Family
We were up bright and early with a truck waiting in front of our house to take us to the airport. I pulled our bags down the steps with the help of Amir for the driver to load them in while Islah walked around the house making sure everything was locked up.
I never thought I would be taking my honeymoon with my son, but Islah was right. Just like all of us, Amir had been through some shit, some that I caused, and my lil’ nigga deserved to feel that international breeze.
On the way to the airport, Islah laid on me, her hand locked in mine as I kissed it while Amir talked our heads off about all he learned about Turks and Caicos in the hours that he had to sleep.
“You know he’s going to be doing this the whole flight?” I said.
Islah laughed. “Yes, and I am here for it.”
We got to the airport and moved through security like it was nothing, then went and chilled in the airport lounge while we waited for them to call early boarding for first class.
After an hour-long wait, we boarded the flight, and while I checked in with Keith about the store, Amir and Islah had already knocked out.
I laughed to myself, snapped some pictures, and relaxed by myself for the three-hour flight. Just before we landed, Islah woke up, jumping like she had missed something, making me laugh at her again.
“Did I fall asleep?” she asked.
I nodded. “You did, mamas, and we are almost there.”
She smiled as she opened her pack of Biscoff cookies.
“You know what I have been dreaming about for days?” she asked me.
“Nah, what is it?”
She laughed. “It’s corny, but I have been dreaming about when I walked down the aisle to you and the look on your face.”
I smirked. “What was the look on my face?”
“The look on your face was how I was feeling, complete.”
I nodded. “You are spot on, mamas.”
After a while, we landed, and I had a car waiting for us to take us to the same villa we stayed at when I proposed to her. When we got there, Amir was in awe this time, while Islah stopped me from helping the niggas with our bags to hug me.
“The same place we stayed before?” she asked.
I hugged her back. “It is, and this time, we are going to enjoy it like we were supposed to last time.”
Amir helped me with the bags, and we took them into the villa.
“Dad! This is fire!” Amir yelled out as he ran all around.
Islah opened the blinds that were hiding the pool and the beach, and stood there looking out at the view.
I wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her softly.
“Is this what you wanted?” I asked.
She placed her hand on top of mine. “This is everything, baby.”
“Dad, can we go out?” Amir asked.
I laughed. “See, no relaxing.”
Islah laughed. “We been relaxing enough. Come on, Amir, let’s go.”
We walked out of the house and walked around on foot, soaking in the scenery.
The breeze around us was everything that we didn’t have in Atlanta, warm and cool at the same time, while listening to the ocean in the distance.
Amir found a lil’ trail that led to the beach and found some kids to play soccer with.
Islah and I found a place to get some food and drinks, and sat off to the side watching him.
“That’s a strong lil’ boy,” I expressed.
“He is, but he gets it honestly,” Islah said.
I looked off in the distance, thinking about my life lately, the good, the bad, the fuckin’ ugly, and laughed to myself.
“What are you laughing at?” Islah asked.
I shook it off. “Nothing, mamas, life just has a funny way of coming full circle.”
Once Amir was done playing, we went to get him some dinner and continued walking around the island, looking at different things we could try during our lil’ stay there.
The next few days, Amir kept us busy with everything from snorkeling to some shit called pot cake puppy beach walk to a love-buggy tour around the island to even fuckin’ parasailing. Every night ended with us watching movies on the deck or sitting at the beach having a conversation.
We were on our last day there and spent the whole day doing another activity with Amir while I planned something for me and Islah that night.
Once his lil’ turtle swim was over, he was planning what we were going to do next when I had to cut him off.
“Change of plans tonight, son-son,” I said, getting his attention.
“We are about to get you dinner, then I planned a lil’ dinner for me and Islah out back before we go.”
Islah looked up at me, confused, but Amir wasn’t.
“Okay, Dad, that’s cool. I’ll buy a movie and watch it alone tonight.”
“What did you plan for us?” Islah asked.
I shrugged. “When we get to the crib, get dressed and see.”
When we got in, Islah went upstairs, and I talked to Amir a lil’ bit about getting back home and the schoolwork that he missed while the resort people set up the back like I wanted.
I walked Amir up to his room, bought the movie that he wanted, and then went to check on Islah just as she was turning around.
She was wearing a light blue, almost see-through dress that was draped with lil’ peak-a-boo holes through in all the right places.
I walked up to her, grabbed her hand, and spun her around in a circle.
“I will never get tired of sayin’ this, you look good as hell.”
“All for you,” she said softly.
I licked my lips. “Always and fuckin’ forever, come on.”
I pulled her out of the room and down the hall before we didn’t do shit but fuck all night and led her out to the back.
There was a fire pit that circled the table, music playing softly to the side, and the chef standing to the side, waiting to get started.
“Loveee!” Islah yelled out. “This is so beautiful!”
We walked through the entrance of the fire pit. I pulled her chair out at the table, and the chef started cooking while the waiter brought us over some drinks as we both looked out toward the water at the same time, then back toward each other and laughed.
“You know, through everything we’ve been through and came out of, I would say I feel like I could finally breathe. But with people no longer here, the wedding done, and getting ready for our baby, I can honestly say that all the weight that was on my shoulders is gone,” Islah expressed.
“I feel the same, mamas; we have been through some shit, but it was worth it.”
Minutes passed, and our food got brought out. We talked over dinner about Amir on this trip and how he was finna act brand new when we got home.
Once we were done eating, the waiter came back over and said, “Mr. and Mrs. Mayer, we want to congratulate you on your wedding with a lil’ show for y’all if you don’t mind stepping further onto the beach.”
I stood up and took Islah’s hand with my glass in the other and walked further onto the beach as he asked, and took a seat in the sand.
Islah rested her head on my shoulder while I wrapped my arm around her waist.
“I want to thank you for being my wife,” I said softly, making Islah slightly look up at me. She kissed me just as fireworks went off in the sky.
We looked back at the waiter. He and the others cheered for us while yelling congratulations.
We laughed, and I raised my glass in the air.
“To new beginnings, Mrs. Mayer?”
Islah nodded and raised her mocktail. “To new beginnings, Mr. Mayer.”
“I LOVE YOU, GIRL!” I yelled to the world.