Chapter 26
Mona
Thanksgiving
Denver, Colorado
Sitting on the back of Aleana and Kingdon’s porch, watching people put the final touches on their dream wedding night, I took in their lush backyard with gorgeous flowers and an intimate, chill spot beside a big tree. The size of their backyard was what I dreamed of having.
Closing my eyes, I let go of my old wishes and wants. It wasn’t great to have those anymore. I was officially Mona Averhart.
Sighing deeply, I thought, wherever you are, August Senior, I hope you are enjoying yourself while expelling the bad from your life.
At the end of every-fucking-day, you are a great guy, just got caught up with a teen under much pressure.
Truly, I forgive you. I don’t know where we stand now that I’m an Averhart.
I know where I stand. Single. Ready to have Angelette Abbott because she’s a terror for sure.
Receive my G.E.D. in two months. Fingers crossed.
I’m working at a retail store as a stocker.
I love it. I’m holding our kids down, but August Junior needs his father.
I’ve done all I could do as his mother. He barely talks to any of the males he’s known all his life.
He doesn’t trust them. Become healthy and fast because I’m running out of options to restore our son.
The wind blew dangerously, making me shiver as my face grew colder. Slowly opening my eyes, I saw the calmest eyes stare down at me. The sweetest sweep of his knuckles underneath my eye caused my heart to gallop as nervousness sat on me harder than the cold.
Kneeling beside me, rubbing my stomach, Thiago asked, “Am I stressin’ you out by being here?”
Shaking my head, I answered, “No.”
“Then, why the tears?” he asked, sliding his hand underneath my shirt.
“Just the 180 of things that I wanted minus one thing, and the only thing that I can’t resolve. August Junior. He’s not getting better, Thiago. It’s not that hard to see,” I admitted, eyes becoming teary from the hurt my son felt daily from missing his friend.
“No, it ain’t hard to see. The only way shit get better if you stop babyin’ that nigga.
He fucked up wit’ Germoney by being a regular ass horny teen.
He got himself in a dangerous situation ‘cause his ass ain’t give a fuck ‘bout the red flags. You need to stop being soft, Mona. Give his ass the business. Gutta. Gritty. Un-motherfuckin’ filtered,” he said as Kingdon stepped onto the back patio, closing the sliding door.
Like all the other times since being in Kingdon’s house, Thiago and I didn’t move from each other. Simply, we looked at the new father of two gorgeous milk-chocolate ten-week-and-three-day-old girls. Kaleana and Kimilah Abbott.
Firing a blunt, the soon-to-be married man, as of tonight, smiled. “The fuck y’all keep looking at me for while doing the mannequin challenge.”
“We on som’ thin ice,” Thiago answered smoothly, causing Kingdon and me to nod.
Facing us, Kingdon said, “We always said we would never beef over a female. Remember? We would ride that shit out like we never fucked with her before. Remember? You didn’t backdoor, August Senior.
Shit was already dead before she filed for divorce, right?
But I’m going to say this, if that nigga come back full throttle the August he was before he learned the truth …
that nigga will fight nail and tooth for her.
All I’m going to say is this: don’t go below the belt to hit him.
That’s when King and I will come in. Yeah, you have a squad behind you …
but you don’t fully know what we Abbotts are capable of.
Stick to the regular way of gaining someone, Thiago.
Please. No bloodshed. That means we go to war and we stay at war.
We will win. Honor the deal all of us made years ago. ”
“Always, Kingdon. Always,” he voiced as the sliding door opened, sending out thunderous laughter from inside.
“My God,” King held out, lifting his head upward.
“What happened?” Kingdon chuckled as Thiago massaged my stomach and kissed my arm.
While King talked to his twin, Thiago’s touches kept me locked on him. Searching his inviting eyes, which I loved to do when he read to me, I relaxed in the chair and exhaled deeply.
“This is the most unpleasant ass Thanksgiving I’ve ever had.
Nobody has pissed me off. I thought Thiago would piss me off, but he’s constantly treading lightly.
I don’t have one ugly ass child in my face asking for ‘mm’bite’.
Where is the gotdamn chaos that ensues when people gather?
” King fussed as Thiago’s lips moved slowly.
Tuning out the idiot who really didn’t want chaos to happen because I could unass it with ease, I looked at Thiago’s juicy lips.
Nasty thoughts consumed my mind, making it impossible for me to read his lips.
Pregnancy hormones had me close to dialing his number to ask if I could come over with nothing underneath a Grinch hoodie.
“Monaaaa,” Thiago whispered against my chin.
Shit, he’s getting bolder, Lord, I thought, wanting to shove his hand between my legs.
The desire to watch my pussy devour his fingers while wetting them up was high on my not to-do list until I stopped having back-and-forth feelings about being so close to him in an intimate but not so intimate way.
“Stop purrin’, Mona. I ain’t in front of you, rubbin’ yo’ belly just to give you nasty thoughts that we ain’t ready to make happen.
You shouldn’t be horny. I bought yo’ ass a vibratin’ dildo to slide up in that thang.
You better get to usin’ it tonight. I’mma hang wit’ August Junior an’ Azaria while you take care of that.
If I get in that pregnant pussy, I’m gon’ own it, an’ you gon’ be a ditzy motherfucka when August Senior get back,” Thiago voiced seriously, rising like a mighty lord.
“That nigga mouth is ridiculous.” Kingdon sighed heavily as the sliding door opened.
Before anyone chose to respond, the unsettling noise of feet to the floor and plates and cups tossed on tables scattered onto the back porch.
“Simonnn!” Aleana hollered fearfully.
Immediately, we jetted inside the cozy house etched in love from the front door.
I was worried about the sweet kid as he laughed hard. “I’m fine!”
“Well, who is the gotdamn victim?” King bellowed as we entered the hallway, damned near knocking down the stark, still people, staring into the room as if they were being hypnotized.
“Don’t panic!” Azaria and Kingsa spat soothingly.
Fed up with my child and those two words, I hollered, “Azaria, I’m going to whoop your ass! Stop whatever you and Kingsa are doing!”
“Eh,” King screeched, stopping quickly as he looked in the room, stunned.
“Mm,” Kingdon held out as he and Thiago landed at the door.
When Thiago howled in laughter, I rushed to push him out of my way. I stopped moving so fast that I almost lost my balance.
Rushing to grab me, Thiago chuckled. “It’s important to look at yo’ surroundin’s to know how to enter a situation.”
Ugly, I stared at Kingsa holding down a cat. Azaria squeezed the cat’s cheeks and tossed dressing in it. My mouth hung open like a disgusted woman after seeing her afterbirth.
“Don’t panic. Good.” Azaria smiled wickedly, patting the cat’s nose.
“Where the fuck a cat come from, Oliver and Simon?” Aleana screeched as King made the ugliest noise. It was his confusion sound, as everyone liked to call it.
Shoving food into their mouths, the chuckling boys shrugged. Smacking, Oliver said, “Don’t know. It came in with them.”
“I’m not putting up with this shit today. Y’all handle them before my corn casserole gets cold,” Min interjected, making me want to punch her ass in the face. Still, I couldn’t stand the sight of her. Yet, for Aleana and Kingdon I showed up for their big union night.
“Kingdon, get that damn cat out of our house before they feed it to death. Literally,” Aleana said seriously, snapping me from my rising anger.
Simon spat food from his mouth, just to laugh.
Kingdon fussed softly, “If I take that cat, they will gang up on me again. I got whacked with two shovels this morning after a squirrel got away. Azaria had it pinned down while Kingsa fed it eggs. You’d better tell their parents to get them.
Not finna fuck with King and August’s seeds.
Be mad and do me any kind of way, but gotdamn, I got my ass whooped by toddlers I can’t even see their silhouette if the lights go out.
I was out that back door, hollering for King to come get them.
He stepped on the porch, laughing. His laughter was how the squirrel got away. They vanished from the animal.”
The room and hallway erupted in laughter as I stared at the evil, smiling girls with soft eyes.
I was astonished at their actions. I couldn’t find any words as they stared at me.
I hoped to find words by looking at the cat.
No words came to mind when I saw the poor cat’s paws propped up like a nail model showing off her nails.
I was doubled over in laughter. The cat was full and damn tired.
“Oh, God. I have two girls who have y’all’s outgoing, dangerous DNA.
I don’t know if they’ll be calm like you or rough and rowdy like King, or calm, rough, rowdy like August. Ooou, anyone wants to join me for a glass of wine?
I’m titty feeding, but I was told a little red wine is okay,” Aleana said fearfully.
Sternly, King said, “Kingsa, over here. Now. Daddy will get you a cat!”
Stepping into August Senior’s shoes, I stepped forward and clapped once. The girls jumped and looked at me. Raising my head like the bad bitch I was, I demanded. “Azaria, step away from that stuffed, weary ass cat. No cat is coming into my house. You can play with Kingsa’s pet.”
Everyone laughed as my daughter rushed to remove her hands from the potbelly cat. Looking at me innocently, Azaria grinned. “Eat, Mommy.”
“Eat, Daddy.” Kingsa grinned as my daughter ran to me, and Kingsa ran to her father.