Epilogue
about nine months later
“Baby, a purple sweater? That’s too much,” I say as I walk into the living room.
“How? It’s the end of November and cold outside. My baby is not going to get sick in this weather. What kind of mother would I be? And I would hope his father would feel the same way,” Kyrah fires back. “Did you grab his bag? I need to add another blanket.”
“Does the sweater have to be purple?” I ask.
“His pants are black, so the purple won’t look so bright.”
“Pants? Baby, he’s a dog. Not a real baby. You’re doing too much.”
“He’s a baby and it’s cold.” She picks up her little teacup poodle and brings him to her face. While holding him up, she says, “Don’t listen to your daddy, SJ. He didn’t mean it.”
“Stop calling him SJ. He’s not Shiro Junior. We have to come up with another name before he gets used to that shit.”
“We can call him Miles,” she says, then looks at the dog. “Do you like that? Miles. You like Miles?” she asks him and he barks. “I think he likes it.”
“It’s my middle name, baby,” I say, then shake my head. She’s determined to name this dog after me.
“Well, you gave him to me and I love him so much, just like I love you. He’s our first baby and he’s going to be the perfect practice until we finally have our own little baby. Then Miles can be his or her first little dog.”
“My son isn’t going to want no little ass dog like that.”
“Our son or daughter will.”
“Baby, look at genetics. You married a Bako. Chances are when you get pregnant, you’ll have a boy.
Look at Mireya and Quintus. She swore she was having a girl, and look, we got Little Que, not another girl.
Bako men have boys.” I lean in and kiss her lips.
“Put the pants on Miles so we can go. We still have to pick up the fish on our way.”
“You do like Miles.” Her pretty ass smirks and I just shake my head.
“I like it better than SJ.”
It’s the day before Thanksgiving and we’re heading to the cabin for the night.
We’ve only had Miles for a week. One late night, she got stuck on puppy videos on Skroll and has been asking for one, so I surprised her Sunday with this tiny ass dog.
He fits perfectly in my hand and she loves it.
He has a designer carrier, a closet full of clothes, and a mini fridge filled with organic food and fresh blueberries.
Although he’s not my first choice for a dog, it’s hers, and whatever my wife wants, she gets.
“Okay,” she says, then holds the dog out to me. “Hold the baby while I go upstairs. I forgot his shoes.”
“Ay. Come on. Shoes?” I question with a frown and she laughs.
“I’m kidding. I just need to grab his pants and something for him to wear tomorrow.”
“He’ll be fine if you put him down.”
“Please. He’s still a puppy and hasn’t learned the house yet.
Hold him please and I’ll be right back,” she pleads, so I grab him and he curls up in my hand.
“Shuga’s going to love having a dog in the cabin,” I tease because I don’t see this going well.
Shuga never let us get a dog when we were growing up.
She did not want one in her house, especially her kitchen. This is going to be interesting.
“She’s going to love Miles,” Kyrah insists before heading upstairs.
Miles is so damn little I don’t know what to do with him.
I need to load the truck with our bags and his shit but I don’t know where to put him.
Thankfully, she’s back down in less than five minutes and takes him.
While she dresses him and gets him situated in his carrier bag, I start my ride and place our luggage, the cooler for the fish, and the small cooler bag with his food and bottled water in the trunk.
When I walk back into the house, she and Miles are ready.
We head to Phat Fish to pick up my order.
Tomorrow’s list of people is a little bigger than last year’s because Miss Bev is joining us along with the twins’ girlfriends and more of Thursday’s friends.
One thing about it, my family doesn’t turn anybody away when it comes to food.
“Damn, we’re the last ones here,” she comments when we pull into the driveway.
My brothers are all definitely here and I recognize Thursday’s Jeep. She saved her money from working the summers with Quintus and paid cash for a used one. I checked it out before she bought it and replaced all her major parts. It drives like new.
“They probably just got here too,” I tell her, then get out.
After opening her door, I unload our luggage first and she grabs Miles. As we walk toward the door, it opens and Niya stands there smiling.
“What’s that?” Niya asks as soon as she sees Miles’ carrier. Before either of us can answer her, Miles barks. “A dog!” she exclaims excitedly.
“A puppy,” Kyrah says. “I’ll take him out when we get in.”
Niya steps back and we walk in. I head to our room to drop off our bags. When I come back, Kyrah is on the sofa holding Lil Que and Niya has Miles resting on her lap. Shuga sits next to Niya playing with Miles too.
Shaking my head, I lean behind Shuga and kiss the top of her ’fro. “So dogs are allowed in the house now?” I ask and she sucks her teeth.
“Times have changed, Shiro, and he’s little and cute,” Shuga says.
“A damn shame,” I say, then step over to Mireya. “What’s up, Sis?”
“I’m good. Miles is too cute,” she says. “Now this is the size dog I would want after Que gets a little older.”
“Oh, Mommie can we get one?” Niya asks.
“See what you started,” Quintus says, then stands. We dap and hug.
“That’s all her, bruh. What they say? Happy wife, happy life,” I tease.
“It’s something like that,” he says and both Sis and my baby suck their teeth playfully. “You got the fish?”
“Yeah, it’s outside.”
“You need help?”
“Nah. I’m straight. It’s just one big cooler.”
When I head back out to get the fish, I see Hussain and his girl pulling up. As soon as he gets out, he calls out to me.
“Unc! You need help?” he asks.
“Nah. I got it. ’Preciate it though.”
They head into the cabin and I grab the cooler and Miles’s food bag then go in. I take the elevator to the kitchen and find Kyrah sitting at the island giving my little nephew a bottle.
“Was that Hassan or Hussain I heard?” she asks when I walk in.
“Hussain. He and his girlfriend just pulled up.”
“Asia,” she says. I just shake my head. I can’t keep up with these little girls. Between Thursday and her friends and my nephews’ girlfriends, all their damn names run together.
I take the cooler to the bar area and walk back into the kitchen.
Que is up on her shoulder while she lightly pats his back and kisses his head.
She’s crazy about him, and every time I see her with him or even Niya, I can only imagine her with our kids.
She’s the perfect wife and will be the best mother.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” she asks to my surprise because I didn’t realize I was staring.
“You’re mine, right?”
“You know I am.”
“Then I should be able to stare,” I say and she smiles. I step over to her then lean in and kiss her soft lips. “I like seeing you with him. I want our own.”
“Me too. It’ll happen soon. I’m off the pill so it’s just a matter of ti—”
“Practice,” I say, interrupting her.
Grinning, she says, “I was going to say time but practice works too.”
“Practice is the best part. Let’s take lil man back to his parents so we can go work on making our own,” I say, then kiss her again.
“What am I going to do with you?” she asks when our lips part.
“Fuck and love me.”
“Shiro, the baby,” she exclaims, as if he understands what we are talking about.
“He don’t know what I’m saying.”
“You never know,” she says in a hushed tone.
“I know. He’s asleep anyway. Come on, baby. I want to practice right now. You down?”
“You know I’m always down. I love you too much to ever tell you no.”
“Damn, you love a nigga like that?”
“Absolutely, just like that,” she says and damn. This is why I love her so fucking much.
THE END