Page 95 of A Don & His Doll

“Monae Black. Hell yea that’s my daughter. And her smart ass is just like me. Smart as hell wit’ an old soul too.”

“Oh my God, she really is,” Promise said out loud, cracking up laughing because Monroe told no lies. That girl was daddy’s girl through and through. Promise smiled because her heart was so full. Monae had filled a space in her heart without permission, and it’s exactly what Promise needed.

“A’ight. Good lookin’ out, G,” Monroe said, concluding the call. The sound of an envelope sounded in the background, then there was more silence.

“ASPD Comorbid Antisocial Personality Disorder and Schizophrenia? What the fuck? Since when my mama got a severe mental illness and personality disorder?” Monroe questioned aloud. “How the hell I miss that?” Monroe sighed deeply, then silence settled over the recording again.

Promise moved to the edge of her seat, and hit rewind because what? What the hell? Everything makes sense now, Promise thought, needing to hear that part again before listening to the rest. She shook her head as the realization hit. She wasn’t tripping at all. Promise didn’t feel anything though. Macie had tried to kill her, and God don’t like ugly.

“How you doin’, Ms. Montgomery?” Monroe said as soon as she answered the phone. “I was just callin’ to thank you for makin’ such a perfect ass woman. I just sent you a gift,” Monroe said. “Did you get it?”

“Ten thousand dollars, Monroe! Oh my goodness, son. You didn’t have to send me that.” Promise’s mom protested, I’m not struggling in the least, but thank you so much for thinking of me.

“You right. I should've sent more,” Monroe stated, not giving a damn about what she already had. It wasn’t about that… It was about appreciation. “I’ma double that amount every month for trustin’ me wit’ your daughter."

“Monroe Black, you better not,” Ms. Montgomery told him. “I trust you with her because I know it’s Gods’ will for y’all to be together. I see the way y’all look at each other. I notice the small details like how protective you are with her, how you tend to her every need and want without her having to ask…It’s so pure. So beautiful to look at from the outside of the world you two created for others to marvel at. It's a rarity, son, and you’re a phenomenal man. I’m so proud of both of you,” she genuinely encouraged him.

“‘Preciate that, Ms. Montgomery. I’ma see you soon,” Monroe said, taking his dinner out of the bag.

“Alright, son. Talk to you later.”

Before walking out of the ensuite, Monroe bent down, opened the bottom drawer, and retrieved two surprises he’d been hiding from Promise. It was the only place in the house he knew she’d never look, but it was true, sometimes the best hiding places were the ones that were in plain sight. Draped in light blue sweats and no shirt, Monroe stepped out of the bathroom. The expression on his face was telling of his confident vulnerability.

His eyes were softer…Deeper.

His posture was relaxed…Open.

He had made himself an open book for Promise to read and interpret his truth because he’d laid it all out for her. She nourished and nurtured his heart, while he protected hers. For a moment he just stood, allowing the silence between them to transport them to the dimension where only the rawest version of themselves could exist. It was almost as if time paused, and the only thing that moved was Monroe as he closed the space between them. Sitting one of the gifts that he’d purchased for her on the bench beside her, he knelt before her the second time in less than an hour, and kissed her stomach.

“I love you so much, Monroe. You are all I want, and all I’ll ever need,” Promise confessed as tears streamed down her face. She was so blinded by her own emotions, she had totally overlooked the gift he’d sat beside her.

“I done had a whole lot of time to dissect love. How it look. How it feel. How it make people act. How it influenced logic and the way decisions get made. How it smell and taste. I mean I broke that shit down like a math problem, weighted it on my soul, and conducted personal case studies within my own mind,” Monroe stated, swiping his thumb over Promise’s hand. “I know it’s real. I can see it. I’m experiencing it. Every time I’m with you, I smell it…I can taste it, and when I touch you…I mean really touch you, Doll. You feel so fuckin’ good,” he confessed. “I’on think I’ma ever understand why the first woman I ever loved did everything in her power to keep this shit away from me. She said it would make me a weaker man. She said it wasn’t for men like me, like I wasn’t worthy of it,” his eyes brimmed with tears, but they never fell. “Then I met you, and leaped into the deepest love I ever experienced in my life,” Monroe kissed her stomach. “Just being your man ain’t enough no more, Doll. A nigga tryna be yo’ husband. I’m ready for our family to officially begin. Marry me, Doll. Ain’t nothin’ in this world I want more than to make this love between us a permanent reality. You rockin’ with a nigga or what? I love you.” Monroe proposed, and waited for her answer as he opened the small black box, revealing the pear-shaped 16-carat brilliant/cushion-cut diamond with Trapezoid side diamonds.

“Yes,” Promise cried like a baby, feeling the weight of Monroe’s love as he slid the engagement ring on her finger. “I love you so much, baby,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

And just like that, they’d created a moment that they’d remember for the rest of their lives. Monroe held her tight in his warm embrace, kissing the nape of her neck ever so sweetly, then pulled back slightly. He brought his hands to the front of her belly, then lowered his lips to her stomach, and kissed his baby.

“Daddy can’t wait to meet you, Young King,” Monroe said, smiling at the feel of his baby kicking his hand after hearing the sound of his voice. “We out here gettin’ everything right for you, but I wanted to let you know before you get here that we love you already. You gon’ be born into wealth, so you won’t ever have to worry about nothin’. I’m wise enough to know that money ain’t gon’ be enough to sustain you forever, that’s why I wanna promise you today that you’ll never have to question where I stand as your father,” Monroe told his son. “You ain’t never gon’ have to earn my love, and you’ll never have to heal from the way I give it to you.”

Promise smiled, resting her hand on the back of his head.

“You gon’ know what home feels like, son. Even when life gets complicated, you gon’ know exactly where yours is.” He smoothed his thumb slowly over Promise’s skin. “I can’t promise I’ma always get this daddy shit right, but I’ma give it my best. I might make some mistakes, but we gon’ get through it all together.”

“Yes, we will,” Promise agreed, resting her hand over his.

“I got one more surprise for you, Doll,” Monroe said, placing his last gift for the night in her hands.

Promise ripped the gift wrap off, eager to see what it was, and once she opened it, she froze when she saw three pictures from the day they officially met, Thanksgiving, 2023. She swiped her hand across the photos, cherishing the day they crossed paths before flipping the page. The next page were off-guard pictures from their first date.

“Oh my God, babe. When did you take these?” Promise asked, blown away by his thoughtfulness.

Monroe chuckled because Promise had no idea how many pictures he’d truly had of her. “Keep looking, Doll. I can’t tell you all my shit.”

Promise laughed through the happy tears that were still pouring from her eyes, but when she flipped the page, her breath hiked immediately when she noticed six rose petals from the beautiful assortment Monroe had given her from Grand Fleur for their first date. Dusty pink, cream, and soft brown. Each color had its own significant meaning.

Monroe stood and walked to the dresser to grab Promise’s favorite soft chiffon-material maternity nightgown for her to slip on because if she sat there naked for any longer, Monroe was going to be smearing his face in her wetness. As soon as Monroe slipped the gown over Promise’s head, the light round of taps on their door caught their attention instantly.

“Come on in,” Promise voiced, standing with the photo album in her hand as the gown automatically draped over the rest of her body.