18. Mahari Creed
Three weeks later . . .
Mahari was running around trying to ensure everything was coming together, when his phone vibrating in his pocket stopped him in his tracks.
He pulled it out and expelled a sigh upon seeing Dynasty’s name dancing across his screen.
For over a month, he’d been ignoring her calls and texts.
Not usually the type of person to ghost people, Mahari simply didn’t have the energy to explain himself to Dynasty.
He knew she’d judge and chastise him for his truth, but it was time to put it to bed.
Running his hand down his face, Mahari answered, “Hello?”
“So, it’s true, huh?”
“What are you talking about, Dynasty?”
“Don’t play stupid, Mahari. I saw the video of you and Lance fighting, and I heard what he said about you and Aspen. My intuition has been right all along.”
Mahari had seen the video as well, and he was grateful it hadn’t gotten sold to any blogs or anything. His fans as well as Lance’s would’ve had a ball with that information. It didn’t bother Mahari, but it was a bit of a relief to know nothing would come of it.
“It’s not any of your business if we’re being real with each other.”
Dynasty sharply gasped. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me, Dynasty. Let’s keep this short.
It’s on me for ignoring you over the last month, but I’ve had a lot of shit going on.
Kicking it with you was cool. You’re good people, but you’re not who I want to be with.
In the beginning, I was genuinely interested.
As time went on, I couldn’t fight the feelings I had for Aspen.
Things changed, and we’re together now. I apologize. ”
There was a brief silence before Dynasty spat, “You’re not shit, Mahari.”
The sound of beeping was like music to Mahari’s ears. He meant it when he apologized to Dynasty, but if she didn’t want to receive it, that was on her. She was another loose end that he needed to be tied, and he was grateful it was done.
Shoving his phone back into his pocket, Mahari headed to his truck to go pick up Aspen.
Their first stop was to see Brooklyn and Mayvin, and after that, Mahari had a surprise for her.
He’d been holding it in for two weeks. The secrecy had Aspen on high alert.
Mahari noticed she’d been questioning him more than usual about certain things, but he kept it together.
“Damn. You look beautiful, Bunny,” Mahari complimented when Aspen opened the door. “I knew that would be perfect for you.”
Aspen blushed. “Thank you. I’m not losing this baby weight as quickly as I want to, but I do feel good in this.”
“Don’t be hard on yourself. You’re only three weeks post-partum, and you had twins.” Mahari snaked his arms around Aspen’s waist and pecked her lips. “And this weight looks damn good on you.”
Mahari was finding it harder to keep his hands to himself.
Even though he and Aspen had sex before, it was almost a year ago, and he was intoxicated.
He wanted to experience her sober. Ever since they’d made things official, he yearned for the intimacy only sex could bring.
He wanted to be deep inside her, becoming acquainted with her body and soul all in one.
Jokingly, Aspen punched his chest before resting her head on it. “Whatever.”
“It does. I mean, look at you in this dress.”
The pink sundress Mahari picked out for Aspen clung to her now curvy frame.
Her breasts were sitting up just right, and if Aspen wasn’t pumping for the girls, he would’ve teased himself.
The thought of fondling one of her nipples while the other was in his mouth crossed his mind.
He had to quickly shake it away at the feel of his member growing against his thigh.
Aspen giggled. “Are you ready to go? I want to make sure I get this milk to the hospital. Liz called and said they were running low, but that’s a good thing because they’ve gone up an ounce.”
“Yeah, let me grab the bags.”
After grabbing the bags and getting them in the truck, Mahari helped Aspen inside, and they left. It didn’t take long for them to get to the hospital. Discretely, Mahari kept checking the time to make sure they were on track. He had everything planned to a T and prayed nothing threw him off track.
Inside the hospital, Mahari and Aspen were able to love on the girls for an hour before it was time for them to go. The update they received put a little pep in Aspen’s step.
“Don’t you hurt yourself and rip your stitches trying to jump around,” Mahari teased as Aspen bounced beside him with the biggest smile etched on her face. He couldn’t stop smiling himself. Nothing could bring them down from the high they were on.
“It’s good we’re at the hospital and can go right back inside.” Aspen snickered. “How can I not be happy, Mahari? There’s a possibility our babies could be coming home within the next two weeks!”
“We’re not even going to say it’s a possibility. We’re going to say it’s happening.”
“Yes! Speak it into existence. Oh, man. I know we have a good bit for them, but there’s still so much more we need.”
“Are you up to staying out and going to get some stuff now?”
“You know I’m always down for shopping. I need to get out the house anyway.
Being cooped up, thinking about how they’re not home has had me down mentally,” Aspen admitted with a sigh.
“I’ve been doing everything I can to keep it together and keep my mind clear, but it’s been getting harder as the days pass.
Whenever we come up here, I never want to leave. ”
Aspen stopped walking and broke down crying.
Mahari held her tightly, fighting back his own tears.
Praying over Aspen had been something he found himself doing all the time.
Post-partum was real, and their situation wasn’t ideal.
Whenever he sensed her mood changing at home, he would do everything in his power to uplift her spirits.
While Aspen had been silently battling, Mahari had as well.
Her peace of mind was important to him, so he’d been keeping his mental and emotional state private as well.
The only person who had caught on was Mahaley.
She popped up on him one night at the studio and didn’t say a word.
She simply hugged him, and Mahari broke down.
His love for Aspen grew every day, but the situation did something to him.
Whenever he looked at Aspen and the twins, he thought about Heaven and their daughter.
He thought about the life he could’ve had with them, the life that slipped through his fingers in the blink of an eye.
It was tough for him not to dwell on it, but whenever he found himself in a sunken place, he thought of Mahaley’s words.
“I know you miss Heaven, but think of having Aspen, Brooklyn, and Mayvin as God’s way of blessing you with a piece of them. He saw fit for you to experience the life you mourned but in a different way. Be grateful.”
Those words replayed in Mahari’s mind every day, and he couldn’t thank Mahaley enough for the peace she’d unknowingly brought him.
Mahari kissed Aspen’s forehead and informed her, “I’ve noticed.
That’s why I haven’t been in the studio as much.
I never want to leave you alone for too long.
I don’t know what post-partum is like, but I know what it’s like being in your head.
I can only imagine how hard it’s affecting you, so I try to be the strength you need.
Don’t worry, Bunny. The days of coming up here to see them is coming to an end.
They’ll be home with us before we know it. ”
“And that’s why I love you like I do, Mahari. You’ve always seen me in ways no one else has.” Aspen gave him a light squeeze. “I know this hasn’t been easy on you either. I can only imagine how much this makes you miss Heaven.”
“I miss her so fuckin’ much, Bunny, but having you and the girls lessens the pain. I’m more than thankful.”
The couple stayed wrapped in one another for a minute more before Mahari realized they needed to get going.
His palms became sweaty the closer they got to their destination.
Every so often, he’d glance over at Aspen to see if she was paying attention to their surroundings.
She seemed to be in her own little world, scrolling on her phone and looking at pictures of Brooklyn and Mayvin.
It was easy for him to pull into the parking lot of their destination without her noticing anything.
When Aspen finally looked up, she asked, “Where are we?”
“You said you wanted to go shopping, right?”
“I did, but I don’t think I’ve ever been here.”
“Mahaley was telling me about it. Let’s go check it out.”
Wiping his hands on his shorts, Mahari helped Aspen out and led them to the entrance. When they walked through, Aspen gasped, and her hands flew to her mouth.
Mahari could finally breathe normally. For the last two weeks, he’d been planning a baby shower with Savannah, Lavender, his mother, and Mahaley. Since Aspen had the girls before she could have a baby shower, Mahari figured it would be a good way to lift her spirits.
The venue looked amazing. He’d asked the planner to have it decorated similar to Brooklyn and Mayvin’s room, and they had executed it perfectly.
There were gifts, a table full of Aspen’s favorite foods, games, and much more.
Mahari was happy everything fell into place exactly how it was supposed to.
Aspen didn’t suspect a thing. From the tears streaming down her cheeks, he knew he’d gotten her.
“Surprise, Bunny.” Mahari threw his arm over her shoulder and kissed her temple. “I figured this would be easier than shopping.”
“How did you pull this off?”
“A lot of hard work and secret conversations. I couldn’t have done it without some helping hands.”
“And those helping hands include me,” Lavender announced as she skipped over. She kissed Aspen’s cheek and stood back, looking between the couple. “Have I told y’all how happy I am to see y’all together?”
“I think you tell me every day.” Aspen snickered.