by Zi'ere
29
Once I was back inside the house, I decided I needed something sweet. I made my way to the kitchen and walked in on my parents sitting at the bar sharing a bowl of ice cream. They looked very happy to be in each other’s company.
“There is our baby girl, Anna.”
“You two look like love sick teenagers sharing that ice cream.”
“That’s fine, we will take that compliment” my mom answered.
“Baby, I understand today held a lot for you and your mother to take in. Are you ready to talk about any of this yet?”
“No sir, I mean…I really am okay with how everything turned out. Of course I will miss Angel but I really needed to know how much evil she held in her heart. I think I just need a hot bath, some uninterrupted sleep, and I should be fine.”
“Yes, I totally agree and that is exactly what you will get.” Mama’s voice was so soothing to my spirit. Tell me what kind of desert you want, cause I know that’s why you’re in my kitchen right now. You go ahead and start your bath, I will fix your desert, and bring it to your room.”
Angel’s words, ‘this big assed baby’ resounded in my ears. I grimaced at the thought.
“Ma, you don’t have to go through all that trouble. I can fix it with no problems.”
“Baby- tell me what you want and get to your room!”
“Apple pie with caramel topping with a double scoop of vanilla homemade ice cream- don’t be stingy with the topping, please” I rattled off my sweet tooth’s craving and exited the kitchen.
“I could hear my parents laugh and my dad made the comment, “well it’s good to know that with all the changes one thing is still the same!”
My addiction to sweets was attributed to two things: being constantly bribed with sweets as a kid and by Carlos being a chef. I was a true foodie and that was never going to change. I would travel near and far to get good food. My mother’s deserts have never run the risk of getting stale; I would walk the floors all night in search of food. In my bathroom, I darkened the room and lit the lavender scented candles in all corners of the room. I set the water to run as hot as I could stand it and poured in bath salts, bubbles, and oils. I turned on the tv mounted in the wall adjacent to the tub to play Pandora 12 Play radio. Sweet love songs soon filled the already relaxed room. After I undressed I slipped under the water, the small of my back began to tingle from the high temp but I needed it. After thirty minutes I began to feel my eyes getting heavy so I cleaned my body and got out.
When I walked into the bedroom I noticed the drapes were drawn and the room had cooled with the help of the ceiling fan. True to my mother’s word my desert sat on display on the nightstand. I noticed the screen on my cell said I had five new voice mails; there was no question as to who they were from. I pulled on a tiny shorts pajama set and climbed onto the big plush bed. After devouring my snack I immediately slipped into a comatose state in the middle of the bed surrounded by pillows.
30
“Baby, I have let you sleep long enough. You have to get ready to meet our girls for lunch.” My mom moved about my bedroom pulling open the drapes.
I pulled the covers from over my head and peeked at the digital clock sitting on the night stand. It was already after eleven am. My mom had never let me sleep so late. She walked over to one side of the bed and handed me my cell phone.
“Here you go sweetheart. I’ve been answering the calls as they came in so everything at the office is running smooth. Cedric and Darrell called you, they both want you to call them back when you get to moving about. Also you received a special phone call from a real sweet young man by the name of CJ.”
“He called me? I mean, he said he would but you know how teenagers can be, I didn’t think he’d remember.”
“Yes, he did. He’s such a mild mannered child. I know your life and the life of those young kids will never be the same. I am so happy that God has given you such a special gift. I know you will be a great step-mom.”
“Really Mama?”
My mom nodded her head in agreement. “Let me ask you this though, where is their mother?”
“I’m not really sure of her exact location. I do know that Cedric has full custody and has a full time nanny. I also know the kid’s mother is determined not to follow the court’s orders. He even had to leave my house just the other day to handle a situation with her. I’m not sure what the end result was, I just know when he came back he was exhausted.”
“She sounds like the type of woman that would be running neck and neck with Angel’s antics. I want you to be careful. This woman will not be too happy about Cedric replacing her as the kid’s mom. I can tell already that you all will be very close.”
“Mama, they are so precious. Little Chyna is the sweetest, cutest toddler I’ve ever seen. Cedric is awesome with them and they respect him. I wonder what type of woman would put herself in jeopardy of losing kids like the three of them.”
“Baby, common sense really isn’t all too common. Cedric is a good man and women don’t just walk away on their own accord from that type of man or his money. I take comfort in knowing that man really does love you and only you, so I’m satisfied.” Mama stood and headed for the door.
“Now go ahead and get dressed, I’m ready to see my girls.”
I could only giggle at the pet name my mom had given all the new comers in the family. In the span of a weekend she had doubled the size of her family and it seemed to be a good fit for everyone. I made my way to the bathroom to begin to freshen up. After I set the flat iron to heat up I chose a floor length maxi dress and wedged sandals as my attire for the day. I accented the look with bangle bracelets and a decorative necklace. As I was getting dressed Doris was busy tidying up my bedroom. I insisted that I could make my own bed, but she wouldn’t hear of it. In less than an hour I was walking out of my bedroom in search of my mom.
“I like that dress on you Baby.”
“Thanks mom.”
“You’re supposed to be resting today so I will drive.”
“You don’t have to convince me ma’am.”
We made our way to the garage and got settled inside of mom’s Lexus LS 460. She advised me that my dad was golfing with my brothers and Cedric. We made pleasant small talk as we traveled from the outskirts of Chandler to the city. We were scheduled to meet the girls at a popular Italian restaurant. When we arrived, we found my new sister-in-law Samantha was standing just inside the doors waiting for us. We joined the rest of the ladies at the table. I did not sleep on the fact all of the ladies were punctual and impeccably dressed once again. My mother beamed in pride and appreciation. A classy, graceful woman was a must for my mother’s approval and by the looks of it she approved of all four of the new comers.
31
Amina and Emani wore sleeveless A line dresses that were the same style but different colors. I wondered silently if they ever opted to wear identical outfits since they were identical twins. I also appreciated the fact that I could tell them apart with ease, both women were at least six feet tall according to my calculations. Both were a typically model thinned proportioned to a flaw that was sickening to me. Amina was the youngest by three minutes and even though she was head strong, you could discern that she let Emani wear the big sister hat often. Amina’s personality screamed that she was a nurturer with a heart that she wore on her sleeve. Emani was a power-house, she was the business mind behind the Barton empire. But behind her all business shell was a very funny diva that few people knew existed. These women stood to give me a run for my money in the fashion and shoe game. I would definitely have to keep an eye on them.
After sharing a meal with Samantha the day before I could tell why John was so smitten with her. Being that she was of another race had no bearing on the strong willed, compassionate, educated, frilly woman my brother had chosen to be his wife. She was a LPN by profession but she did not choose to care for the general public for the monetary benefits, she had the heart of a nurse. Samantha was
dressed in a cap sleeved dress with a belt that sat under her bust to accent her petite frame. I recognized the dress as one John had asked my opinion about during the shopping trip in Tempe. That little sly devil, he was shopping for his wife when the entire time. I also noted that Samantha had obviously gotten the memo that Haywood women wore heels religiously. Samantha and I would be on the same team against the bobsie twins that were taller than us.
My dear friend Simone already fit right in; there was no question about that. She’d hung out with the Haywood’s plenty of times during our college years. I’d never suspected the idea of her and Terrell as a couple, but I could definitely see their personalities meshing very well. I’d learned during my years in college that Simone was trustworthy, genuine, and was just as spoiled as I was. Even though she was very pregnant, Simone was still a true fashionista in a loose fitting one shoulder dress that stopped above her knees and wedged sandals. Although she had cut down on the height of her heels, she still made the statement that her style would not be compromised by pregnancy. I noticed she was wearing an engagement ring that was notably specially designed and was almost as breathtaking as mine.
My mom hung back and watched her girls interact with each other. We talked about everything under the sun from our men, babies, to our careers, fashion, sports, and hobbies. Surprisingly enough the twins had an interest in golfing as well as Samantha. Simone lived for tennis and her Serena Williams type body was her motivation. Terrell definitely had a brick-house for a fiancé. My mom still remained the only woman in the family that did not have an interest in our monthly poker games. I don’t think that bothered her in the slightest because she had four new shopping buddies. We had a good time, we all got along like old friends laughing and talking as if we’d known each other for years. I took comfort in knowing that I did not have to prove my friendship to any of these ladies as I was often drawn into doing with Angel. None of these women would use my social standing to have a crab in a bucket mentality. These women were my equals and I felt safe with them.
After a small argument took place about who was going to pay the check we still remained seated, enjoying each other’s company. Suddenly six dozen of red roses with baby’s breath appeared at the table carried by waiters of the restaurant. As we each read the respective cards our handsome men joined us at the table. All twelve of us displayed smiles of genuine admiration, at all different stages of a relationship.
“Emani, Amina- do you see what you have to look forward to being in love with a Haywood man?”
“Yes Mama Anna, you raised generous and charming men. We are enjoying ourselves immensely already.” Emani was the spokesperson for their collective opinion.
32
The night of the black and white ball rolled around very quickly. Emani and Armina were already apart of the social scene in Chandler, naturally they had already rsvp’d for the event. Each couple got dressed at the big house and traveled in two souped up stretch hummers to the venue. Of course daddy made all the necessary changes to have a table reserved for our perfect twelve to be seated together. Simone and Samantha had never attended the star studded event so it was only natural that we got together for a girl’s day to get them fitted in formal wear. I think we bonded even more at the fact that none of us had any problems spending the fruits of our labor. The ending result was six women each equally stunning and demanding attention of every other man in the building. The men stood guard over us all night. Trips to the ladies room or to the dance floor required escorts. Our men also turned many heads in tuxedos made by famous designers. I truly felt sorry for all of the women who had come to the event in hopes of meeting a suitable mate. We girls had six men of all different ages, who were caramel toned Adonis’, who only had eyes for the women they’d arrived with.
The family spent a quick second attempting to figure out how and when Angel had secured an unlikely best friend. Leslie, the mother of Ced’s children, was seated beside Angel. Both women were dressed inappropriately in revealing gowns that were obviously made of lycra. The two had obviously come as a pair and they were seated at a table with athletic power couples that the Haywood’s were friends with as well. The absolute hilarious part of the entire evening was that their eyes were constantly watched the activities going on at the Haywood table. No further acknowledgements were made on either end even though each of the couples seated at their table ventured over to our table with pleasantries. I knew the background story of Angel’s financial struggles but Leslie’s attire suggested that she was in financial ruins as well. Angel’s actions of not acknowledging my parents hurt them deeply, especially when her parents were seated at a table not far from us. She’d managed to make several trips to their table yet remained mute as she walked to and fro in front of my parents. All the men seemed to be a bit disgruntled with Angel’s presence and Ced was especially irritated that Leslie had shown up to such a formal event.
Ced rarely talked about his ex and I never wanted to pry for information. I did contact Terrell about the circumstances that would make a judge grant guardianship to Ced instead of Leslie. Terrell offered to get court transcripts for me but I declined. I took comfort in knowing Ced was one of the good dads that sacrificed his lifestyle to ensure his children were raised in the best possible environment. The man handled business and his children were well behaved. Those two things rarely went together. I was proud of him for what he was with his children alone. Even though he did have a nanny, a judge in a court of law had still decided the children would be better off in his care. Leslie had to have some serious issues going on in her life to have lost custody of her children. What those issues were did not concern me at all. My time, attention, and energy was taken up by CJ, Chloe’, Chyna, and Ced; and I loved every minute of it. There was no room for unneeded intruders, my plate was full. Between the businesses, my brothers, my parents, Ced, the girls, and the kids- there was no time for anything else. The night ended without incident and we all loaded up to return to the big house.
33
The next morning we all ventured out of our bedrooms to a five star brunch prepared by my parent’s chef. Once our bellies were full we returned to our respective rooms to rest. Within thirty minutes my brothers and their women had all piled up in my bedroom, just like we normally did after a night out on the town. This particular time there were some notable differences; for one Terrell was awake and had joined in on the fun. And two, Ced had given up his spot so Simone was beside me in bed. I talked to her stomach and felt several kicks my niece issued. Daddy walked past the bedroom door and caught a glimpse of the way we were all camped out. Every inch of the floor was covered with bodies, blankets, and pillows. John was in his favorite spot, the chaise.
“Sweetheart, will you come look at this?” Daddy called out to Mama while taking his cell phone out of the clip attached to his pants.
Daddy began snapping pictures of the scene before him. Mama stepped into the doorway and immediately erupted in laughter.
“Greg it looks like the common area of a co-ed college dorm in here! Why are ya’ll on the floor in here and not watching tv in the theatre room?”
“We’re fine mama” Terrell spoke for all of us.
“This was so cute when it was just the five of you but now there isn’t enough space.” Daddy observed the room from floor to ceiling. “I think it’s time to make the big house an even bigger house.”
“Yes sir! We gotta keep these young people comfortable so that they will always want to be here with us! Ladies, I hope you know me well enough by now to know that I do not approve of you all sitting on the floor.” Mama held a sincere look as she spoke.
“Oh my lawd!” The words came out muffled but I knew the voice belonged to Terrell.
Mama shot him a knowing look that included her rolling her eyes at him.
“Mama Anna, don’t fret; we’re fine. We even gave the pregnant lady the best seat in the room!” Emani shot Simone a smile.
“Why is John on the ch
aise and not one of you girls?” Mama made her way over to John and pulled the cover from his face.
He was wide awake and smiling as she snatched to blanket.
“Ma, it’s not like we all will live here. I’m sure the house being the way it is will not affect how much time we spend here. There’s no need so to through construction or even spend the money just so we can all stretch out in one room.” I honestly had no clue why Darrell was trying to rationalize with Mama or Daddy, the two rarely shared a thought that they didn’t bring to life. I was the baby and I knew better than to try to change their minds on anything they deemed as a need to fix.
“Excuse you sir, I’m just going to keep it all the way one hundred with you!” Mama snapped her fingers, giving Darrell much attitude as she talked. “I don’t need new space for you; but I do need more space for my new grandchildren. You sirs have been out ranked by the women that will bear my grandbabies and the three precious babes I already have. And that’s real talk!” The room erupted in laughter as mom gave her boys a piece of her mind.
34
As time moved on and the days on the calendar changed, I began to spend my evenings at Ced’s house getting used to mommy life and building a foundation with my new children. I had no complaints at all about the work that I put in. Everything was going well, the children were mild mannered and it was easy for us to along well. I’d made it a habit to attend CJ’s games and I’d fulfilled my promise of helping Chloe’ get ready for the father-daughter dance. Chyna had stolen my heart and vice versa. She soon settled into a routine and blatantly refused to go to bed at night without me tucking her in.