12. Rainah
CHAPTER 12
RAINAH
“What she look like, Joanna?” my grandmother cackled as her and Ms. Mitchell sat at the dining table while I removed a pan of macaroni and cheese from the oven. Ashton snickered as she stirred the pot of greens on the stove.
I wanted my grandmother and Ms. Mitchell to relax and not have to worry about cooking, but the task was more than I wanted to complete alone. I didn’t want to hire caterers because both my grandmother and Ms. Mitchell were picky eaters. They didn’t like any and everybody’s cooking, so I kept it at me and Ashton. We learned everything we knew about cooking from our grandmother, so we knew she would be pleased.
“Her ass looks like Big Ang off Mob Wives. She just doesn’t have a deep voice.”
My grandmother howled so long and hard that she started coughing. Spinning around, I placed my hands on my hips and gave my grandmother a stern look. “You are instigating, and it’s not nice. Jeo and Von are in the next room, and y’all are in here talking about their mother.”
Ms. Mitchell waved my comment off. “Jovani doesn’t like that hoe, and Jeovanni is just star struck. He can’t beat me, and she can’t either.”
All I could do was shake my head and grin. I had been trying my hardest not to laugh, but Ms. Mitchell was funny. My grandmother didn’t indulge often, but she was drinking wine while Ms. Mitchell drank rum. When my grandmother saw Jeovanni’s house, she almost fainted. I’d never seen her eyes grow so wide. She couldn’t believe how we were living. She had been impressed with my condo, but Jeovanni’s home had her walking around with her mouth hanging open.
From the first night I slept in the bed, Jeovanni referred to the house as ours. Technically, Celine had never lived with him, and I knew it was childish to feel some kind of way because she had slept in his bed and occupied the same space during the year they were together. He even offered to sell the house and buy another one, but I knew Jeovanni loved his home, so I wasn’t going to be that immature. Celine was long gone and would soon be forgotten.
Deuce walked into the kitchen carrying a white box that contained the strawberry crunch cake that he offered to bring. Behind him was a pretty woman that stood around 5’6 but looked insanely tiny standing near Deuce. She had chestnut brown skin and round doe shaped eyes. Jovani was hot on Deuce’s heels. The moment he set the box down, Jovani lifted the lid.
“If this big nigga drove this cake all the way here without eating a slice, I owe him a hundred dollars.”
“Pay up,” Deuce held his large hand out when Jovani saw that the cake was all there.
“Ain’t this some shit,” he shook his head as he pulled money from his pocket. “You want to choose today to not eat anything that isn’t tied down. Let me find out you trying to impress shorty like you don’t inhale whole pies.”
I shook my head. “Thank you for the cake, Deuce. Hi, I’m Rainah,” I extended my hand toward Deuce’s friend.
“Hi, I’m Sammi. It’s nice to meet you.”
“What have I told you about your mouth especially when my grandchildren are around? They’re going to be raised with some sense unlike you and your brother.”
“How did I get in it?” Jeovanni asked as he entered the kitchen with Jason and Jordan.
“Raised like they have some sense?” Jovani repeated. “You do know that you were the ones that raised us, Griselda. Me and Jeo got cursed out on a daily basis.”
“And I’ll do it again,” she snapped. “Y’all came to me half-crazy from being raised by a colonizer. I had to get that sh” Ms. Mitchell caught herself. “I had to get those uncivilized ways up out of you. Jason and Jordan are different.”
“Yeah, we’re different Uncle Von,” Jason beamed while Jovani frowned at him.
“Lil’ nig”
“Okayyyyy,” I called out loudly. “Everyone wash your hands, so we can eat.”
While everyone else went to do as I asked, Jeovanni walked over to me with a smile on his face. “Everything looks and smells delicious. Thank you for cooking this amazing meal. Though I know you didn’t do it alone. I’m going to pay for you and Ashton to get massages and have a spa day.”
Smiling wide, I stood on my toes and pecked Jeovanni on the lips. Once he got over being angry with me, he’d been nothing but loving and affectionate toward me. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed him or how much I needed him until I was back in his presence. Life had been hell without Jeovanni by my side. I could never get those five years back. All I could do was move forward and make the best of the time we had left.
Dinner was filled with laughs, chaos, jokes, and good food. More than all the compliments Ashton and I got on the food, the fact that Jason and Jordan looked so happy made my heart swell. They were surrounded by family, and it made me hate that my grandmother had to get sick for me to make the move back to Ausnor Beach.
Jeovanni put the boys to bed while I showered and did my nighttime routine, so by the time he was done with his shower, I was snuggled underneath the covers watching TV. Jeovanni eased into bed and placed his face in the crook of my neck.
“Today was nice.”
“Yeah, it was. I’m not letting Ida Mae drink anymore wine,” I giggled. “And our grandmothers don’t need to be together unsupervised.” A low moan escaped my throat as Jeovanni began to suck on my neck while his hand eased down my stomach. Using his index finger, he began to strum my clit while he kissed and sucked on my neck making moisture appear almost instantly. I didn’t wear panties to bed, and Jeovanni knew how to get my girl going every time.
“I love you.”
My heart slammed into my ribcage. Jeovanni had never told me he loved me before. I felt the same way, but hearing him say it did something to me. Jeovanni placed his hand on my chest.
“Why is your heart beating so fast?”
I turned flat on my back and peered up at him. “Because I was afraid you’d never say those words to me. I love you too. I’ve loved you since we were kids.”
Jeovanni eased his tongue into my mouth and kissed me passionately. He went back to strumming my clit as he sucked on my tongue, and I almost had an orgasm. Jeovanni handled my body as if he’d spent the past five years learning it. When we were together, I always came insanely fast, and I always came multiple times. If it wasn’t for the fact that I was on birth control, I definitely would have been worried about getting pregnant because Jeo couldn’t keep his hands off me.
Lowering his body, he nestled his face between my thighs and sucked my pearl into his mouth. I fisted his braids as he moaned into my peach. Jeovanni sucked a little harder and faster. I bit my bottom lip and clamped my thighs against his face.
“Jeovannnniiiiiii, ohhhh my God,” I squealed as I came so hard my ass lifted off the mattress. Jeovanni’s mouth locked around my clit, and he gripped my thighs, so I couldn’t get away from him.
My body convulsed as he greedily lapped up every ounce of nectar that poured from my center.
“Fuck,” I panted against his mouth as he kissed me while pushing into me simultaneously. I could have sex with Jeovanni every night and not grow tired. Shit, I’d live in the man’s skin if it was possible.
“Fuck is right,” he panted as he suckled my bottom lip.
Jeovanni pinned my arms above my head and tongued me down so nasty and sloppy while sexing me aggressively that I came again, I came so hard that I squirted. All I could do was pray to God that it wasn’t pee because I’d never in life done that before.
My body was limp, but Jeovanni didn’t care. He still stroked me with all his might and by the time he came, I was having orgasm number three. After we cleaned up, I fell into a deep peaceful sleep wrapped up in my man’s arms. There was no other place on earth that I’d rather have been.
* * *
My mother had been in jail for five days when they told her the charges against her were dropped. I actually could have posted her bond and gotten her out before the charges were dropped, but my mother shocked me when she said she wanted to sit. I knew she was trying to keep from using and even if she went straight to the trap after I picked her up, at least she’d gone five days without it. She hadn’t been sober long enough for me to notice a big difference in her appearance, but she certainly looked levelheaded and more coherent than I’d seen in a long time.
“You want to go by and see grandma?” I asked hopefully. Seeing my mother was a catch 22 for my grandmother. She loved it but hated it at the same time.
My mother shook her head. “If possible, I want to go to rehab. Maybe I can find a free one. I can’t go back to the hood, Rainah. I know the temptation will always be there, but it’s too soon for me to go back around the same shit. I haven’t spent five days in a row sober since I started using. I really want to keep this up.”
With a curt nod, I gave my mother a reassuring smile. After unlocking my phone, I went straight to Google. There had to be some good rehab facilities in the area, and I would pay for my mother to attend one. Sure I knew it could be a waste of time and money, but my mother had never even gotten that far before.
The third place I called was able to take my mother right away. It was thirty-nine minutes away and pretty pricy. I could afford it, however. I bit my bottom lip nervously as I followed the instructions given by my GPS. I had the money in my savings to cover rehab for my mother and if she went through with the program and remained clean that would be great. But what if she didn’t? My man was rich and though I knew he’d insist on giving the money back, I didn’t mind doing it for my mom as long as she did the right thing.
I knew quitting crack and remaining sober for the rest of her days would be a challenge. All we could do was take it one day at a time. After arriving at the facility, I looked over at my mother. “You sure you want to do this?”
My mother nodded. “I can’t say that a part of me doesn’t want to say never mind and just sit in this car, but I’m going. I have to do this. I have to. I can’t keep going the way that I am.”
I got out of the car and hugged my mother. I hugged her tight making up for sixteen years’ worth of missing hugs. I blinked back tears. They were happy tears, but I still didn’t want to cry. “I’m so proud of you,” I told my mother before finally letting her go.
The entire time the intake manager spoke to us; I was holding my breath for much longer than I should have been. I was so scared my mother would change her mind and decide against getting help. But even after I signed the forms and paid for the treatment, my mother was still willing to go back. The program was for thirty days, but we were made aware that my mother couldn’t be held against her will. I hugged her once more. I knew she should want to be clean for herself, but I wanted her to meet her grandsons. And that would only happen if she got clean.
In the car, I said a prayer for my mother that she would see the entire thirty days through and that when she came home, she would remain sober. I was going to stop by Jonah’s, so Jeovanni could introduce me to the staff since I was going to start helping him out. I would use my law degree soon, I hoped, but for the moment, I wanted to do something to show him my appreciation. When I was done at Jonah’s I was going to stop by Reader’s Paradise. Buying new books for myself was a form of self-care. Despite me telling Jeovanni that he didn’t have to give me so much money, I still found $3,400 in my purse that morning. He’d just given me his black card the day before. Jason and Jordan’s closets were filled with so many clothes and pairs of shoes that I didn’t even have to bring any of their clothes from my condo. He had purchased them everything they asked him for and things they didn’t ask for. Aside from their school tuition, I didn’t have to buy the boys anything. I had already paid their tuition up because I knew Jeovanni would try to go and do it. I knew he didn’t mind, but I wanted to let him know that he didn’t have to do everything alone.
When I walked into Jonah’s, I smiled at the hostess which I’d already met. We greeted one another, and I walked to the bar to see if Jeovanni was up there. And he was. My brow hiked when I noticed Celine standing at the bar. She was watching Jeovanni while he appeared to be ignoring her. Jeovanni was wiping down the bar while Celine stood staring at him. She was dressed in skintight white jeans and a white crop top. Her long braids touched her calves. Her perfume permeated the air around her, but I sauntered past her with my head held high.
When Jeovanni spotted me, the smile that spread across his face was infectious. I couldn’t help but smile too. He walked in my direction and the moment he was in front of me, he pecked me on the lips. “Hey, babe. How did everything go?”
“I know you’re fucking lying. Already, Jeovanni? We haven’t even been broken up for that long.”
Jeovanni and I both whipped our heads in Celine’s direction. Her face was red, and her nostrils expanded with anger. “I already had Deuce throw you out of my grandmother’s pool hall. You know I don’t even do that ghetto shit in my establishment Celine. If I have to turn the fuck up on you, you will regret it.” Jeovanni’s tone was low and laced with malice.
Celine didn’t give a verbal response. She pivoted and walked out of the bar. I decided not to even give the situation any attention. “My mom went to rehab,” I smiled, and Jeovanni’s eyes widened with shock.
“Are you serious?”
I nodded. “I picked her up from jail, and she said she wanted to go. I kept thinking she would change her mind, but she didn’t. I found one thirty minutes away that could take her. She completed the forms, and I paid the money for her to stay for thirty days. I’m a little worried that she’ll leave early, but I’m trying hard to be optimistic.”
“Think positive,” Jeovanni gripped my chin. “I think the fact that she’s there as we speak says a lot. How much was it?”
“I’m not telling you,” I smirked.
Jeovanni chuckled. “It’s all good. I’ll find a way to give it back to you. All that having to spend your own money is dead. You’ll get with the program sooner or later.”
“Be careful what you ask for. Once I get into the habit of spending it, I might not be able to stop.”
“That’s what I work for. There’s nothing that you or my children could ever ask for that I won’t be willing to give you.”
“I love you so much.”
“I love you too. I’m going to talk to Melissa tomorrow. I’m going to tell her that I can’t speak for Jovani, but I want out. It’s time.”
“And you’ll be okay with that?”
“I’ll be more than okay with that. We have to get your private practice off the ground.”
A squeal escaped me before I gasped. “Are you serious, Jeovanni? My own practice?”
“Hell yeah. You don’t think you can do it?”
“Yes, I can do it. Fuck yes, I can do it.”
“We gon’ do it then,” he smirked before pecking me on the lips.