23. Chapter 22 #3
The mention of Armani’s name caused Mercedes to lift her head.
Marcus' heart felt heavy with guilt. “Every time I turned around it was some new drama with her.”
“First she wanted a new bag and then she spazzed out when I didn't get it for her. Then she always had her hand out asking for money. Then she kept asking me to take her on trips and shit like I wasn't a fucking business owner. Most of all, she just wanted all of my time to be with her. I had no personal time to myself or nothing. Steelo handled mist of my responsibilities cause I was barely there. Basically, if she wasn’t getting what she wanted, she started acting crazy.” Marcus painfully revealed.
June swallowed a lump in her throat as she listened to Marcus tell his side of the story.
Marcus continued. “And once she got pregnant, she kept throwing slick shit out there about other niggas she dealt with.”
He laughed bitterly under his breath. “Then when we fell out forreal, she started running around tellin people I was a deadbeat and hiding from my responsibility.”
Mercedes put her two cents in it, “Yep, that part definitely happened, I can attest to that.”
Marcus pointed at her. “Yeah, you was there when she showed her ass the night of my grand opening. I'm telling you, the bitch got some fuckin' screws loose somewhere. The shit wit her ain't normal for real man!”
“I remember ALL y’all being toxic.” Mercedes added as she chewed the inside of her cheek.
Steelo laughed while Marcus watched June from the corner of his eye.
“At first I ignored it,” he began. “But then the rumors started getting around.” Marcus said.
June blinked several times before speaking. “What rumors?”
Marcus looked toward her. “That I wasn't claiming her as my child.”
“And in my world?” He shrugged. “That type shit make people stop respecting you.”
Marcus looked down into his glass before continuing. “Armani knew exactly what the fuck she was doing too. Every time we argued she’d start talkin reckless online or around people connected to the club.”
He stroked his mustache. “After a while I got tired of hearing different stories from everybody else, so I took the DNA test.”
June's eyes got big as saucers. “And?”
Marcus answered without hesitation this time. “She mine.”
June looked down at the little pink bag in her lap before asking softly, “You see her?”
Marcus shrugged. “Not recently. The last time I saw her was like maybe a week before you started working at the club.”
“That’s fucked up,” Mercedes muttered.
Marcus looked toward the tree lights then looked at June. “I ain’t saying I handled everything perfect either.”
That right there surprised June more than anything. Marcus usually defended himself to death.
But tonight he actually sounded honest.
Steelo broke the tension by tossing Marcus another gift. “Aight enough sad shit. Open this before Mercedes starts crying and end up ruining Christmas.”
“I’m already emotional!” Mercedes argued while wiping fake tears.
“You emotional over every damn thing.” Steelo grinned.
“And?” Mercedes replied.
Everybody laughed again while Marcus opened the box.
Inside sat an expensive Rolex with diamonds around the face.
Marcus stared at it before looking up at Steelo. “Nigga…”
“You always talking about time.” Steelo shrugged. “I figured I’d help you keep track of it.”
“That was kinda hard,” Marcus admitted.
“I know.” Steelo said with a chuckle.
A little later June handed Marcus a flat box wrapped in black paper.
Marcus frowned slightly while opening it. He ain't know if June put a bomb in there threatening to blow his ass up.
Then his face changed completely when he discovered that it was a framed photo from Seoul. This was a photo that Mercedes secretly snapped while Marcus stood outside laughing at June in the snow with his arm wrapped around her waist. Neither of them even noticed the picture being taken.
Marcus stared at and he felt his heart flutter.
“You like it?” June asked dryly.
Marcus nodded once while still looking down at the frame. “Yeah.”
His voice got real quiet after that.
Meanwhile Mercedes screamed from the floor after opening another box. “Ooooh shit yall!!!”
Steelo started laughing. “You dramatic as shit.”
Mercedes pulled out a designer diaper bag with gold hardware while covering her mouth. “This for the baby?!”
“Nah,” Steelo replied back. “It’s for Marcus.”
Marcus almost spit out his drink laughing while Mercedes threw wrapping paper at Steelo’s head. “You stupid!”
Steelo mouthed the words "I love you too" while Mercedes kissed his cheek hard enough to leave lip gloss on him.
The whole room glowed with that warm holiday feeling people spend their whole lives chasing. At some point Mercedes curled up asleep against Steelo on the couch still holding one of her gifts while soft music played through the house.
Marcus looked over at them before shaking his head quietly. “Damn.”
June smiled. “What?”
“Everybody really on they grown shit now.”
Hearing Marcus say that threw June for a loop.
Maybe because Marcus spent so much of his life surrounded by trouble that happiness almost looked strange on him.
Later that night after Mercedes and Steelo finally left, June walked downstairs to turn off the Christmas tree lights and found Marcus standing near the windows looking out at the snow-covered yard with a drink still sitting in his hand.
“You good?” she asked softly.
Marcus turned around and held his hand out toward her. June walked over letting him pull her against him.
For a minute neither of them said anything. Marcus looked at her quietly before brushing a loose curl behind her ear.
“You know…” he said lowly, “this probably the best Christmas I had in years.”
June smiled. “Yeah?”
Marcus nodded. “Fuck yeah. We had a house full of loved ones. We had some good ass food. No drama, just great vibes for the holiday.”
Then he smirked. “And you finally learned how to make biscuits properly.”
June gasped. “Boy if you don’t—”
Marcus laughed while pulling her closer before she could finish.
And standing there together in the glow of the Christmas lights with slow music floating through the house…
June wished she could freeze that moment and stay there forever.