29. Piper
Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Three Days Later
Khalil and I sat out on the bottom deck of our private villa, listening to Joe’s “I Wanna Know,” having a drink, and spending some much-needed quality time.
Nana had flown in three hours ago, but since she was tired from the plane ride, she and Mr. Willie decided to take a nap.
I was so scared to face her after so many years of not seeing her that I hid in the room until Khalil told me they were asleep.
I lay between his legs on the lounge chair, watching the waves crash against the shore. The white sand and beautiful blue water were so serene.
“It’s so beautiful out here,” I observed.
“I got the best view,” he said, bouncing my boob in his big palm.
I laughed. “You’re such a freak.”
“I know you ain’t talking. If this house wasn’t so big, I know everybody would have heard you these past few nights.”
“It’s not my fault that you want to do kinky shit with a house full of people.”
“You initiate it all the time.”
“I can’t help it. You spoiled me.”
“That, I did,” he replied, kissing my forehead. “What do you think about getting remarried? You know, having a big wedding with our families?”
“I’m sure they would love to witness that. Besides, I think we deserve that.”
“We do. You deserve it more, though. The day should belong to you for all of our loved ones to witness how beautiful you are and will be.”
“I do, don’t I?”
“Indeed.”
“M2! TikTok time!” Kiyanne yelled from the balcony of the house.
“Oh my God. I thought I would enjoy doing TikToks, but baby girl is relentless.” I laughed.
“It’s a part of your punishment. But I don’t like her impeding on our time. She gon’ have to get on a time schedule with this shit. I didn’t want her to have that shit anyway, but her damn auntie got her addicted to it.”
“I’m sure you have it monitored.”
“I do.”
“I’m coming down now!”
“Okay!” I yelled back. “Let me stretch.” I laughed while standing and bending over in front of him.
“Mm,” he said, giving my ass a hard slap. “That motherfucka waving. My mother-in-law definitely blessed you with that body.”
I laughed and stood upright. “I know you ain’t looking at my mama’s booty, Khalil!”
“It’s hard not to. Her shit be waving too. When I first saw your ass fully, I couldn’t help but say, Where she get that ass from? She get it from her mama,” he rapped Juvenile. “And I was right.” He laughed. I did a little twerk and stopped once Kiyanne appeared.
“You ready?”
“I am! Which dance are we learning this time?”
“We can do Chris Brown’s “It Depends” dance. Since you already know that one, we can post it now.”
“Okay. You ready?”
“Yep!” She set the phone on the table, and we did the dance. When she did the playback, I smiled at how good we looked. Hell, we looked so good, Chris should add us on his next tour.
Khalil watched us with a smile on his face, and I felt full and happy that I finally got my family back.
Later that night, we all sat out on the patio after eating and playing a few games. Kiyanne had tapped out because of the time difference an hour ago, so the adults decided to have a few drinks while our parents shared stories with us.
“Okay, I have a question for the OG Dads. If that’s okay?” Nia asked, looking over at our parents.
“It better not be nothing crazy, Nia. Ya ass been drinking and liable to say anything,” Mr. Drew said.
She laughed. “It’s not. I promise.”
“Then proceed.”
“Okay. What was the first thing that attracted you to your wives, and what made you want to marry them? Asking for a friend.”
“That’s a good question. I don’t think I ever asked that one,” my mom said.
“Me either,” Mama Kael countered.
“I’ll go first,” Parnell said, sitting up. “Her eyes. Before I saw what was behind her, her eyes got to me first.”
“Well!” Khalil exclaimed in a church voice. I slapped him on his arm as he laughed. “Preach, Pop-in-law!”
“Be quiet, heathen,” I said with a laugh.
“I mean, he ain’t wrong, though. That’s the same thing that got me. Same scenario.”
“Lilo, shut your mannish behind up,” Mama Kael fussed.
“A’ight, a’ight. Go ’head, P2.”
“You and your daughter,” I said as we all laughed, then Parnell continued.
“I knew I wanted to marry her on our third date. I don’t know what it was, but the night was just perfect, and our chemistry was so good that I knew I never wanted her to give that to anyone else.
After losing my wife to a car wreck years prior, I thought I’d never find anyone else that would measure up to her.
Not only did this beautiful woman come into my life and show me love, but she also healed me. ”
“Aww. That’s so sweet,” Nia said.
Mama beamed and kissed his lips. “I love you.”
“I love you more, baby.”
“This is giving real Why Did I Get Married-ish.” Khalil chuckled.
“Okay, you might want to put the drinks down for the night,” I told him.
“I’m just getting started, baby.”
I shook my head at his crazy behind.
“What about you, Mr. Drew?” Derrick asked.
“Her strength and her fire. When I met her, she was at a friend of mine’s car repair shop, going off on the mechanic with her two kids in the car. I mean, she was going in on homie, and all I could think was, damn. I need her in my life.”
“Toxic ass,” Khalil mumbled and chuckled.
Drew laughed. “Maybe I was, but one thing you can’t call me is a deadbeat.”
“I concur,” Khalil agreed.
“I always wanted a family since I never had one. All I had was my career and my best friend, so I was a lonely nigga with money and nobody to spend it on. She was stubborn as fuck at first, but when Lilo and Ky grew attached to me, she ain’t have no choice but to be my woman.”
Nia smiled. “I love that.”
“Why you asking anyway?” Khalil asked her.
“Because . . . I asked Rick the same question.” She slid her hand up slowly, and the diamond that glistened on her hand didn’t go unnoticed.
“Oh my God. Congratulations!” I exclaimed. “Let me see!” She laughed and held her hand out to me. “You did good, Derrick.”
He smiled. “Thank you.”
“Congratulations. It’s about time, nigga,” Khalil said, dapping him up.
“Had to wait for the right moment. I love her and Kiy.”
“Just take care of them, and we all good.”
“No doubt.”
Everyone congratulated them just as Nana and Mr. Willie came out of the house. Nana still looked the same, only now, her hair was all white, but her face and body still held its youth. I didn’t think I’d ever seen a seventy-year-old look so damn good.
My body tensed.
Khalil took notice, rubbed my arms, and whispered that everything was okay.
I begged to differ.
When I had a conversation with his mom the day I reintroduced myself to Kiy, she told me they were mad at me for leaving and breaking their son/grandson’s heart. While Mama Kael was a bit more understanding because somehow, she knew I’d come back, Nana still hadn’t gotten over it.
I knew why, though.
It was because I left without saying goodbye, and she had a front-row seat to her grandson’s heartbreak.
“I see y’all out here having a grand old time without us,” Nana said.
“We didn’t know you were up, Mama. We ain’t seen you since you got here,” Papa Drew said, standing and greeting her with a hug and kiss to her cheek.
“You want to sit down, honey?” Mr. Willie asked her.
“No, not yet.” Her eyes came to me. “You. Come.” She waved me over then turned and went back inside the house.
Shit.
I set my drink down and nervously stood to my feet.
“Don’t worry, bae. If she goes upside your head, just duck and roll.”
I mushed his head. “Shut up.”
I walked inside the house and saw her standing at the counter, making her a plate of the food we had catered. I wrung my fingers nervously while I waited for her to speak, which she took her time doing before she finally took a seat at the island.
“You don’t gotta be nervous around me, Piper. Although I had every intention on cursing you out, seeing your face instead of that hoochie Anais’s made me rethink my words and actions.”
Tears filled my eyes before I could stop them from running down my cheeks. “All I can do is tell you that I’m sorry. I already made my rounds with the family, and all I could think about was how you may be the hardest one I’d have to convince how truly sorry I am.”
“You don’t have to convince me. I know why you left, and I honestly don’t fault you for it. It’s the aftermath of what your leaving had done. My grandson was a damn wreck when you left. I had never seen him so out of it and off his feet the way I saw him after you were gone.
“I knew he loved you. That much couldn’t be denied.
But what I didn’t know was how he loved you that much to even be as down bad as he was.
It literally took his father to come up there and be with him during the combine because he was off his game.
Even after he got drafted, he made a lot of poor decisions.
That whoremonger was one of the worse ones he made.
When he told me he was marrying that thang, I didn’t speak to him for a week.
” She shook her head and chuckled lightly.
“But what let me know that he wasn’t going to go through with it was the fact that he never divorced you, and he ain’t have no plans on doing it either. ”
My eyes went to her. “Y-you knew about the marriage?”
“I knew about it the same day he did it.”
Wow.
That was news to me.
I thought we were the only ones who kept that secret until he told me he told his mom, sister, and Nana years later.
“Yup, called me up that morning, asking me what I thought about it. I was against it, but that was only because I knew you weren’t ready for him.
He had grown man responsibilities, and you weren’t as experienced as he was when it came to relationships.
But he was so sure that you were the one, and he told me he was taking you to the courthouse and making you his wife.
“Now, I’m not saying he was wrong about what he felt and still feels for you, but he certainly did it prematurely. It’s like throwing a newborn in the ocean and expecting it to know how to swim. I knew you would drown the moment he placed that ring on your finger.
“I ain’t say that to offend you, baby. I had no doubt that if the outside world, meaning Nia and those jealous friends of his wasn’t a thing, you two could have prospered and gave me a lot of great-grands by now.
But all that matters is that you’re here now, and my babies are happy.
Him being the happiest. So I hope you threw away those track shoes because if you run again, I’m coming for your behind. ”
I smiled and wiped my tears. “I hear you, Nana.”
“You better. Now come give me a hug.” I hurried around the counter and fell into her arms, holding her tight. “It’s good to have you back, baby.”
“It’s so good to be back. I love you, Nana.”
“I love you most, my precious Piper.” She kissed my forehead and held me back.
“Everything good in here? You ain’t choke my wife out did you, Nana?” Khalil asked, poking his head inside.
“Boy, hush. I would never.”
He laughed and came all the way inside, then stood in front of me. “I told you, you would be a’ight. If it ain’t one thing I didn’t know, I knew you were my nana’s girl.”
“I was a little funky with her for a minute.”
I beamed and kissed her cheek.
“I hate to break up this little kumbaya moment, but my soldiers got the AR’s locked, loaded, and ready to shoot a club up,” he said, making a gun gesture with his fingers.
“Khalil!” I yelled, reaching up to pop him on his head, but he was too tall, so it landed on his neck.
He laughed and picked me up, tossing me over his shoulder. “Night, Nana!” he yelled over his shoulder and rushed me up to our suite.
Since being back with him, I was getting way more sex than I could stand.
But I wasn’t complaining at all.