Chapter 3
KWAMé
The minute I found out I was pregnant with Jessie, I stepped away from my duties with the NBA. My interim replacement couldn’t wait for me to return this coming season. Meanwhile, I wasn’t looking forward to the hustle and bustle of that life.
Flights at the drop of a hat, testosterone-fueled breakdowns, and cameras in my face twenty-four-seven used to be something that drove me to work harder. Every time I successfully averted a crisis, it added a notch to my mental wins.
Counseling people through some of the hardest times of their lives wasn’t for the weak.
One day I could be counseling a player through a career-ending injury.
Another day, I could be counseling a player through the hardships of being in a foreign country.
Most times, though, it was the shit happening behind the scenes that no one knew about.
Those calls were never easy. Many players battled off-the-court issues and still went out to play as if nothing was going on in their lives.
That wasn’t the case for a few. However, most did well with keeping their personal lives, personal.
That was what I thought Damon was doing. I thought he was exceptionally private.
Damon’s sessions started after the death of his father.
He and his father were close, and the devastating loss drove Damon to want to drown his sorrows in a bottle.
His agent came to me and begged for my help.
At the time, I didn’t even suspect that Damon had a drinking problem.
To this day, no one suspected. Just like no one suspected that Damon was the epitome of a demon.
“Either the breakfast I made is nasty as fuck, or ya mind is somewhere other than here.”
Smiling at the partial mug on Adrian’s face, I wiped away any residue of the melancholy that thoughts of Damon brought.
Since last night, Adrian had been watching me closely.
I had to get it together. Yes, I was healed where Damon was concerned.
However, sometimes the way that I handled the situation surrounding him played in my mind.
“So, which is it?” Adrian asked.
Sighing, I replied, “In three months, I’ll be back on the job. I’ve gotten used to the quiet life and now I don’t want to get rid of it. Especially since I’m with child times two.”
“There’s always the option to walk away for good,” he stated.
Chuckling, I replied, “And go where?”
“Are you for real? You have a home at Dr. Bell & Associates.”
A tiny light bulb dinged inside my head. “Oh.”
“Oh,” he parroted. “I know you love workin’ for the NBA, but if you ever wanna truly step away, you have somewhere to go.” I was thankful he didn’t mention the fact that I’d slept with a client. So far, he hadn’t brought it back up, and I was thankful.
Beaming, I said, “You’re right.”
“Of course, I am. Plus, when I come home from a hard day’s work during my rotations, I wanna see you and my baby waiting at the door for me.”
I grinned so hard, but I wasn’t about to get caught up in a fairytale where he was concerned. “Excuse me? While I appreciate the fact that you want me and Jessie around twenty-four-seven, I’m not ready to lay down my career.”
“And you don’t have to,” he stated. “If things get too hectic for you, just know it doesn’t have to be. We can make it as peaceful as you want to, baby.”
Sighing, I said to him, “You keep saying we, but we’re not a couple, Adrian.”
He grinned sexily. “Finish eating so we can get on the road.”
Shaking my head, I did just that. Contrary to what he said a minute ago, his food was smashing, and I ate every bit of it.
Hours later, the farm’s grounds came into view.
Unlike this past December, I squealed with excitement at coming back here.
Gion and Margarite were here now, having taken a break from travelling.
Having them back on the farm was going to be good for me and Jessie.
Now that I was carrying Antonias and Bianca’s twins, I would accept all the help I could get throughout this pregnancy.
So far, I’d made it successfully past the most rigorous stage.
Nausea and vomiting nearly took me out those first few weeks.
Every now and then, the nausea would get to me.
However, I wouldn’t complain. Carrying twins came with its concerns, but I knew that going into this.
And still, I would do this for my brother and Bianca without batting an eye.
Then, there was Adrian. Going through pregnancy alone was one thing. Going through it with a man who wasn’t technically my man was another. Sure, Adrian stamped himself in my life, but until he formally asked me to be his girl, I wouldn’t get my hopes up.
The house Antonias gifted me was one of my dreams. It was ranch-style with large floor-to-ceiling windows, a huge wrap-around porch, and high ceilings.
Recently, privacy fences had been installed for Jessie’s safety.
There were other upgrades taking place on the farm.
Although Antonias and Bianca divided their time between the farm and the city, they were making this place their forever settlement. I loved that for them.
Jessie’s door opened, prompting me to snap out of it.
Adrian talked to Jessie and kissed on her face like he hadn’t seen her in years when he’d seen her at the last rest area we stopped at so that I could change her.
Even though he trailed us, he called me every hour to make sure we were good.
His attentiveness was really sweet and endearing.
He reminded me so much of Gion and how Gion took to me when I was just a kid.
Gion was the only reason I was able to ever forgive my birth parents for abandoning me.
He raised me, loved me, and protected me like a real father should. He and Margarite were my angels.
“You’re off in space again,” Adrian commented.
Smirking, I climbed out of my ride and eyed him. “I’m glad to be home,” I replied.
“Mm, hm. Don’t make me pull ya scalp back and find out what the hell is on ya mind. Get it together.”
Giggling, I imagined him doing just that. Adrian wasn’t a soft man by any means. He looked ruggedly handsome but mean as hell at the same time. I liked that he didn’t play. His no-nonsense character wasn’t a turnoff to me. In fact, that was one part of his personality I liked the most.
“You wish you could read my mind,” I joked as I waited for him to open the front door. “I would never know a moment’s peace.”
He smirked. “Oh, yeah?”
I nodded. “You’d be doing everything you could to solve every little problem that ever tried to arise.”
“What’s wrong with that?” His face contorted into a frown.
“What if I need to work some things out on my own?” I questioned.
“Why?” he countered as he opened the front door. I walked inside and inhaled the fresh scent of the house before whirling around to address Adrian, who still wore a frown.
“I’m a big girl. I can’t run to you every time there’s a problem.”
“Shiiitt,” he dragged. “The babies got you actin’ a lil’ off already. Ain’t no fuckin’ way you think that’s how shit works.”
Cackling at his concern for my mental state, I said, “There’s nothing wrong with me, crazy.”
“There is if you think you’re about to be livin’ anything except a soft life. Fuck I look like letting you handle problems when you got me? You must want my mama to beat my ass. That’s what this is?”
By now, I was bent over laughing and Jessie, of course, thought that was funny. Adrian put her down, and she took off past me into the living room.
“Mama! Loon! Loon!” she shouted excitedly.
Taking my eyes off Adrian, I turned to see what my baby was talking about.
Walking into the living room, I was surprised to see dozens of royal blue balloons littering the living room.
Along with balloons were a plethora of royal blue bouquets of roses.
A lone black gift bag sat on the coffee table.
“Open ya gift,” Adrian prompted.
Still lost on what the hell was going on, I hesitantly walked to the coffee table to see what was inside the bag.
It was two jewelry boxes, the name on them causing my eyes to round.
With trembling fingers, I opened the square box, first. Inside was a ring that could easily rival any million-dollar mansion.
Adrian took the box from my hand and retrieved the exquisite, princess cut diamond ring. He took my left hand and gently placed the ring on my left ring finger.
“When I look at you, I see royalty. Your sophistication drives me crazy as fuck. And I wanna give you the life of luxury you deserve. Not just things and stuff either. I wanna give you the luxury of having peace, security, and the knowledge that I’m locked in wit’ you forever.”
I didn’t realize I’d shed tears until his fingers wiped them away. He bent to kiss my lips, and my eyes closed to savor this moment.
“So, what were you sayin’?” he asked between kisses.
“Nothing,” I whispered.
“Nothing,” he echoed. “Will you be my girl?”
“Yes,” I answered too quickly.
His hand circled my throat and pulled me a little closer for another kiss.
I loved the way he bit into his bottom lip as he peered down at me.
Then, he smiled and let me go. His hand dipped inside the bag to retrieve the other box.
He opened it and revealed a tiny diamond bracelet.
Jessie, who was in her own world playing with the balloons, giggled when he scooped her up.
“Put this on our baby,” he told me.
This time when my fingers trembled, it took me a second to close the clasp on the bracelet. It fit Jessie’s pudgy little arm perfectly. She was just as fascinated by the expensive piece as I was.
Adrian tweaked my chin. “Ain’t nothin’ hard about the life y’all will have with me. Understood?”
I nodded and replied, “Understood.”
Hell… I was going to listen to this man.
As the sun set over the farm, I stood out on the patio with a glass of fresh lemonade and peered at Jessie as she rolled and played in the grass.
One of her favorite toys was a brown teddy bear Adrian bought her.
By the time she finished dragging the poor thing through the grass, it would need a good washing.
In the distance, Deck waved at me, so I waved back. The Big Three were finishing their day, leading the horses back to the stables. I couldn’t wait to get Jessie acclimated with the farm animals. If I had my way, she’d know how to collect eggs, feed ducks, and ride horses in no time.
Adrian joined me on the patio. He came up behind me, wrapped me in his arms, then settled his hands on my belly. When his chin settled on the top of my head, I chuckled.
“I’ve started dinner,” he said.
“Mm, what are we having?”
“Cabbage, cornbread, rice, gravy, and fried chicken. I figured you’d want something like that after the drive.”
My stomach spoke, already tasting the food. “Oh, you’re reaching for my heart, Adrian.”
He kissed my neck and replied, “I am. I’m not wasting any time either.”
For a few more minutes, he held me. Silently, we watched Jessie allow her imagination to run free.
She was so carefree that it brought tears to my eyes.
Every kid should feel that way. At her age, I was bouncing from home to home.
I didn’t know love until Gion and Margarite came along.
I didn’t know stability until they stepped in.
With every breath in my body, I would give my girl the very best life a mother could.