Chapter 4
KWAMé STONE
“I’m only going to be here for a few months.”
“A few months? Girl, it might as well be a year!”
My best friend, Ari, was always so dramatic.
She was five years older than me and thought she was my mother.
In another lifetime, I wished she would’ve been my mother.
Ari was both sweet and spicy. Her attitude could switch at the drop of a hat depending on the situation.
She didn’t play about me and always uplifted me.
I chalked it up to the fact that she’d been raised by a healthy mother and father and several siblings.
She came from a large family, and the love bestowed upon her, she poured out to those around her. Well, me.
Laughing, I said, “Never. Jessie wouldn’t want to be away from you that long.”
Ari whined. “See, now I’m about to tell you to call Antonias back and tell him you changed your mind. My lil’ boo is gon’ miss me too much.”
Snickering, I reminded her, “You’re supposed to be taking things easy. Bed rest also means doing your best to stay stress free.”
She scoffed. “You’re right! Lord, I’m having a baby!”
“Exactly. Be easy and just…stay out of trouble.”
Ari cackled. “You know me well. Talk to you later, sis!”
Ari hung up, and I took a deep breath, then squinted my eyes at the farm coming into view.
Of course, they had it all decked out in holiday decorations.
Christmas was my favorite time of the year.
However, my stomach churned. As beautiful as the decorations were, my heart pounded knowing there was no more time to stall this meeting between Antonias and Jessie.
Jessie was my gift, a baby that wasn’t expected, yet changed my life in ways I would never forget.
Because of her, I learned to truly slow down.
Before finding out I was pregnant with Jessie, I wasn’t focused on anything except work.
I was traveling from city to city at the drop of a hat, trying to appease the next client.
My job had been demanding and oftentimes grueling. A break was needed.
As the rolling, thick green grass of S. S.
Estates stretched down the long road, I thought about my adoptive parents.
They’d owned this land for decades until passing it down to Antonias.
As soon as the last of Gion and Margarite’s adopted children were grown, Gion and Margarite hopped the first flight to Europe and left the farm life.
Having successfully raised thirteen children, the two were on a much-needed extended vacation.
They hadn’t been back to this part of Alabama in over two years except to visit.
Sighing, I shook my head and maneuvered my luxury SUV into Antonias’s driveway.
He was already standing on the porch watching me pull in.
He stepped off the porch looking as menacing as my brother always had.
He reminded me of some sculpted, light bronzed superhero, with curly dark hair and a permanent scowl.
To everyone else, Antonias wasn’t the man to play with.
To me, he was my big brother from another mother and father.
“You ready, Jessie?” I asked my baby girl. Her favorite rattler kept her occupied, so when I heard it shake uncontrollably, I knew her chubby, dimpled cheeks were stretched in a smile.
My heart pounded as I put the SUV in park. Antonias didn’t waste a moment opening my door.
“How was the drive…” His words trailed off as he glanced into the back seat. He moved from my door to go around to the right back seat passenger side.
“Who is this?”
Antonias’s voice was soft as he undid Jessie’s car seat.
She was beaming hard at him, causing his face to transform into a smile.
My baby liked to cling to me and normally met strangers with a quick pout on her lips.
So, I was surprised when she didn’t cry when Antonias picked her up out of the seat.
“Jessie, my baby girl,” I said as I got out of the SUV, closed the door, and met him on the other side.
Antonias looked between me and Jessie. I could see the wheels turning in his head as Jessie stared at him. Her big eyes assessed him just as hard as he assessed her.
“Who’s her dad?” he asked.
There in lie the biggest of issues. “He’s someone I care not to talk about.”
Immediately, Antonias was suspicious. “Why not?”
“Because, alright.”
“Kwamé—”
“I’m not ready to talk about him, okay. Plus, I know you.” Chuckling, I tried to add some humor into the situation so that Antonias would hopefully drop it. “I know I’m asking a lot of you, but I’m just not ready to talk about it yet. Okay?”
Begrudgingly, Antonias said, “I’on like it, but I respect ya business. Just don’t let it come to me finding out some crazy shit.”
“You won’t.” I prayed he didn’t. I went to too many lengths to conceal Jessie’s father.
I reached for Jessie who looked at my hands like they weren’t the same ones that held her crybaby ass. Antonias cracked up while I smacked my teeth.
“So… You’re not upset?” I asked him.
“I’m upset at the fact that you kept her from me. Does Mom and Dad know?”
“Not yet.”
“Come on, Kwamé. Something could’ve happened to you, and we wouldn’t have known.”
“I know, I know.” I felt horrible.
“Don’t you ever do that shit again,” he warned me.
“I promise not to.” I wanted to wipe my brow. My hands were sweating and everything.
Well, I thought. At least the hard part is over.
You spoke too soon, I thought just minutes later as Bianca peered at me. We’d spoken plenty of times over the years, and I considered her Antonias’s lady even if she was giving my brother a run for his money.
Bianca’s eyes were red, swollen, and her face was puffy.
She’d cried so many tears that the tracks had left salty trails along her cheeks.
She appeared to have lost some weight too.
Trauma was evident in her eyes. Usually, I dealt with deep-rooted trauma hidden behind angry outbursts, abuse of all kinds, and fake smiles.
Bianca’s trauma wasn’t hidden. It was plain to see that she wore a heavy weight on her shoulders.
“Hi,” I spoke gently.
Bianca blinked a few times, then said, “I’m not even mad he called you.” Tears spilled from her eyes. “I want to hide from everyone. Coming here, I was supposed to do that.”
“And you already realize the quiet is just as deafening.”
Closing her eyes against the current of emotions she felt, she nodded.
“I’m here to help you however I can, Bianca. I’ll listen at any time, about anything. If you want me to sit with you all day, I will.”
She nodded. “Thank you, Kwamé.”
Softly smiling, I said, “That’s not necessary. You’re my sister-in-law.”
That brought a soft chuckle from her lips. “Not quite. He’s getting married, ya know?”
Shrugging, I replied, “Between you and me, that nigga ain’t marrying that girl.”
This time we both giggled. As if she felt bad for laughing, she abruptly stopped, and her expression returned to one of somber sorrow. Just then, the door opened and Antonias walked in holding Jessie.
Although the sight caused Bianca to swallow hard, she placed a smile on her face and asked, “Who’s baby?”
Sheepishly, I responded, “Mine. This is Jessie.”
Bianca’s eyes shone bright with unshed tears as she beamed at my daughter. While Antonias’s actions were pure and from a loving heart, Jessie’s presence was jarring to Bianca. I felt bad for not thinking it through.
“I’ll take her out,” I stated.
“No, no… Let me hold her.” Bianca stretched her arms out, and Antonias positioned Jessie in Bianca’s lap.
“Hey, pretty girl,” Bianca cooed. Jessie flashed her dimples and made Bianca fall in love just that quickly.
For a few minutes, Bianca was able to keep it together.
Antonias reached for Jessie, who went right to him.
His eyes darted my way, then he walked back out of the room.
I didn’t even admonish Bianca for the tears she shed.
“If it’s too much, we can leave.”
Bianca shook her head. “This is divine. I believe it. You’re both supposed to be here with me. As hard as it is, I will embrace it.”
Strength would be the very thing to help guide Bianca through this storm.
“Is there anything you need from me?”
She shook her head. “I’m good for now. Please no visitors for the next few days. I’d like it to just be us for a while.”
“Absolutely,” I replied.
For the next few minutes, I stood by Bianca’s side until she fell asleep.
Sighing, the empath in me released the heaviness inside me.
If I wanted Bianca to make a successful breakthrough, I had to be on my A game.
Someone tried to destroy her life. Like Antonias, I was determined that Bianca loved herself and life beyond her loss.