Chapter 20
My nerves were bad for a few reasons. The first reason was that I was meeting Ginae’s parents in person for the first time. We’d shared a few conversations over the past few months, but nothing as heavy as the one I’d share with them in a matter of minutes.
I’d enlisted Devyn’s help with putting together a surprise birthday party for Ginae. I sent her a few thousand. I had no idea what Devyn had planned, so it would be a surprise for both of us.
When I told Phoenix and Kevin I planned to propose, they didn’t hesitate to book their flight.
They were supposed to land an hour ago, but their flight was delayed due to the weather.
Although it was cold as fuck, the skies were clear, so the bad weather must have been somewhere between Illinois and California.
Thankfully, they were on the way but would be cutting it close getting to the party.
All these things raced through my mind as I paced back and forth in the lobby of the hotel, waiting for Mr. and Mrs. Burns.
I’d booked Ginae a spa treatment for pregnant women that would keep her occupied for a few hours.
When I reached out to her parents, they agreed to meet me at the hotel for breakfast.
I sent the car for them so they wouldn’t have to worry about traffic or parking, and I’d just received a text from the driver saying they were on their way inside. I spotted them entering the building and rushed over to meet them.
“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Burns. It’s great to finally meet you in person,” I greeted.
I exchanged a firm handshake with Mr. Burns and was relieved when his wife offered me a hug.
“It’s nice to meet you in person as well.”
“Follow me. I reserved a booth at the restaurant,” I said.
Once we were seated, we viewed the menu, and when the server arrived, we ordered our food and drinks.
“Now that that’s out of the way, I’m sure you’re anxious to know why I wanted to meet with you.”
“Very,” Mrs. Burns responded with a smile.
“Then I won’t hold you. I want to marry Ginae, and I have for a long time. I brought you here to ask your permission, and I want to propose tonight at her party.”
Mrs. Burns smiled, and her eyes glossed over, but she waited for her husband to respond.
“I appreciate you asking our permission, son,” he said.
“As her father, it’s my job to ensure that the man she marries not only loves her but cherishes her as well.
He must be prepared to protect her, not only physically but also mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Not too long ago, a situation occurred that makes me question whether or not you’re ready to do that. ”
“I understand your concern, but I promise you, just as I promised her, nothing like that will ever happen again. I admit I handled that poorly. Ginae and I discussed it, and of course, I apologized profusely. She laid down ground rules and set boundaries, and I’ve adhered to all of them and more.
I love your daughter with everything in me, but I’m smart enough to know that love isn’t enough. ”
Mr. Burns nodded but didn’t respond for what seemed like forever. Finally, he looked at his wife and said, “What do you think? Is he worthy of being our daughter’s husband?”
“I think so,” she responded with a smile.
“I guess that’s a yes. Let’s see the ring.”
As the day progressed, my nerves settled.
After I received permission to propose to Ginae, I felt a hundred pounds lighter.
When I got word from Phoenix and Kevin that they’d landed, a few more pounds were lifted, even though they’d be about thirty minutes late to the party and miss the surprise.
Lastly, Devyn assured me everything for the party was handled, so that was one less thing I had to worry about.
“You’ve been smiling all afternoon,” Ginae said as we took the elevator down to the lobby of the hotel.
“A man can’t smile?”
“My man can, and I keep a smile on his face, if I do say so myself.”
“You definitely do, but you may have noticed me smiling a little more today.”
“What’s the occasion?”
“Well, besides it being your birthday, and the first one we’ve celebrated together in over thirteen years, I’m about to meet the people you love the most. It’s finally starting to feel real.”
“What? Us?” she asked, and I nodded. “We didn’t seem real before?”
“Sometimes, no. There have been a few times that I woke up and thought I’d been dreaming.”
“Well, we are as real as can be. How else would we explain the baby I’m carrying? By the way, do you think this outfit camouflages my stomach enough?”
“It does, but you’d better not wait too long to tell everyone.”
She wore an oversized hoodie dress, with tights and over-the-knee boots, and a long puffy vest as her coat. Her stomach was still nice and compact, but someone might notice depending on the angle they looked.
“I’m sharing the news before we eat, right after somebody blesses the food.”
“Good plan, Sweetness.”
We got into the back of the truck and didn’t talk much on the fifteen-minute ride to the restaurant. The driver parked in front of Devyn’s Soul Food, and as I reached for the door, I saw Phoenix and Kevin going inside.
“Are you nervous?” I asked, trying to stall.
“Not really. My parents will be excited because this is their first grandchild . . . well, kinda.”
I pulled her into my arms and kissed the top of her head. “They’ll be overjoyed.”
“Are you nervous?” She looked up at me.
“Nah. I’m good. Let’s go inside.”
I got out and helped her do the same before texting Devyn to let her know we were headed inside. She’d reserved the private room for the festivities and informed me that it was in the back of the restaurant.
“The food here is so good. I can’t wait to eat.”
As we neared the door, I slowed my steps to make sure Ginae entered ahead of me. She didn’t seem to have a clue about what she was walking into when she pulled the door open.
“Surprise!” everyone shouted.
“Holy shit!” she yelled, taking a step back as she held her stomach with one hand and onto my arm with the other.
“Are you pregnant?” Devyn questioned loudly as she headed in our direction to get a better look.
“Oh my God! You are pregnant. Our baby is having a baby.” Mrs. Burns cooed as she came our way with her arms outstretched.
“I was supposed to surprise you with the news, but instead, y’all scared me to death. Now the surprise is ruined,” Ginae whined.
“Sweetness, it’s not ruined. Everyone is surprised,” I assured her.
We still stood near the door while everyone crowded around Ginae to congratulate her and wish her a happy birthday. Thankfully, there were only about fifteen people present, and it wasn’t long before everyone dispersed.
“For those of you who don’t know, this is my man, Phyre. We dated in college, but things didn’t work out, and somehow, we found our way back to each other.”
“Aww, that’s so cute. I love a good second-chance romance,” said a woman who looked to be our age.
“Thank you, Nikki. Baby, officially meet my parents and my brother, Theodore, Beatrice, and TJ Burns.”
“It’s nice to officially meet everyone, although I feel like I know you a bit already.”
“There’s a lot more I’d love to know about you,” TJ said. “Let’s take a little walk.”
Ginae’s brother put her arm around my shoulders and guided me to the other side of the room. I’d invited him to breakfast this morning as well, but he had a conflict and couldn’t make it.
“My parents told me you want to marry my sister,” he said.
“I do.”
“Is it because she’s pregnant?”
I chuckled. “Not at all. I bought the ring when I found out she accepted the assignment in Black Elm.”
“You were pretty confident she would take you back.”
I shook my head. “No, but I’d been praying a long time for us to be reunited. I knew God wouldn’t bring her back to me and not have us finish what we started.”
“Ginae and I are close, so I know about all the shit that went down back in the day, and recently. She’s always been a good judge of character, and I trust that since she let you back in, you can be trusted.”
“I’m not perfect, but I promise you, I love your sister, and she’s safe with me . . . mind, body, spirit, and soul.”
He nodded. “That’s all I ask.”
After I met everyone, I finally got a chance to talk to Phoenix and Kevin.
“I appreciate y’all coming.”
“I wouldn’t miss this for the world, Big Bro. I’m so excited for you,” Phoenix said, looping her arm through mine.
“Me either. I honestly thought you’d be single forever, because I didn’t think this reunion would ever happen. It’s a good thing your faith is stronger than mine.”
“I always knew God would answer my prayers. I just didn’t know when or how.”
“Is everyone ready to eat?” Devyn shouted, getting everyone’s attention.
Bodies moved toward the group of rectangular tables that had been placed together to create one long table.
Ginae and I sat in the makeshift center on one side, while her parents sat across from us.
Devyn, Tariq, and their son were on Ginae's left, while Phoenix and Kevin were on my right. Everyone else filed into an empty seat.
“Daddy, can you bless the food?” Ginae asked.
“Of course. Everyone, bow your heads and close your eyes.”
“Actually, Mr. Burns, would you mind if I did the blessing?”
“Of course not. Go right ahead.”
I held Ginae and Phoenix’s hand as I began the blessing.
“Lord, thank you for the food we are about to receive and for those who prepared it. Thank you for the gathering of family and friends, who came to celebrate the birthday of my Sweetness, Ginae. It may sound cliché and probably not very manly, but lately, I’ve had to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.
Only a few people know how much I prayed for God to bring me and this beautiful soul back together.
I’ve been asked hundreds of times when I would get married and have children.
My answer was always, not until God brings the woman who is supposed to be my wife back to me. ”
I released Phoenix’s hand, reached into the pocket of my slacks, pulled out the ring box, and got on one knee.
“Phyre, what are you doing?” Ginae whispered, but everyone could hear her.
“Four and a half months ago, my prayers were answered, and I am eternally grateful to God. My Sweetness, somebody said absence makes the heart grow fonder, and in my case, as far as you’re concerned, that phrase couldn’t be truer.
I loved you more with each passing day we were apart, and I would be honored if you would agree to be my wife. Ginae Elise Burns, will you marry me?”
“Yes, baby. I will marry you.”