Page 115 of Full Court Press

Everyone congratulated them just as Nana and Mr. Willie came out of the house. Nana still looked the same, only now, her hair was all white, but her face and body still held its youth. I didn’t think I’d ever seen a seventy-year-old look so damn good.

My body tensed.

Khalil took notice, rubbed my arms, and whispered that everything was okay.

I begged to differ.

When I had a conversation with his mom the day I reintroduced myself to Kiy, she told me they were mad at me for leaving and breaking their son/grandson’s heart. While Mama Kael was a bit more understanding because somehow, she knew I’d come back, Nana still hadn’t gotten over it.

I knew why, though.

It was because I left without saying goodbye, and she had a front-row seat to her grandson’s heartbreak.

“I see y’all out here having a grand old time without us,” Nana said.

“We didn’t know you were up, Mama. We ain’t seen you since you got here,” Papa Drew said, standing and greeting her with a hug and kiss to her cheek.

“You want to sit down, honey?” Mr. Willie asked her.

“No, not yet.” Her eyes came to me. “You. Come.” She waved me over then turned and went back inside the house.

Shit.

I set my drink down and nervously stood to my feet.

“Don’t worry, bae. If she goes upside your head, just duck and roll.”

I mushed his head. “Shut up.”

I walked inside the house and saw her standing at the counter, making her a plate of the food we had catered. I wrung my fingers nervously while I waited for her to speak, which she took her time doing before she finally took a seat at the island.

“You don’t gotta be nervous around me, Piper. Although I had every intention on cursing you out, seeing your face instead of that hoochie Anais’s made me rethink my words and actions.”

Tears filled my eyes before I could stop them from running down my cheeks. “All I can do is tell you that I’m sorry. I already made my rounds with the family, and all I could think about was how you may be the hardest one I’d have to convince how truly sorry I am.”

“You don’t have to convince me. I know why you left, and I honestly don’t fault you for it. It’s the aftermath of what your leaving had done. My grandson was a damn wreck when you left. I had never seen him so out of it and off his feet the way I saw him after you were gone.

“I knew he loved you. That much couldn’t be denied. But what I didn’t know was how he loved you that much to even be as down bad as he was. It literally took his father to come up there and be with him during the combine because he was off his game. Even after he got drafted, he made a lot of poor decisions. That whoremonger was one of the worse ones he made. When he told me he was marrying that thang, I didn’t speak to him for a week.” She shook her head and chuckled lightly. “But what let me know that he wasn’t going to go through with it was the fact that he never divorced you, and he ain’t have no plans on doing it either.”

My eyes went to her. “Y-you knew about the marriage?”

“I knew about it the same day he did it.”

Wow.

That was news to me.

I thought we were the only ones who kept that secret until he told me he told his mom, sister, and Nana years later.

“Yup, called me up that morning, asking me what I thought about it. I was against it, but that was only because I knew you weren’t ready for him. He had grown man responsibilities, and you weren’t as experienced as he was when it came to relationships. But he was so sure that you were the one, and he told me he was taking you to the courthouse and making you his wife.

“Now, I’m not saying he was wrong about what he felt and still feels for you, but he certainly did it prematurely. It’s like throwing a newborn in the ocean and expecting it to know how to swim. I knew you would drown the moment he placed that ring on your finger.

“I ain’t say that to offend you, baby. I had no doubt that if the outside world, meaning Nia and those jealous friends of his wasn’t a thing, you two could have prospered and gave me a lot of great-grands by now. But all that matters is that you’re here now, and my babies are happy. Him being the happiest. So I hope you threw away those track shoes because if you run again, I’m coming for your behind.”

I smiled and wiped my tears. “I hear you, Nana.”

“You better. Now come give me a hug.” I hurried around the counter and fell into her arms, holding her tight. “It’s good to have you back, baby.”