Chapter 25
Chapter
Twenty-Five
YUMI
August
I watched as my husband took the podium, looking every bit the professional boss he’d always been.
My lips curved into a smile as I watched him stand there, looking dapper in his all-black Brooks Brothers suit, hair now in soft locs, and facial hair clean-cut and sexy.
We were at the grand opening of his school, and after a long road, for him, of course, he was now opening the doors to the Aldana Institute of Creative Arts.
After we said ‘I do’ in Antigua, we flew over to Fiji, where he handed me some papers I thought were for us to sign for our marriage license. Imagine my surprise when I opened it up to find the deed to the Island we were on and had now been renamed Yumi’s Island.
My whole life changed within months since Emery came back into my life. I had no idea this would ever be us, but I guess God had different plans for us.
Maybe He allowed my dad to split Emery and me up because we probably wouldn’t have survived with him still being in the streets and me trying to pursue my career. We were too passionate at such young ages, and things could have possibly ended badly for us.
My mother and father never recovered from our discovery of his secrets.
She ended up moving in with Emery and me in his parents’ quarters.
I didn’t mind, because I wanted our relationship to work.
I knew she was only following his lead because, as a man, it was his job to lead.
Too bad his leadership led him to be alone.
As for the relationship between my father, Zeke, and me, I hadn’t talked to either one of them since that crazy ass day, and I didn’t want to either.
What they did and the crazy measures they took for their secrets to not be exposed would never earn my forgiveness.
Chanel and I were getting back to us, but since she still fucked with Zeke, we rarely hung out together.
I understood because Zeke didn’t have any other family, so she decided to continue to be his favorite.
I didn’t care. I still loved her, though.
When we returned from Fiji, I jumped right into my position as senior partner at the law offices of Aldana, Jones it’s a space for all creatives to tap into whatever it is that their hearts desire it to be.
A.I.C.A. was made for every creator who wants to start a career in their field of choice.
“I don’t want to take up too much of you all’s time, but to sum it all up, we have the best team of professors, the best resources, and the best equipment to make sure every student comes here knowing very little but leaves here knowing everything.
Thank you all again for coming. Enjoy the refreshments, take a tour, get your child enrolled, and take advantage of the resources available to you. Thank you.”
Everyone applauded as Emery stepped down, took the scissors from the mayor, and cut the ribbon.
The doors opened, and the community of people began filing inside.
Emery and I locked eyes after he spoke with the mayor and the team of builders he’d hired, then, without saying a word more to them, he walked over to me, pulling me in by my waist.
“I love you, Mrs. Aldana.”
I cheesed like a goofball. “You just love saying that, don’t you?”
“You better fucking know it, and you better say it back.”
“I love you more, my Emmy.” He crashed his lips into mine, acting as if our family wasn’t standing mere feet away.
“Okay, can y’all like, stop?” Carmen asked as we laughed.
“Get you a nigga that’s solid, and I’ll bet you be doing the same shit, sis,” Emery told her.
I laughed. “He’s not wrong, pooh.” I could see her eyes skirt over to Mook, who was already watching her.
Emery chuckled, catching on too. “Nah, sis. Anybody but that nigga.” We all laughed just as Mook and Mill walked up. Mina was at Emil’s side as she broke away from him, came over to me, and hugged me tight.
“Yumi, you are glowing! Do we know yet?” she asked me, rubbing my barely there stomach.
“We won’t know for a couple of months, girl.” I laughed.
“It’s a boy. We only make kings around here,” Mill said.
She rolled her eyes playfully. “Oh, whatever. It could be a girl.”
“Whatever it is, we don’t care. As long as it’s healthy,” Emery said, kissing my lips.
“Alright, let’s go inside and see what my baby has created,” Mama Marilyn said, walking over with Poppa Marcel and the rest of the family.
“I’m proud of you, my boy. It’s only up from here,” Poppa Marcel said, hugging Emery.
“Thanks, Pops. Y’all go inside. We’ll be in in a second.” Emery took my hand and guided me a little way down the street. We then stopped, and he turned to look at me with a soft smile.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Nothing, I just need a minute to process.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and massaged it.
“You’re amazing, Emmy. I don’t even know how I was functioning all these years without you.”
“Same, baby, but I manifested everything I wanted out of life.
When you walked away from me that day at the park, I was fucked up emotionally.
I was moving fucked up, and that, in turn, made my brother move fucked up.
I realized my cousin and my brother looked up to me, and I had to be an example for them.
“It took a minute for his hothead ass to catch on, but I’m glad he’s finally seeing the error of his ways.” He rubbed his nose against mine and pecked my lips. “I told myself you were going to come back to me, and I didn’t give a fuck if you were single, married, or gay. You were going to be mine.”
I guffawed. “Not gay!”
“Hell yeah. If you had told me you were a lesbian, I would have told yo’ ass, shit, me too.”
I shook my head and laughed. “I’m so glad I took that case. Even though I tried to fight it and be loyal to a nigga who was a cheating liar, I’m glad you applied the pressure to get me out of that disaster. I love you so much, Emery Aldana. There’s no person or place I’d rather be with than you.”
“It’s always been you for me, Yummy. Let’s fuck up the world together, and make new memories.”
“I’m all for it, baby,” I replied, kissing his lips tenderly.
There was no doubt in my mind that Emery and I were destined to be. Through every roadblock, crazy turn of events, and us being separated for so many years, our love for one another never wavered.
He was I, and I was him.
Forever and always.
The End.