Chapter 15 Peace Graham
peace graham
. . .
a few weeks later
“Ya’ll mothafuckas better put some respect on my name. I’m the grill master in this family and can’t nobody see me on this grill,” Messiah boasted. I laughed because he meant everything he said.
“Let ‘em know, cousin! We don’t just slang dick, we know how to throw down in the kitchen too,” Loyal shouted. The two of them together were pure comedy without even trying. I thought it would be awkward to be around the family, but they made me feel welcome.
“Here, boo.” Janae handed me a pretty drink with a cute little umbrella and a pineapple ring around the glass.
“What’s in this?” I questioned
“Tequila and a bunch of other shit. It’s good, so drink it. I need all my girls drunk and ready to bounce some ass tonight.”
“Well, I’m down for that. As long as I don’t end up passed out in some bushes.”
“You have nothing to worry about. There is plenty of space for everyone to sleep off their liquor. Plus, these men won’t let anything bad happen on their watch.
Justice isn’t drinking tonight because he knows I planned to get drunk.
Between my work schedule and trying to show up to all of Cartier and Cayden’s games, I’ve been exhausted,” Ciyani explained, taking a seat next to me with her drink.
“Those are your brothers, right?” I recalled Dreaux mentioning that she and Justice weren’t parents yet but were raising her two brothers.
“Yes. Those are my babies. They stress me out to the max, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.” She beamed with pride as she spoke about them.
A part of me was envious of her and everyone else because they were able to grow up with their siblings. I used to beg my momma for a brother or a sister, but she told me I would be her one and only. It was an adjustment to learn I had five brothers and sisters, since we were essentially strangers.
“Here. Take a bite.” Dreaux stood in front of me with what appeared to be a bratwurst in a bun.
“Come on, woman. You’re acting like you’re scared or something. You’ve put bigger shit in your mouth than this. Now open up,” he asserted. I laughed so hard I snorted, not expecting him to be so brass.
“Damn, bro. I feel like I need to let y’all have a private moment.” Ciyani snickered as Janae raised her glass and danced. I obliged his request, taking a bite of the sausage. The moment I bit into it, an array of flavors burst into my mouth. I moaned as I chewed the delicious piece of meat.
“Does it have cheese in it? It tastes amazing,” I praised.
“Yeah, it’s stuffed with cheddar, pepper jack, and jalapenos. I wasn’t sure how you would feel about it, but I have a homie who sells these in his butcher shop. I put some on the grill for Messiah to cook, and these mothafuckas are good as hell. I already ate one before I came over here.”
“Yeah, you need to get some for the house. Those are delicious.”
“Here. You can have the rest. I don’t want you getting too fucked up tonight because I’m tryna put something else in yo’ stomach.” Dreaux flirted. I covered my mouth to hide the foolish grin on my face.
“Look at her. You’re got her cheesin’ and shit. Y’all are nasty,” Janae teased.
“She already knows what time it is. I’ve been drinking dark liquor all day. She might want to take a nap because I won’t be taking any breaks tonight.” Dreaux winked at me, then leaned down to kiss me. His tongue forced its way into my mouth, and I couldn’t contain the moan that slipped out of me.
Everything about this man was addicting.
I already assumed a man like him would be against PDA, but Dreaux surprised me.
It never mattered where we were, he would randomly kiss me or grab my hand.
We weren’t in an official relationship, but you could hardly tell the difference.
Dreaux loved physical touch and affection, and he made sure to shower me with it every day.
His touch felt so safe, and I needed that more than I even realized.
We hadn’t sex yet, but the intimacy made up for it.
The rest of the night, we had a great time. Promise was with her newfound cousins, and I was so grateful for the way everyone loved and accepted my daughter into the family. They included us in their events, and it made me feel welcome.
“Aye, can I talk to you for a moment?” Messiah asked. I moved over so Dreaux could go talk to him, but they both glanced at me as if I had done something wrong.
“I was talking to you, not him.” Messiah chuckled.
Embarrassment settled in, and I got up from my chair.
Dreaux kissed my hand and gave me extra reassurance.
I hadn’t spoken to any of my siblings since the Sunday dinner fiasco, even though he had been encouraging me to reach out.
I felt like an outsider, and I wasn’t sure how to approach them.
“Bring your scary ass on. I have never seen a woman walk so slowly in my life. I promise, I’m not about to hurt you or anything. For one, I don’t hit women, and your nigga is too buff for me to even play around with you.” I laughed, pushing Messiah on his arm.
“Hey, don’t talk about Dreaux like that. I loved his muscles.”
“Yeah, I bet you do. You have your personal bodyguard at the club.”
We walked inside the house, and when I stepped into the living room, I noticed my siblings were all sitting around each other on the couches.
I noticed a beautiful light-skinned woman sitting between Serenity and Honesty. There was also a large, giant of a man standing behind them as if he were their bodyguard. His face held no emotions, and his arms were crossed in front of him.
Messiah surprised me when he grabbed my hand in his. It gave me the comfort to know I wasn’t alone.
“Alright, Peace is here. I’ve been wanting to get us all together, and since we were all here for the cookout, I thought this would be the best time for us to lay everything on the table.
Before we get started, I’m gonna introduce you to everyone.
” Messiah went around the room, introducing me to everyone.
They all seemed friendly, although I could tell the energy was uncomfortable.
“This is our mother, Elantra, and that big ass giant back there is her husband, Moe,” Messiah explained. I tried not to giggle, but he made it impossible.
“It’s nice to meet everyone.” I greeted them and took a seat on one of the chairs near the fireplace.
“Now, the last time we were all together, things were heated. I want to start by apologizing because you were not to blame for any of this. The news caught us by surprise, and some of us reacted out of emotion instead of logic.” Messiah’s words hit a nerve, and I noticed Serenity roll her eyes.
It hurt my feelings even though I understood her position.
I would have been hurt and angry hearing someone speak negatively about my mother, so I couldn’t blame her for her feelings.
“If anyone would like to offer an apology, now would be a good time to clear the air. At the end of the day, Peace is a part of this family, and she deserves to be treated as an equal.”
The room grew silent until their mother stood up.
My nerves took over as she walked closer to me.
I was sure seeing me in person brought back some pain and trauma she had buried, and there was nothing I could do about it.
When we were face to face, she reached her hand out for mine.
I glance over to Messiah, who nods his head for me to accept it.
The moment our hands connected, the tears fell. Hatred and animosity weren’t the emotions I felt from her. It was regret.
“I wondered what I would do if this moment ever came, and each time, I would convince myself that my feelings were justified. I was wrong.” Her voice cracked, and my tears continued to drip down my cheeks and onto my chest.
“I don’t know if an apology would be adequate enough to make up for the hurt I caused you, but it’s the least I can offer.
Bare with me, because I owe you and my children an explanation.
” She squeezed my hand, and I returned the gesture to let her know that I was there to listen.
She turned to face the group and told us the story of what happened.
“Knowledge Graham was my entire world from the time we met until the day he left this Earth.
He came into my life when I had no one and gave me the love I had never received from anyone else.
When we met, your father found me eating out of a garbage can behind this restaurant everyone used to frequent.
“I was so embarrassed because everyone knew who the Graham men were.
All the girls at school swooned over them and treated them like celebrities.
At the time, my mother and father were both chasing their own addictions.
My father was addicted to drugs, and my mother was addicted to my father.
They did just enough to get a roof over our heads, but that was it.
“When your father found me, I was in desperate need of help, and he stepped in without hesitation.
He took me into the restaurant and bought me a meal.
We sat there for hours as he watched me eat and asked questions about my life.
I told him about what I was going through, and he stepped right in and rescued me.
He was a young man himself, but he looked out for me in every way he could.
“He bought me new clothes, filled my house with groceries, and made sure I got to school every day.
He became my savior, and I placed him on a pedestal from that day on.
I fell in love with him for the way he loved and cared for me.
Knowledge was the first man to make me feel worthy and seen in a world where no one seemed to notice me.
We were young when we got married and began having children, but I vowed to give our children everything I never had.