Chapter 16 #2
“I agree,” Jazira stated with a smile, unconsciously making G’s heart smile in a way he never thought possible.
“Hell naw,” Truth chuckled, looking at Monroe. “Sis gon’ give my mans’ a boy, watch.”
“Baby, I’m wit’chu when you right and wrong… but yes indeed, Sis is having a boy. I can tell by the way she’s carrying. What’chu think, ma?”
“That’s gon’ be Monroe Black III,” Promise and Rae’s mom said, looking at Monroe with a smile. “He’s gone look just like you and his grandfather,” she predicted.
“Hol’ up! I need in on this bet too,” Syn said.
The whole room erupted in laughter.
“Nigga where the hell you came from,” Truth said, turning around.
Amor looked up at the sound of Syn’s voice, trying not to make it obvious that his voice still moved her, still made her body respond. Love like they had didn’t magically disappear, not even after being divorced for over a year.
Mitch laughed, holding his phone in the air. “Y’all know we can’t do this shit wit’out Syn. “Let ‘em know what it’s gon be, son.”
“I got ten bands, it's gon’ be a girl,” Syn confidently stated.
“Aw, hell naw,” Mitch shook his head. “My nephew havin’ a mu’fuckin boy. Word.”
“I guess we gon’ just have to wait and see,” Monroe spoke up, wrapping his arms around Promise from behind as Jay-Z’s BAM pulsed through the surround sound speakers.
Side to side they swayed on beat, getting lost in each other.
Jazira boldly stepped to G, and started dancing.
No words needed, just high, seductive energy exuded from her making it impossible for G to resist. Truth handed the phone to Amor, then started dancing with Rae.
Mitch, on the other hand, sat off to the left side of the room and started shuffling cards.
Vera set his whisky up beside him, kissed his lips, then danced in front of him, giving him something to watch until the other men made it to the table.
Future’s Everyday Hustle played next, and all the women made their way over to embrace Promise, while G and Mekhi transitioned to the left side of the living room to join Mitch at the table.
“I love y’all so much. Thanks for coming all the way here to see me,” Promise said, giving Amor a tight hug. “How you been doing, girl? We gotta do better with our communication.
“I know, girl. These kids be giving me a run for my money. We never have a dull moment,” Amor said, smiling.
“Are you planning to come to Syn’s family and friends day? It’s coming up soon,” Promise inquired.
“I don’t know, Promise. He got a lot of shit with him, and I don’t know if I really feel like being bothered,” Amor dismissed. “I mean if I don’t come I’m sure he can find another woman to come.”
“I ain’t gone hold you, sis. You right, and I can’t knock you for the way you feel,” Promise agreed. “But, out of all the women he can spend time with… You’re the one he wants to be there. Just consider it. Give him some hope and a reason to keep fighting,” she reasoned.
Amor sighed. “I’ll think about it.”
Promise smiled. “I’ll take it.”
“Let me feel my nephew,” Rae interrupted, reaching forward. “Oh my God, sis. I can’t believe this. I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank youuu,” Promise replied, smiling. “Where’s my babies at?”
“Girl, you know how TJ and My’Dymond is. They probably eating snacks and watching a movie right now,” Rae answered.
“He’s so good with her,” Promise stated, loving their bond.
“He is,” Rae agreed as Jazira crossed the room looking like she’d hit the jackpot.
“Bitchh, let me find out you checkin’ for G,” Promise said, side-eyeing her best friend.
“Tuh! Babyyyy, did you see how fine that muthafucka is,” Jazira said, bending to hug her friend.
“This hoe,” Rae said, laughing at Jazira’s theatrics.
“Yes ma’am. I’ma be a good hoe tonight. Please believe me,” Jazira stuck her tongue out, laughing.
“Y’all are a mess,” Promise and Rae’s mom stated, already knowing how bold Jazira was, but loved her no different than she always had. Everybody had a story.
While the ladies got caught up, Truth and Monroe chopped it up at the in-home bar.
“Aye bruh, I noticed your house was put up for sale last week,” Truth stated, well acquainted with the real estate market. He had been licensed in every state for a little over three years. “What made you decide that?”
“Mama took her last breath at the bottom of my staircase. Nigga couldn’t stay there after that. Shit just ain’t feel right, so I’m moving into somethin’ bigger and better,” Monroe revealed.
“You-”
“Nah… Sienna,” Monroe cut in, already knowing what Truth was about to say. “Shit got crazy as fuck that night, but wasn’t shit I could do to prevent it. Can’t do shit now but accept it and move forward.”
Truth had felt the weight of what his mans’ told him because he too had lost his mother to lupus, so out of respect he didn’t respond right away.
Macie had done some unforgivable things to her son, but despite her offenses, Monroe would have done all he could to handle her another way.
That was the thing about karma though, people didn’t get to choose the way they reaped the shit that had sown.
“Damn, bruh. You good?” Truth asked.
“Yea, I’m straight. Just focused on livin’, makin’ my woman happy, and being the best father I can be to my kids.”
“I’m fuckin’ with that thought process, fam.” Truth nodded. “That shit still crazy how yo’ ass went from havin’ no kids to now ‘bout to have two overnight.”
Monroe chuckled. “Hell yea. Let’s go get some of this good ass food Promise put together. I’m hungry as hell.”
Sitting poolside, absently swinging her feet softly in the water, Sienna stared up at the stars and made a wish.
When she opened her eyes, the same lingering question haunted her.
How could he feel all that love, and just walk away like it was nothing?
Sienna couldn’t understand it to save her life.
How had they served the same twelve years apart together, yet ended up on separate sides of pain.
Monroe had been her first love. First kiss.
First everything. She didn’t know how to open herself to another man.
She couldn’t fathom the thought of opening her heart to love another man, and giving her body to another man made her soul tremble.
Sienna had been away from Monroe for a long time, but she had waited for God to bring them back together.
Waited for the day her truth would make her free, but now that she had escaped from Macie’s control, somehow she still had control over her life.
Sienna had been responsible for pulling the trigger, and she thought it would make her feel better.
Yet, somehow even from the grave, Macie was still having her way, and still winning.
How can he not love me anymore? She questioned as tears made pathways down her face.
She’d dug deep, gone to war, raised their daughter, lost time with her mother, yet managed to stay sane. Life had stripped her of everything, but the light at the end of the tunnel kept her putting one foot in front of the other. Monroe.
He was her light.
He was her reason.
He was her savior, and she knew that in due time he’d save her.
She believed that the day would come when he’d find out she was still alive, and he’d come and get her.
Sienna had awakened from one nightmare in Morocco, and went straight into another one when she got back to New York.
Sitting outside lost in the train of her own thoughts, made Sienna completely oblivious to Monroe’s arrival.
She hadn’t heard him pull up in her driveway, neither was she cognizant of the spare key he’d kept upon purchasing the home she and Monae lived in to disengage her locks or disarm the security system.
She was so out of touch, she didn’t hear his footsteps as he walked through her home and neared her in the backyard.
Monroe had kept one of the spare keys when he purchased the home partly because his daughter lived there, and protecting her would always be his responsibility.
He had also known before leaving Malibu that this conversation would be had when the time was right.
He stood there and watched her quietly for a minute because he knew the weight of his words would change the dynamic between them forever.
Monroe knew his words were going to break her heart, and he didn’t want to do it; but he had to.
“How could you give another woman what belonged to me?” Sienna whispered into the night.
“I never thought it was possible,” Monroe stated, standing behind her, looking up at the night sky.
“What the fuck?!” Sienna damn near jumped out of her skin and fell into the pool when she heard his voice. “Monroe.”
Monroe paused for a moment, allowing Sienna to ground herself in the silence created between them before he continued.
“We were young trying to find our way back then, but the way I loved you…” Monroe shook his head.
“I slipped into a dark place when I thought you were killed. It took a long time to get right mentally, but my heart was gone,” Monroe told her truthfully.
“I know it’s hard for you to see past what I’m tellin’ you, and the woman you feel I’m choosing over you.
But I need you to hear me. I need you to understand that all the love we created years ago was real as fuck, and Monae is a livin’, breathin’ testament of our love in human form.
” Monroe sighed. “What my mother did was fucked up, Sienna.
That shit is on me though ‘cause I should have known–”
“You can’t blame yourself for the things another fucked up human being did. She knew what she was doing, and she was never remorseful,” Sienna said, with resentment dripping from every word.