Though I kept my eyes on Junior, he broke our eye contact and glanced at his sister.
“What the fuck, Kannon? Is this why you’ve been avoiding me?”
“I haven’t been avoiding you, but my baby is why I haven’t asked to see you since we had lunch. I knew what you would say, and I wanted to have a stress-free pregnancy.”
An icy laugh caused her father’s chest to bounce. “You are one to fucking talk! Since the day I fucked your mama, you’ve caused nothing but stress. I told you to make shit right with the man, and you fucked him?”
“Hey!” I blurted out. “You need to calm down or cut the conversation.”
“Boy, I don’t need no middleman to speak to my daughter.”
“You ain’t talking to her sideways while she’s carrying mine. Hell, even without the baby, you won’t talk to her crazy. You think she’s a burden, then get on! I got her in this lifetime and in the next.”
“Kannon!” Her father snatched off his sunglasses. “Why are you even entertaining this fool?”
“Because he’s my man,” Kannon answered. “You’re mad at me for not telling you about my pregnancy when you should be mad at yourself for going months without seeing me. You only show up to reprimand me, and I’m over it. You don’t treat Kasey and Junior that way.”
“You aren’t Kasey or Junior! Those are my wife’s kids. They were made out of love.”
“So it’s okay to treat us differently?”
He stepped from side to side as if trying to figure out which direction to take the conversation. “Kannon, you’re almost thirtyyears old. You need to let go of the past. I took care of you, which is more than what most men would’ve done after their mistress lied about getting a fucking abortion!”
“You didn’t take care of me, but that’s okay. I learned how to take care of myself.” She glanced at me. “Then I met a man who finds joy in doing it.”
The confidence in Kannon’s delivery let me know I had done a good job. I had proven I would always pick Kannon, so she chose me. Despite the costs or backlash, the lady with the cat-like eyes picked a side.
“Kannon, are you really going to throw us to the side for aniggayou don’t even know?”
“No, I’m asking you to love me and respect my relationship,” she declared. “My man just lost his father. He deserves my attention. We can talk about this later.”
Junior grimaced. “What did I tell you a few months back? He is going to play you.”
“This is my wife. Playing herwould be playingmyself,” I corrected him.
Mr. Blackstone pushed his shoulders back and put his frames back on. “Yeah, all right. As usual, you want to be hardheaded. I would bet my legacy he won’t marry you. When he leaves you and your baby to fend for yourself, don’t call me.”
She shrugged. “I won’t. It’s not like you’ll answer.”
Epilogue
Kannon
One Year Later
“Here, take this.”
Nola placed a shot of liquor in my line of vision, but I pushed her hand away like the tequila contained one of my potions.
“You need something,” she insisted. “You’ve been sitting in this chair, clutching your robe, staring out the window since Yari finished with your hair and makeup. I know your ass isn’t pregnant again already.”
I smiled at the idea. “No, not yet. I just don’t want my breath to smell like liquor when I tongue my husband down.”
“Girl, please. Neptune has smelled your ass, your morning breath, and your vomit. I promise, he will still make you his wife if you have a little alcohol on your breath.”
“I know, but I want everything to be perfect. Neptune and I waited until Nova was six months old for our wedding day. I refuse to ruin the moment with a sloppy walk.”
Nola waved off my worrisome thoughts. “That’s impossible. Your best bitches, your man, and people who love you guys traveled hours to be here. Goddon’t play like that. Your day will be perfect.”
