“Rylie, how old are you?” I asked.
“I’m thirteen.”
Zach pointed to himself. “And I’m seven.”
I smiled with a nod.
“Do you guys like going to school?” I questioned, picking up a buffalo wing.
Rylie scrunched her face up. “It’s cool. I’m making good grades. That’s a plus.”
I nodded. “Yes, it is.” I turned to Zach. “And what about you?”
He shrugged. “School is school.”
Jamari and I laughed at him. I wasn’t expecting that answer from him, but at least he was honest.
After dinner, we decided to watch a movie together. Rylie and Zach fussed about what we should watch.
“I want to watchThe Lion King!” Zach yelled.
Rylie shook her head. “No, I’m tired of watching that. Let’s watchThe Fox and The Hound.”
Zach folded his arms and shot daggers at her. “No! Mari, tell her no!”
Jamari shook his head and stood up from the couch. “Rock paper scissors for it.”
They groaned, causing me to laugh. In the end,The Lion Kingwon. That made Zach very happy.
My eyes fluttered open,and a smile touched my lips. The way Jamari held me made me feel so protected. It had been a while since I had slept in a man's arms, but it had never felt as good as sleeping with Jamari. His arm was wrapped tightly around me as he held me from behind. I didn't want to leave this spot. Last night, he made love to me so tenderly. It had me wanting to shout about how he made me feel. Jamari was one of a kind, and I was happy to be in his life. Every now and then, he'd have this far-off look that had me kissing him every chance I got. When I did that, he'd put a smile on his face. The only thing I wanted him to do was to smile.
I was about to turn around and peck his lip when I heard laughter coming from the living room. Even with the door closed, the joy of the laughter was heard. I didn't want to leave Jamari, but I wanted to see what his siblings were up to. As quietly as I could, I slipped from Jamari's arms and reached for my clothes that were on the floor. Once I had them on, I retrieved my overnight bag from the corner of his bedroom. I then retrieved my phone and glasses from the dresser. I lookedback at Mari before I slipped out of the bedroom, closing the door behind me. I ran my fingers through my hair before I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. I stared at myself in the mirror and shook my head. A smile spread on my full lips as I touched my brown cheeks. I had a glow and could see it clearly.
After a quick shower, I made my way into the living room. Rylie and Zach were on the couch watching cartoons.Tom and Jerryplayed on the TV screen. The look on their faces was pure joy. They didn't have a care in the world and were so lucky to have a man like Jamari in their lives.
"Good morning," I greeted with a smile.
Both of their heads turned when they heard my voice. Rylie smiled while Zach looked at Rylie before he smiled too.
"Good morning," Rylie greeted back.
Zach waved before he turned his attention back to the TV.
"Are you guys hungry?"
I knew it probably would take a lot for them to warm up to me, but I was okay with that since they didn't know me like that. I had to be patient with them since they only had Jamari in their life. If Jamari had me, I'd be in their life too. With the way their brother was, who knew if we'd continue to be together? The only thing I could do was hold out hope.
Rylie turned to me with a bright smile on her face. "Yes! What are you going to make? Mari usually only gives us cereal."
I smiled. "If you have eggs and bacon, I can whip something up."
Rylie nodded and stood up from the couch. "Yes. We have everything in the kitchen. Mari isn't big on cooking, but when he does, he throws down."
I chuckled. "I can see that. Just show me where everything is, and I'll handle it from there."
Once she did, she left the kitchen, and I got busy preparing breakfast for them. The only person I usually cooked for was myself. In this moment, I felt like I belonged there with them. With a smile on my face, I cooked breakfast for Jamari and his siblings.
In the middle of fixing their plates, my cellphone rang, so I put the spatula down and went to get it. I saw my mother's name on the screen and cringed. My gut feeling told me this wasn't about to be a pleasant call. I almost didn't want to answer since I knew why she had called. Still, it was best to get it over with while I could.
