Tina slung her duffle bag over one shoulder. “Have fun at the rehearsal dinner, Ny. We’ll see you tomorrow at the wedding, Mrs. Jones.”
I hugged Sia and Mikki then I left the house with the rest of the girls and all of us piled into our cars to leave. And when I walked in the house, my heart damn near melted.
Knuck was knocked out on the couch, hoodie on, one arm behind his head, the other cradling Kassim against his chest. Our son was drooling, snuggled up in his daddy’s arms with his tiny hand gripping Knuck’s chain. I just stood there for a second, soaking it in. This was my peace. My full circle.
I slipped off my heels, tiptoed over, and sat on the armrest next to them. Kassim stirred just a little, but Knuck stayed dead asleep, mouth slightly open, his chest rising steady and slow. I brushed my fingers through Kassim’s little curls and whispered to myself, “Yeah. I’m ready.”
The Rehearsal Dinner
(18 Hours Until The Wedding)
T h ep r i v a t er o o mI booked at Nyomi's favorite soul food spot smelled like good ass food, Black love, and a lil’ weed. I was leanin’ back in a chair in the corner of the venue, watchin’ it all play out wit’ a grin on my face. Shit was lit.
This rehearsal dinner wasn’t no quiet sit-down shit wit’ a three-course meal and tiny-ass portions. Nah. We had soul food on deck. Rib tips, baked mac, greens, fried catfish, chicken, cornbread, and yams. Everybody was eatin’, drinkin’, talkin’ loud, and actin’ like tomorrow wasn’t ‘bout to be the biggest day of my life. But I felt that shit in my fuckin’ chest. We had already done the practice run earlier. The aisle walk, the timin’, the fake vows for rehearsal.
Nyomi stood over by the bar area, laughin’ wit’ Mikki and Sia. My woman had on a bad ass black dress wit’ a slit up the side showin’ off her thighs, and black heels wit’ her French tip toes out. I was smilin’ hard as fuck watchin’ her.
“Damn, you cheesin’ hard as hell, bro,” Wock said, droppin’ down in the chair next to me wit’ a drink in his hand. “Ain’t even said ‘I do’ yet. Shit.”
“Shut the fuck up,” I muttered, but I didn’t stop smilin’.
Before I could say some more shit, the music switched to some old-school Frankie Beverly, and the older heads in the room immediately got hype. “Now,thatI can get with!” Ma Deb shouted, waving her hand in the air. “Come on, Carl!”
Carl, half-high and feelin’ himself, grabbed her hand and spun her ‘round the dance floor like he ain’t have no bad knees. Everybody started clappin’ and hypin’ ‘em up like it was the weddin’ already.
I shook my head and made my way toward Nyomi, and she spotted me before I even said anything. “There goes my man,” she smiled, holdin’ her mocktail. I wrapped an arm ‘round her waist, pulled her close, and kissed her temple.
“You good?”
“I’m good now,” she whispered, leanin’ into me.
“Mmm. Just make sure you keep that same energy or we got a problem.”
She laughed. “Shut up. I’m coming down that aisle looking like a dream you prayed for.”
“I already know,” I said, lips to her ear.
Antt raised her glass, drunk as fuck and hollered, “To Ny and Knuck! To real love, to loyalty, to raisin’ beautiful babies and keepin’ your sanity through it all.”
Everybody raised their glasses and for a second, shit was quiet ‘til this nigga Wayne yelled, “Aight now. Henny shots!”
I pulled Nyomi in closer and whispered in her ear, “I’d marry you tonight if I could.”
“Say less,” she joked. “We could pull a fast one and skip the stress.”
I chuckled. “Nah. I want you to have your moment, baby. It’s your world.”
???
W ep u l l e du pto the house a lil’ before midnight. The house was dark except for the glow comin’ from the livin’ room TV. As soon as we stepped in, Monae was knocked out sideways on the couch wit’ a bag of Hot Cheetos in her hand. Kassim was out cold in his bassinet beside the couch, one little arm up like he was surrenderin’ to sleep. His pacifier was barely holdin’ on to the corner of his lip.
“Her and those damn Cheetos,” Ny whispered, tryin’ not to laugh as she tiptoed toward the stairs.
I kissed Kassim’s son and grabbed the baby monitor before joggin’ up the stairs. I was lit as fuck and ready to eat some pussy. When I got to the bedroom, Ny was takin’ off her clothes,lookin’ back like she was teasin’ me on purpose. I damn near tackled her ass to the bed, flippin’ her over. Then, I climbed between her legs, kissin’ her lips, one hand slidin’ under her tank top, fingers grazin’ her nipples.
I unhooked her bra over her head and tossed it to the floor. Her chest rose and fell like her whole body was waitin’ for my tongue. I kissed down the center of her, draggin’ my tongue between her breasts before takin’ one in my mouth, slow and soft, then hard and hungry.
Her hands went to my head. “Mmm…”