“I just needed a minute to breathe. Yes, ma’am. Thank you for the food.”
“Consider that a peace offering. We want to apologize for how we all reacted the other day. Now we don’t understand everything, and according to your grandfather, it’s not meant to be understood by us. So, if Burkeley says Peanut and you are his, then that’s what it is. And I know you’re not officially my daughter-in-law yet, but welcome to the family, Mickey.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Anna.”
“And Burkeley, I know you can hear us. You better do right by my babies.” That was Mr. Chris’s voice.
Damn, so they’re all together?
“Of course, sir.”
“Alight, well I’ma let y’all go. We’re out here at this outlet shopping for our Minnie. We love y’all.”
“We love y’all too.”
The three beeps rang out and I scooted McKay closer to me with two scoops of her ass in my hands.
“Was it really that easy after the other day’s yelling match?” McKay asked while I laid my head on her bump, listening to the steady beating.
“Baby, that was a normal holiday at this point. And that was just Thanksgiving, we’ve still got the biggest one yet, Christmas.” She groaned while I laughed.
“I can’t think about that right now. I still need that nap you promised me.”
“You trying to sleep with me, M&M?” McKay sighed heavily.
“Yeah, never mind, that mouth of yours always opens and words come out to ruin everything.”
“You want to lay on the couch or the bed, baby?”
“In the nursery.”
I smiled as she stepped back, giving me space to get up. I followed her upstairs to the nursery that our moms had decorated in a purple and sage theme that reminded me of the hidden part of a magical forest with all the flowers, vines, and plants painted on the walls. It was perfect. A lot of naps happened in here as of late, while McKay played music dedicated to Berkley.
We snuggled together in the large, oversized chair with a pullout feature that gave an effect of a mini, full-sized bed.
I rubbed Peanut who was fully awake and moving around like crazy. I smiled as I closed my eyes and began to drift, holding my whole world in my arms.
“Forever, McKay.”
“Forever.”
Epilogue
Four and a half months later…
“BK, I don’t care how tempted you are, you better not call my baby no damn BJ neither,” I told him as I watched him holding my Peanut. We were enjoying our private family time until our welcome home kickback started.
Yes, Hollis found another reason to throw an additional party and this one I didn’t hate. It would help to control the traffic of family trying to stop by to meet Berkley since daddy shut down the visits when we were in the hospital and even waited two weeks before he opened our doors to anyone who wasn’t the main crew.
“C’mon now, baby. I’ma do better than that generic ass name. She forever gon’ be my Peanut since her mama is my M&M.”
“Alright, I’m just giving you the heads up when these people get here and you forget what her name is.”
“Oh for the world, she’s gon’ be Minnie. I’ma let them have that. Besides, she might be named after me, but she looks just likeMickey.”
“And thank goodness,” I mumbled to myself as I moved in front of him with my back facing him so he could zip me up.
I’d never expressed my concern for who Peanut would look like when she came out. My fear though was that man or his kids. But I thanked God the moment BK confirmed she was my mirror as soon as she came out, thick curly hair and pretty brown eyes. Her dark complexion matched Burkeley’s though, which he loved to say Peanut got from him.
