Chapter 17
Mercedees
Big as a house yet ripping and running around mine to make sure this dinner was perfect.
Arion had a bright idea to let our parents meet.
I was all for it, don’t get me wrong. However, it was draining the fuck out of me.
I didn’t know if the food I prepared would be satisfying to his parents or not. After all, he was half Asian.
The menu I had cooked up was good old fashioned soul food.
When all else failed, that was the only route to take.
He was all for blending our families, so this was all I had to give.
I didn’t know how to make any of what we munched on for breakfast that morning, so I knew for a fact I wasn’t going out my way to try and conjure up Asian cultured meals to please them. I wasn’t doing none of that fake shit.
Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I continued setting the table.
Both of our parents would be here at any given moment and my nerves were shot.
Not to mention, I felt like I was toting around a fuckin’ linebacker.
The babies had finally settled but they were heavy as fuck.
With me being seven months pregnant, I was truly ready to get them the hell out and stay out.
After placing the last wine glass down, I grabbed a hold of the table for a lil’ balance. I felt overwhelmed as fuck, but I was doing this for our babies. They deserved a stable environment and foundation. When they called their grandparents, I wanted them to feel loved. This was for them.
Those same hands that made sure we were good every night, were creeping along my waist. Soft kisses were applied to the side of my face as I melted into my husband.
It was a long time coming, but we both were in a place where we were doing what needed to be done for our babies first and us second. I was happy with the decisions we made.
“How you feeling, Clover? I see you sweating and shit so I’m a lil’ worried.” What I couldn’t deny was how concerned he was from the jump. Once he knew that I was pregnant, he fell short of nothing regarding us. I loved him for that.
Before I could fake the funk, I was in tears simply from life moving faster than I intended. It felt good having Arion here though. The way he catered to me was in a way none of my family would’ve been able to. Where I thought I was good on not needing a man, I’d grown to need him and him alone.
My life as an Atkins was smooth sailing, now that I was a Greek, it felt like this was where I was supposed to be. I had more meaning than a little with them. Like now, it was to continue the Greek bloodline, and I was carrying two of them.
“Calm down, Ma. You gon’ get worked up and scare a nigga. Relax for me. Do that breathing exercise we learned,” he said, continuously rubbing my stomach.
Nodding, I allowed him to sway me from left to right as the warmth of him began to soothe me. I’d been counting on his presence and guidance this entire pregnancy. With him it seemed easier than what I thought. He’d stepped into the role of a family man and was acing that shit.
“Mmmm,” I moaned once he lifted my stomach just a little.
“I got it. Walk with me to the family room so you can sit and relax before everybody get here. Why you ain’t tell me you was in pain, Clover?”
We strolled to the next room over at a slow pace as he talked. I didn’t want to answer him truthfully because this sit down was something that needed to happen. I took a seat on the recliner as he kneeled and continued to rub me down.
“I’m not in pain baby. I just got a lil’ overwhelmed. I’m good, for real,” I lied.
Shaking his head, he removed my shoes and tossed them to the side. He massaged my feet as he said, “We eating in here tonight so you can be comfortable.”
“No, I put a lot into this. I can sit at the table with everybody else.”
Looking up at me, he delivered a look telling me to shut the fuck up. “What the hell I just say, Clover?” The doorbell rang cutting my response off. Rolling my eyes, I got up and he gently pushed me right back down. He was not playing with me. “Sit yo’ ass down… and wait on me.”
A kiss was placed on my forehead when he stood over me. I wanted nothing more from him but to be held in bed and catered to even more. I was desperate for a soft life and now that I had one, he wasn’t letting me out of it.
I overheard Ms. Linh and knew her husband was right behind him.
To my surprise, I heard my mother instead.
That caused me to go against my husband’s orders and go see what was going on.
I didn’t expect my parents to be on time.
Waddling to the front door, I realized this may have been just as important to them as it was to us.
“Baby girl, you are going through it aren’t you?” my mother questioned walking toward me with outstretched arms.
“Mama, please don’t make this a big deal,” I whined.
“I can’t help but make this a big deal. Look at you,” she cooed as she rubbed my belly.
“Leave the girl alone, Castina, and let her breathe,” my father fussed.
“You shut up. You just mad I beat you to her. Baby girl, you look like you’re hurting right now. Is everything okay?” she inquired assessing me from head to toe.
“She is, which is why I told her hardheaded ass to sit down somewhere and let me handle the rest. I’m Arion by the way, and this is my mother Linh, and my father Zeus. Everyone calls him Big Greek… BG for short,” Arion chimed.
I understood why everyone referred to him as Big Greek.
Arion’s father was huge. Like I said, I was used to tall men.
The Atkins were full of them. However, this man made my cousins look like midgets.
He had to be at least seven feet tall and that was me taking a wild guess.
His arms were thick as fuck and his hands were just as big. He earned his name.
“It’s nice to meet you, BG. I’m Mercedees, and this is my mother Castina, and my father Ryan. I have zero siblings to present. I’m an only child. Please come in,” I said moving to the side, gesturing for them to come into the house completely as if they hadn’t been here a thousand times over.
“Clover, go sit down, I got this. I ain’t gon’ say that shit again,” Arion commanded.
“I’m going, damn!” I snapped. I knew why he was so demanding, but it was rude not to greet my guests.
“Baby girl, I’m gon’ offer you some small advice, okay? When yo’ husband tell you something, do it. He has yo’ best interest at heart. He knows yo’ limit better than you do sometimes, that’s all I’m saying,” my mother intervened. She knew I was ‘bout to say something else and decided to step in.
Rolling my eyes, I walked away biting my tongue. If I didn’t, we weren’t going to get anywhere. My feet hurt, my back was aching, and I had a headache. Getting through the night was all I wanted.
I was back in the recliner moments later kicking my feet up.
My mother was in my face just a smiling as she looked down at my stomach.
She wanted these babies just as much as Arion and I did.
She’d lost every single one between her and my father.
I could only imagine how the twins were gon’ heal her.
“Arion thinks it’s a good idea to eat in here and relax. Is that alright with you, Mama?”
“It’s more than alright. Me and Zeus aren’t here to make you or Arion uncomfortable in your own home. If this is where you want to be, then we’ll come to you. You’re really soaking up that pregnancy glow, Cedees. God, you are beautiful,” Ms. Linh complimented.
Smiling, I said, “Thank you, Ma Linh. I really appreciate that since I don’t feel like or look my best.”
“WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP? I KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO CARRY ONE SO I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW AWFUL CARRYING TWO MUST BE FOR YOU. I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT YOUR TASTE BUDS WERE, BUT I brOUGHT SOME PREGNANCY SAFE FOODS FOR YOU.
TH?T KHO (CARAMELIZED PORK BELLY), G?I CU?N (SPRING ROLLS), AND SOME CHè (VIETNAMESE DESSERT).
YOU CAN EAT ALL OF THESE FOR SNACKS WHENEVER YOU JUST NEED SOMETHING TO MUNCH ON.
ARION KNOWS ABOUT THEM, JUST ASK HIM FOR THEM. ”
I loved Arion’s mother. She was the sweetest lil’ thing you could ever come across.
Whenever she called him, she asked about me as well.
And don’t get me started on always bringing food over.
She kept me fed even when I didn’t ask her to.
I could see where he got his caring and nurturing side from. She didn’t hide hers at all.
“Thank you, Mama Linh. You and my mother can go ahead and have a seat. Arion knows to plate the food and serve. After all, that’s the least he can do,” I said mumbling that last part.
My mother sat in the recliner beside me like I knew she would. When it came to me, she wasn’t giving anybody the chance to get too close. Her with the twins was gon’ be like prying candy from a baby.
My father walked in first holding two plates in his hands.
I assumed they were for him and my mother.
BG followed behind with two plates as well.
Arion was the last to enter and he too had two in tow.
He handed one over to me and everyone copped a seat with my mother giving up her seat to my husband to sit next to her man.
Arion took the lead giving me time to finally eat something.
“Aight, now that we all got the introductions out the way, I’m gon’ say this once and that’s it.
My wife is mine and them babies are ours.
We love y’all, but keep all that overbearing shit to yo’selves, and I mean that in the most respectful way there is.
Whatever my wife says goes when it comes to our marriage and our kids.
Don’t undermine her or make her feel like anything less than a damn good wife and mother. ”
My mother was the first to interrupt with, “But Arion—"