Epilogue #3
“Please. It’s Nadine.”, she stared at Malcolm as she roughly swallowed. “So, how did you two meet?”
Alex looked at Malcolm, a bit hesitant. “Oh, he’s my…history professor.”
“Excuse me?” asked Eddie with a frown. “What did you just say? Because I swore you said…professor.”
“He said fesser,” EJ chimed in, as he looked between the adults.
“Daddy, please don’t be weird,” Alex declared. “I’m an adult. There are no rules against dating professors.”
“There may not be rules against it, but it isn’t really favorable,” Eddie declared. Nadine looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He was fuming.
There was a beat of silence between them all before Malcolm cleared his throat.
“I understand your hesitation,” interrupted Malcolm. “But if it's any consolation, I’m only thirty. I graduated with my PhD at 26.”
So what the hell was he doing working at Secrets? Nadine pushed the thought out of her mind. “Well”, Nadine guffawed. “Alex is barely twenty-one.”
Alex sighed. “Mom, seriously. Do not make a scene! And you got a lot of nerve.” She motioned toward Zaire, who threw her hands up.
“I am grown,” Nadine said through gritted teeth.
“And so am I,” Alex shot back. “What happened to not being judgmental? What happened to the new Nadine?”
“I know you didn’t just call me Nadine!”
“Don’t fight,” EJ whimpered. Eddie bounced him and tried to quiet him down.
“We aren’t fighting, baby,” Nadine said, rubbing EJ’s back, trying to soothe him. “Just talking.”
Nadine sighed because she knew Alex was right. Nadine had no right to judge. She was a new person and Alex was an adult. This was an old pattern of behavior, as Dr. Flournoy would say. Honestly, the old Nadine would have pitched a bigger fit. She needed to get her shit together.
“I’m sorry. It’s just,” she looked at Malcolm, biting her tongue. “Me being a mom. Listen, why don’t you two go get something to eat. There are drinks at the bar. Malcolm looks like he knows his way around a bar.”
Ok so maybe old, petty Nadine could come out every now and then.
Malcolm chuckled, rubbing his beard with a knowing smirk. “Actually, I do. I appreciate the offer. It was nice meeting you all.” With that, he took Alex’s hand and headed toward the bar.
When they left, Eddie leaned down to whisper. “You don’t think…”
Nadine whipped her head, daring Eddie to finish that sentence. “I do not want to think about her going there to meet men and doing God knows what. She is grown, but that is still my child.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Nadine could see Tatum making a beeline toward her. Before she could say a word, Tatum whispered. “Listen, I know my eyesight is bad, but I could have sworn that was Alex with Malcolm from Secrets. "
“It is, and I damn sure don’t want to talk about that.”
“You don’t think…”
“I pray to God, not. She says he’s her history professor.” Nothing about that man said professor to Nadine. Then again, nothing about Cassidy said astrophysicist to Nadine when she first met him. Looks can be deceiving.
“Wow, a professor,” Tatum looked over Nadine’s shoulder toward Alex and Malcolm. She was feeding him one of Nadine’s cupcakes. “What is it with these kids and their teachers? First my Morgan, now Alex. How old is Malcolm anyway?”
“He’s thirty,” Nadine threw up her hands. “But I am not going to pry any further. New year. New Nadine.”
“Uh huh,” smirked Tatum. “I already know as soon as this is over, you’re going to do a background check.”
Nadine laughed. “I am. You know me too well.”
“Of course I do,” nudged Tatum. “You’re my best friend.”
The soft jazz that was playing in the background lowered, and Christophe began to gently clink his champagne glass.
“Now that I have your attention, I’d like my lovely wife and husband to join me up here.”
Alisa and Kadeem, each with a twin in their arms, made their way next to Christophe. He leaned over and kissed them both sweetly. Everyone cooed and swooned. The babies had captured everyone's hearts.
Christophe cleared his throat. “Thank you all for coming. Alisa, Kadeem and I are so blessed to call you our family. So much has changed over the years. Never would we have thought we’d be parents to gorgeous twins or have Alisa in our lives.
Their arrival symbolizes the beginning of a new chapter in all our lives. ”
“Right,” said Kadeem, trying his best not to cry.
“We never would have thought we’d have you all as our extended family.
” He turned his attention to the audience.
“Shaunetta and Ritchie, thanks for holding it down as managers of Tresses franchises and making our Alisa’s dreams come true.
I know it wasn’t easy holding down the fort while Alisa was on bedrest and in the hospital. You all know how she is.”
“What does that mean?” Alisa snapped.
“Princess, you’re a bit of a control freak,” said Christophe.
“Takes one to know one,” Alisa mumbled.
“She is, but we’ll do anything for our boo,” yelled out Shaunetta, who had been dipping into the top shelf liquor all afternoon. She was faded.
As was Ritchie, who added, “Don’t forget Allen, the best brother-in-law, who is bad as hell with a pair of clippers.”
“Hell yeah,” Allen chimed in. “Big sis knows what’s up.” Everyone laughed, and Allen nodded proudly. Since his commutation, he’d become a licensed barber, holding down the Tresses barber shop space in Brookhaven. Alisa was so proud of her brother. They all were.
“True,” Christophe laughed, continuing. “We want to thank our parents. Mom, Dad, I know at first this was all hard to understand but thank you for realizing that families can be formed in an abundance of ways.”
“And,” Kadeem turned his attention to Mother Miller. “Mother, I know it’s been a journey for you. You’ve come so far, and I love you. And for that, I appreciate you.”
The grandparents said nothing, simply wiped their tears and nodded their heads in appreciation.
“And we want to thank our chosen family. Miles, Deacon, Cass, Nadine, Eddie, our niece Alex, and now Zaire. You mean the world to us. Miles, I haven’t seen Chris as happy and fulfilled as he’s been working with you.
You’re the brother he never had. Cass and Deek, you’re amazing friends and your love for Tatum, and even for us, knows no bounds.
Nadine, you were literally there when our babies were born.
And I…we…” Kadeem’s voice broke, tears flooding his eyes.
“We cannot say thank you enough. They or Alisa may not even have been here without you.”
Nadine wiped her tears as she felt both Eddie and Zaire wrap their arms round her. She blew Kadeem a kiss and mouthed. “Love you.”
“Finally,” Christophe motioned toward Tatum. “Tatum, if you would, can you come up here and join us?”
Tatum looked confused as she made her way next to her cousin. Alisa, with her free hand, squeezed Tatum tight.
“Don’t tell me you’re going to rescind my godmother duties,” joked Tatum.
The wait staff began passing out fresh glasses of champagne to everyone in the room.
Alisa tried to take one, but Kadeem swiped it fast, giving her apple cider instead.
Everyone laughed, and Alisa rolled her eyes in mock protest.
“Tatum,” Alisa began. “I would have never thought the love that our dearly departed Franklin had for you, and his selflessness after death would be the reason for all these people gathered in this room today. In some small way, the love that the two of you had has influenced the myriad of love stories in this room, including your own. Look at us, babe. You have a new fiancé and two boyfriends who adore you and each other. I have twins with two amazing men who spoil us endlessly. And even Nadine… ” Alisa turned to Nadine and gave her a big smile.
Nadine felt the tears overflowing once again.
But before she could reach to wipe them, she felt Eddie wipe them away with the pad of his thumb.
She looked up at him and smiled. Zaire took her hand and kissed the back of her knuckles.
“She’s right,” said Nadine. “Seeing your new relationships gave me the courage to be so fearless and embrace happiness on my own terms. We owe so much of this to Franklin’s love for you. That oath that he made his friends promise, it opened all of us up to a whole new world, Tate.”
Tatum hiccuped as a cry lodged in her throat.
She was speechless. Cassidy, Miles and Deacon joined her at her side, each giving her a kiss on the forehead.
When Cassidy intertwined his fingers with hers, she finally let her tears break free.
“It’s ok, Mama,” he said, his voice slightly above a whisper as he wiped her tears. “We’ve got you. Always.”
“Well, if you all would join me, I’d like to propose a toast,” directed Christophe, holding up his glass. “To a man I didn’t know personally, but whose presence is still felt, appreciated, and honored by everyone in this room. May my son carry his name with pride. To Franklin.”
Everyone raised their glasses, and in unison, said loudly and with love…
“To Franklin.”
The End