Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Cadence
Thanksgiving Day...
I stayed with Titan last night so that we could go to his mama’s house together.
I’ve been around her a few times and even visited, but this was a whole holiday dinner that we were going to.
He said a few family members were coming over, and I was nervous.
I didn’t have a big family so to be around his would be different.
I tried to get Janae to come with me, but she was going to her aunt’s house with her mama and brother.
I was in Titan’s bathroom trying to get myself together when he swaggered in looking like a caramel god.
He had on a simple brown God Speed sweatsuit with a pair of A Ma Maniére Dark Mocha Jordan 4s.
He wore his signature 17 chain along with his Cuban link bracelet and a brown Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph watch.
His hair was in its natural, wild, curly state, and his diamond studs were in his ears.
He was out of the sling, but he had his shoulder taped and was wearing a compression sleeve. My man looked good... real good.
“Tink, I know you’re ready by now. The fuck you in here doing?” He asked as he made his way over to me.
He leaned on the bathroom sink and stared at me as I finished my hair.
“I’m almost done. I had to straighten out my hair since somebody worked my scarf off last night.” I cut my eyes at him and he laughed.
“My bad, baby. You know I like to grip that shit when I’m hitting it from the back.
” He slapped my butt for emphasis. “But hurry up. If my cousins get there and eat all the dressing, I’m gone be pissed and beat every last one of them muthafuckas with one good arm and all.
” I laughed, but he was dead ass serious.
I finished my hair and went to slip into my sneakers. I matched his fly with a brown two-piece set that I was pairing with a tan plaid button up. When I was finally ready, Titan’s face was tight.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“You love having your pussy out. You need to cover that shit ’fore I have to kill a nigga,” he fussed.
“Boy, shut up and come on. I’m covered and your family shouldn’t be looking at me like that,” I laughed.
“You laughing now but wait until we get back. I got something for that ass,” he uttered as he gripped my butt and kissed my neck.
I shrugged because don’t threaten me with a good time.
We headed down and got into his Range Rover and headed toward his mama’s house.
“Your mama need us to pick her up?” He asked.
“No, I gave her the address, and she said she’ll meet us there,” I responded, and he nodded.
It took us about forty-five minutes to get to his mama’s house since she lived on the outskirts of town. By the time we got there, there were a few cars already in the yard.
“See, this the bullshit. I bet these niggas already plotting on shit,” he fussed as we parked.
He got out and helped me get out and walked hand in hand inside. As soon as he got inside, he started his shit.
“You niggas bet not have no fucking to-go plates. Probably ain’t brought shit but an appetite,” he fussed as we walked in.
It was four men sitting down in front the TV with his dad.
“Nigga, shut your sorry ass up,” the one with dreads said.
“You wish I was sorry,” Titan countered.
“That fucked up shoulder says otherwise. Who you done kidnapped?”
“This is Cadence. Tink, these ar my cousins, Saint and Tre. Those are my uncles, Maine and Travis,” he introduced.
“You did good nephew. She looks even better in person,” his Uncle Maine complimented.
“Don’t make me fuck you up, Unc,” Titan playfully warned.
“You look familiar, baby girl. Who your people?” his Uncle Travis asked.
“I don’t know my father, but my mother’s name is Faedra Mitchell,” I revealed.
I saw how he looked at his brother, but I brushed it off. I never seen these people before in my life.
Titan took me into the kitchen where the rest of the women were. His mama was in there with his sister and another girl around our age, and three other women.
“About time you showed up,” Lani fussed.
“Stay out my business.” He shoved her on the shoulder before he went and hugged the other women. He was careful to keep that left side out the way.
“And who do we have here? I’ve seen y’all up in the blogs, but they be lying,” one of the girls said.
“Messy ass.” Titan chuckled. “Tink, that’s my messy ass cousin, Harlow, and my Aunt Alli. That’s Saint’s sister and mama. That’s his wife, Eve, and their baby girl, Eva. My cousin Tre’s wife, Iren and his sister, Zaya.” He introduced me to the ladies, and they were all nice.
“Uncle Titan!” I heard a little boy say as he ran toward him.
“Damn, lil’ nigga. Slow down,” he laughed before picking the boy up with his good arm and turning him upside down. Another little boy followed and wanted him to do the same thing.
“Titan, if your big ass drops my baby, you and Ms. Tink gone make another one,” his cousin Iren fussed.
“Hey, put that baby down,” I rushed out, causing everybody to laugh.
“Damn, Tink. You’on wanna have my baby?” He frowned.
“Please don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to,” I countered.
“I like her,” Harlow said.
“That’s fucked up,” he mumbled.
“Aww, she’s so cute,” I cooed at the little girl in Eve’s lap.
“Don’t let this face fool you. She’s bad and acts just like her daddy,” she said.
“I heard that shit, E. Don’t be in here talking about my baby unless you tryna give me another one,” Saint came in and said with the other men.
“Please get out my face,” she countered.
“Shit, y’all can have this one,” Iren said, rubbing her stomach.
“How you gone tell me to replace that lil’ nigga when you already did?” Titan asked.
“You worried about the wrong shit,” she countered.
“I know all y’all better stop cursing in my house,” his mama fussed. “Cady, what time is your mama coming?” she asked.
Just as I was about to answer, I got a text saying she was pulling up.
“She just said she was pulling up,” I announced.
“I’ll go get her,” Titan offered.
“So, Cady. What you do?” Saint asked.
“I’m in school for Physical Therapy. I graduate in December,” I responded.
“That’s wassup. Maybe you can help that nigga out when he gets sacked again because of their sorry ass defense,” Saint laughed.
“Nigga, I heard you, and you ain’t ever gotta worry about that shit again,” Titan said as he came back with my mama.
I went to greet her, but her eyes were on Travis and Maine.
“Uhm, y’all know each other?” I asked.
Saint’s mama spoke up before they did.
“Fae?” she said.
“Ma, you know her?” Saint asked.
All the older people got quiet, but now wasn’t the time because something was going on that they needed to fill us in on.
“Aye, y’all need to start talking up because my girl is getting uncomfortable as fuck,” Titan spat.
“Titan!” His mama fussed.
“No, it’s okay, Ai (Eye),” Saint’s mama said. “I didn’t think y’all would find out like this,” she said.
“Find out what?” Saint asked.
They were quiet again until my mama spoke up.
“You look just like Frank,” my mama said.
“You know my Pops?” Saint frowned.
“I did.” She nodded.
When she said that, my head snapped toward hers.
“Mama, how do you know his father?” I asked.
“Because he’s your father too,” she revealed, and it felt like the world stopped.
“Ma,” I heard Saint say.
“She’s right, Harlan,” Allison started. “He was dealing with Fae a few years after you were born. We knew he had other women and kids, but we didn’t get involved with each other. We didn’t hate each other, but we figured we’d just leave well enough alone,” Allison added.
I looked at my mama and couldn’t believe I was finding out that I had a brother, in front all of these people no less.
“Ain’t this some shit,” Saint mumbled.
“Cady, I never wanted you to find out like this. Cannon Hills is big, so I honestly had the mentality of out of sight out of mind,” my mama said.
“I looked around the room and realized I had more family than I realized. Then I thought about it and my head snapped to Titan’s. He must’ve known exactly what I was thinking because he responded before I could say anything.
“Nah, Tink. His step pops is my mama’s brother. Me and that nigga don’t share the same blood,” he confirmed, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
“And I’on know if I want you fucking my sister, nigga.” Saint frowned.
“First of all, curse again,” Titan’s mama fussed. “And nobody cares what y’all want. This is a lot for Cady to take in and right now is not the time. Now, bring y’all asses on so we can eat, then we can sort all this stuff out later,” she said with finality, and everybody fell in line.
My mama came and hugged me before we went with everybody else.
“I’m sorry, baby,” she apologized.
“It’s okay, Mama. I’m not mad... shocked, but not mad,” I assured her, and she smiled.
She followed everybody else inside of the dining room and Titan and Saint were still in the family room with me.
“How you feeling, Tink?” Titan asked as he pulled my body into his.
“I don’t know,” I mumbled, since my face was buried into his chest.
I looked up, and Saint was still standing there. When he saw me looking at him, he walked closer to us and pushed Titan out the way.
“Fuck off my sister, nigga,” he snarled before pulling me into a hug.
“A nigga about to be broke,” he laughed as he hugged me tight and kissed my temple. “Shit, I already got Low, Eve, my mama and the kids, plus Jessa and her tribe. I guess one more won’t hurt,” he mentioned.
“Who’s Jessa?” I asked.
“Our older sister. She thinks she’s better than me... well us now, because our pops was married to her mama. She’s miserable as fuck though, and I only go around for my niece and nephews,” he explained.
“Aight, nigga... that’s enough. Sister or not... unhand my woman before I go in there and have Eve fixing my plate,” Titan joked as he pushed Saint out the way.
“And you’ll be a dead nigga,” Saint countered with a grimace.
The three of us joined everybody in the dining room so we could eat.
Saint’s stepdad and uncle filled me in on my dad and outside of having plenty women, he was pretty heavy in the streets.
I got to know Saint’s kids and Myheir was a little charmer, but Noble was more on the quiet side.
Even Tre and Iren’s son called me Tee Cady.
Harlow was a mess and claimed me as her sister too.
Today went nothing like I expected, but it was everything I didn’t know I needed.
By the time we were ready to go, I had everybody’s contact information and was added to the girls’ group chat.
“Don’t hesitate to call me if you have problems with this nigga. He maybe fast, but that nigga can’t outrun these bullets,” Saint joked as he hugged me for what felt like the millionth time.
“Whatever, nigga. Make that the last time you put your hands on my girl.” Titan shoved him and walked me to the truck after we said our goodbyes. Today was definitely a day that I would never forget.
***
We were back at Titan’s place decompressing from today’s events. We were lounging on his sofa with his head in my lap and my legs wrapped around him.
“Tink,” he called my name.
“Hmm?”
“You good?”
We sat in silence for a while before I spoke again.
“I went from only having me and my mama to having an entire family. That was a lot to take in, but I’m okay. I now feel... complete,” I stated honestly.
Titan turned his head so that he was now looking at me.
“You didn’t feel complete before?” He asked.
I shook my head ‘no’.
“Not even when I stroked that pussy from the back?” He smirked.
“You’re an idiot,” I laughed. “You know what I mean.”
“I do, and I love that you found your people. Even if it’s that ignorant ass nigga.”
“Don’t be talking about my brother,” I spat.
“That nigga been your brother for thirty seconds and you gone defend that nigga over me?” He asked.
“And will,” I simpered.
“That’s fucked up, Tink. I thought we were better than that.”
“We are, but you know you’ll do the same for Lani,” I countered.
“I’on know. She gets on my fucking nerves. I might let you talk your shit for about five minutes before I stop that shit,” he chuckled.
I joined him in laughter because he knew he was lying.
He looked up at me and grinned.
“What you grinning for?” I asked.
Instead of responding right away, he started pulling my shorts down.
“I’m able to enjoy the best part of this day.” He smirked as he continued to pull my shorts down and bury his face between my thighs.
Whatever I wanted to talk about pertaining to today could wait until tomorrow.
***
“Wait, bitch... that’s a lot,” Janae said.
I just finished telling her about what happened on Thanksgiving, and she was just as floored as I was.
“How do you think I felt when it was all unfolding? I mean, I always figured I could’ve had more siblings out there, but I didn’t think I would find out like that. I would’ve preferred it be private instead of in front my boyfriend and his family,” I replied.
“Well, bitch. Technically, that’s his family too. Ooh, what would you have done if he and Saint were blood related? You’ve been giving that man all your coochie and he could’ve been your cousin,” she laughed.
“Nae that is not funny. That was the first thing I thought about, and I almost died. He cleared it up before I could even ask.”
I got sick to my stomach just thinking about it.
“Well, good thing it ain’t happen like that. I would’ve been disgusted with you but not disgusted enough to tell you to leave him. Hell, y’all done fucked up a storm by then.” She shrugged.
“I hate you sometimes,” I laughed.
“No, you don’t.” She waved me off. “Enough of that, though. How are things with you and Titan?” She asked.
“They’re... good,” I simpered.
“Aww friend. You really like him don’t you?”
I’ve been playing around with the idea for a while, and I did like him... a lot.
“I do, but I don’t want to get too comfortable, and he goes back to his old ways once they forget about his old bullshit,” I confessed.
Even though he shows me differently, I can’t help but think that he’ll slip back into his old ways as soon as the press forgets that he was a dog ass nigga. Then I’ll have to show him I’m a dog too and beat his big ass.
“Chy, please.” She waved me off. “That man ain’t thinking about them hoes.
He stays up your ass... literally and has claimed you on national television.
If anything, those hoes are plotting your demise so they can give him a coochie to cry in.
Fuck them and then go fuck your nigga.” She waved me off.
This is why I loved her. She never bit her tongue and always meant every word she said. There would be no way I could get through this thing called life without Janae.
“You know what... you’re right. Things have been great and there’s no reason for me to taint it,” I acknowledged.
“So cut the shit,” she fussed back.
“I hear you. Let me get in here and get ready for work.”
“Okay, boo. Call me tomorrow if you’re not full of dick.” She laughed and hung up in my face.
I looked in the mirror and smiled. I was happy and in love, and it was a beautiful thing.
Wait... do I love him?