21. Abril
TWO YEARS LATER
“Come back here, October.” I chased my giggling little boy as he toddled across the sand.
“Gotcha!” July snatched our chubby baby up into his arms just as I came upon them. I tugged one of his long plaits that rested at the middle of his back and kissed his sun-kissed cheek. My baby giggled underneath my kisses, and I resorted to tickling him.
July laughed because our son’s laughter was infectious. He lifted our son high and blew on his belly, making our baby giggle even harder as he flailed his little arms and legs around. I could tell that he was going to take his height from his daddy, because he was already tall for his age.
October had his father’s dark color, heart-shaped lips, and long, curly eyelashes. He didn’t get a lot from me, except for my thick, glossy curls and the lighter shade of brown eyes than his father’s.
October was ten months old, and he was the joy of our lives.
“Let me see my fat baby,” Kamaia remarked as she walked up to us and leaned forward to kiss October’s cheeks. “Tee-Tee misses holding her baby, but don’t worry, Chubs. I’ll be holding you again real soon.” She rubbed her protruding belly as Thad came up behind her and kissed her neck.
“Quit rushing my little girl, woman. I told you about that.”
My friend blushed, and it made me giggle. Kamaia had never been a blusher before, but the way that man got underneath her skin was just too cute. Whereas Nina was the chill and proper friend, Kamaia and Yamika were my whatever comes up, comes out, and on-sight friends.
“Well, if Tee-Tee Kami can’t hold you, Tee-Tee Yams can,” Yamika stated as she joined the huddle and reached for October. He almost jumped from his father’s arms into my best friend’s arms.
“At the rate y’all are going, we’re gonna need a much bigger villa than this to house all these kids,” Nick stated.
“Hell, you’re one to talk. How you knock her up and y’all have triplets all within a year of meeting each other?” Yamika asked, looking between Nick and Nina, whose two-year-old triplets were dumping buckets of sand onto one another’s heads.
Nick combed his fingers through his beard and shook his head. “We got that shit out the way early on. Now we get to enjoy ourselves.”
“How? Ya damn kids down there burying each other in sand, and their locs damn near long as yours, so Nina gon’ catch hell getting all that shit out their heads,” Yamika snapped.
I couldn’t help but laugh because Nina turned to see what Yamika was talking about, and she tore off down the beach toward her babies.
Yamika giggled. Only she and Evyn didn’t have children yet, but they were fabulous at being the rich auntie and the fun uncle. They said it was too soon, and the rest of us were doing too much.
“Well, since you got little man, I’m about to sneak off with my wife,” July announced, grabbing my hand as he tugged me away from the group.
“Y’all got four hours and then come get ya li’l crumb snatcher! Tee-Tee Yams got to go hunch on Uncle Evyn later,” Yamika shouted after us.
“Yams!” Evyn, Nick, and Kamaia all shouted at once.
“Sorry. I forgot about the baby’s ears.”
July looked at me with concern as he lifted an eyebrow. “Damn, I’m having second thoughts.”
“About?”
“Pumping baby number two into your belly.”
“What’s the problem?”
“Yams. I ain’t gotta say shit else,” July answered with a chuckle.
I giggled. “Our babies will be surrounded by a very loving group of people. The love, support, laughter, and the diversity of our friends will balance them.”
He smirked as he led me further away and toward the water.
“Where are we going?” I asked as my husband took steps into the water.
“To get some sea urchins in your cat,” July remarked, lifting me off my feet.
“July!” I shrieked as he ran into the water.
When we were far enough away from where the children and anyone else could see us, he shifted me in his embrace. “Wrap your legs around me, baby,” he coaxed against my lips.
I did as I was told and smiled as his fingers shifted my bathing suit aside. July plunged two fingers and then three inside of me, and I soaked his fingers with my juices. Our tongues dueled as he pleasured me.
It was funny how dead set I had been on using him as a casual friend-with-benefits type of thing and nothing more. Yet, I had fallen irrevocably head over heels in love with this man, and there was no turning back.
Our love was sealed, our family was expanding, and our future couldn’t have been brighter. July reached between us, freed his erection from his swim trunks, and shifted me to align with it. I gladly sunk onto his stiffness. My breath whooshed out of my lungs as I settled onto him.
He smiled. “You like that, baby, doncha?” he asked against my lips.
“I always love the feeling of you inside of me. I love being connected to you like this, Mr. Maxwell.”
“Good. Because this is a forever thing,” he muttered against my lips as he worked his hips.
We both came explosively a short while later, and I was satiated, thanks to my husband’s attentiveness and the scorching sun overhead. All I wanted and needed was a nap, and life would be good.
July released me, and I slowly slid down his body. He bent his head and kissed me.
“I love you, Abril.”
“I love you, too, Jujuondatp!” I giggled as I called him by the nickname I had given him on my phone. My lips brushed lightly against his, but then I pushed into it further and kissed him.
When I pulled back, I stared into his dark eyes.
“I never expected to meet you. But I did. I met you when I wasn’t even looking for anyone, so I resisted even the thought of you.
It’s amazing how different I feel from back then.
Because now, I can’t imagine not having you in my life or not thinking about you every day and night. You consume my thoughts, July.”
“And you consume my heart, girl.” He kissed me again.
Our relationship had grown in a very short time, but I regretted nothing.
I was thankful that our exes had broken our hearts, because through the heartache and tears, we had found our soulmates.
We’d found our one. The one who would love us unconditionally.
The one who would pour into us their strength, courage, and wisdom to make us the best version of ourselves.
July’s concert promotion business had taken off and grown to another level.
He hired people to do the work, and he made the connections between the workers and the artists.
I had started a private practice for my dietitian business, which allowed me to work from home and take care of October within our home.
Through the love that July and I fostered, our friends had found love as well.
Our lives weren’t picture-perfect, but they were perfect for us.
When the door closed on Devon and me a few years ago, God saw fit to open a better and bigger door, one that housed a future that was made specifically for me.
THE END