Chapter 23
A month later
“Is this the last of my things?” I asked my mother as I placed the final box near the front door.
She nodded. “Yup, that’s it. I can’t believe you’re moving out for a third time.”
I recalled the times she referred to. When I went to live with Marquise after high school, and when I migrated from Texas to California. This would be the third time I moved out. It was a comfort to know their home was always open for me.
I giggled. “At least I’m only twenty minutes up the road instead of in a different time zone.”
“Praise God.” Daddy walked around the corner from the kitchen to join the conversation. “I’m glad you came home for good.”
“Yeah, it didn’t take much convincing, seeing how happy Quis has been with y’all. I don’t want to keep him away from his family. He deserves to make as many memories with y’all as possible.”
As we set up payment plans for the medical bills Granny had racked up while she was alive, I found myself in deep thought for weeks. I’d spent so much time running, my child had missed out on the same bonds I’d grown at his age. He missed out on cooking with Granny Janie on Sundays. He’d missed cousin sleepovers and so much more.
“We have Marquise to thank for that.” Mama gave me a knowing look.
“Wait, no. What does Marquise have to do with this?” I asked with a raised brow. “How do you know it wasn’t y’all who made me make the decision to stay?”
Daddy chuckled. “The man is persistent, and he has been tearing down the walls around your heart since he knocked on our door all that time ago.”
“Well, I’m not ready to date right now. Baby steps.”
“Mm-hmm. You’ve been in love with that man since y’all were fast-tailed teenagers.”
“Let’s not go down memory lane, please. I have to get the last of Quis’s bedroom set up before he gets back to the house. He’s been with Jenifer all weekend. They’ve had a blast.”
Jenifer had done me a solid for keeping Quis while I transitioned into the new house. I had movers pack up my home in California a week ago, and the load arrived Friday morning. Moe would be here to resume his duties as my driver on Monday. He had a long twenty-three-hour drive. He would break it down on a three-day trip. The plan was to drive eight hours a day, with the trailer carrying the things he would need to make Houston home. I asked him was he sure he wanted to uproot his life to be my driver in Texas. He said there was nothing left in California for him. A fresh start was what he needed.
“Are you going to have a housewarming party?” Mama asked as she and Daddy followed me outside to the SUV I’d rented to move around until my cars arrived.
“Probably later down the line. I have so much to do. Between getting y’all caught up financially, looking for a school for Quis, and looking for the perfect building to open for my new restaurant, there’s a lot on my plate. I’d rather not add planning a party to that as well.”
“We appreciate all you’re doing for us, but you need to stop and smell the roses sometimes, Sweet Tea.”
“I know, Daddy. I’ll do better at enjoying the now, but right now, I have to be in micromanage mode.”
“Once you’re settled into the new place, take a breath.” Mama kissed my temple.
“I love y’all.” I poked out my bottom lip.
“We love you too,” they replied in unison.
“I’ll call y’all later. I need to beat the lunchtime traffic back to my neighborhood.”
Once the last of my boxes were stacked in the back of the SUV, I gave them tight hugs and headed back to my new house.
The house was in Katy near the Katy Mills Mall. It was in a newer neighborhood. The modern theme was cute and quaint—not as flashy as my home in California had been. I preferred the cozy feel, anyway.
My phone rang. I looked at the dash briefly before hitting the answer button on the steering wheel.
“Hey. What’s up?”
“Hey. What are you up to?” His voice was calm.
I smiled. “Why?”
“Man, what y’all got planned for this evening?”
“Quis will be home around five o’clock. He spent the weekend with Jenifer. They were all over the damn town. They went to Dig World, the art museum, and Urban Air. I’ll send you those pictures when I get settled in.”
Marquise chuckled. “You ain’t answer my question.”
“Oh, nothing. My boy has had an eventful weekend. I’m probably going to cook a quick dinner and let him rest.”
“Can I come over and cook?”
I raised an eyebrow, even though he couldn’t see my expression. “You want to come over and cook?”
“I think it would be a cool bonding activity if we all made something together. If you’re cool with that.” I could hear the nervousness in his tone.
“What do you want to cook? Are you bringing the groceries for this adventure? Or do I need to make an order?”
“What does Quis like? When I was a kid, I was cool on pizza and chicken nuggets. You raised him as a professional chef, so he probably like complicated shit.”
I giggled. “He has a diverse pallet. I know you wouldn’t know how to poach a lobster, so let’s stick to something easy. Homemade pan pizzas?”
“I like that. Roll some dough, slap some sauce on that mothafucka, and put it in the oven.”
“Pretty much. Let’s get it.”
“Perfect. Send me the list and pictures of the complicated shit so I can swing by the store on my way over.”
“Okay. Quis is going to love that.”
“I hope so.”
The call ended shortly after. I thought about the last month. I was adamant on setting boundaries, but Marquise was consistent in building a relationship with Quis. The first time Marquise and I took Quis out, I was nervous as hell.
The weather was nice, so we opted to going to the community park. Quis left his coloring book in the back seat as he tugged me toward the swing.
“Push me high, Mommy.” He squealed as he hopped onto the swing and held tight.
“Of course, baby.” I held the base of the swing and pulled him back before giving him a firm push. His little legs kicked with excitement.
Marquise stayed a few feet away and watched us. He was on eggshells. He didn’t know how to fit into our lives, but I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.
“Quis, do you think you can swing higher than Mr. Marquise?” I asked.
“Yes!”
Marquise smirked. “Is that right?”
“Yes!”
I giggled. “Let’s see what you got, Mr. Marquise.”
Marquise pulled up his pants and sat on the swing beside Quis. He gave himself a boost before he started kicking his legs to gain height on the swing. They were neck and neck for only a few seconds before Marquise slowed down to let Quis win.
“Mommy! I’m swinging high in the sky.”
“You are, baby.” I moved out of the way and watched the two of them enjoy the moment together. Quis’s laughter was all I needed to know we were doing the right thing. Marquise’s joy softened my heart. I couldn’t keep them away from each other.
The sight of a father and son bonding was enough to have me looking for homes to buy in the city. Marquise’s efforts were commendable. He’d made sure to see Quis during all his off days the last three weeks. It was beautiful to see.
* * *
The pizzas were in the oven, and the boys were upstairs getting used to Quis’s new room. After I’d cleaned up the kitchen of the pizzeria mess we’d created, I went upstairs to check on them. Quis was showing Marquise his collection of dinosaur books.
“This one is a bray-key-osaurus,” Quis sounded out.
“That one is huge. What do they eat?” Marquise quizzed.
“It’s one of my favorite dinosaurs. They eat the leaves on trees. They’re like giraffes at the zoo. They reach up high with their long necks to get the best leaves on the trees. They don’t even chew them; they just swallow the leaves whole. I tried to eat leaves once. It was nasty.”
“I’ve tried things that were nasty too.”
The two of them shared a hearty laugh. I folded my arms as I watched the two of them. A thought continued to haunt me: What would have been had he not gone to prison? Would we have lasted? Would he have been the best father to our child? Did the time away force him to truly become a better man and get his temper in check?
“Dinner is ready. Meet me in the dining room after you’ve both washed your hands.” I made my presence known.
Two identical faces turned to look at me. The sight of Marquise and our son made me want to give him another baby, but I shook the thought away immediately. Girl, you don’t know what the man has going on in his spare time .
For a split second, jealousy coursed through my body. Had he given himself to other people since we’d split? That ain’t none of your business, Honey.
Without another word, I turned on my heels and made my way down to the kitchen. I placed each of our homemade pizzas on plates and set them at the table. I poured sparkling grape juice for Quis and wine for me and Marquise.
Family dinner.
Family dinner with the man I’d hid my child from for six years.
What were the damn odds?
Dinner flew by with good food and lots of laughter. Quis and Marquise had a lot in common. They talked about animals, sports, and their favorite cartoons. Despite his lack of a real childhood, Marquise still had moments where he could enjoy video games and TV shows.
“Let’s get you ready for bed,” I said after I cupped Quis’s cheeks in my hands and kissed his forehead.
“Mommy, can Mr. Marquise do bedtime with me, please?” Quis asked.
I looked into his hopeful eyes and couldn’t tell him no. “If it’s okay with?—”
“Fa shit sho—I mean, absolutely. What’s the routine?” Marquise asked as he stood up and stretched.
I listed off the order of our usual routine. Marquise nodded and lifted Quis up onto his shoulders. My baby’s smile made my heart stop at how happy he was. This was what he missed out on. He deserved to have a father in his life for moments like this. Thank God he had that now.
While the two of them did bedtime, I picked up the toys around the house, straightened up the dining room, and checked some emails. It had felt like I’d neglected my businesses, but my assistants were good at getting shit done in my absence.
“Hey.”
Marquise’s voice startled me as I looked up from my phone. I stood up as he closed the distance between us. “Hey. Did he fall asleep?”
“Barely made it through the first three pages of the book. I tucked him in and tossed his dirty clothes into the bin. Is there anything else I can help you with?”
My lips stretched into a smile. “No. You’ve done a great job.”
“Thanks. I really want to do this father shit right. That’s actually what I want to talk to you about. I want to tell Quis I’m his dad.”
I nodded. “I knew the time would come eventually. The two of you have a really nice bond. I think we could do that soon.”
Marquise pulled me into a hug. “Thank you.”
His arms felt like home. He felt like home. I didn’t want the embrace to ever end. When he pulled back, his hands remained on my back. He peered down at my lips.
“Can I?” he asked softly.
I nodded.
My eyes drifted shut as he pressed his lips against mine. His beard tickled my face as I parted my lips to grant his tongue access. A soft moan filled the air.
When his hands slid under my shirt, I came to my senses and pulled away.
“We can’t…”
He licked his lips. “A’ight.”
“It might be time for you to go.”
“Okay. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”
“No, you’re good. I’m just not ready to cross that line with you.”
“Understood.”
He gave me a final look before he grabbed his things and walked to the door.
“Be safe, Marquise.”
“You do the same.”
With that, he was gone, and I was left alone to tend to my throbbing bead. My body may have begged for him, but my mind and heart had not gotten on the same accord just yet. I needed to see more than a few family moments together. I needed to know for sure he was a changed man and wouldn’t get back in the streets or let his anger issues put him back in prison.