Tell Me You Love Me [COMPLETED]

Chapter 44: A Birthday to Remember Part II

Aesha POV

It's...

8:30 PM

...and I'm sitting here in Galina's dining room, Raul, Joe, the kids, Galina, and I are all sitting at her dining table eating the birthday dinner she's prepared for me of all my favorite foods: Lasagna, baked chicken, salad, potato salad, baked mac and cheese, coleslaw, cake pops, rice, corn, collard greens, pie. She obviously thought that today was thanksgiving...for just us. There's no cake here but that's okay, I'll definitely be getting dessert later. For now, we're all sitting around the table, stuffing our faces, and conversing like one big family; one big family of low-key petty people, like Raul and I.

"So, Aesha." He says as conversation dies down.
"Yes, Ra?"
"You know why Lina's been goin' to the hospital so much recently?"
"Pfft...why's that, Ra?"
"'Cause she's got a...vitamin D deficiency."

I gag on my food while I try to stifle my laughter and Raul quietly cackles to himself, Joe and Galina letting out long frustrated sounding sighs.

"Mommy, is that true? If so, they have vitamins for that." Joelle says looking at her mom.
"Yeah, G, I'm sure Cecil can write you a prescription." Raul chuckles out.
"Oh yeah! Mr. Cecil is a doctor! He can totally help you!" Jojo says and Raul and I continue taking shots at Galina.
"Yeah, I'm sure he's got a few things to help you out with that, like that ten inch long chocolate flavored pill you've been takin'."
"Seems like it's working."
"Yeah, you have a new glow about you, must be all that...pfft...edible ointment he likes to give you."

And we lose it, Raul letting out a loud extended laugh while I rest my head on the table and hit the surface with my fist as I laugh, my stomach in knots.

"You guys are being so childish." Galina says as Joelle eyes us all confused and the twins ignore us and continue eating.
"Yeah, and extremely inappropriate." Joe says annoyed and I sit back up to catch my breath before rubbing his face with my hand.
"Oh, baby, the boys don't care about us and Joelle'll just forget about this whole conversation if you tell her to. Ain't that right NibNib?"
"What conversation?" She asks takinf a bite of her chicken leg.
"That's my girl. Now, let's all calm down, aight. I'm givin' you a hard time but I'm happy you've got someone, G." I say and reach across the table to squeeze her hand and smile at her.
"Yeah, me too, but enough about me, y'all are official now! Ayyeee!"

She and I raise our wine glasses and clink them together with our tongues hanging out our mouths.

"Yaassss, I gots a man, a good one at that." I say sitting down and leaning over to peck Joe's lips.
"Have you told her yet?" Joelle absentmindedly asks Joe as she eats and he seems to tense up and Lina lightly hits her arm.
"Told me what?" I ask suspiciously.
"Oh! Um...uh...nothing!...nothing."
"That he loves you?" Junior blurts out.
"Huh?" I chuckle nervously.
"Did he tell you he loves you yet?" Jonathan reiterates.

...

Awkward silence is awkward.

Joe POV

These damn kids, I'm not ready! I-I'm not...I mean, I am but I didn't want to do it here in front of them! We just became official and I don't want them feeling like I'm trying to replace their mom or anything but...I don't know why my kids are outting me like this right now, especially these twins.

"You love her right?" Junior asks.
"I mean, uh-"
"Or do you still love Mommy?" Jonathan adds in.
"Well, yeah I still love your mommy, it's just-"
"Do you love her more than ShaSha?"
"Boys, let's not-"
"You told us you loved ShaSha and that you were gonna tell her. Don't you still love her?"
"I-I-I, uh-well, hm...I-"