Chapter 31
We managed to convince Shelly to bring the kids over for Sunday dinner to meet the family. Things were moving fast with the adoption process, and I was just as nervous as I was happy. Senior and I had been back to see them this past week and I hated to leave them when it was time to go.
I was, however, able to pick their brains about what they wanted their rooms to look like. Daxon was easy. He loved video games and electronics, so he wanted a gamer space. I was most excited for him to meet Jaeda and Quaid.
Sevyn was a little harder to get information out of. At first, she said as long as she had a bed and a door that locked, she was good. Dax was a great help in getting her to open up and let down her walls. He told us her favorite color, which was surprisingly black.
From there, we looked on Pinterest to see if she found a style she liked. The more she looked, the more excited she seemed to become. By the time we left, I had a whole mood board for her and Daxon. Stanley already handed over his card and told me to go crazy.
“Ma, stop pacing,” Deuce fussed. “You making me dizzy.”
I wanted Dax and Sevyn to meet the kids first, so they were all at our house.
“I’m nervous!”
“I get that, but you’re gonna walk a hole in the floor. You wanna smoke?”
She glared at me. “Shut up, Deuce. No, I don’t wanna smoke and y’all don’t need to be smoking today either.”
Him, Maceo, Smoke, and Kerrion frowned.
“Whatchu talking about, Stephanie?” Smoke asked.
“I didn’t stutter. I want a good report today.”
“Weed is legal, Ma,” Deuce said.
“And? It’s not gonna kill y’all to be sober for a few hours.”
Maceo grinned. “I don’t know, Ma. I might get to shaking and shit.”
I stopped pacing and looked at them with my arms crossed.
“All jokes aside, I want this to go well. I don’t need any reason for that woman to say we can’t bring these kids home.”
“Everything will be fine, my love.”
Senior walked into the room and made a beeline for me. Cupping my face, he pressed a kiss to my lips.
“You gotta calm down, baby.”
“Senior, I’m a nervous wreck. I really want them to like it here and feel welcomed.”
“We’re welcoming!” Smoke said.
Mia and Jaeda looked at each other before breaking into laughter.
“Devin, please,” Jaeda said. “Your big ass is gonna scare them.”
“And that one has a permanent scowl on his face,” Mia said, pointing at Deuce, who flipped her a middle finger.
“Didn’t we welcome you?” Smoke asked.
“And you almost crushed my damn ribs.”
“You lie so bad. Titan better check that. Shit his hereditary. My nephew can’t be no liar.”
Mia threw a pillow at him. “Shut up.”
Senior shook his head as they started going back and forth. It didn’t matter where we were, they were going to start up about something. I rested my head against his chest and sighed.
“This is what we’re bringing these kids into.”
He chuckled. “Something tells me they will fit right in.”
There was a knock on the door, causing the room to fall quiet. The kids all looked at us, anxious expressions.
“Well don’t keep us waiting,” Kerrion said, grinning. “We want to meet our little brother and sister.”
Tears pooled in my eyes as I headed for the door. I quickly wiped them away before opening it. There stood Shelly, Dax and Sevyn. A smile spread across my face.
“Hey, Shelly. Hi, babies!”
I opened my arms and Daxon was the first to fall into them.
“Hi, Ms. Stephanie!” he exclaimed. “I’m so happy to see you!”
I giggled. “I’m happy to see you too, baby.”
He pulled away and kissed my cheek, making my heart melt. Sevyn smiled softly as she came to hug me next. Her embrace was warm and tight, like she needed it.
“Hi, my sweet girl,” I said, cupping her face.
“Hey, Ms. Stephanie.”
“Where’s Mr. Stanley?” Dax asked.
“Right here, my boy.”
Senior rounded the corner and Dax ran to him for a hug. I smiled as Senior picked him up and held him tight. When he placed him on his feet, they did the handshake Dax taught him the last time we saw them.
“Hey, baby girl,” He spoke to Sevyn.
She went to him and hugged him. “Hi.”
“Hey, Shelly. How are you?”
“I’m wonderful. Glad to be here. Daxon was so excited, he talked about it the whole ride.”
“He talked about it in his sleep,” Sevyn said flatly.
“I did not!” Dax defended.
She giggled and playfully rubbed his head. “It’s okay, Bubby.”
Dax rolled his eyes. “Mr. Stanley, are all those your golf carts?”
“Nah, they belong to my other kids.”
“They’re here?” Sevyn asked.
“Yep, and very excited to meet you both.”
Dax grinned. “Okay, but do we get golf carts too?”
“Dax,” Sevyn warned him.
“It’s okay, baby girl,” Senior said. “It would only make sense for you to have a golf cart. That’s usually how we get around the compound. You just have to drive like you have some sense. The boys are gonna try to race you. Especially Devin.”
As though his father had spoken him up, Smoke yelled from the living room.
“Hurry up, Pop!”
Senior shook his head. “Again, very excited to meet you both. Come on here.”
Daxon grabbed Senior’s hand. Much to my surprise, Sevyn grabbed mine. When I looked at her, I could see the nervousness in her eyes.
“Hey,” I said cupping her chin. “Everything is gonna be okay. They are a rowdy bunch, but they love hard and protect harder.”
“You think they’ll like us?”
I smiled. “They will love you. Come on.”
We headed for the living room. When we rounded the corner, the kids were standing around, impatiently waiting.
“Oh my,” Sevyn said, looking around.
The boys easily towered over her in height. Both she and Dax were kind of short for their ages. Her eyes landed on Smoke and they widened, causing Jaeda to giggle.
“I told you, you were gonna scare them,” she said, playfully poking him.
“Shut up, Jae.”
Dax puffed his little chest out. “I’m not scared.”
He let go of Senior’s hand, then grabbed his sister’s and walked over to the group. He stepped close to Smoke and looked up at him then, backed up.
“I’m Daxon. This is my sister, Sevyn. What’s your name?”
Smoke grinned. “I’m Devin, but everybody calls me Smoke. ‘Sup lil’ bro?”
Smoke extended a hand to dap him. Daxon grinned as he went to dap him but was surprised when Smoke put him in a playful headlock.
“You gotta stay on your toes, lil’ man,” he jested, releasing him. He looked at Sevyn and she took a step back, pointing at him.
“Don’t even think about putting me in a headlock,” she said.
Smoke laughed. “Damn, she sounds like you, Mia.”
Mia giggled. “A no nonsense type of girl. You have to put your foot down with these fools. Especially those two,” she added, pointing at Smoke and Deuce. “That one think’s he’s our daddy.”
“Cause y’all niggas don’t listen,” Deuce defended.
I glared at him.
“My bad, Ma.”
I kissed my teeth as I approached Dax and Sevyn, gently squeezing their shoulders.
“Dax, Sevyn, let me introduce everybody because they get so easily distracted.”
“Y’all got ADHD, too?” Daxon asked, causing everybody to laugh.
“This is Jaeda. That’s Kerrion, everyone calls him Steel or KD. That’s Mia, Maceo, of course Devin, and this is Stanley Jr. Everybody calls him Deuce.”
They all took turns hugging the kids. When it came to Deuce, Daxon dapped him up and gave him the biggest hug. Sevyn stood back with her arms folded as she looked up at him.
“Ms. Stephanie said I remind her of you,” she said, looking him up and down. “I don’t see it.”
Deuce chuckled. “That smart mouth is a start. You gon’ give me a run for my money, ain’t you?”
Sevyn shrugged. “Maybe. I heard you were bossy and I don’t like being bossed around.”
“I might be a little bossy, but as your oldest brother, I’m never gonna steer you wrong. I’ll probably be the most protective of you two—”
“And do the most,” Jaeda added.
Deuce shot a glare are her. “Be that as it may… that’s my job as the oldest. I might fuck with you, but I’m never gonna let anybody else fuck with you.”
I reached out and balled up his lips. “Stanley, watch your mouth! Jesus!”
“I’m just saying, Ma! You see how she does the most and wonders where I get it from?
” he jested to Daxon and Sevyn. “Anyway… welcome to the family. It’s a lot of us.
Like this ain’t even the tip of the iceberg.
But you’re in good company. Most of all, you’re safe.
You understand, me? Both of you are safe.
Nobody is ever gonna hurt you again. I put that on my mama.
” He looked up at me with a grin. “I guess I should say our mama.”
Sevyn draped an arm around Daxon and stepped back. She surveyed the room for a moment before speaking.
“I’m very protective of my brother. I wasn’t even worried about me getting adopted as long as he went to a good home with good people.
I know Ms. Stephanie and Mr. Stanley are good people and I’m sure you all are too just…
I’m not like Dax. He’s gonna fit right in, but I might need some time. I’m trying.”
“Take all the time you need,” Deuce said. “We ain’t going anywhere. You stuck with us, baby girl.” He extended a hand to her and she hesitantly took it. “Now… everybody else got a hug but me. I know you’re gonna like me better than these niggas, so I’ma need that.”
While his siblings protested, that pulled a slight smiled from Sevyn.
“Give him a hug, Sevyn,” Dax said pushing her forward. “This is gonna be our family. That’s what we wanted, right?”
She smiled softly as she rubbed his head. “You’re right.”
“You don’t have to be scared, okay? I’m bigger now and I can protect you too.”
I just wasn’t any good at this point. Tears were streaming down my face, and I had to cover my mouth to hold in a cry.
Shelly had done a deep dive into their file with us after our last visit and some things were just heartbreaking.
It killed me hearing how she would offer herself up to save him from abuse.
I told Senior I wanted the heads of every person that harmed these kids.
He promised me he would get them.
Sevyn placed a trembling hand in Deuce’s and he pulled her into his chest, hugging her tightly.
He would never admit it, but his protective instincts had already kicked it.
He held her like she was Mia or Jaeda. He didn’t play about his brothers, but he really didn’t play about the women in the family.
Sevyn didn’t know it, but she’d just met her best friend.