out of jail, he started to come around more with Tiffani. He’s a cool dude though, definitely not the square I thought he was when I first saw him at the police station.
“Now, I’ll tell you who crazy, remember Lauren?
” I asked Love jokingly, and he waved me off.
That girl had a few screws loose for real, and he ain’t like talking about her.
Love told me he heard from one of the workers that she moved away to another state.
Wherever she was, I hoped she got the help she desperately needed.
“Yeah, you did tell me she tried to blackmail y’all. I’m glad I ain’t have to deal with that,” Tiffani said, tryna grab a wing from my plate. I frowned, slapping her hand away.
“Hoe! You got drinks, I got food.” I extended my arms, pulling my plate in towards me.
“Jayda, how’s your sister doing since I handled her case?” Trey asked, eating a piece of rib.
“She’s good, I guess. Under the circumstances,” Jayda answered. Everyone nodded in agreement.
Come to find out, Tranae and T.K. were messing around on my sister the entire time. After she set up Leah to get beat by her friends, the hoe moved right in with T.K. three days later. She couldn’t even wait a week.
They were out scheming one day and came across the wrong muthafucka.
Tranae tried to rob an undercover cop with her stupid ass, so her and T.K.
both in jail. He got sentenced to ten years and, lucky for her, with Trey’s help, she was sentenced to six because it was her first offense.
I felt bad for my cousin, and I even sent her twenty dollars one time on a whim.
That’s the most she’ll get outta me though.
Speaking of family members, Auntie moved Kenny in her house and she living her best life.
Leah was still in Texas with my nephew, Corey, and she’s doing okay.
We barely spoke to each other now, although she did call to congratulate me on my wedding day.
She’s still a sore subject for me, but I think with time we could have a relationship again.
If anything, I wanted the kids to know one another.
“Damn! Y’all got the party started without me? That’s fucked up.” Everyone shook their heads in sync hearing Valentine’s loudmouth. He strolled in with Princess on his arm, and I'm surprised she still hanging in there.
After he got bailed out, he apologized and made amends with everyone, including Tiffani and Trey.
That conversation was awkward to say the least, but we’re all grown and everyone moved on from it.
I would say he changed his ways, but that would be a lie.
He was still Valentine, but at least he ain’t in the streets like he used to be, and that’s a good thing.
Tank got a life sentence for the murder of Anthony Frescani, as he should have!
“Man, shut up!” Love spat, pulling my chair closer to his. No matter what he had going on, he never let me stray too far away.
“Nigga, why you always embarrassing me? I’m telling mama.” Everyone snickered. It’s just like Valentine to use the mom card! Their relationship was still the same, but it’s funny to watch them in action.
“Who ready to get beat down in Karaoke tonight?” Jayda chimed in, causing everyone to respond at once.
“You okay, buns?” Love turned sideways in his chair, facing me with his hand on my belly.
Sometimes, I just looked at him and asked myself how I got so damn lucky.
“Yeah.” I took his hand in mine. “But I miss you.”
After pecking my lips, he smiled. “Baby, I’ve been next to you for the last three hours.”
“And?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. He sat here acting like he couldn’t relate, but we both felt the same pull.
The smile was wiped off his face as he took in the look of need on mine. I’ll always feel like that 17-year-old girl with a crush every time he was around me.
“I miss you too,” he finally admitted, moving his forehead to rest against mine. “Can’t wait for you to have my baby.”
“Neither can I. Your son will be trouble.” He’s very sensitive when I say anything negative about Jr.
He frowned. “Quit hating on him.”
Rolling my eyes upward, I ignored his statement and declared, “I love you so much.”
I kissed him, watching everybody get up from the table out of the corner of my eye. Karaoke time!
He replied. “I love you.”
Love took my hand, moving the chair out of the way, so he could help me up. I was not that damn yet.
I’d always remember the hard lessons I had to learn, both in prison and out, but I wouldn’t let it define who I was now.
I came a long way, and I’d always be grateful to the people that helped me get there, especially my husband.
He protected me, cherished me, and made sure I always knew how much he loved me. I’d carry that with me, always.
I may have been his WEAKNESS, but he’d always be mine.
The End!