Drew
A LITTLE MORE THAN A YEAR AND A HALF LATER (SEPTEMBER)
“Mama Queenie, show ’em how it’s done!” Pretty shouted as my mother moved to the beat of the music.
My mother dipped down low, with my father behind her holding onto her hips.
“Aye! That’s my mama, old man!” I shouted.
“That’s my woman, young buck!” Coach shouted back.
They laughed and kept dancing. “Don’t be a hater all your life, Drew. Go dance with your woman,” Dani teased, walking past me.
“Shut up. Ya man is sitting at the table pouting. Maybe you need to go show him some attention,” I declared, nodding at Matt.
My sister and my boy had started dating eight months earlier after he came to me and expressed his interest in her.
I’d had a long heart to heart with him. Matt was a good guy, but he knew I didn’t play about my sister.
I had no doubt that he would treat her well.
“I’m about to,” she replied, sticking her tongue out at me.
I rolled my eyes and headed toward Pretty who danced by herself. It was Labor Day weekend, and we had thrown a cookout at our house.
Pretty’s parents, siblings, and their significant others were here, and my parents and sister were here.
Jason had brought his wife, and Matt was here with Dani.
My father had claimed the grill two weeks ago, and he’d made sure he arrived early this morning to make sure no one took that right from him.
I didn’t care, as long as all I had to do was chill, eat, and enjoy my family, I wasn’t complaining.
I watched Enzo’s and Mael’s kids play in the pool.
My eyes wandered to DJ who sat on Mama Mer’s lap.
She enjoyed playing with her grandboy, and he loved his nana.
Pretty was glad her mother had someone new to dote on and could ease up the smothering she did on her.
My son loved both of his grandmothers, and they both spoiled him equally. Sometimes, Pretty and I found ourselves fighting to have time with him on the weekends, because his grandmothers were always claiming all his time.
Other times, Dani and Chloe were stealing him away to have fun with him.
He was a loved child, and I was thankful for the village he had to keep him safe, loved, and protected.
My thoughts briefly drifted to Noah and Kendra.
I hoped that she had settled down and given Noah a safe home and space.
I prayed that he had a village that loved him and kept him safe.
Pretty had taken the prenatal paternity test, and we had gone out to eat at a quaint little Cuban restaurant after we got the results. There had never been a doubt in my mind, but because of what I’d gone through, it was important to her that there be no doubt in my mind.
I grabbed Pretty and pulled her into my arms and danced with her.
“You gon’ work that ass for me, baby?” I teased, gripping her hips and grinding against her from behind.
“Boy, you’d better stop that. Our parents are here,” she hissed.
“Aye, I’m a grown man in my own home. Besides, we’re married. You’ll be thirty-one in a few months, and I’m thirty-seven. You think I’m trying to hear what anyone has to say to me?”
She spun around and looped her arms around my neck. Smiling seductively at me, she replied, “It’s about respect, baby.”
“Respect that I’m about to get in that ass tonight.”
She giggled and shook her head. “I can’t with you.”
“Y’all cute or whatever,” Chloe declared, walking by and winking at us.
We laughed and turned our attention back to one another, shutting the world out.
“Thank you.”
“For what?” Pretty asked, looking confused.
“For making my life better. So much better than I ever could have imagined.”
“Well, thank you for taking a risk on loving me. I was in a dark place when we met, which would explain my impromptu decision to sleep with you. In hindsight, I regret nothing. You taught me how to grab life by the horns and live it to the fullest. You genuinely brought me back to life again, Drew.”
“Good. Because you and DJ are my life.”
I pressed my forehead against hers as the music slowed down.
I rested my hands on her hips, and we swayed to the beat.
I closed my eyes and thought about my life two years ago versus now.
I was glad that all the women, the parties, and the fast living had ended.
My life was truly full and rich in ways it had never been before.
Our families and friends had left an hour earlier, and the cleaning crew had finished up and left fifteen minutes ago. It was just Pretty, DJ, and me.
“I saw your girl earlier today.”
“What girl?” Pretty asked, putting away the last leftover dish.
“Tanika.”
“She is not my girl. Chloe said that she’s selling feet pics online.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised. Jason said she’s got an OnlyFans page.”
“And how would Jason know that?” Pretty asked, twisting her lips and frowning.
I shrugged. “He wouldn’t be Jason if he didn’t know.”
“I guess. Where did you see her?”
“When I finished getting my shapeup at Knox Cutz and Stylez, I stopped by Baby Got Buns to get the cake. She was in there trying to sell some paintings she’d made. Baby was polite, but she told her that wasn’t a beauty salon, and it wasn’t the place to roll up in trying to hock your wares.”
“Good for her.”
I had finally met Tanika almost a year ago. I had set up some mini football camps to test out the market. Tanika had arrived with a friend of hers who had a little boy. The friend was all about her business, focusing on getting her little boy enrolled, but Tanika could only focus on Pretty.
She tried to step to Pretty and apologize again, but my woman wasn’t hearing that. She politely told her to step away before she took out a restraining order and filed charges for harassment. That chick looked confused as a muthafucka, but she backed away.
I guess she’d taken Pretty’s threat seriously, because when she saw me at the bakery, she hightailed it out of there and hadn’t looked over her shoulder.
Pretty busied herself with cleaning the counters, while I played with DJ. I glanced around the commercial style kitchen and chuckled. I was truly a blessed man.
“What’s so funny?” Pretty asked as I scooped DJ up and bounced him in my arms.
“It’s just ironic. When I met you, I was looking for a home to downsize into.
I had this humongous ass home that I knew I didn’t need.
So, I brought the smaller home in your neighborhood, which you still swore was big.
Now here we are in this house that’s a little over six thousand square feet, but I don’t feel like it’s a waste. ”
We had our home built on property that we purchased, and we moved into it six months ago. Our old homes were turned into Airbnbs for additional income.
“Why is that?” Pretty asked, leaning into me and gripping my hand.
“Because of the goals that we have. With all this space, not only do you have your in-home studio in the attic, but maybe you can sponsor an art student the way that Henri did for you.”
She looked up at me and smiled so wide. “I would love to give that gift back to someone else.”
“Right. We have enough space for our growing family, as well as to invite guests to come and stay.” DJ started whining and squirming to get out of my arms. “I don’t think he likes that announcement,” I stated.
“Well, he’d better get over it,” my wife declared, matter-of-factly.
I frowned at her and watched as she walked out of the kitchen onto the deck.
I grabbed DJ and headed out onto the deck with her.
In the distance, some people were still shooting fireworks.
We had finished our display when our families left.
It was a little after midnight, and some people in the neighborhood were still going.
I smiled as I thought about life in the past. Parties didn’t end until three or four in the morning. There was no such thing as anyone going home at nine and ten. That was when the fun started.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked as I sat in a deck chair beside my wife.
“He’s going to have company soon, and he’ll be sharing his parents and his home.”
“Man, you sound crazy. My kid doesn’t have to share anything if he doesn’t want to.”
“Yes, he does.”
“What are you talking about, Pretty?”
“We’ll be expecting another baby next spring.”
“What?” I bolted upright in the chair, and DJ wiggled once again. This time I set him free so that he could play in the far corner of the deck designated as his play area.
“I’m six weeks pregnant, baby.”
“For real?” My heart burst with joy as I lifted my wife off her chair and onto my lap.
“For real, baby. Our little family is about to grow again.”
“That’s why you didn’t drink anything at the cookout today?”
“Yep.” She smiled and giggled.
I sucked her bottom lip and slowly eased my way into a sweet, tender kiss.
“Mm.” She moaned and sucked on my tongue.
“Da-da! Da-da!” DJ smacked my leg.
I pulled back, looked down at him, and laughed. I lifted him onto my other leg, and he leaned into Pretty, resting his head on her chest.
“I guess li’l man says that’s how we got him and the one on the way too.”
“I’m so thankful for my little blessings. I remember a time when I didn’t expect to ever have any children, and here I am with a second one on the way. What do you think we’re going to have?” Pretty asked.
“I don’t know. I’m just thankful for the blessing and the opportunity to let the love in my heart grow even more. When I look at the two of you, I think my heart will explode with all the love it contains for you.”
“You’re so sweet, Drew. I never expected to find love again, but Almighty God saw fit to multiply the love in my heart, as well, and I’m so humbled.”
Two years ago, I suffered a tragic blow on the heels of a great victory. While it seemed that I was losing two great loves, my kid and football, and I wasn’t sure what the ending visual would look like, it had all come together in a beautifully painted masterpiece.
Everything had worked together for my good, and I couldn’t ask for more.
THE END