“Good morning, hubby,” Nuri greeted me as soon as I walked into the kitchen.
It was six in the morning, but the sun was shining as bright as midday. Nuri was leaning against the counter, sorting through her collection of teas. It was my first morning at the estate, and it was good to see Nuri was an early riser like me.
She looked up at me with bright eyes. She’d been up for a while. I yawned and stretched my arms over my head before sliding up onto the barstool at the counter to sit down.
“Morning, wifey.”
“Would you like some tea?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’ll take some.”
Nuri lifted the assortment tray and turned to walk over with it. I was supposed to be focusing on the tea, but my eyes weretrained on her instead. It was like she woke up fucking flawless. Her skin was supple and shiny like a donut. She’d taken the time to place two plaits in her hair so her round face was on full display. Her beauty always made me pause to admire her.
I guess she must’ve said something because she lifted her eyes to mine. “Hello?” she voiced dramatically. “Which one do you want?”
Now so close to her, I noticed a few whiskers on her chin. They didn’t make her any less perfect to me. I licked my lips and finally decided to answer her. “I’ll take the black tea.”
She nodded. “Okay. I was going to do yoga on the back patio if you want to join me outside.”
I figured, why not, so I left her in the kitchen while I went outside. There were mourning doves nearby cooing softly. I inhaled the morning air and took a seat on one of the lounge cushions. Before I got comfortable, I hopped back up and went back inside to grab a journal from my bedroom. I’d chosen the one closest to Nuri’s room, even though it was smaller than some of the others.
By the time I made it back downstairs, Nuri was out back. She was sitting in the other lounge chair, sipping her tea. I took a seat and thanked her for bringing mine out. We sat in silence, sipping our tea and enjoying the start of a new day.
When she was finished with her tea, she pulled out her yoga mat. I watched her expertly move through positions, looking more relaxed with each one. I couldn’t lie; the tight, red active set she had on made everything just look better. Pulling out my notebook, I shifted my focus back to the song I was currently working on. And that was how I spent my first morning at the St. James estate. I had to admit it was a far cry from the chaos I woke up to at the big house. Though I loved living with my siblings, I couldn’t lie as if life with my wife didn’t have its own charm.
“How are you feeling?”I asked Marissa while massaging her feet.
She huffed, relaxing deeper into the couch. We were having our session at the estate today so she could determine whether she’d want to give birth to her baby girl here. “I’ve started to develop a bit of anxiety the closer it gets to my delivery date.”
Her eyes skirted around the room while she subconsciously rubbed her bulging belly. “Hm... What’s got you nervous, my love?”
She ran her perfect French manicure through her Brazilian blowout. She looked like a model on the cover of a magazine without even trying.
“I just want everything to go well. It’s crazy when I look down at my stomach and remember I’m about to be someone’s mother. What’s even crazier is that I already know I would do anything for her. I’ve taken a step back from work, and it’s like all I do is nest. I’ve purchased so many things that if you know someone having a baby, I’ve got some things to give away.”
I giggled. “That’s part of the process. All of it, actually. You’re human, Madam Mayor. You’re about to embark on a journey to a land you’ve never set foot in before. The fact that you want to do right by your daughter is proof of how great a mother you will be.”
I slipped her socks on after her massage came to an end. “Oh, and I know a mother who could surely use anything you have to give. She recently lost her husband, which puts her in a dire position.”
Marissa gasped, covering her mouth in empathy. “I can’t imagine the pain she must be experiencing. I’ll have Maddie pack up everything I don’t need, and you can come by to pick it up.”
I smiled widely as I stood. “Perfect. I’m going to wash my hands. I’ll be right back.” I hurried to the bathroom downstairs, washed my hands, and then returned to the parlor room. “So, what do you think?”
Walking over to her, I helped her off the couch. She glanced around the room and smiled. “I love it. It’s like I can feel the energy vibrating beneath my feet. It would be an honor to have my daughter here.”
I placed my hands over my heart. “Thank you for trusting me. I do not take that responsibility lightly.”
She reached her hands out to me. “Oh, I know. I trust you with my life, Nuri.”
We talked more as I walked her out. She promised to have everything ready by the weekend, then she was on her way. Thedoor closed with a resounding thud behind me. Walking toward the kitchen, I figured I’d clean up my mess from lunch, then start dinner. I needed some music to get into my element.
“Brielle, music I love to cook to!” I yelled out to the automated system hooked to the house.
“Okay, girl. Now playing some shit you can vibe to.”
I smiled before clearing out the sink to run some fresh water. My hips swayed as “Adore” by Prince blasted through the speaker. I started on the dishes, singing along to the music. There wasn’t a huge mess, so I was finished by the end of the first song.
Wiping down the counters, I danced around the kitchen singing my heart out. Moving to the refrigerator, I grabbed the fresh red snapper I’d gotten from the meat market on High Street. I was lost in my own world as the playlist kept my chakras open and flowing with good energy. The spatula became my microphone as I got distracted by some lyrics.
