Ti soleil ↠ Roman Reigns

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine | Family, Family, Family

Date 📆 July 2023

Fahayra and Joe take a walk around their neighborhood with the kids. Joe rubs Fahayra's belly as they walk.

"Do you want a baby shower?" Joe asked Fahayra.

"I don't know if I'll want to throw one myself but I'm sure our sisters will probably plan one for us," Fahayra answered.

Joe holds Fahayra's hand.

"I'm sure they will," Joe said.

Since they started attending therapy, Joe and Fahayra have been working together to create a more positive relationship with each other. Joe and Fahayra were both working on being positive influences on their children so they started walking around the neighborhood together as a way to help them cope as they figure things out.

"I've been thinking about starting back Sunday family dinner," Fahayra said.

Fahayra and Joe used to host Sunday family dinners at their house with their families but when Fahayra found out about Joe's affair. She put it on pause. She wanted to start back the tradition so her kids could be around their cousins again and move forward with their families. Fahayra wasn't going to keep holding grudges against them anymore.

"Are you sure?" Joe asked Fahayra.

"Yeah, I think it would be good for us and the kids, it's a tradition that I want to keep going," Fahayra answered.

"But you were so angry with everyone. Are you sure you won't be upset with everyone?" Joe asked.

Fahayra keeps an eye out for the kids as a car drives by. "I feel like I need to give them a second chance and hope for the best. I can't keep being angry at them for your mistakes. If I'm going to forgive you and move on then I have to do the same with them," Fahayra explained as she was just over being mad at everyone.

Joe nods.

"Well then, we will invite them over tonight and I'm going to do everything I can to bring this family back together and I think inviting them to Sunday dinner is going to make things a lot better," Joe said as they turn down another street.

Joe pulls out his phone.

"Do you care if I call some of them?" Joe asked.

"No, go ahead," Fahayra answered.

Joe calls his parents and invites them over, also telling them to extend the invitation to his sisters and their families. Joe does the same with his cousins and Fahayra sends a message in her family group chat.

After their walk, they return home where Fahayra is in the kitchen trying to figure out what to cook for over twenty people. Joe walks into the kitchen.

"Oh no, you're not cooking. I'm ordering catering," Joe said as he was not about to let his pregnant wife slave over a hot stove for over twenty people.

Fahayra smiled.

"That's fine with me," Fahayra said.

By Five Thirty in the Evening, Fahayra and Joe's house is alive with their relatives, who are excited that they can finally have Sunday dinners again at the couple's house.

Fahayra can't help but dart glances at the people currently sitting around her dining room table. She didn't think she would be able to handle being in the same room as some of Joe's family members and she was right. Everyone kept glancing at her and Joe, asking subtle questions about their relationship.

And how happy they were that they decided to work things out. She wondered for a brief moment about the insanity that had allowed her to do this. She wanted to scream at everyone to stop being fake. Joe kept a hand on Fahayra's thigh to keep her calm like he knew she was slowly losing it.

"What's wrong?" Joe whispered to her.

"Nothing," Fahayra muttered as she lifts the food to her mouth.

"So, Joe and Fahayra, what are your plans for having four newborns?" Fahayra's father, David asked.

An awkward silence filled the room, as Fahayra broke the silence. "It's no one's business but mine, Galina, and Joe's," Fahayra answered as Joe looked at her and thanked her.

"Well, I'm just trying to see how he plans to have you taking care of his four kids with another woman while you take care of the nine you got with him," David said.

"Sir, you have no room to judge," Joe said.

"And why would you ask that?" Fahayra asked her father.

"I just want to make you're not stuck in a situation where you're raising his kids without help," David answered.

Fahayra scoffed.

"Let's not start something we can't come back from," Fahayra said in a warning tone.

"I'm your father, you will not talk to me like that," David said, raising his voice.

"Don't raise your voice at her. You will not disrespect her in her home," Joe told David.

David let out a bitter chuckle.

"I'm sorry, you're the only one allowed to be disrespectful to her, right," David said.

Fahayra's leg started to shake.

"Shut up, David," Bianca said.

"I can't ask my daughter and son-in-law questions?" David asked.

"Not when you're doing it to be malicious," Joe answered.

"I'm just looking out for my daughter," David said.

"You know what maybe it was too soon for this dinner," Fahayra said as she got up from the table.

"Good night," Fahayra said as she walked out of the dining room.

Everyone had worried looks on their faces at how numb Fahayra became.

"Way to go, Dad," Catya said.

"Fahayra not going let us come around now," Summer said, looking at Joe.

Joe sighed.