“Perhaps not,” she replied with a casual shrug. I circled an arm around her waist and pulled her close, hand resting on her hip.
“One hour,” I said as the car ascended.
“I wouldn’t have left the house for one hour. Two.”
“An hour and a half.”
“Two,” she countered.
I reached into my pocket and produced our motel key. Her eyes widened in surprise before her lips settled into a mischievous smile.
“An hour and a half.”
“I’m glad we see eye to eye.”
The car stopped, opening to the rooftop. We stepped out and froze when we saw the large black-and-gold banner that read ‘Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Grant Baker!’
“You finally made it!” Kieran exclaimed, shoving a champagne glass into our hands. “Don’t worry. It’s sparkling.”
“Only y’all would be late to your own wedding reception party,” Casey said with a coy smile, phone out and recording.
“Wedding reception?” Kiyah mumbled in a daze, slowly taking everything in.
“You both look lovely,” Mom said, kissing us both on the cheek. Dad clapped me on the back and handed me a cigar.
“The housewarming party,” I said, puzzled and wondering if I had entered the Twilight Zone.
“I’m offended that you would believe I was self-centered enough to throw a housewarming party for an already established house,” Kieran said with a stupid grin. I ran a hand through my hair and chuckled.
“You fucking had me, Kier. This is,” I paused to take everything in—the decor, gifts, the multi-tiered cake, buffet, and the smiling faces of our family.
“This is unbelievable,” Kiyah said through tears, accepting hugs from Daisy and Nori.
“What’s unbelievable is that no one spilled the beans,” Uncle Ant mentioned, shaking my hand. Ronan pulled me into a bro hug, and Ms. Simone peppered my face with kisses. Even Burgess was in attendance.
Someone relieved me of the gift bag, and Kiyah had abandoned me to usher Daisy to a seat before she aggravated her injuries. I snagged Dad, pulling him to the side.
“Is everything alright, Grant?”
“Yeah, mostly. I didn’t see Grandma.”
He smiled softly and explained, “She wants to stay close to Granddad. But she sends her love, and her gift is on the table.”
I nodded. “Understandable.”
Kiyah and I mingled with our family members, taking pictures, talking shit, and behaving as if nothing could touch us. It was a fantasy—a dream I never wanted to wake from, but like all dreams, it had to come to an end.
“Alright! Let’s eat so we can sing karaoke!” Ronan announced. Collective groans rang out from everyone, knowing Ronan planned on hogging the mic the entire night.
Kiyah sidled up to me and wrapped her arms around me.
“How do you feel about a duet?”
“I hate the idea of it,” I replied bluntly. She frowned. “But I will do anything for you.”
Her frown softened into a bashful smile.
“Good answer, Grant.”