Chapter 16 #4
He chuckled. “Real shit. I’m tryna tell you.”
“Come on, man. ‘Cause you really sendin’ me right now,” Promise said, opening her door.
Monroe met her on the other side of the car before she closed the door. “I love you,” he said, pulling her close, and pressing his lips to hers. “Thank you for doing this for me.”
“Mhm,” Promise dismissed, straightening invisible wrinkles as she smoothed her hands down the side of her thighs.
Seconds later, they had made their way to the front door and rang the doorbell.
“This house is nice?” Promise complimented.
“So is the one being built for use as we speak,” Monroe said, revealing his own surprise.
“Come again,” Promise said with widened eyes and raised brows.
Monroe chuckled. “I’ll tell you about it later.”
“Hey, Daddy,” Monae greeted, swinging the door and her arms wide open.
“What’s good, Muffin?” Monroe said, returning the enthusiasm and love. “I want you to meet someone,” he said, pulling back slightly. “Monae, this is my lady, Promise,” he introduced.
“It’s so nice to meet you under better circumstances this time,” Promise warmly stated with an infectious smile.
“Muffin, who is that at the door?” Sienna yelled from her room.
“It’s dad and his new boo!” Monae yelled, looking back and forth between Monroe and Promise as amusement spilled from her tone. She’d noticed Promise’s baby bump, but chose not to address it right then, but planned to talk to her dad about it one-on-one later on.
Promise cracked up laughing, loving Monae’s sense of humor already.
“This girl,” Monroe said, laughing at Monae.
“Okay! Let them in,” Sienna yelled. “I’ll be down in a minute.”
“Come on,” Monae invited her dad and Promise in. “I just made some steak, veggies, and lemonade. I’ll fix y’all a plate,” Monae said, leading the way to the kitchen.
Monae had inherited her mother’s hospitality, and Monroe loved to see how well she’d taken his surprise.
She was so easygoing, and she knew how to go with the flow.
She’d gotten that from him. But, the cooking and inviting them to the kitchen was Sienna’s mother, Symie.
Monae was the epitome of everything good the people around her had poured into her.
Promise didn’t contest at all when food was mentioned because she’d been hungry since she’d woke up that morning. As they walked down the hall, she couldn’t help but view all the pictures of Monae, Sienna, and Monroe when he was younger that aligned the wall. Monroe didn’t rush her.
“Aww, this is such a pretty picture. Is this you?” Promise stopped and asked.
Monae laughed. “Yeah, that’s when we were in Morocco,” she told her, referencing the mini photoshoot Sienna had arranged for her when she was three years old.
Monroe and Promise lingered in front of the pictures for a few minutes before walking into the kitchen where Monae had already started plating their food.
Monae watched Promise and her father from afar as she wondered what was taking her mother so long to come downstairs, but still kept moving, adding ice to four mason jars, then sat them on the table. Doubling back to fix four plates.
Promise and Monroe entered the kitchen and sat down at the table, waiting for Sienna and Monae to join them.
“Hey, Mom. I fixed you a plate too. Come on, let’s eat,” Monae said sweetly.
No one else had picked up on Sienna’s energy when she walked into the kitchen, but Monroe felt her sadness as soon as she walked into the kitchen.
“Mom, this is Ms. Promise. Ms.Promise, this is my mom,” Monae introduced, catching eye contact with her dad, and nodded quickly. She didn’t need Monroe to ask her to help loosen things up, Monae naturally wanted to make things easy on him.
Right then and there, Monroe realized that his daughter didn’t just look like him, she had his spirit, and she knew how to read the room.
“Sienna, your home is beautiful. It’s so nice to finally meet you,” Promise said with a smile.
“Thank you, and likewise,” Sienna returned softly. “If I would have known you two were coming by, I would have–”
“It’s all good,” Monroe cut in. “I just wanted everybody to get acquainted sooner than later ‘cause Everybody sittin' at this table matters to me, and all of y'all gon' be in my life for the long haul. Monae, I want you to be comfortable wit’ the woman I’ma spend the rest of my life wit’, and I wanted you to be in the environment you most comfortable in when I introduced her. Sienna, I want you to know who Promise is ‘cause you need to know who our daughter is around when she wit’ me,” Monroe explained. “Promise, I want you to see first hand what you signing up for. I ain’t into livin’ two different lives or holdin’ secrets.
My life is simple, and I don’t do well wit’ drama or bullshit,” he laid all his cards out, then took a bite of his food, letting his words settle where they needed to.
“You cooked this by yourself?” Monroe looked up from his plate and asked.
Monae laughed. “Yes, I made it,” she answered. “I’m good with the program,” she said, shrugging. “Do you love Ms. Promise?” Monae asked seriously.
Monroe, Promise, and Sienna’s eyes all shot in Monae’s direction, but nobody spoke right away. Monae wasn’t moved by the silence, she just patiently waited for her father to answer her question.
“Yea, I do. More than my broad vocabulary could ever explain,” Monroe openly admitted.
“I can learn to love her too then,” Monae said, reaching over to hold her mother’s hand.
Promise was blown away but Monae’s maturity.
“I just want to say that I don’t take any of this lightly.
It takes time to build authentic relationships, and I’ll never shy away from doing my part.
I’m not here to make things hard on anyone.
I want to love, be loved, and enjoy life,” Promise stated, looking back and forth between Monae and Sienna.
“No one could ever replace your mother, and I would never try.
I only hope, with time, you'll allow me to earn my own place in your life. I promise to accept you, and treat you the same way I treat my own child when he or she is born.”
Sienna hadn’t realized that Promise was pregnant until she’d made that statement, tears had brimmed her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away.
Sienna had quickly understood why Monroe had fallen in love with Promise.
Beyond her beauty, Promise’s heart, spirit, and warm personality was so pure it was hard not to be drawn to her.
Under different circumstances, Sienna could see Promise being a friend, and perhaps in the future it may happen, but it was too soon.
Sienna was still in love with Monroe, and it would take more time for her to move on.
“I appreciate you bringing Promise by to meet us. That means a lot that you’d go the extra mile to make sure everyone is good,” Sienna said. “I agree with Promise though. It’ll take time for us all to build relationships with each other. I’m willing to do my part as well.”
Monroe nodded, appreciating everyone’s responses. Everything had gone smoothly, and truthfully, he couldn’t ask for a better outcome.