Page 63 of Mia

My mother laughed as she slid closer to him. “Yes, it was.”

My parents had been together since they were fifteen years old. It used to be crazy to me to hear about couples being together since they were that young. Once upon a time, I couldn’t fathom love being that real so soon. David and Tara were a prime example of why it was. Pop didn’t play about Mom and Mom didn’t play about Pop. Neither played about me. Just like she was at my side beating a nigga mama’s ass, he was right there whipping on the daddy.

They were my hittas and everything I learned about being a savage, I learned from them.

The two of them started kissing, and I knew it was about time for me to get the fuck on.

“I’ma let y’all have this,” I said, standing with Bleu in my arms. “Nobody is trying to see all that. I’m taking the dog as a surprise for my wife.”

“I gonna head out too,” my aunt said standing. I don’t wanna see this shit either. Not when I have my own man at home.”

“Yeah,” Emmon said, pushing off from the wall. “It’s something about freaky old people that doesn’t sit right with me. I’m out.”

“Fuck you, Emmon,” my pops said, pausing briefly. “All of y’all can get the hell out. Bye.”

We all waved them off as we headed out the front door. I shook my head, but secretly hoped it was still like that for me when I was their age.

After making my rounds and heading to the pet store to buy shit for Bleu, I headed back to the compound. Mia might curse me out because she sure as hell wasn’t expecting me to bring a fucking animal in this house. I mean, technically, this wasn’t my residence. I had shit over here. I paid the bills and had been doing so since before we got married.

She didn’t know that for the longest time.

Before me, she told me her father paid all of her bills. When I knew I wanted shit to be serious with us, I went to Senior and asked him to have everything rerouted to my account and not to tell her. I was a provider and didn’t have a problem taking care of Mia. The woman was on my credit card account and had my black card. She never had to spend her own money if she didn’t want to.

Bills, taken care of.

Car maintenance, done.

Shit needed fixing around the house? She knew to call me first because a nigga was a jack of all trades thanks to my father. It didn’t matter if we were on good or bad terms, if she needed something, she could call me. Of course, she gave me the stank eye the whole time, but daddy was gonna make sure she was good.

I pulled into the driveway and shut off the truck. Bleu was sleeping soundly in the passenger seat. I didn’t even know if this lil’ bitch was housebroken. Mia would kick my ass if she pissed or shitted on her floor. And if she fucked around and chewed up her shit… that was my ass.

I shot my mother a text, and she confirmed that Bleu was housebroken and while she was curious, she wasn’t destructive. With that relief, I got out of the truck. The front door opened, and Mia stepped out wearing a tank top and a tiny ass pair of lounge shorts. I licked my lips as I stared at her.

My wife was so fucking beautiful, whether it was with makeup or completely natural, she was flawless.

“Hey, baby,” I said, walking over to the steps.

She smiled softly. “Hey.”

I beckoned her to me, and she came into my arms, wrapping hers around my neck. A smile spread across her lips as I peppered her face with kisses while grabbing a handful of her ass.

“Titan!” she said, giggling.

“I missed you, mamas.”

She pulled back and smiled at me. “I missed you too.”

“You had a good day?”

“I did. I worked out with my brothers, and my mama made chicken and dumplings for lunch. I spent some time with the girls and the kids today too. They must have known how much I needed a little love because those kids were all over me.”

“They always seem to know. Any time I visited them while you were gone, they ran my ass ragged. Juri has the spirit of somebody’s mama, the way she would pop my damn forehead when I let her play in my locs. “Be still, Ty!”

She laughed as I shook my head. “She’s so much like Smoke that it’s crazy he isn’t he biological father.”

“Right.” I pecked her lips. “I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?”