“Who?” Yanna questioned.
“It’s a Persian dish,” Kas answered.
“Rice, fava beans, dill…” Onyx called off.
“… And Lamb shanks,” Maya finished.
“Gotdamn,” Nouri caroused. Eyes traveling between his three offspring. “All my kids in here showing their Persian roots is liable to make a nigga real emotional. Let me go ahead and prepare the food before I embarrass myself. Lala, you want to give me a hand?” He asked Layla.
“Who the hell is Lala?” Onyx questioned.
“Dawg!” Kas bellowed. “It’s some funny business going on, and I don’t like it.”
“Because why she got a nickname?”
“Exactly!”
“Oh, both of y’all let it go,” Layla fussed.
“Yea, yo mama been Lala ever since… hell, since a few days after I met her.”
“But that’s a story for another time.” Layla didn’t want Nouri talking about the start of their relationship, because he was cheating on his girlfriend at the time. She and Maya were cool, and she didn’t want stories of how her father cheated on her mother to change that.
“Don’t worry, I know the story already. My mom is happily married now, and she ain’t thinking about Daddy. Plus, it’s not my business to be getting upset about.”
“Nah, still, we don’t need to hear that shit.”
“Watch your mouth, Nyx. Nouri, come on and let’s fix this food.”
“Onyx, Kas, y’all trying to go on the back real quick?” Logan asked, inviting the men outside to smoke.
“Hell yea,” Onyx replied. “Ki, be good for yo mumma while I go outside for a minute,” he advised his son, but little Kian was already following his grandfather into the kitchen.
The men headed outside, smoked, and kicked the shit while Nouri and Layla put finishing touches on the food. Yanna, Troi and Maya helped set the table, while Kian hung on to everything Nouri said in Farsi, as if he could understand the language. By the time the men finished smoking, the food was ready to be served. Nouri had purchased a 12-seater dining set, praying for times like this. He hadn’t expected it to come so soon but sent a silent thanks to his God for answering his prayers. He sat at the head, while Layla occupied the opposite end. Eachof his children and their significant others was seated. Kian sat perched on his lap, and Layla had already expressed her jealousy about how Kian seemed to not even be worried about her.
“I’d like to bless the food before we eat if that’s okay with y’all.” Nouri questioned, and everyone nodded in agreement, bowing their heads and closing their eyes. During his talks with Layla, Nouri learned his sons had learned and studied a lot of Islamic prayers from Kalil. He already knew Maya was well versed and hoped his in laws were receptive to learning, so he commenced to bless the food in Farsi. Ending with, “Bismillahi awwalahu wa akhirahu.”
“Bismillahi awwalahu wa akhirahu,”In the Name of Allah at the beginning and at the endMaya, Onyx and Kas repeated. Nouri could’ve died from happiness in that moment. The fact that he didn’t deserve such joy made him cherish it that much more.
Everyone commenced eating, and Nouri suggested they go around the table and discuss what was new in their lives. Kas filled everyone in on his upcoming projects, while Onyx gave them updates on the label. Troi discussed the growth of her pet food company, and Yanna bragged about her newly appointed position as Label Manager at WCMG. Logan talked about his company, FLMK Industries, and how Maya was helping him scope new projects. The conversation at the table flowed so effortlessly, no one outside of their circle would’ve been able to tell there was once turmoil. Nouri baked Persian walnut cookies for dessert, which Kian seemed to really enjoy. The conversation somehow shifted to sports betting when Yanna suddenly felt a strange cramping sensation in her uterus.
“Oof,” she uttered, catching everyone’s attention at the table.
“Ladybug, you alright?” Layla inquired.
“I don’t know, I--- ah!” Another cramp tightened in Yanna’s womb, taking her breath away. “I think… I think I’m havingcontractions and---” Her heart rate sped up as she felt a gush of liquid saturate between her legs and drip to the floor. “Oh, my God!”
“Oh, yo God what? What the hell wrong with you?” Kas questioned, bewildered as to why she was acting so strangely.
“Kas, I think she’s in labor,” Maya stated.
“I am, and my water just broke,” Yanna confirmed.
“Oh shit. Call the fire department!” Kas yelled.
“The fire department?” Onyx questioned. “Nigga, let’s get her to yo car.”
“Do we have time for that?”
