“Mommy, mommy, we’re staying in a biggggg house just like this one!”
The girls were all talking at the same time. It was safe to say they were thrilled.
“You guys know how daddy has a girlfriend?”
The girls nodded.
“Well, mommy has a boyfriend. And we’re getting married.”
Star frowned. “When did you get a boyfriend?”
“It’s a long story, but his name is Mr. Hymn. He plays football. Remember the game we went to? He was playing.”
Serenity’s eyes widened while Star gasped. Hymn stepped forward, and the girls all looked up at him. “Hi, I’m Hymn. And you are?”
“Star.”
“Serenity.”
“Sky.”
“If I mix you up, will you get mad?”
“No,” they giggled.
“Bet. It’s nice to meet you.”
We all piled into the kitchen to eat before the food got cold. Everyone stayed at the Airbnb until the wee hours of the morning. I felt like a kid on Christmas day. Everything had lined up so perfectly and so right. I couldn’t have asked for a better trip or proposal. That night once I made sure the girls were good and asleep, I sexed Hymn like I hadn’t ever sexed anyone. Crazy how I was with a man for seven years, and the sexual experience I had with Hymn that night moved me to tears. We made love on another level. A level I hadn’t ever felt before. That was furtherproof that it didn’t matter how long you knew a person, if they weren’t the one for you, time wouldn’t change anything.
Me, the girls, Josie, and my parents got back from Greece on a Saturday. Me and the girls pretty much slept all day on Sunday. Monday, I got them off to school then went to the makeup bar. I had two hours before my first client of the day, so I was going to work in my office for my paralegal job. Josie was going to be my maid of honor of course, but Alisa was a bridesmaid for sure, and her and Josie were already trying to plan and do the most. Alisa and I were having dinner later, because she wanted to throw my bridal shower. Josie’s crazy ass wanted to be in charge of the bachelorette party. I didn’t want a super long engagement, but Hymn and I did need to continue getting to know one another a little better.
I suggested premarital counseling, and he was with it. Once the honeymoon phase ended if it ever ended, I wanted Hymn and I to possess the tools that we needed to weather any storms. I had a lot to think about, but I didn’t want to overwhelm myself. I wanted to time the wedding, so we got married right before my lease ended. It would be hard, but I didn’t want us to live together until we were married. That would also give the girls time to get acclimated with Hymn.
The bell above the door chimed, and I walked out of the office to see who it was. When my gaze landed on Corey, I couldn’t keep the disdain I felt hidden. I doubted we would ever get to the point where we could coparent peacefully. There was no use in me asking him how he knew where I worked because if I wanted clients I had to advertise. It didn’t matter if I blocked him on social media. Just like a female, Corey found ways to snoop.When he found out the girls were in Greece, he texted me talking all kinds of shit.
His orbs darted to my ring finger, and his jaw muscles flexed. “You really gon’ marry that nigga? This soon? That nigga playing with you, and you’re too green to see it.”
“Green?” I drew back.
“Yeah green. You’re pretty, Brion, and all men want a pretty, wholesome woman. They wife the good girls and fuck the bad bitches with the BBL’s and big ass titties. You’re so busy trying to make me jealous that it’s clouding your judgement. Maybe it’s the money, but I’m telling you it’s not worth it.”
Calmly, I stared at Corey. I stared at him for so long that his brows hiked. Honestly, I didn’t know what to say. I was lowkey mad, sad, and offended. “You have some nerve,” I finally replied in a low tone. “Men wife the good girls but fuck the bad bitches. Maybe because that’s what your shallow ass did, you lump all men into the same box. You’re getting way too comfortable insinuating that I’m not good enough for a man like Hymn to be faithful to. I don’t need a BBL or big boobs to be appreciated by a real nigga. Maybe you needed to prove to yourself that you could get that kind of woman because you needed validation. I sincerely hope you got it, and I hope it was worth it.”
“I’m not letting my daughters live in the house with another man.”
“You don’t have a choice. Since I left you, you haven’t even bought the girls anything. You’re inconsistent with the custody agreement, and you had my kids witnessing a domestic violence dispute. Take me to court and see what judge grants you anything other than a child support order.”
Corey chuckled sarcastically. “You feeling yourself for real. I hope that nigga doesn’t end up hurting your feelings. That man is in the NFL. He can have anybody he wants, and you think he wants a single mother with three kids?”
“Get out of my place of business. The one that my man got for me.”
With that piece of news, Corey’s nostrils flared, and that made me smile.
“He invested in me. He supports me, and he wants my makeup career to flourish. That man reassures me and comforts me in ways that you never did. I don’t put anything past anybody, so if he does cheat, I’ll get over it the same way I got over it when you cheated.”
My cell phone rang from the office, and I turned my back on Corey to go answer it. I didn’t have anything else to say to him. I heard the bell above the door just as I picked up the phone. My brows snapped together when I saw it was one of the producers from the reality show that London was on.
“Hello?” I answered hesitantly.
