21. Bless
CHAPTER 21
BLESS
“ I can’t believe she did this shit!” I growled with a mouthful of shrimp and grits.
Sky shook her head, disbelief sparking in her eyes as she swallowed her latest mouthful of the southern breakfast NaNa had prepared for us. “JayShawn must have her wrapped around his fucking finger. I bet his narcissistic ass convinced her to do that.”
“Why would he do that?”
“So that he can continue to try to be with both of us without either of us finding out.” Sky shrugged as if I should have already known.
My head tilted as I realized how much that made sense. “Damn, I gotta lose my job so that he can be ‘ain’t shit’ in peace?”
“Sounds like it.” NaNa scoffed with a laugh as she stood at the sink washing dishes.
Sky snorted, shaking her head while chewing on French toast.
Luckily, since it was her birthday, Sky had taken off of work. So, when I called to tell her that I had been fired, she called me over to NaNa’s house to have breakfast with them.
Pam walked in, so Sky and I got quiet. We had kept JayShawn’s infidelity from Pam because we didn’t want to feed into her delusion that she was a psychic since she had always sworn that JayShawn wasn’t shit.
Surprisingly, Pam was holding a gift bag and she handed it to Sky. "Happy Birthday,” she said with absolutely no emotion.
Sky looked at the bag skeptically, her eyes narrowing. "Where did you steal this from?" Her tone was dripping with suspicion, making me giggle.
Pam snapped back, "Just open it.” She turned her back to us, eating leftover bacon straight from the bowl on the stove.
Her sobriety and lucidity were a rare sight, but not entirely surprising given how early it was.
Sky sighed, reached into the bag and pulled out a large envelope. Curiosity pulled me out of my seat. I stood next to her. NaNa came over too, drying her hands on a dish towel.
Sky opened the envelope and pulled out what looked like handwritten letters. As we all crowded around to read them, it became clear that they were letters Sky had written to Pam when she was little. The realization hit us all at once, and the room grew quiet with emotion. Tears welled up in Sky's eyes, and even NaNa looked choked up.
"Oh my God, you kept these," Sky said softly, her voice trembling. She looked at Pam, who was still at the stove, ignoring the outpour of emotions in the room. "Thank you. Why did you give me these?"
Pam didn't turn around, but she spoke clearly, "So you can remember how much you love me."
Her words lingered in the air, and I felt a lump form in my throat.
The doorbell rang, interrupting the moment. NaNa often left the door open, so it swung open, and Legacy walked in.
The sun seemed to follow him, highlighting his beautiful masculinity. His presence was magnetic, and I felt a familiar ache in my chest as I watched him.
NaNa gasped with happiness. Suddenly, she was able to walk at the fastest speed I had seen in a while. “ Legacyyyy !”
I bent down, whispering in Sky’s ear, “Did you invite him here?”
Sky’s face painted with guilt as she returned the letters to the envelope. “Yes.”
My eyes narrowed as I glowered at her. “Why?”
“Because that’s my brother-in-law and it’s my birthday.”
“He hates me,” I gritted.
“No, he doesn’t. That’s why he’s here.”
She looked at my frown, smiling giddily.
As my eyes scolded her, his earthy, woodsy scent entered the kitchen seconds before he did.
"Happy Birthday, Sky.” His voice was deep and comforting as he bent down and hugged her.
She smiled as he wrapped her in his arms. "Thank you, Legacy."
As he walked further into the room, his eyes met mine. For a moment, everything else faded away, and it was just the two of us, connected by an invisible thread of longing and unresolved feelings.
“Hi,” I spoke, barely able to breathe.
“Hey.” He nudged Pam on the shoulder. “What’s up, Pam?”
She barely looked over her shoulder at him as she grunted, “Hi.”
“You want a plate?” I asked him as he sat at the table.
His eyes scanned the stove. “I’m okay. I ate already.”
“NaNa made shrimp and grits,” Sky told him with a raised brow.
His eyes bucked a bit. “Oh, hell yeah, I want a plate.”
We all laughed, even Pam, as I moved to the stove.
“What are you doing for your birthday?” Legacy asked Sky.
“This is it.”
“ Really ?”
“Yeah, I’m not really in the mood for nothing else.”
“ Booo !” he taunted her.
Sky giggled, shrugging, as NaNa came back into the kitchen.
“Vibe gave me some tickets to the SummerFest. They are backstage passes,” Legacy told Sky.
My eyes ballooned as they whipped towards Sky, watching hers do the same as she sang, “ Whaaaat ?”
“Wanna go?” he asked her.
“Hell yeah! How many you got?”
“Enough for you and Bless.”
“Bet!”
I smiled, telling Legacy, “That’s so nice. Thank you.”
He nodded so coolly. His swag made my pussy wet. I tore my eyes away from his so I could continue to breathe while fixing his plate.
I sat the bowl of shrimp and grits in front of Legacy. As I did, I had to step between his thick, long legs. He placed his hand on the small of my back as he said, "Thank you."
Unable to handle the sexual tension between us, I asked, “Where is the champagne I left over here, NaNa?”
“In the fridge,” she replied.
Sky asked, “You making a mimosa?”
“Yeah. You want one?” I asked?
Sky hesitated. “No, I shouldn’t.”
Pausing with my hand on the fridge’s handle, I asked, “Why not?”
I guessed that Pam was finished eating all of the bacon because she started walking out. Sky waited until she was gone, which made me even more curious. Then Sky told me, “Sit down.”
The room grew quiet and curious. NaNa leaned against the stove, looking as if she already knew.
Sky took a deep breath and said, “I’m pregnant.”
Elated, I felt a burst of joy. “Oh my God, Sky!”
Legacy grinned from ear to ear. “Congratulations.”
“That’s amazing!” I exclaimed, but confusion quickly followed. “Wait. I thought you decided not to proceed with the implantation?”
Sky nodded. “I didn’t. But I missed my period and took a test.”
“Oh my God! I’m so happy for you!” I rushed with excitement. Then I pouted, realizing, “Oh shit. It’s JayShawn’s.”
Sky nodded as her mouth twisted with disappointment. “Yep, but I’m still not getting back with his ass.”
NaNa spoke up, “You might be a single mother, but you won’t be raising that baby alone. You’ll have help.”
I nodded eagerly in agreement. “Absolutely. We’re all here for you.” Tears of happiness welled up in my eyes. I hugged Sky tightly, whispering, “Happy Birthday.”
Sky smiled through her own tears. “Thank you, sissy.”
I walked Legacy to NaNa's door after a few hours of celebrating Sky's birthday and pregnancy. The drinks had flowed, and I could feel the effects of the alcohol as I followed Legacy out onto the porch. It was a beautiful summer day in June. The weather was perfect, not too hot. The block was alive with men hand washing their cars, kids playing outside, and even some kids splashing in a small inflatable pool in a front yard.
Legacy and I lingered on the porch, standing in the midst of the sexual tension and frustrated feelings from our therapy session that were still fresh.
Luckily, he broke the silence. "You don’t have to worry about being fired. I’ll support you with whatever you need."
I nodded as I internally swooned from his words. “Thanks. I appreciate that, but I will be looking for another job.”
He shook his head slightly. His eyes were filled with sincerity as he told me, “You took care of me for five years with no question. I’ll do whatever I have to do to support you now. Maybe you shouldn’t rush to find a job. Enjoy the summer off with the kids.”
As we spoke, the undeniable longing between us simmered, blended with grievance and confusion. I watched him, taking in his confidence, swag and charisma. I was obsessed with everything about him, even now.
“Thank you,” I said softly.
He gave me a small, understanding smile. “I mean it, Bless. You deserve a break.”
We stood there for a moment longer, the air around us heavy with unspoken words and unresolved emotions.
“I gotta get out of here and get ready for this client.”
I exhaled, forcing myself to breathe. “Okay. See you later.”
I watched him as he left the porch and strolled to his car. His movements were confident and assured. My heart ached with longing, but also with the load of everything that had passed between us.
As he got into his car and drove away, I stayed on the porch, the warm summer air wrapping around me like a comforting blanket. Despite the tension, frustration, and confusion, one thing was clear: I was still hopelessly in love with Legacy. And that was both beautiful and painful.
For days after Sky's birthday, I let Legacy lead the way in whatever our relationship would become. If he called, I answered. When he wanted to come by to see the kids, I let him. I even waited for a late-night bat signal, a booty call, but it never came. That only made me over think even more about where his mind was regarding me after learning the truth about Riley. However, his attention and love for Riley never wavered. He was as loving and caring with her as he had always been. It was bittersweet to watch him with her, knowing the truth and wondering if it would ever change anything between them.
Over the last few days, I had spent a lot of time with my kids. I hated that I had been fired so bogusly, but I appreciated the sudden time and freedom to simply exist. No rushing around, no stress about being on time—just me and the kids, enjoying the summer days. My only stress, beyond my infatuation with Legacy, was obsessing about what I would wear to Summerfest.
Summerfest was the biggest concert in Chicago, headlining the top artists in rap and R&B. Because of that, the tickets were expensive, and having backstage passes was unbelievable. But more than the concert itself, I really wanted the perfect outfit to catch and hopefully keep Legacy’s attention. I wanted to remind him of what we had, of the connection that still sparked between us.
I spent all week thinking about what I would wear, trying on different outfits in front of the mirror, imagining his eyes on me. I wanted to look effortlessly stunning, like I wasn’t trying too hard but still manage to captivate him.
I decided on a black, cut-out romper with a halter top. The strappy details of the top made it super sexy. I paired it with silver strappy heels, silver Balenciaga Hourglass bag, and heavy silver accessories. My voluptuous curves added drama to the outfit and made the booty-short bottom very extreme. I'd changed my hair to a sleek, jet-black, middle, thirty-inch "buss down." I looked like an Instagram model as I stared at myself in the mirror.
Sky was behind me, sitting at the foot of my bed, fastening her sandals. She glanced up and whistled appreciatively. "Girl, you look good as fuck. Legacy's gonna be all over you."
I blushed, saying, "I hope so.”
Suddenly, Eden darted into the doorway with a scowl on his face. "You wanna look good for him , Ma?”
I laughed at his frown, waving my hand dismissively. “Mind your business, boy.”
“Why you wanna look good for that bum?" he snapped.
“Who the fuck are you talking to?!” I scolded, turning to face him. “You need to respect your father."
"Why should I?" he shot back. "He hasn't done anything to earn it."
My heart ached at his words, but I kept my foot figuratively on his neck. "He’s done a lot for you actually! And you know he has! I know you're upset because he was gone for a while, so he couldn’t see you as often, but you’re being a brat! He was gone because I left him! Because I made him leave! He was gone to get himself together so he can be here now, being your father, a good father. He’s taking care of your spoiled ass while you worry about nothing but playing with an iPhone at eleven years old! Now, get outta my face and go to your room!"
He glared at me for a moment before storming out.
“And I’m telling Joy not to let you come out when she gets here!” I shouted behind him. “You’re on punishment for the rest of the weekend!” I sighed heavily, running my finger through my bundles as I glared into the mirror.
Hearing Sky’s scoff, I looked at her through the mirror.
“You gon’ have to let Legacy beat his ass,” she said, shaking her head.
“I know. He’s getting out of hand.”
As I turned back to the mirror, doubt covered me. The hurt and confusion in Eden’s eyes haunted me. At first, I thought he was just being a brat, mimicking Charon. But obviously, he was truly hurting. It was time for me to prioritize and focus on Eden healing from everything he’d been through as well. I needed to be there for him. But I was barely getting myself through it, so I wondered how I could help him through the mess too.