Zaria
As I sat on the couch feeding Savior while Peace slept, I admired them.
They shared some of my features but mostly looked like June.
Their personalities were starting to develop, and I wondered which one would resemble their father more.
A smile crept onto my face as my heart warmed, feeling proud that my sweet angels were about to be one.
The more I took them in, the more I thought about my family as a whole.
I didn’t know if I had gotten so attached to Samara that I didn’t truly want her to leave, or if the bad feeling in my gut was telling me something was wrong.
Was this a mother’s intuition? I knew June was feeling the same way.
I also knew his mind was occupied with Clark.
Knowing Clark was out there, moving around freely, was what scared me the most. It was Clark having access to Samara and knowing how much he hated June that made me fear he would do anything to try to destroy him, even if it included destroying the people June loved the most.
Since Diamond and Yana had gotten married, she had been over here every day. Rayana flaunted her ring just as much as I did when June and I first married. June came from the deck into the house.
“Why is she yelling? Loud ass,” he grumbled as he walked over to the door.
When he swung it open, I leaned back as the two went at it. “All that shouting and shit. You know we have—”
She flung her hand in his face. “Chevy, please, move out of my way. We know about your stupid plants, and every day you say the same shit. My plants can hear that shit,” she mocked him.
She moved him out of the way and came inside as she jogged my way with a bright smile. “Hey, girl!” She waved wildly.
I shook my head. “Hey, Yana.”
“Look at auntie’s babies,” she cooed.
I could see June peaking from the kitchen. “I’m about to call Diamond if your loud ass doesn’t pipe down. If Peace wakes up, I promise you and Diamond will never have peace.”
She sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes. “Anyways, I came over to tell you both that Diamond and I are giving Love a birthday party.”
I was confused. “Yana, we know Love’s birthday is around the corner. You could have sent me a text for that.”
“Well, that’s the thing. Diamond and I want to give her a carnival-style birthday, and since you and Chevy the grouch have the bigger front lawn, we wanted to do it—”
June came rushing out of the kitchen. “No, no, fuck no!”
“She’s your goddaughter,” Yana hissed at him.
“And she will get spoiled accordingly. All that loud-ass noise, snotty nose kids, stinking-ass hot dogs, and—”
I smiled. “Yes, you guys can have the party here,” I interjected.
June looked at me, and I raised my brows at him.
Oh, so this is what we’re doing?
June, please. I owe you one.
You damn right. Pussy on a platter and no fucking running.
Yana’s eyes bounced between us before she pointed. “What was that?” she asked.
“What was what?” I responded.
She squinted her eyes as she narrowed in on me. “It was like y’all were talking but not talking.”
“It’s called being married, and the longer you're away from Diamond Donnell Jones, you will never find out,” June grumbled.
Yana came over and gave me a hug before kissing a cheesing Savior. “Thanks, sis,” she whispered.
After Yana left, June came over and sat next to me. “Do I have to deal with her for the rest of my life? Goddamn.”
I laughed. “Yana is just happy. Like I am,” I muttered as I stared at him.
June gazed at me so lovingly that I got lost in his eyes just as I did the very first time we met. He leaned forward and kissed my lips, feeding me his tongue. “Mm,” I moaned.
The moment he started groping at my breast, Peace started crying. Our foreheads touched. “I swear. At least I know who the momma’s boy is.”
He reached over and picked him up. “Peace, nigga, chill. We’re right here.”
Watching him interact with his kids was always a beautiful thing to see.
Father’s Day was approaching, and I wanted to make the day as special as possible for him.
June had come a long way, and it was something I never thought I would see.
When I was pregnant, him at least making it to the birth was something I prayed for every night.
Now, it was me praying that our family remained healthy.
In the back of my mind, I wondered if the cancer would ever come back or if my boys might have it someday, too.
My phone buzzed, alerting me that it was time to leave. For the last month or so, I had been preparing to open my practice. There were a few more final touches I needed to put on the place before I was fully open to take clients.
When I told June I wanted to start my own practice in the Cove, he was so supportive.
So much so that when we got back from our vacation, he did what he did best: make shit happen.
My hope was to get clients who were much like the people I was around daily.
Although we seemed fine, deep down, there were deep-rooted issues that most people who looked like us never talked about.
I wanted to be the cause of change and maybe save someone’s life in my own way.