by Queen Pen
Four Months Later
“C
an I have everyone’s attention, please?” Daddy used his knife to clink his glass. Slowly, everyone stopped talking and focused on him.
It was finally the end of the school year, much to Jazzy and I’s relief, and my father was hosting a party for us before we left for Paris in the morning. Maddey, Jazzy and I were going to spend the summer there and I couldn’t be more excited. Just the three of us for three months was going to be pure bliss. This school year had been extremely trying as I juggled the mother role and played wifey to Maddey. Most weeks, I was doing it all on my own when he was needed in Vegas for the casino. I was glad it was finally over and I was looking forward to some relaxation and fun with my little family.
My father cleared his throat before speaking again, “I just wanted to start by saying how proud I am of my daughter. You all know she hasn’t had the easiest life, but now, she is prospering. This year has brought on so much for her and long gone is the shy girl who only cared about her books,” people laughed at that and my cheeks reddened.
“Damn right!” Ryder called out from her seat on the other side of the table.
I looked over at her and stuck my tongue out. She blew me a kiss before focusing back on her sleeping daughter. Kiah had a fistful of Ryder’s shirt crumpled in her little hands and her mouth was hanging wide open. Girlfriend was sleeping good. I smiled and shook my head before looking back at my dad.
“Now, she is well on her way to becoming the second-best lawyer around,” he winked at me. “Sorry, sweetheart, I’ll always be the best.”
“Sure, sure,” I waved him on with a smile.
He laughed and continued, “And a family of her own.” He looked at Maddey and Jazzy who sat next to me at the table. Jazzy beamed up at my dad who she so affectionately called Papa. “Maddey, I know that we haven’t always seen eye to eye, but with time there was no denying the love you had for my daughter. It’s inspiring. If someone like you can love so fiercely, then anyone can.”
Everyone, including Maddey, to my relief, laughed at this.
“Amen to that,” Doc hollered from the end of the table. August shushed him and Maddey discreetly gave him the middle finger.
Once everyone settled down again, Ms. Keddle stood up from her seat next to daddy and he continued, “Bel, honey, your mother meant the world to me and when she died, I vowed to never love again. I guess a higher being had another path set for me, though. I guess what I’m trying to say is that—”
“I have a new daddy!” Chip blurted out from beside Jazzy.
My jaw dropped as Ms. Keddle and daddy laughed nervously. I looked between them and asked, “wait…what?”
“We got married, baby. It was just a small lil thing. Chip was with us, but he was sworn to secrecy. I suppose my lil man couldn’t hold it in any longer.” Ms. Keddle giggled like a schoolgirl.
I cut my eyes at Chip, “traitor! You didn’t even tell me?”
Chip beamed at me, “Nope!”
“What about me?” Jazzy pouted. “You could have told me!”
“Nuh uh!” Chip smiled at the two of us. He was loving the fact that he kept a secret from us, but that was okay. He was in for a real surprise.
“Well, that’s too bad, buddy. Since your mom and my dad are married, that makes me your big sister. That means I get to boss you around all I want. Maybe I would have went easy on you if we had been in on the secret.” I shrugged nonchalantly.
Chip’s eyes grew wide and everyone laughed as he looked between me and our parents in a panic. Instead of answering his unasked question, Mr. Keddle and daddy looked at me. “So, you aren’t mad?”
I sighed, “I’m a little upset that I didn’t know, but I’m not mad. I’m not dumb, I knew you guys had been dating for a while now. It was especially suspicious when Ms. Keddle and Chip moved here suddenly a few months ago.”
“I guess we weren’t as slick as we thought we were,” Ms. Keddle laughed.
“Not at all. I’m happy for you two.” I said genuinely. I’d known that they were dating. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that. All of the nights Chip stayed with us, the stolen glances and touches between them when they thought nobody way looking, it wasn’t hard to figure out. I knew they would tell me in their own time, but I certainly wasn’t expecting this. Still, I was happy for my dad, and Ms. Keddle had been like a mother figure to me over the past year, anyhow. They made a great couple and if they made each other happy, I was happy.
I looked at Ms. Keddle and asked, “does that mean I can call you mom now?”
She laughed gleefully, “yes, baby. You can call me mom.”
“Congratulations, you two,” I smiled and raised my glass to them. Everyone around me followed and we clinked our glasses together.
The room livened up again as people began conversing and moving around. Jazzy turned to me with her face scrunched up in thought. “If papa and Ms. Keddle are married now, does that mean Chip is related to me?”
I bit back a laugh, realizing what this meant for Jazzy. “Yes, sweetie. That would make Chip your uncle.”
Her eyebrows furrowed as her big eyes glared at me. Chip, sitting right next to her, heard our conversation and his face lit up. “Does that mean that I can boss her around?” He looked at me hopefully.
Before I could answer Jazzy said, “no, idiot! I’m older!”
I slowly stood up from my chair to leave. I’ll let them hash that one out on their own, I thought as I made my way to the living room where most of our guests wandered off to. I smiled brightly as I entered the room. “Bel! Your god son wants you,” Noella said when she spotted me.
She had asked Maddey and I to be the god parents of baby Amir, and I couldn’t be happier. He had a head full of curly black hair and the chubbiest cheeks I had ever seen on a baby. He was fussing in Noella’s arms, so I grabbed him and rocked him back and forth as I cooed down at him.
“Ain’t that some shit. I been rocking his ass for the past hour and he hasn’t stopped fussing, but here you come and he calms down right away!” Noella scoffed.
“That’s because he loves his god mama,” I grinned down at Amir who was well on his way to falling asleep.
Noella rolled her eyes, “whatever. He’s only five months old and he has you wrapped around his little pinky finger.”
“He sure does,” I responded proudly. Noella knew that my sole mission when it came to baby Amir was to spoil him rotten. Maddey was no different. He loved his nephew so much and he turned to straight mush when he was around him. I always felt conflicted when I witnessed him bonding with his nephew. It melted my heart, but it also made my heart ache because I knew I couldn’t give him a newborn baby. Maddey was adamant that he never wanted kids, anyways, but seeing him with Amir made me think otherwise. This was the topic surrounding most of my therapy appointments these days and it was driving me insane.
Briella and Prince walked up with Farrah waddling beside them. She was growing up so fast and looked more and more like her mama each day. She had such long hair for a little girl that was almost three. It was black and silky and ran down her back. Briella always made sure that her baby’s hair was done. Today, she had the cutest pigtails with bows while her curls bounced around freely.
“Hey, Bel! Are you excited for your trip?” Briella asked.
I sighed contentedly, “yes, girl. I can’t wait to get out of here for a few months.”
“I bet. Noella was telling me hard this school year has been for you. Shit, the year in general. You had a lot of changes.” Briella eyed me.
“Indeed,” I smiled as Chip and Jazzy came running in the room followed by Maddey scolding them to no avail.
Prince chuckled, “I never thought I would see the day that nigga settled down.”
Doc overheard our conversation and joined in, “who y’all telling? I grew up with the nigga! He’s my twin and partner in crime, but he’s always been a lone wolf. I don’t know what you did t
o tame him, but big ups to you, sis.”
Everyone laughed and I blushed. Maddey had come a long way, but I wasn’t going to take credit for it. Therapy was going really well for him, and he was even taking the initiative to make his own appointments without me having to remind him. It was crazy how many problems my little family had to work through. First there was me and my plethora of issues all the way from my mom to the brothel and then to killing Lil Wolf.
Then, we had Maddey who was working through his childhood and digging up painful memories of his parents and then the various foster care families. Doc had even sat in on some sessions with him. Through the few sessions that I had sat in on with Maddey, I realized that he was taking Ms. Burdett’s, his and Noella’s foster mom, death hard. She was the only mother he had, and when she passed away, he built up an extra wall and became more guarded.
Jessica was slowly showing him more productive ways to channel his anger, one being exercising. He had always had a rock-solid body, but in the past few months I swore his arm muscles have grown multiple inches. He tried everything from kick boxing to jogging in the mornings. We have even done yoga together as a way to meditate.
Lastly, there was sweet, courageous and beautiful Jazzy. She was doing better than all of us. Jessica explained to me that it was because kids were adaptable. Jazzy had a lot of pain to deal with, but now that she was in a stable, loving home, it was easier for her to forget her past. Jessica did warn us that some of these memories might pop back up as she got older, but for now it was okay to monitor her and let her flourish in the second chance that she’d been given.
Careena, Rori, and Luken made their way over to join the conversation. Everyone continued talking and I noticed that Careena and Luken were holding hands. I smiled and Careena winked at me before responding to a question that Ryder asked her. Baby Amir was sound asleep in my arms so I quietly handed him back to Noella who rolled her eyes at me once again. I stuck my tongue out at her and she laughed.
Rori moved closer to me and linked her arm in mine. “I’ll miss you, Bel.”
I slung my arm around her and said, “I barely see you as is. It’s only a few months, boo.”
“True, but I’m used to texting you every day.” Rori hung her head.
“Hey, you’ll still hear from me every day. Someone has to make sure that your homework is getting done,” I teased her.
She rolled her eyes but gave me a slight smile. I kissed her forehead. “I’m so proud of you, Ro. You’re living your life exactly how it’s meant to be lived. You have a job, you’re in school…your future is bright, honey. Don’t ever forget that.”
She shrugged, “it’s just community college, Bel. Nothing to boast about.”
“Nothing you do is mediocre or ordinary, Rori. You’ve beat so many odds and look at you now, living a normal, peaceful life. I am so proud of you.”
She didn’t respond, but she leaned in closer to me and I allowed her to lay her head on my shoulder. Everyone continued talking and I stood back and admired how far my life had come in the past year. A few years ago, I was a complete loner. Aside from Careena, Rori and Ryder, I kept to myself. I lived in a big house alone and kept my nose stuck in a book. Now, I had a family. I had friends. I had Maddey. I had a daughter. I allowed myself to let my guard down and this is what it had gotten me. A second chance.
I smiled at Noella and Amir who were hugged up and laughing at some inside joke while baby Amir slept peacefully. Briella and Prince were playfully chasing Farrah around as she squealed in delight at her parents’ antics. Kobra was sitting on the couch next to Ryder, hoisting Kiah up into the air repeatedly. Every time Kiah got close to her mother, Ryder reached out and kissed her on her chubby cheeks. August and Doc danced quietly to the music in the corner. They were so cute together I couldn’t even stand it. I laughed as Jazzy chased Chip around the room and my mom and dad tried to settle them down. Careena, Rori and Corneluis were all laughing at some joke Luken just got done telling beside me.
My heart felt full. These people, each in their own ways, helped me in more ways than they knew. My family, I thought warmly as I felt a strong pair of hands hug my waist from the back. I closed my eyes and leaned back into Maddey’s strong arms. “Are you ready to get out of here? We have an early flight tomorrow.”
“I want nothing more than to get you home,” I twisted and looked up at him with lust in my eyes.
His eyebrow quirked up as he registered what I meant. Without another second passing he yelled at Jazzy, “Aye! Jazz! It’s time to go lil girl!”
I love this man, I thought as I giggled at his enthusiasm.
Twenty-Two
“H
urry up, Mommy!” Jazzy tugged on my hand once again trying to get me to speed up, which was difficult in the outfit I was wearing.
When I woke up this morning, Maddey was mysteriously gone and Jazzy was laying in his spot, practically dancing around as she waited for me to wake up. She thrusted a box into my arms and told me to get dressed before disappearing out of the bedroom.
I got out of bed and glanced out of the huge window. The view was breathtaking. I had a clear view of the Eiffel Tower as the beautiful city of Paris loomed around it. I stretched and yawned before opening the box Jazzy left on the bed. Inside was a cream-colored dress with some blue six-inch Giuseppe heels. What is Maddey up to? I wondered. This expensive outfit had his name all over it.
I quickly showered and got dressed. I was just zipping my dress up when Jazzy burst into the room. “Are you ready?”
“Well, don’t you look gorgeous.” I smiled down at her. She was wearing a dress similar to mine, but where mine was fitted in all the right spots, hers flared out like a baby doll dress. She had on blue ballerina flats and her long hair was braided in two braids.
“Thanks, now come on! Daddy sent a car for us.” She tugged me through the suite and out the door without another word.
Now, she was rushing me through the throng of people as we weaved our way closer and closer to the Eiffel Tower. The driver had dropped us off a few blocks away, and my shoes were making it difficult to match Jazzy’s pace on these cobblestone streets.
“Hold on, honey. I can’t walk that fast.” I insisted.
Jazzy halted and rolled her eyes impatiently. “Aht!” I clapped my hands together. “Don’t get an attitude, lil lady. Next time, tell your father not to choose such high heels.” I grumbled.
“Fine, but at least try and hurry?” she shifted from foot to foot.
“I am trying.” I said as we began walking again.
Twenty minutes later, I was out of breath and riding the elevator up the Eiffel Tower to the top floor. There was a mass of people on the elevator with us, so I moved Jazzy in front of me and put my hands on her shoulders. She leaned back into me and I leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Are you going to tell me what all of this is about?”
She shook her head defiantly and I smiled. Maddey has her tight lipped about something, I mused with a smirk. Finally, the doors opened and everyone flooded out of the cramped elevator. Jazzy snatched my hand and pulled me off with her. I was amazed by the sights all around me as a flurry of people passed by. I was looking out at the city below us when Jazzy tugged my hand.
I looked down at her and saw her grinning at something. I followed her gaze and my heart stopped. Right there, in the middle of all the people, was Maddey. He was bent down on one knee and smiling directly at me. In his hand was a small box and, in the box…was a ring.
I walked over to him in a daze as the wind coaxed tears from my eyes. When I reached him, he grabbed my hands and smiled up at me. I was vaguely aware of a crowd forming around us, but I focused my attention on Maddey.
“Hey, baby.” My voice wavered as I stared down at him. Tears poured out of my eyes.
He smirked up at me, “Hey, Bel.” His deep voice vibrated through me and caused my heart to hammer. “I love you so much, girl. You know that?”
I nodded my head and too
k a moment to wipe tears from my eyes before he continued. “You changed me, for real. You make me better in every sense. You brought light to my dark soul. You breathed air into me and opened my eyes to a life I never knew could be possible. I couldn’t imagine not waking up next to you every day. I need you in my life, baby. Forever. Will you please be my wife?”
Jazzy clutched my waist as she squealed and jumped up and down. I stared into Maddey’s eyes. When I looked at him, I saw my future. It was a no brainer what my answer would be. I took his head in my hands and pulled him close. “Yes, Maddey. I would love nothing more than to be your wife.”
He slipped the ring onto my finger and I pulled him into me and kissed him as everyone cheered around us.
Epilogue
Two Years Later
You are cordially invited to the royal wedding.
Please save the date
to celebrate with us
April nineteenth, 2020.
Formal invitation to follow
To Be Continued…
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