“I have never seen anything more beautiful in my life. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this.” Nova marveled at the place the same way I did. We were holding hands and recording everything. I wouldn’t post anything until we were leaving, but I wanted to make sure I captured it all.
All of the rooms were so beautiful and had a unique theme. Keynauri wouldn’t tell me what the name of the place was, because he knew I would start investigating. This is far beyond my expectations. There were large bay windows throughout, andeach section of the place offered an equally beautiful view. Each room was equipped with a private balcony from which you could see the beach. I wasn’t much of a swimmer, but I looked forward to squishing my toes in the sand.
“This place has me ready to strip and put on my bikini right now. I wonder what the nightlife is like out here. I heard the tequila is a thousand times better out here, and I need to test it out for myself.” Nova snickered.
“Damn, this place is nice, and the bitches out here look good as fuck!” Logic yelled as he pushed between Nova and me, breaking our connection.
“You are truly one ignorant ass nigga. You saw us walking together, dickhead. You could have walked around,” Nova spat.
“I could have, but I didn’t. You see how that works?” Logic shrugged his shoulders as he walked backward.
“Fuck you, ol’ flat-footed bitch. You could have at least put some Vaseline on those ashy ass kneecaps. It looks like you’ve been on your knees praying on top of some all-purpose flour. I bet I could rub a stick across your shit and start a fucking fire.” She tittered. I covered my mouth as I laughed. The two of them usually didn’t speak, but I guess this was the first time they were forced to be in a closed space together.
“You’re right, baby. Why don’t you get on your knees and rub your greasy ass face on my shit? You’re over there looking like a plastic doll with all that shit on your face. It reminds me of when our mommas used to grease us up on the first day of school. Come on over here and help a nigga out,” Logic shot back.
“Don’t hate because I care about my skin care while you’re walking around with alligator skin. I’m itching just from looking at you. It doesn’t help that you’re skinnier than a tripod. You look like one of those kids on those twenty-five-cent-a-day commercials. The only thing big on you is your head.”
“Says the bitch who used to run from the dick because it was too big. Please don’t try to play crazy in front of your bestie, because we both know the truth. My head might be big, but my money is longer, and so is my dick. I know your hoe ass has probably fucked so many people you’ve lost count, but you could never forget this big mothafucka.” Logic taunted her, grabbing the front of his shorts. I looked away once I noticed how thick it was. Nova mentioned it, but that shit was humongous.
“My hoe ass? You don’t know shit about me to call me a hoe. You must have caught amnesia because you were the one who fucked around and cheated on me after I finally gave your ass a chance! If I’m a hoe, what are you?” There was a hint of emotion in her rant, and I made a mental note to question her about it later.
“You’re still a hoe. I love how you’re trying to rewrite history because you and I both know you went back and let that nigga hit after he fucked you over and made a baby on you. I never even looked in another bitch’s direction until that hoe-ass nigga sent pictures of y’all in bed together. You must have thought I was some sucka ass nigga who was gonna continue to chase you while you pined for a fuck nigga who didn’t want you. Naw, you had life messed up, and I needed you to see I wasn’t the one to play with.” Logic’s tone grew cold, and they were no longer joking with one another.
Logic walked away before any more could be said. When I turned to face Nova, her face was bright red. His harsh words obviously affected her, and I wanted to know what happened. When I decided to go off to school, Nova and I weren’t as close. It wasn’t because we had fallen out; between attending college and preparing to become a mother, I had very little time for much else. I was exhausted most of the time, while she was out having a normal college experience.
We reconnected after I gave birth, and she told me about her and Logic breaking up, but the only thing she told me was that he cheated on her. It sounded like there was much more to the story, but I would give her the chance to tell me herself.
After we completed our tour, we headed back to the living room. The kids were all sitting on the floor, watching a movie on the large flat screen TV. Keynauri sat on the couch next to them with his head tilted back. His sunglasses were on, but I could tell he was asleep.
Nova got a phone call, so she excused herself, and Lyric and East were nowhere to be found. I shrugged it off, assuming they must have picked out their rooms and were getting settled in.
I switched over to Keynauri, waving my hand in front of his face to see if he would move. I chuckled when there was no reaction from him. I thought about letting him sleep, but we still needed to pick our room and get the kids settled. He could always take a nap in our room.
Since the kids were in the room, I couldn’t do much, so I settled on a simple kiss. I pecked his lips a couple of times until he stirred in his sleep.
“Mmmm, what are you doing, baby?” His scruffy voice turned me on. Honestly, it didn’t take much for him to cause my body to react. Even the scent of his cologne made my nipples hard.
“Let’s bring our bags into the room and then get changed. We need to eat and figure out what we want to do for the day. Plus, I want to wash the flight off me anyway.” I held my hand out for him to grab, and he accepted.
“I already know which room is ours, but we can go get changed. I ordered takeout for everyone to hold us over until dinner. We have reservations for one of the on-site restaurants at seven. Then I’m gonna set the kids up in the theater room for a movie night,” he informed me. The smile on his face when he mentioned the kids made my heart swell. There was no doubtthat Keynauri loved being a father because his face would light up anytime they were mentioned.
Keyami, Kiaya, Keyaire, and even Symphonee clung to him as if he were their own personal hero and playing partner. I loved seeing it, even though part of me wished I knew what it was like. I hadn’t spoken to my father since I graduated high school. He refused to help pay for my party or my cap and gown. For some reason, he took pleasure in seeing my mother struggle, and as a result, I was penalized as well.
I kept in touch with a few of my siblings, but my father and I might as well have been strangers. We saw each other a few times in public, but he went out of his way to avoid me. It hurt my feelings at first, but I came to accept it.
Watching Keynauri be a father to his children healed something deep inside of me. No one had to ask him to pull his weight; he was constantly trying to find ways to make time for them. This trip was a prime example. All they needed to do was tell him they needed him, and he showed up, no questions asked. He was supposed to do an interview for a major magazine, but he declined, explaining that there was a scheduling conflict and that his children came first. The magazine graciously offered to reschedule when he returned, but his team was pissed. They couldn't care less about him being a family man. All they wanted was to control him.
When Lyric and East finally resurfaced, they watched all the kids while we went to our room. I couldn’t contain the cheesy smile on my face when I noticed the flowers, gift bags, and card on the bed. I didn’t know how I’d missed it, but it made me happy, nonetheless.
I loved receiving nice, expensive gifts, and it was the little things that made all the difference. Inside the card was a voucher for a spa day at the resort. I needed a massage badly, and I appreciated him thinking of me.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Keynauri asked with a bashful expression.
“I don’t know. Sometimes I find myself wondering when I’m gonna wake up from this dream. Being here with you and our kids is what I’ve always wanted, and I’m trying to savor every moment.”
“I’ve experienced a lot since I’ve been home, but nothing compares to being with you and my kids. Every day I wake up feeling like the greatest man on the planet. Y’all give me purpose and a reason to look forward to another day. This new lifestyle won’t be easy, but I’m trying my best to find a healthy balance. All I need you to do is trust me. Don’t be afraid to let me know when I’m slacking on my job, and don’t hold anything back.
“I have no desire to live in the past, because it won’t get us anywhere. I want to create new memories and build the life we were always meant to have. I love you and my three kids more than anything in this world, and I’ll spend the rest of my life making up for what we lost.”
