Belle
Page 21
“Mama!” she heard a deep voice call from behind her.
Her heart dropped to her stomach, but in a happy way, when she turned around and saw the face of her Andrew. He was standing by a Range Rover and wearing a nice white collared shirt with the top buttons undone. The navy blue pants he wore stopped right above his ankles, and the loafers on his feet were so white that the ground should have felt graced by their presence. He was muscular and more handsome than she ever dreamed he would be. The young boy she’d left was a grown man now, and her heart was so elated. Her feet started toward him, and before she knew it, she was running. He started running too, and when they finally met, she jumped into his arms. She clung to him and sobbed harder than she ever thought she could, kissing him all over his face.
“My son! Oh, my son! I’m so sorry! I love you so much!” she said over and over. When she finally got the strength to pull away, she looked in his face and saw that he too was crying.
“Let’s go home,” he said, looking down at her.
“I’m living with you?”
“Hell yeah!” Kidd said, linking his arm with hers and walking her to the car. “I’m not letting you out of my sight for a long time to come. I found the perfect house for all of us.”
“That’s all right with me,” Gia told him. “Wait, who’s all of us?”
As soon as the question was out of her mouth, the passenger door opened, and a young woman got out. She was wearing a long off-white maxi dress and had long hair that she had in a neat ponytail to the back of her head. Gia was hit with a blast from the past when she looked into her face.
“Mama, I’d like to introduce you to somebody. This is Belle. Belle Dubois,” Kidd said, holding his hand out for Belle to come closer.
Gia’s hands shot to her mouth, and more tears flooded from her eyes. Belle was even more lovely on the eyes than her mother had been, and Gia couldn’t stop staring.
“Hi,” Belle said to her and gave a little wave. She was shocked when Gia returned it with an embrace. “Oh!”
Belle returned the hug and held Gia tightly like she too needed the love. Gia released her and placed a hand on her flawless cheek. Her heart was so filled with joy that she feared it might explode.
“Let’s get out of here before these crackers try to take me back,” Gia said and headed for the car.
“Yes!” Belle said and held the passenger door open for her. “We have a few things in store for you today. The world has changed a lot since you’ve been away. Our first stop, however, is shopping of course!”
“Shopping?” Gia said and got in the car.
“Yes, shoppin’!” Kidd said. “I gotta get my mama right. Luella is gon’ meet us at the mall, and I’ma give you a few dollars to play around with.”
Belle hopped in the driver’s seat, and Kidd got in the back. When Belle pulled away from the prison and started the long drive back home, Kidd reached up and grabbed his mother’s hand as if he were afraid that she would disappear at any second. Gia turned to face him and looked fondly into his eyes.
“I’m so proud of the man you’ve become,” she told him. “I know it wasn’t easy, growing up without me around. But you did it, and you did well for yourself. You, my dear boy, are everything I ever thought you would be and more.”
“I love you,” Kidd told her.
“And I love you ten times more.”
The End