Chapter 14
It had been a little over two weeks since Rose and I had gotten married at the courthouse.
When I asked Rocky why he wanted me to have our great-grandfather’s ring, he said he thought I deserved it.
He reminded me of how I was neglected at times when we were growing up.
He was the big brother, and Roman was the baby, and he noticed how I was sometimes forgotten in the mix and overlooked.
Those were some hard times and the reason I was often quiet and kept to myself a lot. I didn’t realize he’d noticed, and it meant a lot that he thought enough of me to allow me to have something so special.
We postponed our honeymoon for a few months because Rose wanted to visit a Black-owned resort and wanted to do some research. Our family was planning a reception for us and refused to let us help or share any details.
“Guess who’s coming over to spend the weekend with Bliss?” I said when I entered the bedroom.
Rose’s eyes were wide as she stepped from the walk-in closet and into my arms.
“Oaklyn?” I nodded. “Are you serious?”
“I am. I happened to be checking on the preschool when the Porters came to pick her up. I updated them on where we were in the process of becoming foster parents, and they suggested a sleepover.”
We’d completed orientation, passed the background checks, home study, and medical evaluation, but we still had twenty-two of the thirty hours of training left.
Mayor Harris agreed to pull some strings on our behalf, behind the scenes, to help expedite the process when we finished our training.
It really paid to know important people with important positions.
“Oh my God. I’m so excited.”
Oaklyn was placed with the Porters and began attending our preschool over two months ago, but she was still very shy and timid. She still hadn’t opened up to anyone at the school except Bliss, and the teachers were perplexed about what to do.
The Porters were very patient and understanding people.
They shared that Oaklyn didn’t communicate with them very much either, but she had become comfortable enough with them to give one-word answers or a few sentences every so often.
I knew there were some amazing foster care parents, but I’d also heard horrible things about the system.
I was grateful that Oaklyn was placed in a home with caring individuals like the Porters.
Rose thought it would be a good idea to volunteer a few hours a week at the preschool to see if Oaklyn would warm up to her. It only took a few days for Oaklyn to become attached. She even got her to talk to one of the teachers.
“You should’ve seen Bliss and Oaklyn’s faces when Mrs. Porter told them about the sleepover. I kill people, and it almost made me tear up.”
She gasped and tried to push away from me, but I tightened my hold on her waist.
“Russell!” she fussed.
“My bad. Did I say that out loud?”
“You did.”
“It’s not like you don’t know how I get down, but pretend like you didn’t hear me.”
I kissed her lips before wrapping her in my arms. People said being married didn’t feel any different than being in a serious long-term relationship, but that was a bunch of bullshit.
The pride and excitement I felt whenever I referred to Rose as my wife was unreal. Every time I talked about her, my cheeks got tired because I smiled from ear to ear. Maybe for others it didn’t feel any different, but for me, there was no better feeling except when I was deep inside her walls.
“Are they staying with us or at the main house?”
“With us. I already told Rocky and Rue we were taking Bliss off their hands for the weekend. I’m pretty sure her bag was packed before I left the main house.”
“I’m sure it was. What are you planning to do with them while I’m at the flower shop tomorrow?” she asked.
“Don’t worry about us. I’ll think of something.”
“Okay, Uncle-Daddy Russ.”
“Daddy?” I questioned with a raised brow.
“I said Uncle-Daddy. Calm your horny ass down.”
“Can you help me calm my horny ass down?”
“Maybe.”
I scooped her up, bridal style, and tossed her onto the bed. She squealed as she landed, following it up with a giggle.
“Since I’ll be sharing you with two three-year-olds this weekend, I need a boost of energy.”
“You should go pick up some energy drinks.”
“Why would I do that when you possess the most powerful energy source to ever exist between your thighs?”
I reached for the waistband of her shorts, and she grabbed my wrist to stop me.
“It’s been a long day, Russell. I need to shower first.”
“And wash off the flavor I love to savor? Nah. That’s not necessary.”
This time, she willingly eased out of her bottoms, and when I saw her pussy, my mouth watered, and my dick stiffened. I grabbed her ankles, pulled her to the edge of the bed, and had my fill. I made sure to eat her pussy so good, I wouldn’t need another dose for a full day, possibly two.
After she sprayed me with her nectar, and it was dripping from my chin, I pushed my pants down to release my dick. I put her ankles on my shoulders, and she grabbed my dick and guided it into her center.
Time was of the essence, but we didn’t need much to bring each other to ecstasy. Her pussy was still trembling from the pleasure my mouth provided, so adding my dick to the mix took her to another level.
I delivered multiple hard, deep strokes, and we reached the point of no return simultaneously. I couldn’t think of a better way to end the week and start the weekend.
I left my bedroom, and the sounds of giggles filled my ears. When I reached the kitchen, I peeked around the corner to find Rose, Bliss, and Oaklyn at the island. The two little ones were standing on chairs, and Rose was between them, helping them add ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
“Titi Wose, can I eat it now?” Bliss asked.
“No, baby. They aren’t ready to eat yet, and you’ll get a stomachache.”
“It make you tummy hurt?” Oaklyn questioned, rubbing her stomach.
“Yes, and we don’t want our tummies to hurt, right?” Rose asked.
Both girls nodded in agreement.
“Okay, Oaklyn. Can you pick up that cup and pour that in the bowl?”
Oaklyn nodded. She slowly picked up a measuring cup with eggs and poured them into the bowl.
“Yay!” Bliss cheered.
“Good job, Oaklyn. Give me a high five,” Rose said, holding her hand up for Oaklyn.
When their hands connected, Oaklyn released a giggle that went straight to a nigga’s heart.
Bliss had already softened me and could get almost anything she wanted from her Unco Wuss.
But knowing what Oaklyn had been through, what she’d probably witness in her short three years of life, then seeing a genuine smile or hearing a giggle from deep down in her little belly, softened me in a way I’d never experienced and I couldn’t explain.
“Are you girls in here making a mess?” I teased as I entered the kitchen.
“No mess, Unco Wuss. We make cookies wif Titi Wose,” Bliss said.
“That sounds fun. Can I help?”
Bliss and Oaklyn nodded eagerly before Oaklyn said, “You gotta wash you hands first.”
I chuckled as I took direction from someone who barely came to my knees. When I returned to the island to join the trio, I had the duty of mixing the cookie dough. Once it was mixed to Rose’s liking, the four of us used our hands to add big chunks of dough to the cookie tray.
“I like dis part, Miss Wose,” Oaklyn said.
“Me too, Titi,” Bliss added.
Once we put them in the oven, we washed our hands, and the girls insisted on sitting in front of the oven to watch them cook. I turned the oven light on, and Rose and I stood behind them and leaned against the counter.
I put my arm around her, and she wrapped hers around my waist and rested her head on my chest. We listened as the girls talked about the cookies and other random things. It was the most I’d ever heard Oaklyn talk, and it was refreshing.
The girls had already been fed when they arrived, so once the cookies were done, we all sat at the table and enjoyed them with a glass of milk. You would’ve thought they’d never had chocolate chip cookies before the way they raved about how good they were.
When they finished, Rose took them to the bathroom and helped them bathe, brush their teeth, and get ready for bed. They returned to the living room, and I had The Princess and the Frog queued to watch. Of course, they fell asleep halfway through.
Once we got them tucked away in the queen-sized bed in the guest room, we retired to our bedroom. I could tell that Rose was in her head, so I asked her what was on her mind.
“Do you think we’re ready to be parents?” she asked.
“I do. You don’t?”
“I don’t know. Tonight was fun, but I realize parenting isn’t always fun and games. Do you think we’re rushing into this?”
“What is your heart saying?”
“That Oaklyn needs a family, and our paths crossed at the perfect time.”
“Does that sound like rushing to you?”
“No.”
“It sounds like God’s timing to me.”
We fell into a comfortable silence, and eventually, sleep overcame us. The next morning, the girls were up before Rose left for work. She helped them get dressed while I made breakfast, and before long, I was alone with two three-year-olds.
“What do you want to do while Rose is at work?” I asked them.
“Can we go to da park, Unco Wuss?” Bliss asked.
“The park it is.”
A new indoor park had recently opened, and it was the perfect place to tire them out until Rose came home from work. I helped them put on their shoes, grabbed the backpack Rose had prepared with essentials and emergency items, and we left.
The whole ride to the indoor park, the girls sat in their car seats in the back, talking like two old women. I thought it was hilarious that they had so much to say to each other. They talked about pets, food, fire trucks, ice cream, and a few other random things.
We arrived at the park, and they were filled with excitement.
For the next three hours, the three of us had a ball.
It reminded me of when RJ was younger, and we had playdates with his classmates.
The only difference was that they giggled a lot more, but they were just as rough and showed me no mercy.
I had a short break when Bliss and Oaklyn were occupied entertaining each other, so I went and sat off to the side. I kept my eyes on them and noticed Oaklyn yawn a few times. She looked around, and when she saw me, she headed in my direction.
When she made it to me, she climbed onto my lap, rested her head on my chest, yawned again, and closed her eyes. This little girl had officially stolen a piece of my heart.
Bliss made her way over to me to tell me she was hungry, so I held her hand while I carried Oaklyn to the truck. Once I had them secured in their car seats, Oaklyn woke up and told me she was hungry, too.
We stopped for food, then ice cream, before going back to The Compound. By the time we arrived, they were fast asleep, and I needed a nap myself. I managed to get them from the car, but on my way to my suite, I ran into Rocky, and he took Bliss from my arms.
“You look like a pro,” he teased.
“It’s not like I don’t know what to do with toddlers, but two at the same time is a bit much. Between taking them to the bathroom, making sure they didn’t get snatched up, and stopping Bliss from bullying the other kids, they kept me on my toes.”
“I hope they had single bathrooms and you didn’t take my daughter into the men’s room.”
“They did, but I didn’t realize how important that was until one of them told me they had to go. I don’t know if I’ve ever been so relieved.”
“That made your day one hundred percent easier, I promise you. Don’t think I didn’t catch that part when you called my baby girl a bully. She’s bossy and has a strong personality, but she’s not a bully,” Rocky said, defending Bliss.
“Whatever you say, Bruh. Let me go put them down for their nap, and maybe I can sneak one in before Rose gets home, and these two wake up ready for more action.”
When we made it to my suite, we took off their shoes, laid them on the couch, and covered them with blankets. Rocky and I talked for a few more minutes before I sat between the girls on the couch and closed my eyes, falling asleep within a few minutes.
I woke up to Oaklyn on my lap with her face inches from mine, and her little thumbs pushing up my eyelids. It took me a moment to process what was happening, but I eventually remembered what had brought me to that moment.
“Oaklyn, what are you doing?” I asked, moving her hands away from my eyes.
“Time to wake up,” she whispered.
“Okay. I’m up.”
The front door opened, and Rose entered just as Bliss began to stir. Oaklyn hopped off my lap, running to Rose with her arms outstretched. Rose kneeled and opened her arms to receive her.
They embraced as if it had been months since they’d last seen each other, and it was the most wholesome thing I’d seen. I had no question that making Oaklyn a permanent part of our lives was the right thing to do.