Chapter 13
I wasn’t sure if it was life, all the walking we did the day before, or the sex, but Ryann was out like a light all night. She didn’t even wake up to use the bathroom, which gave me time to wrap up the loose ends of the little surprise I had for her.
I brushed my teeth, jumped in the shower, and was dressed before she even turned over. I ordered breakfast from a local diner, made a few calls, and sent a few texts. When breakfast arrived, I knew it was time for me to wake Ryann.
“Ry.” I shook her lightly. She didn’t budge. “Ry, baby.” I shook her harder, and she started to stir. “Gorgeous, it’s time to wake up so we can get our day started.”
Her eyes blinked open slowly before she gave me a smile. “Good morning. Why’d you knock me out like that?”
I chuckled at her silliness. “Because your ass takes dick so fucking well.”
Her smile expanded. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Get up. Breakfast is getting cold. Plus I have a small surprise for you today”—I took a quick glance at my watch—“and it’s time sensitive.”
Her pretty brown eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What did you plan, Brix?”
I snickered. “It’s a surprise, lil mama. Get up. Get ready. Come eat.”
Once she was dressed and both she and my baby were fed, we left the house. Surprisingly, she rode in silence, not questioning me about our destination until we pulled up in front of the building.
“Where are we?”
“Jackson Bluff, Michigan.”
The punch to my bicep came swiftly because it wasn’t very hard. “Brix! Stop playing with me.”
I turned in the driver’s seat to face her, keeping my expression blank.
“Seriously, Ry, why a nigga can’t surprise you?
You had somebody give you a fucked up surprise in the past?
You think I would bring you to Michigan to give you a fucked up surprise?
Or is this a control thing? Like, you need to be in control, so I can’t surprise you if I want to? ”
She was quiet for a few seconds. “You’re right.
I can see where my actions could take the joy out of you giving me surprises.
And yes, most of the things that have caught me off guard in the past have been fucked up, and I would’ve preferred to know about them so I could prepare.
But no. I don’t think you would bring me here to give me a fucked up surprise.
And yes, it is a control thing. I apologize. ”
“I’m not a therapist or nothing, but now that we’re together, I think it would be cool if you work on reframing surprises.
” I blew out a sigh. “I’ve had a lot of fucked up things to catch me off guard in life, too.
Everybody has. But even though I consider myself an emotionally intelligent dude, there’s gonna be times where I can’t or won’t express myself verbally.
Giving gifts is a thing I do. Always have.
I call ’em surprises. I need you to figure out how to get into that. ”
Her eyes went wide. “Uh, did you just try to check me, Mr. Cole?”
“I ain’t try. Consider yourself checked, Ms. Upton.”
“Whatever.”
I laughed as she blew me off. I exited the truck, quickly rounding the vehicle to open the door for her. I gave her a smirk as we approached the front door of the storefront. “Your surprise is in here, so you won’t have to wait much longer.”
“I can’t imagine what it is.”
I rang the doorbell. My stylist opened the door.
Ryann’s voice came out breathy. “Katarina? What are you doing here?”
I wasn’t surprised that Ryann recognized her, because Christian and I used the same stylist. She was one of the best in the industry.
“Your man flew me in.” She pulled Ryann into a hug. “Get in here.” Katarina ushered her into the empty open space.
“Surprise!” Zyah and Genesis yelled in unison.
Ryann’s hands flew to her mouth, and I started to hope that I hadn’t done too much. The last thing I wanted to do was send her into premature labor.
I took her into my arms, my hand rubbing soothing circles across her back. “You good?”
Her breathing slowed. “I’m good. What is happening here?”
“Maternity photo shoot is what’s happening here.” I punctuated my words with a kiss on her cheek.
Zyah crossed the room toward us with Genesis on her heels. Genesis gave me a quick hug.
“Brix secured this location for you all to do an autumn themed maternity photo shoot,” Zyah told her older sister.
“Zyah said that autumn is your favorite time of year.” I raised my hands in surrender because if she hated the idea, I wanted her to know exactly whose idea it was.
Zyah eyed me with a smirk. “Are you throwing me under the bus?”
I shrugged.
“I guess it’s a good thing that I know my sister so well. Autumn is her favorite time of year. She likes pumpkin spice and apple cider and colorful leaves. She likes corn mazes and hayrides.”
“My birthday’s in autumn,” she explained.
“We know,” Zyah assured her. “It’s tomorrow. Anyway”—Zyah gestured around the large empty space that had once housed a gift shop—“we have all of the appropriate props to make this photo shoot scream autumn.”
I took in the space along with Ryann. Zyah was right. There were wheel barrels, colorful leaves, baskets of apples, and other autumn-inspired props. There were chairs, stools, and benches for us to pose on, and there were racks filled with clothing options.
The photographer and the prop stylist approached us.
After introductions, Ryann and I were encouraged to dip behind the screens that created the makeshift changing areas and start the shoot.
Zyah helped Ryann, while Genesis made sure I looked fly when I emerged from the changing area.
She ran a lint brush over me and my white t-shirt and jeans.
It was the quintessential maternity photoshoot outfit, so it’s the one we chose to start with.
After numerous outfit, prop, and scenery changes, the photographer gave us a quick look at some of the shots. Ryann squealed and threw her arms around waist in a hug after she saw some of them.
“I hadn’t even thought of doing this,” she confided. “Thank you for thinking of this.”
I placed a gentle kiss on her full lips. “No worries. I wanted us to have these memories.”
Once we’d changed back into the clothes we’d worn there, the four of us, Genesis, Zyah, Ryann, and I grabbed a late lunch.
The next day, we were on the jet headed home bright and early. It was Ryann’s birthday, and she knew that her family and friends would want to celebrate her.
“You coming to my house, or do you wanna go home?” I questioned as I maneuvered through the streets of Chicago.
“I thought your house was my home.” She pouted.
That drew a small chuckle from me. For all intents and purposes, she had moved into my home and into my bedroom.
I loved it. I loved going to sleep holding her.
I loved waking up at various points during the night and having the ability to slide inside her.
I loved standing with her inside of our daughter’s future room making plans and knowing that the three of us would be together.
Knowing that neither of us would have to kiss her goodbye, then pass her off to the other parent.
Doing this thing with Ryann had me loving life.
When we pulled up to the house, I turned to look at her. “Happy birthday, baby. I’m slowly bringing you around to accepting surprises, so I want you know that there’s a surprise for you in the house.”
“Okay.”
I carried our luggage up the porch stairs and set it on the landing while I entered the code and unlocked the door. I encouraged Ryann to walk in first, and when she did, she was met with the resounding chorus, “Surprise!”
I watched as my baby almost suffered a heart attack. When her hand flew to her chest, I promised myself this would be the last time I surprised her while she was pregnant. I left the luggage where it was and made my way to her, but her mother beat me to it.
“Ryann, baby. I’m so sorry. Are you okay?” her mother cooed. “Is the baby okay? Please calm down.”
“Sorry, Ry.” CJ approached her with a sheepish smile. “We didn’t think this through. My bad.”
“It’s okay. Hey, Mama.”
“Hey, baby. Chris Cross flew us in. He thought it would be a good surprise. We probably shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. Anyway, happy thirty-first birthday.”
One by one, her family members stepped up to hug her while I watched to make sure that her breathing had returned to normal and that she was good.
When I was sure that she was okay, I grabbed the luggage. As I headed to toward the primary bedroom, Mr. Upton approached me. “Let me help you with those, son.”
He and I both knew that I didn’t need help moving two carry-on size bags, so I figured he needed to talk to me about something.
I stopped outside of the bedroom and set the luggage down. I wasn’t into inviting people into where I laid my head. He sat down Ryann’s bag and looked past me into the bedroom.
“I see touches of Ryann in there,” he stated.
“Yeah. This is her home, and this is her bedroom for as long as she wants it to be. Respectfully, Mr. Upton, I get that Ryann’s your daughter.
I’m about to have a daughter of my own. She’s not here yet, but I can’t help but feel that Gensie was my warm-up.
I love my little sister, and I’ll fuck up the world behind her.