Chapter 22 Autumn
Autumn
“Istill can’t get over how cute you two are.” Sarai gushed as we huddled around the TV. It was two weekends before Thanksgiving, and everyone was at her and Reuben’s house watching a football game.
“He just had to have her dressed like him for the game today,” I explained, shaking my head as I glanced at Auburn and October. They were dressed just alike, with both of them wearing dark blue jeans, dark blue and gold jerseys with the number seven on the back, and custom dark blue Nikes.
“My baby and me repping today,” October declared in a booming voice.
“Nigga, shut up. The way Norman is playing tonight, the Cobras ’bout to shut the Jaguars down,” Reuben countered from his spot in his recliner.
“Nigga, whatever. How you gon’ be a fair-weather fan?” October asked.
“Tell them to win a game, and we might support them once in a while,” Jo-Jo chimed in.
That started another dispute among all the men and Nautica.
“You want to help me bring the rest of the food in?” Sarai asked.
“I didn’t know Nautica was a football fan,” I stated as we walked into the kitchen.
“Honey, I don’t know who’s worse, the men or Nautica. You see she’s been talking as much shit as the men throughout this game.”
“I noticed.” I laughed.
“She’s the biggest football fan I know. And she can tell you all the stats of her favorite players too.” Sarai laughed and reached inside the refrigerator and pulled out a fruit platter that she handed me.
Before I could turn away with it, she removed a cheese and cracker tray and set it on top of the covered fruit platter.
“I wanted to thank you for everything.”
She stepped away from the refrigerator and pulled the oven open. I watched as she pulled out four boxes of pizza and added them to the other six boxes that were already sitting out.
“No need to thank me. We’ve all been in some difficult spots, and sometimes we need someone to steer us back on track. I saw that you were about to make a mistake that you might later regret, and I had to prevent you from doing that.”
“I appreciate that more than you know. I feel so bad that I hadn’t given him the benefit of the doubt. When he told me everything that happened, it broke my heart.”
“I know. My heart broke too. I was around back then, and I know that he got the raw end of the deal. October’s a great guy, always has been, and he didn’t deserve what was done to him. I wish they would make up.”
Frowning, I replied, “I can understand that. But—”
The sound of loud voices coming from the family room dragged our attention away.
“Who is that?” I asked upon hearing an unfamiliar voice.
Sarai rushed from the room, and I followed her.
“Kevin.” Sarai gasped from behind me when we made it to the family room.
“Where’s October and Auburn?” I asked Tree, who sat closest to the door. My phone rang at the same time.
“Nautica took her to the twins’ room to play with them, and October said he had to get something from the car,” he answered.
I answered my phone. “Hello?”
“Baby, grab Smooches and meet me out here at the car.”
Kevin greeted everyone in the room, while TJ and a young teenage girl stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, looking around and then at me.
I rushed out of the room and ran upstairs to the bedroom. I heard their childish, happy laughter before I saw them. I took a moment to calm my racing heart before I moved into the doorway and peered inside the bedroom that was decorated in the Frozen theme.
Nautica sat on the floor pretending to have a picnic with the twins, Ariya and Sariya; Chloe, Wings’s daughter; and Auburn. She was drinking from a teacup as the other girls chatted happily.
Nautica stood and stated, “I will be right back, girls. Don’t eat all the cake until I return.”
Sarai had given the girls cake for their tea party, and it was all sliced up on little plates. Nautica walked to the door, and I quickly stepped out of sight just as Auburn’s little curly head jerked up.
“Hey, is everything good? I heard Kevin’s voice down there.”
“I don’t know. October told me to meet him at the car.”
Nautica turned her lips down and nodded. “I know that there’s major beef between his brother and him. For what it’s worth, October’s a great guy. He’s come through for my family on multiple occasions. I’m sure that Reuben and Sarai had no idea Kevin was coming.”
“It’s all good. We’re leaving so . . .”
I walked inside of the room and grabbed Auburn.
“Mommy, me dwinkin’ tea.” She held her little teacup up proudly.
“I know, baby. But we’ve got to run. I’ll pick you some more up on the way home, okay?”
She bobbed her little head, and her curly ponytail with the dark blue and gold ribbon shook.
“Okay.” Although she was going along with me, it was clear from the watery eyes that she wasn’t ready to leave. I scooped her up, placed the teacup down, and turned to the other girls.
“Tell your friends bye, Auburn.”
“Bye,” she stated sadly with a little wave of her hand.
It broke my heart, especially when the twins looked equally sad and asked, “When is the baby coming back to play?”
They both considered her a baby. At the age of five, they thought they were half-grown. It was cute, but right now, I wanted to kick grown folks’ ass.
“I’ll be surprised if we can pull that off,” I replied dryly before I turned back to the stairs.
By the time I arrived downstairs, Reuben and Sarai were nowhere in sight, and neither were Kevin, TJ, nor the girl.
I rushed to the front door and stepped outside, where I saw October leaning against the side of my SUV with his arms crossed.
“You just gon’ leave like that, October?” Kevin asked as I stepped off the porch.
October didn’t say a word. He just kept staring straight ahead at me.
I looked at the two men and immediately saw the difference between them. Although they both shared the same triangular face, long, slightly broad nose, and high cheekbones, the similarities ended there. His brother had round hazel eyes, and October’s were almond-shaped and chestnut brown.
I noted the blond streaks in his brother’s hair also and realized that it was curlier than October’s straight hair.
He kept a bald head, but I had seen it grow out before.
The brothers were only two inches apart in height difference, with Kevin being a little taller than October, but October was bigger and more muscular than Kevin.
They both had full, thick, fluffy beards, soul patches, and mustaches that surrounded full, oval-shaped lips and caramel colored skin.
“Man, you gotta get past this.”
“Autumn, let’s roll, baby,” he stated, taking Auburn from my arms when I reached him.
“Man, we’re brothers. You gotta let that shit go and peace it out,” Kevin declared.
“I’m at peace,” October replied, strapping Auburn into her car seat as I walked around to the other side of the vehicle.
“October, how you gon’ let a woman come between us, man? What kinda shit is that?”
October stood up and mugged the hell out of his brother.
“Nigga, I ain’t let no woman come between us.
You did that. And not only did you do that, you were willing to let me believe that child was mine and take care of her for four years.
And if it hadn’t been for me insisting on a DNA test, I’d still be taking care of your responsibility like I’ve always done while you’re still running around with TJ. ”
“You gotta forgive me, man. I was wrong. You owe me that.”
“I don’t owe you shit. I don’t even owe you this conversation we’re having right now.
What you did was treachery. You was gon’ allow me to believe that child was mine while you had your relationship around me.
And let me take care of that child. You didn’t care about me, this child, or anything.
Some things can’t be fixed. At the time, y’all felt it was necessary to be that way; you didn’t give a damn about our relationship.
What do I mean to you? What’s this brother stuff when you were ready to tag me with that?
If that wasn’t bad enough, y’all took two years of my life.
You got in court and lied on me, and now we’re supposed to peace it out because you’ve had some sort of an epiphany?
Get the fuck outta here. Go in peace, and I will too, nigga.
We had our conversation. I hope it was informative. ”
“Man, come on,” Kevin pleaded.
“Daddy, please,” Empiria begged.
I glanced at the young teenage girl with wide, watery eyes. She had the same eyes as Kevin. She had to be the daughter October thought had been his, only to learn his brother had fathered her.
October glanced at the girl, too, and his jaws clenched tightly before he looked at his brother again.
“You worked hard as hell to build your family, dawg. Take care of ’em. I’ma roll on and live my life with my family, separate from you and yours. And if it’s any consolation to you, I do love you. Just can’t fuck with ya. Be easy, G. I’m out.”