Chapter 19 #2
“You worse than Shiloh. You hate for anybody else to have her attention,” Rich joked.
Seth smirked. “That’s the thing… I’m the only one who has her attention.”
Then he kissed me his lips laced with liquor. His hand slid down and grabbed my ass like we were at home, not at a whole party.
“Hey, husband,” I said, turning in his arms so I could dance with him.
“Hey, wife,” he replied, kissing me again as Still by Tamia started to pour through the speakers.
The song hit, and everything else faded. No guests, no noise, no stress.
Just us swaying, his hands on my waist, his forehead resting against mine. He looked at me, memorizing every inch of my face, and we were falling in love with each other all over again. And God I loved these moments. Where life slowed down and nobody else existed.
You could feel the night hold its breath for us. Just me and him. Loving each other since day one. We stayed tangled up with each other until the DJ cut the track and a deep voice came over the mic.
“I just wanna say a few words, if that’s okay,” a handsome older man asked into the mic. His face was familiar, but his name slipped my mind. All I knew was he was Iva’s father, the man who raised all those boys.
“Go ahead, old man!” Balblair yelled from across the room.
His father snapped his head toward him. “Watch your mouth, young blood.”
The room laughed, knowing they do this all the time.
Then he turned back to Seth.
“Seth… I watched you grow from a young boy to the man standin’ here tonight,” he began, voice steady and full of weight. “A man breakin’ generational curses.”
Seth squeezed my waist gently.
The older man continued, “We passed this business down to our boys, and they carried it the best way they knew how. But you, you built an empire. And now you givin’ your boys better options, choices, a life where they ain’t gotta repeat what we did.”
The room quieted. Even the kids paused you could feel something big was bein’ said.
“I respect the hell out of you for that, son.”
Seth’s jaw flexed. He wasn’t emotional in public, but I felt him swallow hard behind me.
“Here’s to retirement,” the man said, lifting his glass. “I hope this next chapter brings you every bit of love and happiness you’ve earned. And do me a favor… talk some sense into my boys. Help ’em settle down, get married, start a damn family already.”
The crowd laughed and raised their glasses.
Everyone drank, Seth included. And I watched him, proud and emotional, because hearing another man call him a curse breaker hit different. It was exactly who he’d become. Exactly who he was choosing to be.
Rich stepped up next, never one to miss a chance to grab a mic.
“Man, listen… we been down since the sandbox,” Rich started, shaking his head with a grin.
“Same hood, same drama, same beatdowns. You my brother for life. We built this empire side by side, expanded business, grew our bank accounts and now… Now we get to watch your boys enjoy the fruit of all that work.”
Seth lowered his head, smiling, rubbing my waist slow with his thumb.
Rich’s voice softened. “You gave me something I never had growing up… and that’s a family. I’m thankful forever.”
He lifted his glass high. “To my brother Seth Greene.”
Everyone took a shot, the staff already sliding through the crowd filling cups and passing out another round.
Before the room could settle, Southside stepped up, smirking always had something slick planned.
“My brother,” he said, nodding at Seth. “The one who’s just one call away. Always there, always solid. I don’t respect a lot of niggas in these streets… but you” He tapped his chest. “You, my nigga. I respect you.”
The crowd hummed, agreeing.
“The kingpin. The husband. The father. The son. You play a lot of roles, and you play every one of ’em well, my nigga.” He raised his glass. “To Seth.”
And everyone again took another shot.
Seth held onto me tighter, his chest rising slow absorbing every word, every ounce of love his brothers were pouring into him. And I could see it in his eyes he needed this more than anyone realized.
“To my son,” his mom said, stepping forward with her little cup of apple juice.
“You’re exactly the man I raised you to be.
A provider. A protector. A leader in every area of your life.
” She paused, her eyes soft on Seth. “I know this next chapter gon’ be great for you. Just let God lead the way, baby.”
She took a sip, and Jo lifted her juice cup right along with her.
Jo cleared her throat, already getting emotional.
“Son-in-law, I knew it would be you.” She looked between me and Seth, her lips trembling.
“I knew you’d make her happy. I appreciate everything you’ve done for her.
I know she’s in the best hands now and she can rest.” Her voice broke; she let out a shaky breath. “I thank you for that.”
Seth reached out and squeezed Jo’s shoulder, and I felt myself getting emotional too, my heart swelling at seeing the two most important women in my life honoring the man I loved.
Jo wiped her tears and laughed lightly. “Lord, look at me cryin’ at this party.”
Serena elbowed her gently. “Girl, hush. Let the tears fall. It’s a celebration.”
And for a moment, the whole room held nothing but love.
“Family, Love, Loyalty, Respect!” a few of Seth’s partners shouted in unison, lifting their glasses high like they were blessing the whole room.
“Our brother for life!” Iva and Dee yelled from the back, their voices loud enough to shake the walls.
The crowd cheered again, clinking glasses, taking another round of shots.
I stood quietly beside Seth, letting everybody else speak first. Letting every man and woman in that room give him the flowers he’d earned.
My heart felt full watching it. Watching him taking in every word, every hug, every praise. He stood there not knowing what to do with all the love being poured on him, but he deserved every drop of it. All of it and so much more.
I waited patiently, letting the room give him his moment because tonight was about celebrating the man who saved me, saved us, and rebuilt everything with his bare hands. And I was so, so damn proud.
“You’re not drinking?” Seth asked, turning toward me with that raised eyebrow he always gave when he knew something was off.
“You know I’m breastfeeding,” I said quickly, throwing out the first excuse I could grab.
He squinted. “You don’t got enough milk stored to pump and dump for the next few days?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Seth you really been reading those breastfeeding books a little too hard.”
He shrugged. “I pay attention. Blame the damn books you keep leaving all over the bed.”
“It’s fine,” I said, trying to keep it casual. “Plus, I need to be good. I got the boys tonight.”
“That’s what they got grandmothers for.” He nodded toward my mom and his, both sipping apple juice like it was Hennessy. “They over there chillin’. You free. Come drink with me.”
He pulled me closer by the waist. My heart jumped panic mixed with excitement. He was getting too close to the truth, and I wasn’t ready to tell him yet. Right on time, my phone buzzed.
Party Planner: The surprise is here.
That was my cue. I stepped away gently. “If I can have everyone’s attention one more time! I promise after this we can party nonstop.”
The room quieted, and I turned to Seth, taking a deep breath. “Thank you for being the father and husband a girl could only dream of.”
“That’s not a dream. That’s prayer, baby! A mother’s prayer!” Jo hollered, and Serena high fived her.
Everyone cracked up, and even Seth smirked.
I continued, voice shaking just a little.
“Today we celebrate a new chapter in our lives. We’ve been through so much these last few months but becoming your wife, helping you raise your son, and us creating a life together it’s brought me so much joy.
I want you to know I appreciate everything you do for this family.
And we’re gonna keep celebrating you and every milestone from here on out.
” I turned toward the projector. “And I got a little surprise for you.”
I pressed play. First came our Disney engagement pictures and videos.
Then our wedding clips. Then Shiloh’s gender reveal, his christening, his six-month party, every moment of our growing family. And then, in big bold cursive words across the screen: Hey Daddy… we’ll be welcoming baby number three in a few more months.
The room exploded with people screaming, cheering, clapping. I turned back to Seth just as he looked from the screen at me then down at my still flat belly.
His eyes widened as his chest rose and every emotion he tried to swallow showed right there on his face. “You pregnant?” Seth asked, his voice low and calm too damn calm.
I couldn’t read him at all. “Yes,” I whispered, tears slipping down before I could catch them.
He repeated it, softer this time. “You’re pregnant…”
Then he scooped me straight off my feet, kissing my cheeks, my neck, my lips anywhere he could reach as the whole room broke into laughter and cheers.
“That’s why y’all on baby number two already!” Jo screamed from somewhere in the crowd, and everybody hollered.
People clapped, people shouted congratulations, and my man held me like he was scared I’d disappear.
I cupped his face. “Are you happy? I know we said a year or two… I just…. I didn’t want to disappoint you.”
He kissed me again, slow and deep. “Baby, I couldn’t be happier. Growing our family with you? That’s all I want.”
Just then Rich appeared, Shiloh in his arms. “I had to let him know he not the baby no more,” Rich announced. “Told him it’s time to get off that titty.”
Everyone laughed as he dapped Seth up and pulled me into a hug.
Shiloh reached out for me instantly. My little shadow and S3 wrapped himself around my leg claiming his spot too.
“I hope this one’s a girl,” Seth said, taking Shiloh from me just to irritate him. Shiloh immediately frowned. “I need a daddy’s girl. I’m surrounded by mama’s boys.”
Rich shook his head dramatically. “A girl? Man, do I got enough guns for a goddaughter? Might need to start buying grenades.”
Most people would laugh at the comment thinking he was playing. Me I wasn’t too sure if he was.
Everyone flowed back into the music and celebration, coming up to hug us, congratulate us, toast us. It was love everywhere filling the room just how I hoped.
But then I saw it.
Out the corner of my eye Jo chasing after Noah, who pushed through the exit with a look on his face I didn’t like. Something dark, something I didn’t have the strength to face right now.
I swallowed, leaning into Seth’s side.
Tonight was supposed to be joyful. Tonight was our moment. Whatever was going on with Noah, I told myself I’d deal with it tomorrow.