“No.”
“Contractions?”
“No, baby. Not yet.”
“Okay, cool.”
I got in on the passenger side, and he strapped me in before running over to the driver’s side.
“You comfortable?” he asked, and I laughed.
“I’m okay. Let’s get to the hospital.”
“You right. You right. I love you.”
“I love you too, Pryce.”
He leaned over to kiss me then pulled out of his driveway.
After a few hours of labor,AriAnna Princess Sullivan made her debut. Labor was fairly quick. It wasn’t quiet but far from what I’d had Pryce watch on YouTube. I had him scared out his mind at one point. He never left my side once. He was a great coach, encouraging me as the time passed and knowing to be quiet long enough to let a contraction pass.
And when Mariah Carey Jr. pushed through with a high-pitched cry, both of us got choked up. As soon as the doctor placed her on my chest, Pryce began comparing features. I had to ask him if she had his nose, eyes, and lips, what did she have from me. This man had the doctor and nurses cracking up when he said she had my cheeks and forehead.
Once AriAnna was cleaned up and swaddled, we had a couple hours of bonding time with her before I gave Pryce the green light to start calling immediate family. You would’ve thought they were waiting by the phone the way they all showed up one after another to see the newest addition. My parents arrived first since they lived closest. My mother came undone the moment she laid eyes on me and AriAnna. I thought she’d be mad that I didn’t call her to be a part of the delivery, but she was just happythat we were good. My dad gave Pryce a manly hug and told him he was proud.
Next on the visiting list was his parents and Grandma Lettie. There seemed to be a battle of who could cry the longest between my mom, Mama Jess, and Grandma Lettie. It was a tie so far, but they sure were getting it in. And then, Ebone, Key, Amil, and the guys arrived later that night. I just knew we were going to be put out of the hospital.
They were so pissed with Pryce for only allowing them in two at a time. AriAnna’s daddy ran a strict program. After everyone had their first looks and spent some time with us, they finally cleared out, and it was quiet again.
“Hey,” I called out to Pryce, who was standing over her little makeshift bed, watching her sleep.
He looked up at me, and I waved him over. Helping me sit up and get comfortable, he sat on the edge of the bed.
“I have a newfound respect for you after watching you push her out. You did good. Fuck that. You did great, Dai.”
“Thank you, babe. And thank you for making it hard to say no in that text.”
He smirked. “That warning had yo’ ass spooked.”
“No. That warning was a reminder that I rather be witchu and all yo’ bullshit than to start life new somewhere else.”
He grabbed me by my neck and pulled me to him. “Good answer.”
We engaged in a deep kiss that took my breath away. This was it for me. Me, my man, and our baby. This wasus.
Epilogue
“Marriage is not only a union of love but a covenant under God that holds two people together. It’s intention, patience, and sacrifice…”
The word sacrifice seemed to echo through the room more than anything else the officiant had said. I remembered expressing the importance of it to Adai months ago. Now, as I stood as a groomsman, dressed in my all-black tux behind Aura, it all came full circle. He and Danae had made it to the altar after having postponed the wedding a few months. It all worked out in the end though because the outcome of not rushing was beautiful.
The set up was every bit of my cousin –– modern, flashy, but elegant at the same time. It spoke the Sullivan name loudly. Aura had spared no expense when it came to the love of his life and their special day. The church was packed with people, mostly Sullivans, who loved a good gathering.
While I took in the family in attendance, it was the two people seated in the second row on the groom’s side that made my heart skip a beat. Adai and my Ari. Dai had on a fitted black dress that was covered in the front but backless. I watched her put it on this morning and fought the urge to dick her down in it.My woman looked that good. Her being a mom made her even more sexy and made me fall more in love with her. The ring I’d put on her finger two months ago was evidence of that.
She met my eyes and winked, rocking Ari back and forth. Day after day, that little girl changed so much that I thought if I blinked too fast, I’d miss something. She was the reason I wasn’t getting much sleep now. From late night feedings and diaper changes to her deciding that two in the morning was the perfect time to play, I wouldn’t trade it for the world because this wasn’t the kind of tired that came from loneliness. This was the kind of tired that came from me not wanting to miss even a millisecond of her life.
I tapped back into what the officiant was saying once he asked if anyone was against Aura and Danae’s union. Each of us flashed a gun that was tucked in our waistline, and the crowd roared in laughter.
