Chapter 22 #2
“You good?” he sat at the edge of the bed next to me and asked.
“I’m great, baby.”
“Aight. I’m going on the balcony for a minute to clear my head. Yell for me if you need me.”
“I will.”
I watched as he stood and left, leaving me with a big, silly smile on my face as I got comfortable and ready for an evening nap. As I closed my eyes, I was led to thank the only person who could’ve made any of this possible. Thank you, God .
I woke to the sound of birds chirping in the distance. Opening my eyes, I tried locating Luca, but he was nowhere in sight. The sliding door to the balcony was open, so I knew he wasn’t far. The sun was falling and nighttime was in the air.
To clear my vision, I rubbed the debris from my eyes. Just as I felt the burning sensation from the foreign material that brushed against my skin, I heard Luca’s baritone.
“She has risen.”
He walked into the room with a bouquet of the reddest roses I’d ever laid eyes on.
I placed my hand in front of my face to see what had done the damage to my eye and was taken aback instantly.
The pretty, sparkling diamond rested on my finger as if it truly belonged there.
I looked from Luca and then to my hand and then to Luca again.
“What have you done?” I asked.
“Put a ring on it,” he told me, placing the roses on the table next to the bed and getting on one knee.
I quickly sat up and tossed my legs over the bed.
“You’re serious?” I asked.
“Very fucking serious,” he assured me.
“Oh my God. My nails are a mess.”
“Who gives a fuck? Your heart is flawless and that’s all that matters to me.”
“I love you.”
“Nah, baby, I love you. I don’t have to run this shit down for you to get my point. I’m just trying to see if you’re trying to marry me?”
“Yes. Of course,” I answered his question without hesitation. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that he was the man I wanted to marry. I’d known from the moment I saw his face.
“You like the ring?”
“I love the ring. Oh my God.”
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to jump, shout, dance, or cry at the moment, but the love that I felt as Luca looked at me in my eyes only made them water. Big, thick tears fell down my face and onto my thighs.
“Thank you for loving every piece of me, even the broken ones.”
“Thank you for having faith in me, even during the times it was hardest to. Thank you for coming into my life when I needed you the most. Thank you for giving me two little girls. Thank you for giving me a child. Thank you for always putting us first. Thank you for your selflessness. Thank you for your generosity. Thank you for that bomb ass pussy between them legs I can’t wait to get to once you’re healed. ”
“Luca.” I laughed. “How did it go from all these wonderful things to my pussy?”
“Because it’s a wonderful thing too, baby. I wish you could feel that motherfucker. You’d understand why it had to be included. I couldn’t leave that out.”
“Oh my God. You’re so intolerable.”
“But you love me.”
“So much that it used to scare me. Now, it excites me. You are everything I prayed for in a husband and here we are.”
“I don’t want to wait to make you my wife. How long does the wedding shit take?”
“I don’t want a wedding, Luca. I just want you. By the time we plan a wedding, I’ll be big and pregnant and too irritated to walk down anybody’s aisle. Just marry me. We can worry about the glitz and the glam later.”
I’d never wanted to be the center of attention and never saw myself desiring it either. A wedding seemed like far too much pressure. I didn’t want to put that on me or my loved ones. If I had to be honest, the courthouse suited me, but I knew Lyric would never allow that.
“It’s your world, Ever. I just live in it, baby.”
“Come kiss me,” I pleaded.
Luca stood to his feet and leaned over me to kiss my lips. He felt so much like home. He felt so much like mine.
“Mommy!” I heard Emorey call out to me, causing me to snap my head in her direction.
“Yes, baby?”
“Are you sad?” She rushed over to my side of the bed to inspect.
“No, Mommy is happy. Daddy just asked Mommy to marry him. Mommy is very, very happy.”
“I happy, too.”
“Yeah? Well, that makes two of us.”
“San made dinner. Do you want to eat here or downstairs?”
“Downstairs.”
“Aight.”
“I need to shower, first. I smell like that hospital and it’s making me sick to my stomach.”
“Let me get the girls settled on the couch downstairs and then I’ll be back up to help you shower. I need one, too.”
“OK.”
As soon as Luca and Emorey left the room, I grabbed my phone from the other side of the bed. I snapped a picture of the gorgeous ring that I’d just received and sent it to Lyric.
I’s a fiancée , I texted along with the picture.
The gray bubble appeared and then disappeared. My cell phone rang right after.
“Get the fuck out of here. What type of super-duper gushy, mushy pussy are you putting on my brother? A baby and a ring in three months? Please teach me your ways, love. Oh my God. Congratulations!”
“Thank you. And, I don’t have anything to teach you. Luca only asked me for two things. That was loyalty and respect. I’ve given him both and in return, he’s given me the world.”
“I know that’s right, honey. My friend is getting married!” she yelled into the phone.
“Lyric. Why are you so loud?”
“Why aren’t you? You’re the one that just got a ring bigger than my kneecap. If you won’t scream, then I’m going to do it for you. I’ll pour a drink while I’m at it because you can’t have one.”
“Ha. Ha. Really funny. That was a very low blow.”
“It was, wasn’t it? My bad. But, soon. Hopefully.”
“Not soon enough. This journey is just starting.”
“It’ll be over before you know it. My God. You’re getting married. When are we going to plan the wedding for? After the baby or rush it to make it happen before the baby comes?”
“Neither.”
“What do you mean, neither?”
“I’m not having a wedding, Lyric, because I’m not waiting to marry this man. You can plan something super small and intimate that must happen within the next two weeks, but nothing big. Only family. Only us. And, lots of white flowers.”
“Boring, but doable. Should’ve known you’d say no to anything that put you in the spotlight.”
“I’m happy to know that you know me so well.”
“Whatever. Can we at least go pick out a dress?”
“Yes. A simple one and it’ll only be you and my mother. That’s all.”
“OK. Fine.”
“I’m not playing, Lyric. Simple. Just us and a pastor.”
“Can we at least have cake?”
“Yes, one that I plan to make.”
“You can hardly lift an arm.”
“I’ll be able to in less than two weeks.”
“Well, you’re right about that.”
“You ready?” Luca walked in and asked.
“Yeah.”
“Hey, Luca!” Lyric yelled. “Congratulations!”
“He can’t hear you but I’ll tell him.”
“Okay, call me tomorrow.”
“I will.”
I ended the call and extended my arms for Luca’s embrace.
He obliterated the space between us, pulling me into his arms gently.
He’d killed two birds with one stone, helping me from the bed while covering me with his love.
Going the extra mile, Luca lifted me into his arms and carried me into the bathroom.
“Can we take a bath tonight?” I couldn’t remember the last time we’d relaxed in the tub together. I needed that time with him, and my body needed to soak. The aches and pains would be less brutal if I could.
“Dinner is waiting.”
“I don’t care.”
“Me either,” he told me with a shrug.
“Sit down while I start the water.”
I watched from afar as he worked his way around the bathroom to grant my request. As much as I liked to shower with him, I loved our baths together. The intimacy that it supplied was the greatest. Physical touch was unavoidable and the main reason I enjoyed the moments so much.
“You ready?” Luca asked once he’d gotten everything situated and ready for us.
“I’m ready.”