Chapter 14
FOURTEEN
“What the hell Shuga got going on now?” I ask
“Hell if I know. We all got the same damn text you did,” Tre says.
“We always have Thanksgiving at the house. Why she want to move it this year? It’s gon’ fuck up my plans,” I admit.
“I thought you two weren’t leaving until seven that night,” Quintus says.
“We were but going to the mountain for Thanksgiving puts me further from the damn airport. Our flight is out of here, not CFA.”
“Just make sure you leave on time,” Deuce says. “Problem solved.”
“Or see if you can switch the flight to leave out of CFA instead. That way you don’t have to rush or leave too early,” Ace says ,then stands and walks back inside Quintus’s house, probably to answer another call.
We are all outside under the extended covered patio smoking, drinking, and talking shit. The two lit fire pits provide heat on this cold November evening.
“What’s wrong with that nigga? He keeps getting phone calls,” Tre says.
“I don’t know,” Quintus says.
“The last call was Sade. I heard her yelling before he turned the volume down,” Deuce admits.
“Damn, bruh, you ear hustling,” Tre jibes.
“I said she was yelling,” Deuce fires back before passing the blunt to Tre.
“That nigga stressed. It’s all over his damn face. He’s blowing my high and shit,” Tre says.
“I’ll go check on him,” Quintus says.
Quintus and I are close as shit, but him and Ace got their own thing too.
When we were lil knuckleheads, he would follow Ace around and wanted to do whatever he was doing.
When we got older, of course, he stopped following Ace but still looked up to him.
When the drugs ended up on Ace’s truck and he caught that case, Quintus worked hard to get Ace out.
They never found out who put the drugs on the truck.
Quintus just talked about it but I know that still fucks with him.
Yeah, he got the charges dropped, but not knowing bothers him.
So, he’s still extra concerned about Ace.
When Quintus walks into the house, Deuce turns to me with a serious ass look. “You really gon’ do this?” he asks.
“Yeah. I’m doing it. I love Kyrah and can’t see my life without her. Hell, if I’m keeping it a buck, I should have done it sooner. There’s no other woman in the world for me. I got my forever,” I tell him.
“Then I’m happy for you, bruh,” he says.
“Me too. Real shit,” Tre adds.
For the last month, I’ve been planning this birthday trip.
It has to be perfect because my baby deserves nothing but perfection.
Plus, I’m gonna ask her to marry me once we’re there.
I don’t have the proposal totally planned out.
I just have the ring. When I finally ask her, I want to be inspired by the location, her, and whatever we are doing.
I have six days to make it happen and we’re not leaving Hawaii without being engaged.
“’Preciate that for real,” I tell them, then nod before hitting the blunt.
Deuce gets up from the table and grabs the last beef rib from the grill.
Sis is on some beef thing right now, so Quintus fired up the grill and cooked steaks, ribs, and oxtails then called us over after Shuga’s group text.
She sent it to us, Sis, Kyrah, and my nephews.
We are having Thanksgiving dinner in one of the cabins at the Blue Mountain Resort and are supposed to spend the night before there.
“Do they even have cabins big enough for all of us?” Tre asks.
“Shit, I hope so. I’m not sharing no fucking room with any of y’all big niggas,” Deuce says.
“Shuga better have two cabins if they don’t,” I add. “Our family is big ass shit. We need space. Is TJ coming home?” I ask Tre. TJ enlisted in the Navy and just finished boot camp in Illinois.
“He has three days for leave, so he’s coming Tuesday.”
“What about your crew?” I ask Deuce.
“Them niggas coming. When Shuga cooks, they ain’t missing out. Nish’s crazy ass texted asking if she can come through. Deric must have told her about the cabin,” Deuce says, referring to his second son and his mother.
“You letting Nish come through?” Tre teases.
“Fuck nah. You know I’m not,” Deuce scoffs as he walks back to the table.
A few minutes later, Quintus walks out with a pan in his hand. The door closes and we see Niya standing on the other side.
“She’s dying to come out here and tell y’all good night,” Quintus says while shaking his head. “My kyau made this apple cobbler. It’s right out of the oven,” he says as he places it on the grill warmer.
“Shit. Where’s the ice cream?” Tre asks.
“In the fridge.” Quintus nods toward the outside fridge and Tre gets up.
“Let me tell my favorite niece goodnight. Don’t eat all the damn cobbler,” I tell Tre.
“Nah. I’m coming in too,” he says.
“Me too,” Deuce says.
We all walk into the house ,and as soon as I’m inside, I scoop Niya up with one hand, practically raising her to the ceiling.
“Uncle Shiro,” she squeals while giggling.
We toss her around for a little bit like always, then tell her goodnight. She runs upstairs after hugging us and we go back out to the patio. Quintus has his cobbler and ice cream, sitting at the table eating.
“Where’s Ace?” I ask. It was obvious when we were in the house that he wasn’t.
“He left. Something’s up with Sade. He looked mad but didn’t say shit besides he’ll see us at the cabin,” Quintus says.
“I told you I heard her yelling. That’s fucked up,” Deuce says while shaking his head. “I hope they don’t bring that shit to the cabin.”
“He won’t, not in front of Shuga,” Tre says. “She already don’t be feeling Sade.”
“You think so? Kyrah says that same shit. I just ain’t never paid it no attention but she says it after every Sunday dinner.”
“Peep that shit at the cabin. You see how Shuga is with Mireya and Kyrah. It ain’t none of that with Sade. I mean, Shuga speaks, hugs her, and smiles and shit. But I’m telling you, it’s not the same. Y’all be so caught up in your girls that you don’t see it, but I do. Watch,” Tre says.
“I mean, Kyrah says it. You might be right.”
“My wife says the same thing. I told her she was tripping but you might be right.” Quintus nods. “Now I have to look.”
“Is there anything else you need me to add to this grocery order? Reya is about to hit submit,” Kyrah asks as I drive.
“Nah. I think I’m straight. Deuce is bringing the liquor and I got the fish in the cooler. What else do we need? It’s just one night.”
“Shuga just wants to make sure she has everything we need to cook, snack on, and for breakfast in the morning.”
“Oh breakfast, yeah. Pork bacon. Sis is on that beef kick and I like beef ribs but bacon ain’t bacon unless it’s pork.”
“I got that already. The bag I put in the cooler is the thick pork bacon you like,” she says and I just smile. She knows me and always thinks of the littlest shit when it comes to me. “Oh, I wonder if Shuga is going to cook those little sweet puff things.”
“Masa? Yeah. She’s going to cook a ton of those. They’re Niya’s favorite and my nephews still eat them shits like candy. Every Thanksgiving, we have a million of those and several sweet potato pies.”
“Shuga bakes pies too?”
“Nah. She probably can but she always gets those from Seasonal Sweets here in Crescent Falls. Tre’s on pie duty. He’s picking them up before he comes to the cabin. Do you need to add anything to the list?”
“I’m not trying to eat too much. I need to look sexy in my swimsuits this weekend.”
“Ay, you better eat whatever the fuck you want. Anything you put on that beautiful body looks perfect to me anyway. Don’t be trying to starve and shit. I love every inch of you,” I tell her.
I don’t know why women try to change once they get into relationships.
The same body that attracted a man to them and the same body he likes to hold onto and be on up on is the same damn body we want once we’re solid.
That changing shit is all in a woman’s mind; men don’t give a damn, especially when it’s the woman he loves.
“I was just playing but I’m glad you love all of me ’cause that’s exactly what’s going to be strutting across that sand on the beach. I’m so ready to leave this forty-five degree weather. I checked. It’s going to be seventy-three degrees there tomorrow. This is going to be the best birthday.”
It definitely is.
“I’m ready too, baby.”
After typing on her phone, she says, “The order is submitted. I told her we didn’t need to add anything else.”
“Good. What’s the name of the cabin again?” I ask as I pull into the resort. The cabins at the Blue Mountain Resort each have unique names and I need the name when I check in at the security gate.
“The Big Bear,” she says right as I pull up to the gate. Quintus’ ride is actually the vehicle ahead of us. “I thought she was already here,” Kyrah utters. “We’re right behind them.”
She calls Mireya like they haven’t been talking all day, and while they chat, the safety gate lifts. Quintus moves forward and I pull up to the guard. After showing my ID and giving the cabin name, the lift opens for us and I drive in. Since Quintus is ahead of me, I just follow him to Big Bear.
When we pull up, my damn jaw drops and my baby exclaims, “Wow!” This cabin is big as shit, a massive, three story, dark brown structure with porches wrapping around all levels. “This is beautiful,” she gushes as she undoes her seat belt.
I pull right behind Quintus in the long ass driveway. Shuga, Deuce, Ace, and the twins’ rides are all here, lined up on the left, so me and Quintus line up on the right. We have to make room for the rest of my nephews to park.
After killing the engine, I get out and open the door for Kyrah. She meets Sis and Niya on the pebbled walkway.
“This is a palace,” Niya says in awe.
“It’s really big and gorgeous,” Sis confirms. “Shuga outdid herself.”
“I can’t wait to see the inside,” my baby says.
“Go in. I’ll get our stuff,” I tell her then kiss her lips.
“Yeah. Y’all go and see. I’m going to grab our bags and the cooler,” Quintus says.