Chapter 20
TWENTY
“Somebody not going to make it to midnight,” I say, then tickle Niya’s foot.
“Yes, I am,” she insists after lifting her head from Kyrah’s lap but she’s not going to make it.
It’s barely eleven and her lil ass is fading already.
I don’t blame her though. I’m tired as shit and probably won’t make it either.
I’m only trying because my baby insists that we kiss at midnight like we aren’t already locked in.
She’s mine and I’m hers; missing a kiss at midnight won’t change that.
The entire family is back at the cabin for New Year’s Eve.
We also did Christmas Eve here but everyone did their own thing on Christmas Day.
Kyrah and I actually just chilled at my place for most of the day then stopped by Quintus’s later to take Niya her gifts.
Today has been barbeque, fireworks, and family.
Thursday is here with a few friends, three this time, and they have been stepping in the snow all damn day.
“It’s okay if you’re tired and miss it. It’ll still be the new year when you wake up in the morning,” Kyrah tells Niya.
“No. I want to count and yell. I’m not going to sleep,” Niya says.
“You not gon’ make it,” I repeat and Kyrah rolls her eyes.
“Ignore your uncle. You’ll make it,” Kyrah says, then yawns.
“Hell, are you going to make it?” I ask.
“Yes. We are kissing the new year in. I’m just full and relaxed, too relaxed.
Sweetheart, come with me out on the porch.
The twins are still popping the fireworks.
Let’s go watch so we can stay up,” Kyrah says and Niya nods.
Before getting up, Kyrah leans over and kisses me. “I’m staying up,” she assures me.
They leave the family room and head toward the porch. Shuga and Sade are both knocked the hell out on the two recliners on the ends of the main sectional. Deuce is in here eating some more, and Twon and his girl are in here too. Reya and Quintus are in the kitchen, so I join them there.
Kyrah and her family shit has been bugging me since the week we came back from Maui but it got worse during Christmas.
Not once during the holiday did she mention or even talk to her mom.
She says it’s not bothering her but I know my baby and see it on her face every time she zones out when my family is around.
Kyrah and her mom’s relationship has always been different from my point of view.
I was raised by a woman who loves her children out loud and can’t go a day without reaching out to us in some way.
I thought it was odd Kyrah didn’t have that with her mom.
They would talk a few times a week and she rarely visited.
Hell, we were kicking it for two years and I never saw or met her mom.
However, this new dynamic is worse, even if she only admits that when she’s drunk.
“You and that damn fruit,” I comment to Mireya as soon as I’m in the kitchen. She’s sitting at the island eating the fruit salad my baby made. The shit is good so I can see why Sis still eating it.
“She’s going to have to make my own bowl to take home.” She forks a chunk of pineapple then looks up at me. “Where’s my baby? Asleep?”
“Nah. She’s trying to thug it out and stay up till the ball drops. She’s on the porch with Kyrah and the twins,” I tell her, then sit next to her. “Sis, can I holla at you for a minute?”
“I’m about to go back out there too. You good? You need anything?” Quintus asks her before kissing her lips.
“No, baby, I’m good,” she tells him, then turns to me. “What’s up?”
If anybody can give me advice about Kyrah and her mom, it’s Mireya. They are super close and she’s known Kyrah longer than me. I take a deep breath and tell her what’s on my mind.
“I need your advice on Kyrah.”
Going right into best friend mode, she drops her fork and turns to face me. “Is everything okay with her?” she asks with mad concern.
“I mean, it is but it isn’t. It’s about her mother. I’m marrying Kyrah and I want her to be happy in every part of her life. Not talking to her moms or even her mom not coming to the wedding just doesn’t seem right.”
“Whew! I’m glad you said it. I’ve been tiptoeing around this since we’ve been talking about the wedding.
I know she’s done with Kym but I really think she deep down wants her momma there.
She won’t say it, but she does. Like today, when we were talking about Shuga’s dress, I saw it.
I just don’t know what to do?” Mireya sighs then shakes her head.
“I want to talk to her mom,” I admit and Sis’s eyes get big as hell.
“You want to talk to Miss Bev?”
“Yes. I want to fix this shit for Kyrah and I need yo’ help.”
After staring into my eyes for a minute, she squints then says, “You’re serious.”
“Of course I’m serious. When it comes to my baby, I don’t play.”
While nodding, she repeats, “Okay. Okay,” then smiles. “All right. What do you need me to do?”
“Get with her mom and see if she’ll talk to me.”
“If this backfires, keep me out of it,” she says with a small laugh. “I’m laughing but I’m serious. I do not want to upset her months before her wedding. She’s finally truly in love with a man I know won’t hurt her. She’s getting the day she deserves and I don’t want any part in ruining that.”
“I won’t tell her shit. Just please get me a meetup with her mom. I have to fix this.”
“I’ll call or go by there this week, but what am I telling her about you?”
“That I’m the man who loves her daughter.”
“Well, okay then.” Mireya latches her arm around mine then rests her head on my shoulder. “This is why you’re my favorite brother-in-love.”
“Didn’t I hear you tell Ace that same shit earlier,” I tease, then kiss the top of her head. “Thanks, Sis.”
“Don’t thank me because we both love Kyrah,” she says.
“Mommie,” Niya yells and we both look behind us. “We got fifteen minutes,” she says excitedly. “And Uncle Shiro, I’m still up.”
“Barely,” I joke because she’s clearly wide ass awake now.
“Then let’s go outside. I want to be out there when it turns midnight. Did you save a firework for me?” Mireya asks Niya as she eases off the island chair.
“It’s a lot,” Niya responds.
I watch them head toward the porch, and when Mireya opens the door, Kyrah walks in. As she walks her fine ass over to me, she yawns and I just shake my head. She’s really trying to stay up to do something we’re going to be doing for the rest of our lives.
“Sleepy ass,” I mutter when she reaches me.
“That’s okay. I just have to stay up for thirteen minutes.”
“You want to be out there at midnight?”
“Actually, no. I’ve had enough of the fireworks, and besides, once midnight hits and I’ve kissed my man, I want to climb in bed, climb on you, and let you rub my ass as I fall asleep.”
“Shit, I’m gonna rub your ass while we kiss too,” I say and she laughs. “Let’s go down to the room now. We can already be there and kissing before midnight.”
She nods and we head downstairs. Since the elevator is so close to the kitchen, we take it instead of the stairs.
Fuck waiting till midnight to kiss too, because as soon as the door closes, I’m on her and my lips are on hers.
We kiss the short ride down and are still kissing when we walk down the hall.
“Get a fucking room,” Deuce quips when he passes us and Kyrah breaks our kiss with a laugh.
Once we are in the room, I close the door then back her against it. My lips return to hers and my hands travel under her sweater and grip her breasts. She has her ideas about bringing in the new year, and shit, I have mine. When I lift her sweater over her head, she grins.
“What are you doing?” she asks with a smirk.
“Why you want to kiss me so bad at midnight?” I counter.
“Whoever you kiss at midnight is the person you will love and be close with for the year.”
“But we’re in this for more than a year, baby.”
“I know. Just indulge me because I love kissing you,” she says.
“As long as you indulge me too.” I unbutton then unzip her jeans. As I slide them over her sexy hips and ass, I add, “I love fucking you.”
Mireya really looked out and reached out to Kyrah’s mom.
She agreed to speak with me, and as soon as I holla at Tre, I’m heading to her crib.
While I hate keeping shit from my baby, this is different.
I have to try this and she can’t know about it unless it works.
I promised her that I would never break her heart and I stand on that.
So if this shit fails, she’ll never know about it.
As we get closer to the wedding, I realize I work too damn much.
I love my job and my shop, but right now, I work six days a week basically open to close each day.
When I first bought the shop from Asali, I knew I would have to put in work.
He had his regulars and was making good money but I wanted more.
Before going legit, I was stacking my paper and used to certain shit.
It was a must that my money didn’t change too much, so I put work in at the shop as I had in the streets.
My money is good; the shop is doing numbers.
It’s time I pull back some. I want to hire another full-time mechanic and one part-time.
In a perfect world, I want my nephew TJ here. The short time he helped out while on leave let me see just how skilled he is. However, he’s back in Illinois with the Navy and I want the new guys in here before the month is over. Hell, before the week is over honestly.
Tre posted ads the last week of December and we’ve gotten about twenty resumes.
He handles the pre-screening calls, but for the mechanics, I conduct the in-person interviews.
I need to know if they really know cars and can work on them.
I need to see who he has scheduled to see me.
I also need to ask about something Black told me this morning when I first got here because I can’t wrap my head around it.
“I was just about to come get you ’cause I’m 'bout to skirt.” Tre says the minute I walk in the office.
“I know. Me too.”
“Kyrah’s mom?” he asks.