Epilogue
It was a different time, yet not much had passed.
Everyone was still recovering from Max’s resurrection.
Nobody more ecstatic than his own family.
He’d been spending all of his time with them.
Mila was still in recovery and physical therapy, on the phone every other day speaking to different plastic surgeons to repair the scarring to her face.
A very vain woman, these days she rarely left the house.
Minx and Max tried assuring her that she was still envied by every woman in town.
Until she believed it herself, their words were falling on mute ears.
It was a chill Saturday evening. Seated on the sofa with a beer in his hand, Rose could hear Mila and Minx talking while descending the steps.
He could hear the excitement in their tones when they reached the landing.
He turned in his seat, and Minx gave him her full smile.
Someone rang the doorbell, so Mila rushed off to get it.
“Perez,” she greeted the detective after slinging the door open.
“I heard some kids might need an escort.” Perez opened his arms, and a grin took up most of his face.
When he stepped aside, everyone was able to view Enika’s makeover.
Her glasses were gone, replaced by contacts.
Her hair was braided up top into a high ponytail that swung behind her, long and full with bounce.
The dress she wore was lavender colored, and her shoes had a platform in front, but they were silver with rhinestone details.
There was a simple pearl bracelet on her wrist, and with matching gold detailed necklace with a little charm hanging over her chest.
“Enika,” Mila breathed, mesmerized by the young girl with the rich, melanin skin. “You look gorgeous.” Her hand fell on her chest, and her eyes misted.
Enika blushed, and her eyes fell on the ground subconsciously.
She loved Mille’s parents. It was nice of her father to even allow her to have a relationship with Mille.
At first, he was very leery about it. The thought of her dating at all left him uneasy, but Perez actually liked Mille and the young man he was being raised to be.
He was a straight-A student, he was good at sports, and he cared about his daughter.
He couldn’t really ask for anything more than that.
Minx sauntered into the hallway, and gushed the minute she laid eyes on the young girl.
“Oh my—” Minx’s eyes watered. “Enika, you look like a little princess.”
“Thank you.” Enika smiled modestly.
“Let me go check on your date. He was just about ready. Ma, get the camera ready,” Minx said over her shoulder, starting up the steps to Mille’s room.
She tapped on the door before poking her head inside.
Max stood with Mille, facing him and adjusting his lavender bow tie that he rocked with his black suit.
It was like Mille was standing in a mirror seeing himself as a man.
He and Max weren’t at all the same shade, but the resemblance was strong.
Minx’s heart swelled as she watched them together.
Lion and cub. She didn’t think that she would ever see her father in a moment like this.
She went into her back pocket for her phone and brought it out so that she could capture it in real time.
The flash caught their attention, and both her father and brother turned to face her.
“Come on, Minx—” Mille groaned, annoyed.
“Don’t ‘come on’ me. This is your first dance.” She snapped a few more, especially when irritation flashed across his handsome face. “Enika is here. And she looks good! I can’t wait to take a picture of you two.”
“You really need to chill. This is my first dance. Don’t embarrass me,” Mille warned.
“Boy, I changed your diapers and applied ointment to your little penis when you got circumcised—”
“Minx—” Mille rolled his eyes and his father laughed. “Pops, make her stop.”
“She’s your sister, son. It’s only right.” Max kidded, swiping his hand down the front of his jacket to rid it of any lint. “You’re looking pretty sharp. Just… take a breath and let your mama and sister do their thing. It will be over before you know it.” Max rested a hand on Mille’s shoulder.
“Okay, I have to get this shot too.” Minx snapped the picture and then lowered her phone and soaked in her little brother.
He’d grown so much, and not as much as he had when he thought he was without a father.
Losing Max forced Mille to grow up in a way that he wasn’t prepared for.
Having him back was like his prayers had been answered.
He smiled more, and life seemed to be a whole lot better and easier to navigate through. Max was his family’s safety net.
Without him, they could survive, but none of them would call it living.
Minx rushed ahead of them downstairs so that she could get a video of Mille coming down and seeing Enika.
It was like he was stuck when his eyes landed on her, and vice versa.
Mila and Minx went crazy with the snapshots.
Minx snapped a few of them with Perez, her parents, and then one of her and Rose with them.
Her camera was full of images in her phone, and finally Mille looked like he was tired of the flash in his eyes.
“OK, can we actually get to the dance now before y’all blind us?” he complained, making everyone laugh, even Enika.
“Yup. Let’s get you both to the car.” Perez went to get the door.
“Have a good time, Mil!” Minx called after him while the parents all walked out behind them.
Perez was going to drive them, and chaperone while Mila and Max agreed to pick them up, then drop Enika off.
Minx closed the door and decided to send a picture to Luna.
By then, she’d landed in Atlanta and gotten settled in.
She’d already spoken to her a few times.
Minx missed her best friend though, and so did Finn.
He’d been MIA all week. Rose said he was “out living off the land”; whatever the fuck that meant.
After things ended with him and Luna, he couldn’t stick around town any longer than she could.
Minx wished that things could go back to the way that they were, but too much had happened.
After she sent the message, she brought her eyes up to Rose hovering in the doorway to the living room.
“Can you believe how grown up he looked?” Minx questioned, excited. “Remember when they brought him home from the hospital?”
“Yup, little peanut-head ass.” Rose teased, making her laugh.
She took a couple of steps closer to him, and he pulled her into his arms. Minx stood on her toes, draping her arms around his neck while his hands rested on her hips.
Their lips crashed into one another, and she fed Rose her tongue.
Releasing a light moan into his mouth had him instinctively squeezing her ass.
“Mmm. What you think about having our own little peanut heads?” Minx questioned, playing with the collar of his polo shirt.
Their eyes locked intensely on one another, and Rose ran his hand down his chin.
“You trying to tell me something, shorty?” he asked, and Minx snickered.
“No.” She swatted his chest playfully. “I’ve just been thinking. We already decided to move in together. Which reminds me, I got a few boxes I need to take with us when we head out.”
“I always thought we would get married first.” He swept some of her hair out of her face and behind her ear.
Both of her brows went up with interest. Rose sexily pulled his bottom lip into his mouth and took a couple of steps back from Minx.
She watched in awe as he lowered himself down to one knee in front of her.
The front door opened, and her parents entered.
Mila gasped when she saw Rose go into his pocket for the ring box.
“Rose.” Minx whispered, heart overjoyed as tears stung her eyes. “What are you doing?” She asked, both hands falling against her mouth.
“What it look like?” Rose fired back at her playfully.
“Minka Ward, I have loved you since I was old enough to comprehend what that shit was. You are a part of me, a nigga’s soul in human form.
You make me laugh, you drive me crazy, and I can’t imagine walking another step in this life without you as my wife. Will you marry me?” Rose proposed.
Blubbering like a fool, Minx sniffled and gasped but couldn’t get a work out. Behind her, Mila recorded everything through misting eyes.
“Minx, say something, baby girl. It’s your turn,” she urged.
Catching her breath, Minx blew out a gust of air and tried to regulate her breathing. Rose stared up at her with so much love that it overwhelmed her.
“I love you, Ambrose. Of course I will marry you. Yes!” she squealed.
Beaming, Rose took the ring from the box so he could slip it on her finger. It was a perfect fit, and Minx admired the square-cut diamond with the white-gold band.
“Oh my God, did that really just happen?” She peered up into his face once he brought himself back to his full height in front of her.
“I love you, and I can’t wait to make you my wife.” Rose scooped her off the ground into a tight embrace, and fell into a raw, passion filled kiss with her.
Having been through their share of things, and growing pains keeping them apart far longer than either of them ever really wanted, things were different now.
Not only were they best friends, but they were lovers and each other’s confidant.
Minx knew that she could never be with anyone the way that she was with Rose.
There wasn’t a man built tough enough to deal with her, or a woman solid enough to tame him.
Ready to take on the world with him, as long as she breathed, Minx would hold on to and cherish the bond they shared. There were levels to loving a Midwest menace, and not everyone had it in them.
THE END