Page 71 of Betrothed To Love

“Good because I’m here. Go get comfortable so I can feed you.”

“What did you make me?” I ask.

“It’s a surprise. Change and you can see,” she says with a smile.

I kiss her soft ass lips one more time then release her. When she turns and heads to the kitchen, I step back over to Niya.

“What’s all of this?” I ask as I look at her wooden board filled with berries, yogurt, crackers, and other little items that will not fill me up. I’m hungry as hell, but for real food.

“My chuttery stuff. Want some?” she offers, holding out a graham cracker dipped in yogurt.

“Thank you, baby. It looks good but I’m going to eat what Mireya cooked,” I tell her.

“It’s noodles,” she says, then gets right back to her board and little food.

The look on my baby’s face is priceless. She’s so content and comfortable in her pajamas, sitting on this sectional and eating her little food. This is something I wouldn’t have ever thought to do with her and she’s loving it. My baby girl is beaming and having fun and that alone changes my mood.

Instead of going to the bedroom, Niya’s contentment sends me into the kitchen. I want to love on the person responsible for my baby girl’s happiness, my kyau. When I enter, she’s at the stove and something smells good as hell. I step behind her, wrap my arms around her, then rest my head on her shoulder. She’s stirring alfredo noodles and a steak, bell peppers, and red onions are sizzling on the grill pan.

“I needed you and didn’t even know it,” I utter before kissing her neck.

“What, baby?” she asks.

“You. I needed you in my life and I didn’t even know it.”

“See how lucky we are,” she says with a titter.

“Nah. I’m the lucky one. I’m definitely lucky as hell to have you,” I admit before trying to show her how much I love and appreciate her with my kiss.

TWENTY-ONE

Quintus’s handsome face isn’t as scrunched as it was when he first arrived but I can tell that whatever happened with Shuga isn’t good. Niya is full from her chuttery board. She’s knocked out and stretched across our laps and The Smurfs is ending. It’s time for me and my husband to talk.

“Baby, take her to her room,” I whisper. “I’m going to clean this all up.”

Gingerly, he lifts Niya and she buries her head in his chest. While he takes her to her room, I grab our boards, food trays, and his empty plate. I wash and put everything up then wipe down my sink, counters, and refrigerator handles with sanitizing wipes. When I return to the living room, he’s back on the sofa with his head dropped back and his hands covering his face.

I walk over to him, straddle his lap, then gently grab his hands. He allows me to lift them from his face as he lifts his head. The anguish and sadness on his handsome face hurts my heart.

With my hands caressing his face, I ask, “What happened with Shuga?”

He blows out a large puff of air then slowly shakes his head. “I have a seventeen-year-old sister,” he says and I’m sure my entire face reacts.

Because what?

“Yeah. Asali cheated on Shuga and has a child,” he explains, his tone filled with pain and anger.

“Oh my God. How’s Shuga?” I gasp, truly surprised at his revelation.

“Like I’ve never seen her before. She’s hurt, really hurt and broken. I… I just never…” he stammers, then shakes his head. “She wouldn’t stop crying and I couldn’t do shit. That nigga had a baby on my momma.”

“Was he there?”

“Fuck no,” he grits, then quickly apologizes for his harsh tone. “Sorry, kyau. I didn’t mean to⁠—”

“No. I know. It’s fine. You are naturally angry and I get it. I understand. This is your safe space. You can let it all out with me,” I assure him. “You don’t have to apologize to me.”

“I’m just so mad. It’s like my fucking foundation just cracked the fuck open. All Asali did was preach to us over and over about finding a wife, loving her, and taking care of her and he couldn’t even do that shit. Shuga is broken; he hurt her and lied to all of us. The worst part is I don’t know what to do,” he admits, sounding defeated.