“Raise your glasses,” my father said, walking over and standing next to me. “To my only son, congrats on your blessing and continuing the Sullivan lineage. May you be as smart, loving, debonair, and as wise of a father as I am to you to your lil’ one. I love you, and I’m proud of you. To Baby Sullivan.”
“To Baby Sullivan,” the guys said in unison.
Even though I didn’t like my business out there before I could tell it, my baby was something to celebrate. Glasses clinked, and I took my shot back.
“I love this for you, man,” Jay commented. “A baby gon’ soften you up. Maybe yo ass won’t walk around here so uptight all the time.”
“Since y’all niggas feel that way bout me, I’ma make sure my baby give y’all hell. Just like EJ.”
“Aye, man.” Enzo chuckled. “Don’t bring my son into this. He’s been a model citizen lately.”
“Yeah. Thanks to hisTyri.” Aura mimicked EJ.
We all laughed, knowing how EJ felt about Thyri. Enzo had lucked up finding a woman who not only loved him but took on his son like he was her own. Shit, you couldn’t tell EJ she wasn’t his mama.
“He still bad as hell.”
Enzo swung at me and missed on purpose. I chuckled because that nigga didn’t wanna hear no shit about his son. I couldn’t be mad cause I was sure I’d be the same way with my baby once he or she made their arrival. Like two big ass kids, we started to slap box at the bar until my father told us to chill out before his mother came over. Neither of us wanted smoke with Grandma Lettie, so we stopped. I went to turn around to see if she was lurking, and that was when I saw her — Adai.
She’d just entered the hall with her head up and a walk that made my dick hard. Before she fully made it inside, Key spottedher, and the women seemed to flock to her from there. My mother was first; my aunts, cousins, and Grandma Lettie slowly brought up the rear. The way they embraced her, one would’ve thought they were waiting on her arrival. Nobody seemed surprised. Just happy she’d showed up.
And she was dressed for the occasion. The soft nude dress she wore fit her perfectly and had her bump on full display like she wasn’t hiding it anymore. What caused an involuntary grin to form on my lips was her hair. It was back black, pulled up into a bun, and two strands hung loose in the front, framing her face. Adai never had to try too hard. She knew exactly who she was and what she was doing.
“Looks like the other special guest arrived,” Jay said from behind me.
Everyone didn’t know the story behind Adai’s return, and I wasn’t going to share it. Instead, I nodded and headed back to my seat without responding. When I sat down, I pulled out my phone and pretended to be preoccupied with it. I glanced up to see my mother with her arm wrapped around Dai, likely introducing her belly before introducing her to family she hadn’t met. I laughed inwardly, knowing Dai was likely over it, but Key peeped it and was able to pull her away. Grabbing Dai’s hand, she turned in my direction and began walking her over to me.
“This is your seat, friend,” she said to Dai, pulling the chair out for her. “Play nice, Mr. Grinch.”
Dai chuckled as Key walked away. Getting comfortable in her seat, she locked eyes with me. “Hey.”
“Wassup?”
The verbal exchange was too simple considering everything we had sitting between us. Up close, she looked even more beautiful, her skin more radiant. She looked calm and well rested. She looked… like mine still.
CHAPTER 9
A Conscious Decision
ADAI
I’d changed my clothes not once, not twice, but three whole times while getting dressed for Grandma Lettie’s party. I usually wasn’t this indecisive, but tonight was a big deal. It was my re-introduction back into the Sullivan family. I wanted to dress to impress. I also wanted Pryce’s eyes to be on me all night. I already knew I was on his mind because he’d texted me twice today. And though the messages had been about the baby, we were one, so he was checking on me too.
The first dress I tried on was a black wrap around midi dress. It was the safest option. It hugged everything just right and had a subtle control like black always did. At the same time, the color gave guarded and serious, two feelings I didn’t want to display. So, I changed.
Key hadn’t given me a dress code. Her words were, “Be photo ready because I paid the photographer good money to get those Teyana Taylor angles.” I had to look the part. The second option was a yellow two-piece set that I had hanging in the closet with the tag still on it. It was a knitted top with a long skirt that stopped at my ankles and a split in the back. The set was cute, but I didn’t want to give cute. I wanted to give a bad pregnant bitch is in the building.
So, I changed again. By the time I slipped into the nude dress I finally chose, I knew it was the one. The square neck halter maxi dress was perfection. It showed an acceptable amount of cleavage and fit close at the top without doing too much. It gave the bump anI have arrivedmoment that I loved as well. In this dress, I felt like I was stepping into the room honestly instead of carefully.
The way the family greeted me upon arrival let me know that I made the right choice. Not only had I showed up despite my initial reservations, but I was right on theme in my nude, blending in with the creams, nudes, and browns. They couldn’t deny me as an honorary Sullivan if they tried.
When Pryce’s mother reached me with her hand covering her mouth and tears in her eyes like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing, I smiled big.
“Look at you,” she said, pulling me in for a hug. “And look at Granny baby.” She rubbed my belly.
I could hear the other family members awwing as they made their way over to show me and the bump love. Grandma Lettie was the last to hug me. When she did, she whispered, “I knew you were the one,” in my ear. Squeezing my hand, she winked at me and walked off. Funny thing was, it wasn’t the first time I’d heard those words from her. She’d said them a year into me and Pryce being official. I never questioned it.
The excitement poured out of Pryce’s mother as she paraded me and the baby around like we were trophies. Her introduction of me andBaby Sullivanhad me giggling on the inside. One would have thought it was her baby, and I was the surrogate. I loved that she was happy about her grandbaby. However, by the fourth introduction in under five minutes, my ankles needed a break from all this baby and all this ass I was carrying in five-inch heels. I breathed a sigh of relief when Kyiris walked over.
