Page 62 of Kisses Behind The Spotlight 2: Finale

“I’m so proud of both of you. Personally and professionally. I never would’ve imagined we’d be here after all of these years,” James laughed.

Yaseer and Mama Marissa approached our table next.

“Shit, Stepp. Steam Bean about to slide up on you,” Xain whispered, elbowing him.

I snickered as they reached the table.

“Congratulations. We are really about to be grandparents.”

“Times two,” Marissa celebrated. “I’m so excited.”

“Shit crazy.” Yaseer smiled.

“How could y’all not tell me about my nieces and nephews first?”

Yarissa’s little voice yelled over the calamity before we could see her. Moments later, she squeezed between her parents and swirled the cherry around in her mocktail, swiveling her head from side to side to give them both a stern glare.

“Girl, bye. I definitely wasn’t telling you early,” Amill waved Yarissa off and leaned into Stepp’s chest.

“Oop, it’s like that? Well congratulations. When Bebe and Quincy have a child, there will be favoritism,” she affirmed before strutting off.

“I hope you are ready for Yarissa 2.0 if you have a daughter, Amill,” James laughed.

“No, my baby is going to be chill like their dad. Fingers crossed, I’m going to love them regardless, though,” Amill joked.

“Exactly. I’d love another Amill running around here,” Stepp confirmed.

“And that’s why I had to marry him. He loves every part of me,” Amill bragged, then kissed her husband.

We stayed in the lounge for a few more hours enjoying the vibes and food before dispersing. I was exhausted by the end of that day and was dead to the world by midnight. The next morning, I woke up, ate breakfast, and went right back to sleep. My body was exhausted. Noah’s voice from the kitchen woke me up from my nap, but it was the smell of food that made my eyes pop open.

Before I went to sleep, Noah left with his friends. I wasn’t annoyed that Noah woke me up prematurely because I was always relieved when he came home. When Xain got out of jail, he bought Noah his dream car, a black Mustang, and I still got a little anxiety knowing he was on the road freely. He finished his junior year on the honor roll all four semesters and took dual-enrollment classes at HCC. His mother would check on him here and there, insisting he come home, but Noah was happy with us. Of course that made Bridgette hate my guts more than she already did. I couldn’t give a fuck either way.

I peeled myself out of bed and went into the bathroom to get myself together for the day. All I wanted was to rest, relax, and reset. One of the best perks about my job was the long random breaks we could take, and the next few months were one of them. We had a large family trip to Antigua planned, and I couldn’t wait for the hot mess express to end the kids’ summer break. Even my mom was going to bless us with her presence.

The house was eerily quiet as I descended the stairs. I’d just heard Noah in the kitchen, and I assumed he was speaking to Xain because he wasn’t in the bed beside me. Halfway down, I heard Noah’s car pull away. Once I made it to the first floor, I gawked at the beautiful setup in the living room. The theme was immediately evident: Morocco.

A bright smile spread across my face, and the exhaustion that previously bogged me down dissipated. Rows of purple and red roses, mixed with lavender plants, surrounded the antique handwoven rug we brought home on our last trip to Morocco. It had been sitting in the garage collecting dust because I hadn’t figured out a permanent home for it. A few brass lanterns sat around the rug, casting the intimate light Xain had going on.

“Good evening, bae. Welcome to your night of rest and relaxation,” he grinned, leaning up against a few purple and red pillows.

Xain hopped to his feet and grabbed my hands, leading me over to the rug. He helped me get comfortable on the rug with him. The flowers were fresh and filled the room with the soft, soothing floral scent. Jameera came over to help him with those floral arrangements; I could feel it.

“This is beautiful,” I complimented, scanning the setup. Now that I was comfortable on the carpet, I noticed a bucket sat beside me with my favorite wine coolers and sparkling water inside.

“I did my lil one, two. You’re always pulling something together for everybody else; now it’s your turn,” he explained.

“You did an amazing job,” I bubbled, leaning in to kiss him.

“Thank you.” He smiled. I pulled a bottle of sparkling water from the bucket and cracked it open for a sip before lying back down on Xain. “The khobz needs a few more minutes, but I have our last crossword puzzle queued up. We can finish it while we wait.”

Xain clicked around on his iPad, which he was mirroring to the TV. We spent many Sundays cuddled up on the couch completing crossword puzzles together just like that. That was our favorite way to decompress. Noah would call us lame every time he walked in on it, but I was proud to share those lame moments with my man.

“You’re making khobz? What else is on the menu?” I inquired once the puzzle popped up on the TV.

Khobz was a Moroccan bread we took a cooking lesson to make at the bakery with the briwats. I was impressed that he baked some on his own.

“Couscous, lamb chops, and khobz,” Xain listed the Moroccan dishes he knew I loved.