“Mama, you can’t be just changing boundaries already in place. And I only said that because you know we’re in the middle of moving me in and I might not have been here. Why not call me?”
She waved me off.
“Listen, enough of all that unnecessary stuff, we’re here to help. With y’all being busy with getting you settled, we decided to take over the nursery since the baby shower duties have already been claimed by the girls. Now I wanted to fuss at your ass about that too, but Anna came up with this to make me feel better. So I know my loving baby girl will let me see some happiness during this pregnancy, right?” I groaned while I accepted the bowl of macaroni salad with two chicken wings on the side.
“Fine, Mama, but wait, you don’t even know what we’re having?” Again, it’d slipped my mind to schedule the dinner to tell them.
The nasty eye roll my mother gave me had me dropping my head in shame.
Great, Mickey, now she’s madder.
“Yet another reason you continue to break my heart. Here I am, trying to be a loving and dedicated glamma, and my own daughter—only daughter—is leaving me out of the crucial details of the pregnancy. Do you not love us? That appointment was two weeks ago, Mickey, and yet, we know nothing.”
“Are we not the glammas?” Mrs. Anna added to the conversation, shaking her head in disbelief, further pushing their grandma guilt on me. At this point it looked like this was turning to a word-of-mouth type of announcement.
I mean, the way everything is going, this fits the situation.
“Yes, Mama, life has just been a little busy. It’s a girl. Please no pink. But have fun. Now can I get back to unpacking?” I said, now stuffing my face with a forkful of macaroni salad.
“Oh my gosh, a granddaughter. That man upstairs is showing out this year.” Mrs. Anna sniffled, coming over to me and hugging me right along with Kat.
“That damn Viola. Oh, Mickey. I knew it,” Kat said.
I playfully rolled my eyes at the ladies who two seconds ago were scolding me as I accepted their love in this moment of them being overly excited.
“Ooh, I have the perfect idea. Come on, Kat, we have to go back out to get more supplies.” Mrs. Anna pulled my mother back to the door.
“Wait, more supplies? Don’t y’all have enough?” I motioned toward the bags of baby stuff still on the floor by the island.
My mother waved me off. “Oh no, that’s just basic essentials: a tub, towels, and neutral clothes.” I put my gaze back on the bags and knew it had to be more than what she’d named because there were way too many bags.
Kat continued talking. “Now that we know what we’re having, we need a crib, paint, and stuff. Oh, my Mickey Marie, you don’t have to worry about none of this, us glammas got it from here. You just finish taking care of my Minnie in there.” I shook my head at Kat using the same nickname for Peanut as her dad.
They both blew me a kiss and headed back out, now talking fast and over each other. I finished my food before rinsing the plate for the dishwasher and getting back to work in the frontroom. I was sure Burkeley and his crew of guys would be here soon with the rest of my stuff.
Chapter
Twenty-Five
Burkeley
I whistled into my house, loving the scent of fruity cherries and oranges. It wasn’t a familiar smell, but I for fuck sure welcomed it and the woman who’d brought it with her. It had been two weeks since I’d gotten McKay officially moved in and I swore the warmth that she brought with her finally made it feel like a home.
I rounded the corner as I made my way into the front room. This was her favorite room in the whole house. Even upon moving in, she was in here more than any other room. Well, besides my bedroom.
Our bedroom.
R&B played lowly while she sat on the ground mixing herbs in her mortar before grinding them with the pestle while her head bobbed along to the song.
“When God told me I would have everything I ever wanted in life, I didn’t imagine I would get this blessed to come home to this beautiful ass sight. Hey, baby.” I got down on her level, stretching my legs wide so I could scoot closer to her. The second I got close enough, I overtook her lips with mine.
“Hey, daddy,” she sang into my mouth as I deepened my pursuit to make her fall in love with me.
“How long have you been in here today?” I asked, now running my nose down her neck, inhaling her scent. I was addicted to drowning in it.
“Not long. I read in one of my natural pregnancy books that toward the end of their journey some women start drinking raspberry tea to help with inducing labor. I figured I would start drying out a few ounces now so they are perfect by the time I brew them in a few weeks.”
“A few weeks? And inducing labor? We have time. Stop trying to rush my baby out of you. Are these teas safe for real?” I grabbed the mortar out her hand, getting a closer look. Beyond the dried deep green leaves, I had no idea what the hell I was looking at for real.
