16. Aziel
“Why wouldI mind you hanging with your sisters?”
“Because I was complaining about not spending time with you, and now I’m leaving.”
“You’re planning to come back, right?”
“Of course.”
“Then there’s no need for this conversation. Have fun with your sisters.”
We kissed before I ushered her out the door. When I turned around, I saw Azaria sitting on the bottom stair. Her elbows rested on her little legs, as did her sad face in her hands. I sat next to her to find out the problem.
“Baby girl, what’s wrong?”
“I not go with Miss Chammies.”
“Not this time. You don’t want to stay here with Daddy?”
“No, I wanna go with Miss Chammies, but her say no.”
“She’ll be back in a little while. We can do something fun until she comes back. Okay?”
She sighed as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders and the decision to hang with me would be life changing.
“Where her go, Daddy?”
“Do you remember her sisters, Miss Dream and Miss Destinee?” She nodded. “She went to have lunch with them.”
Azaria was familiar with them because they’d been over a few times with their children.
“It’s time for my lunch, but her not take me with her.”
“Ria, me and you can have lunch together, and I’ll get you whatever you want.”
“I eat lunch with Miss Chammies.”
“Not today, but you can have dinner with her.”
“But why her not take me? I wanna go with her, Daddy.”
The next thing I knew, my baby girl had a full-blown tantrum. This wasn’t the first time she’d had a tantrum, but it took me by surprise because it happened so infrequently. I consoled her with soothing words, hugs, and kisses for the next five minutes. She ended up crying herself to sleep in my arms.
Azaria had been spending a great deal of time with Desire and had grown more attached than she’d been before the wedding. However, this was the first time she’d behaved this way when Desire left our home. I honestly didn’t know what to make of it.
After laying her in bed, I went to my office to finish some work before Desire returned. I wanted to give my girls my full attention for the rest of the weekend. Before starting, I called my mother to get some insight into Azaria’s behavior.
“Hey, estranged son,” my mother answered.
“Estranged? Come on, Ma. Don’t do your baby boy like that.”
“No, my baby boy shouldn’t do his mama like that. Boy, I haven’t seen you since the wedding. Is your new wife holding you hostage?”
“No, Ma. My jobs are holding me hostage. You know I’m a busy man. Why you gotta make me feel guilty when you know I’m coming to see you tomorrow?”
“Because you should feel guilty for not coming to see your mother. I won’t be around forever. You’ll miss me when I’m gone. People get married and start acting funny.”
My mother was a trip, but my love for her knew no bounds. I’d been her most challenging child, always going against the grain and causing her grief, as she would say.
“I’m not acting funny, woman. I’ve been working a lot and learning how to be a husband.”
“Well, you’re failing at being a son if you were wondering.”
“You coldblooded, but I love you anyway.”
“I love you, too, son. To what do I owe the honor of this call?”
“You stay playing, but I did call for a reason.”
“I knew it wasn’t just to talk to the woman who gave birth to your ten-pound ass. What is it?”
“Desire left to have lunch with her sisters, and Azaria took it hard.”
“What do you mean she took it hard?”
“She had a tantrum.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I was surprised, too. She was upset because she wanted to go with her.”
“I guess that means she likes her.”
“She’s always liked Desire. Whenever I picked her up from school, she was the only person she talked about. That’s good, right?”
“Son, you’re the mayor of a whole city. Do you really need me to answer that question?”
“I mean, I know it’s good, but you don’t think having a tantrum was a bit excessive?”
“She’s three, son. What did you expect her to do to express her feelings? Ria is smart as a whip, but that doesn’t mean she can properly communicate her feelings. What is she doing now?”
“She cried herself to sleep.”
“Well, when she wakes up, she won’t remember having a tantrum, and she may be able to express herself better.”
“I hope so. Thanks for your insight, Ma. What’s for dinner tomorrow?”
“It’sabout time you bring my daughter-in-law around to get to know her new family,” Ma said before we could enter the house.
“Woman, cut me some slack. We’re here now, so don’t scare her away.”
My entire family filled my parents’ house, and I must admit, it felt good to be in their presence. The last time we were together was when I announced I was getting married. After greetings, hugs, and introductions were made, my father manned the grill while everyone else gathered in the backyard on the large deck.
It was the first time my nephews and nieces had met Desire. My nephews said a few polite words to her and went to play basketball in the driveway. However, it seemed my nieces had fallen in love with her already and wouldn’t leave her side. Azaria noticed the way her new cousins had taken to Desire and made sure they knew their place. I was tickled by her possessiveness.
“Ria, you don’t love Titi anymore?” my sister, Alaina, asked with her lip poked out, pretending to be sad.
Aside from the initial greeting, Azaria hadn’t given her aunt the time of day. Usually, Alaina was Azaria’s favorite person.
“I love Titi and Miss Chammies,” she replied.
“What about Gamma?” my mother asked.
“I love Gamma and Miss Chammies.”
She was already sitting on Desire’s lap, and she turned to embrace her in case my mother and sister weren’t clear on who her favorite person was.
“You don’t want to sit with me?” Alaina pressed.
“No, I sit with Miss Chammies.”
“Desire, what have you done to my niece? I used to be her favorite person outside of my brother.”
“Azaria has always been more attached to me than my other students. When I found out Aziel was a single father, I figured she sought attention from a mother figure. I would never admit this at work, but I always gave her a little extra love to make up for what she may have been missing.”
“You have a loving spirit. I felt that as you walked down the aisle,” my mother said.
“Az, are you sure you didn’t pull some strings to be matched with her?” Alaina asked.
“That would’ve been impossible. I had no idea she’d completed a profile with Arranged Hearts. God was the mastermind of this union,” I responded to my sister.
“But you were checking for her before all this went down, weren’t you?” AJ asked.
“Do you see my wife? Hell yeah I was checking for her. She paid no mind to my advances.”
“Word on the street was that your brother got around. I was attracted to him but wasn’t trying to become one of many,” Desire said.
“How did you feel when you saw him at the altar?” AJ asked.
“I was shocked and relieved, if that makes sense. My nerves were already all over the place, and I still couldn’t believe I’d decided to go through the process. Seeing a familiar face at the altar settled my nerves, but I was also concerned if he would take this seriously. I didn’t want to be made to look like a fool.”
“I wouldn’t do you like that, baby,” I assured her.
“What about you, baby bro? Were you nervous about who you’d match with?” AJ continued.
“I wasn’t because I had faith. God wouldn’t do me wrong when I was trying to do right. I knew it was her before I saw her. The sound of her voice, the scent of her perfume, and how my body reacted told me. God did His big one when He matched us.”
I leaned to my right and placed a kiss on Desire’s temple as she blushed. Agreeing to marry someone you had never met could be disastrous, and I was grateful that wasn’t our story. So far, marriage had been blissful, and I’d do my best to keep it that way.