I wasn't sleeping until I finished and posted this story. I hope you enjoy the final chapter & pls excuse any errors.
:)
Erica's POV
Two hours later
Once Kierra left with the kids for school, I watched Wozy pull out of the driveway before sitting back down to finish work. I was now wrapped for the day and went to go find Kierra so we can finally talk.
I checked the living room before catching her figure in our backyard. I walked outside and sat down next to her in our swing.
At first, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted to say but as we sat in silence, listening to the birds chirp and wind hit our faces, I didn't know where to begin.
I watched Kierra interlock my left hand with hers and kiss the back of it. I smiled and looked up at her.
"Ki, let me just say..."
"Actually Moe, let me go first if you don't mind." She said.
I nodded my head to let her speak.
"The last few days have been hell for me with our fighting and silent treatment and I realized how big of a part I played in it. For years I always felt inadequate as a stepmom to the kids and because you're such a great Mom, I didn't want to disrupt anything with Krista and the littles so I wanted you to continue taking the lead in everything. I wanted to enforce whatever you said instead of trying to position myself to be your equal in that space. With Kai, I don't know, maybe because she's our first child together I knew I had to step my parenting game up and get a backbone. Did it have to take this Detroit argument to finally say the things I've kept bottled up? Absolutely not but I'm glad it did because I don't think I would've shared any of this with you had it not. I promise I don't intentionally hold my feelings inside, and I keep sounding like a broken record but I absolutely trust you with my entire life, E. It's just that I have so much trauma that I'm still trying to get a hold so I can better process my life and that's why I've booked some therapy sessions. I don't want another argument of that magnitude to ever happen again. I'm so sorry for not communicating well and hurting you with my actions and words." Kierra said. I took in her apology as I looked down at our fingers intertwined.
"Baby, all I've wanted for our relationship since the beginning is to be that safe space for you but I'm realizing that you have to become a whole person all by yourself first. I can only support you and do my best as your partner and I'm happy you're back in therapy. These past few days made me realize that I'm naturally the fixer in our relationship and when I wholeheartedly disagree on something, I cut deep with my words to drive my point across. It's a toxic habit that I still need to work on and for that, I sincerely apologize. What I said about the kids being mine and just my overall tone with you, I never want to direct anger towards you again. I love you so much Kierra Valencia and I'm sorry for hurting you too." I said. She kissed me tenderly and looked down at our hands.
"Thank you babe. I've been thinking about the whole Detroit trip for Kai and you were right. We should go as a family when it makes sense with both our schedules because pulling her out of school isn't the best idea." She said.
"Thank you and I hope you didn't feel like I want to hog our babies from your side of the family. I just want to make sure she's welcomed into an environment that's safe and the fact that you've never talked to your Dad after all these years and kinda swept it under the rug, left me uneasy when you brought up Kai going up there. I want you to finally lay it all out for your Dad before another year passes." I said.
"I know baby, you're right. Maybe we can choose the next weekend we're free to visit them and I can finally talk to him. Next summer, Kai can spend a month in Detroit and of course some time in LA with yours. How does that sound?" She asked.
I smiled and kissed her lips.
"That sounds perfect."
~~~
Two weeks later, Sunday
We've been in Detroit since Thursday and it was me, Kierra, Kai, and baby E who came. Thursday and Friday night KaiKai stayed with her grandparents, having the time of her life. They already spoil her so much so it was no surprise the many bags of toys and clothes she came home with when they dropped her off.
Two years ago as one of my Christmas gifts for Ki, we sold her old home so that we could buy a new one together. I wanted us to have a home that's large enough for our growing family. And I don't mean with the addition of Étienne. In my heart and Lord willing, we'll have another baby. Kierra says otherwise but in case we do, we'll have enough bedrooms at our Atlanta and Detroit homes.
Wozy didn't come with us and since he's at the age where I can't force him to go places, he stayed at home. Zaya is back on tour with Bey after I told her to take some time off. I felt like she was getting too consumed with tour life and needed to regroup and be a kid. Bey felt this for Blue and didn't allow her to perform every night so that she could take a break too.
The Renaissance tour actually wraps in a few days so after this Detroit visit, we're headed there. Wozy will meet us at the final show along with my LA family.
It's Sunday and I'm currently changing baby E's diaper to get him dressed for church.
Chile, I know.
I wouldn't have thought I'd step foot into The Sheard's church after so much has happened, especially since our Essence cover dropped, but Bishop Sheard insisted we attend. This is a big request for us because though we announced the birth of our son, he's never been out in a church setting yet. I don't want him photographed or have folks try to kiss on him. We don't play that.
After church, Kierra is supposed to talk with her Dad so it'll be in his best interest to not say anything slick during his sermon. I don't have the best poker face if people are shady towards my family so I pray nothing pops off. I'd hate to act out in the house of the Lord but I can't make any promises.
I still need a little more Jesus.
I dressed the baby in the cutest church outfit and kissed his chubby cheeks before grabbing his diaper bag and heading downstairs. We've already ate breakfast and got dressed but I needed to change his diaper one last time before we left.
Kierra was putting a light jacket on Kai as I came down the stairs and she grabbed the baby bag from me. She wore slippers on her feet which let me know she was driving us. Her heels were probably in the car or in her purse.
"Have you switched the car seat to your car, babe?" I asked.
"Yes, I did. Go ahead and get in the car. I'll lock the house up." Ki said. Kai stayed by Kierra's side while I went ahead to buckle up the baby in his seat. I sat in the passenger side and started up the car. Kai and Kierra soon came out to the car and buckled in. She drove off and I turned the volume on the radio to hear some gospel tunes.
"Mommy are we going to see Nana and Poppi?" Kai asked.
"Yes baby. We're going to church to hear your grandpa preach." Ki replied.
"You've been mighty quiet this morning, Moe. You good?" Ki asked me.
"Truthfully? I feel out of my comfort zone attending GEI but I know this is what you wanted to do." I said.
"And I thank you for coming with me. You could've stayed in the bed but I appreciate you. If Daddy wants to have a better relationship with me, I hope he has enough sense to keep his message cute today." She said. I laughed and turned around to check on the kids.
Kai was in her own little world singing to herself and looking out the window while baby E blew spit bubbles. It didn't take us long to pull up to the church, and by the grace of God we made it on time.
"Okay so we're going to enter through the side door and sit on the second row with J. Drew and his kids. They're already seated and waiting for us.
"Got it, I'll hold the baby while you grab Kai." I said because I don't need for KaiKai to make me nervous crossing the street. I held Étienne securely in my arms and made sure to cover him up with a blanket as we walked.
Once inside, I could hear gasps from people and acknowledged those who greeted us. The music was bumping and I was nervous about the sound being too loud for the baby because we've never had him in church yet.
The usher walked us to our seat and I stood to the side so Kai could slide in first next to J. Drew's daughter, Kali. I can't believe how tall she's grown and that she's a pre-teen now. I sat down and Kierra sat at the end. I said my hellos to J. Drew and gave side hugs to our nephew Jacob and niece Kali.
After another selection from the praise team, my in laws came out followed by Jacky & Dorinda in the pulpit. I first locked eyes with Dorinda and she smiled and waved at us. She tapped Mama K on the shoulder and she waved too. She got Bishop's attention and he nodded our way.
I looked down to see how Kai was holding up so far and she looked really into the singing. We go to church often but the one we call home in Atlanta isn't COGIC so she's not used to this type of worship experience.
We paid attention to service and as Bishop walked to the podium, I handed the baby off to Ki. I popped in his pacifier as she held him and kept him covered.
"Good morning GEI. Before I get started with today's message, I just wanted to publicly address something that's long overdue." Bishop Sheard said. I glanced at Ki and she shrugged her shoulders.
"I've never been afraid to admit when I fall short and make mistakes and the biggest mistake I've made affected my relationship with my daughters. So Kierra and Erica, will you two please stand." He said.
Surprise was an understatement as the cameraman rushed to our side and the congregation clapped. We stood up and Kai being the one to never miss the spotlight, stood up in the pew waving to everyone. We all laughed as I wrapped my arm around her to hold her in place.
"Kierra and Erica, I privately disowned you two throughout the years and I want to publicly apologize for the pain and hurt I've caused. I allowed old doctrine and homophobia cloud my mind and judge you but through much prayer and education, I want to say that I welcome your union, and hope that as time goes on we'll be able to build a better relationship. You two are the strongest and courageous people I know and if GEI and anyone else cared to know my stance on the matter, count this as my first and last acknowledgement. I know y'all live in Atlanta, but I want to officially welcome you and we'll count it a blessing for you to consider GEI your second church family. Kierra, my babygirl, I got a lot of making up to do with you and I pray I'll live as long as I can to treat you how you deserved to be treated all this time." He said. The church went into a praise.
I looked towards my wife and saw her bawling and quickly gave the baby to J. Drew so I can console her. There was a shift happening in the room and I called out to God to thank him for this moment. I looked back at the pulpit to see Bishop and First Lady walking towards us. I let go of Ki so that she could hug her father and boy did I tear up seeing their embrace. Mama K hugged me tight and the music turned into shouting music.
Bishop gave me a hug as well before getting back onstage to start his message. Everyone sat back down and I passed Ki a tissue to clean her face.
******
After church, everyone met up at my in laws for dinner and I couldn't wait to eat. I was ready for Jacky's cooking and as I mingled with Ki's family, I saw Kierra sit down in the living room with her father. No one was in there so I hope they can really take the time to talk before we all eat.
Everyone who wanted to hold the baby had to follow my rules of sanitizing, not taking any pictures of him, and not kissing his face. Luckily they all obliged.
After 20 minutes, the food was ready so we made our way to sit. Kierra sat next to me at the dining room table and kissed my temple.
"Hey babe. What was that for?" I asked smiling.
"No reason. Just wanted to give you a kiss. You held it down for me today and I thank you for that." She said. I beamed and quickly kissed her lips.
"You don't have to thank me for doing my wifely duties. Everything's good with your Dad?" I asked.
"Yes, we talked about a lot and I was able to share how I've felt throughout the years and he listened the whole time. I feel excited about us taking steps to repair our relationship." She said.
"I'm glad to hear that baby. You know the church moment from service is going viral, right?" I said. She playfully rolled her eyes.
"I figured it would as soon as that man jumped across the room to film us. Would've thought he missed his calling being a Maury cameraman the way he was in our faces." She said. I busted out laughing as she shook her head.
~~~
Next year
Krista's POV, fall 2027
"Did you see what my Mama posted?" Blue asked me, with her phone out. Zaya was right behind her as they busted in my room.
The girls are on fall break from school and begged me to let them hang out in New York and I did. I caved in since they're seniors now and have reached the point of not being nagging little sisters to me but mature young ladies.
I was in the process of getting dressed for our girls day outing but stopped to look at Blue's phone.
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beyonce double the blessings, thank you God 🥹 welcome to the world rumi and houston 👼🏾👼🏾
"Wow I can't believe Auntie BB dropped the newborn pics. The twins are already four months old so she wild for that." I said laughing.
"She thinks it's the funniest thing ever. I swear she gets a kick out of breaking the Internet. Mom told me they're planning to announce their relationship on Christmas so she'll probably post more photos for that." Blue said.
Hearing Blue refer to Auntie Chelle as Mom will forever make my heart smile.
Speaking of Auntie, want updates of everyone else?
Welp, my parents are still going strong and baby E is getting big each day. Wozy graduated high school and gave us all the biggest surprise when he didn't want to go to college but instead become a music engineer and producer.
He's always played instruments here and there but we didn't think he'd actually want to pursue it full time. Of course, it crushed Mommy's vision of him going to college but she couldn't say anything about it because he had a plan.
After graduating, Wozy decided to move to LA to live with our Dad so he can learn the ropes about the music industry. Out of all the Campbell kids, Wozy has always had the best relationship with our Dad. I used to resent him for it but through therapy I've learned that I needed to direct that hurt to the right person and not my sibling. My Dad has made attempts to fix our relationship but his promises never follow through so I've learned to not take his efforts seriously. Eh, maybe we'll get back to a great one like Mama and grandpa Sheard someday.
Kai is still the diva she is and I'm sure she'll surpass all of us in the talent department. Nana K has been teaching her hymns everytime they're together and each video goes viral because she's so good at holding notes at 6.
Blue and Zaya still want to attend Spelman and of course our parents are happy they'll be close to home. Auntie Chelle and Auntie BB are married but haven't had their official wedding ceremony due to Auntie's pregnancy once the tour ended. It's going to happen sometime next year and I'm so excited because I'll be part of the bridal party.
The rest of the family are doing great and Aunt Kelly still pours into me til this day about self-confidence and loving the skin I'm in.
"Krissstaaaa!" I snapped out of it to see the girls staring at me.
"Sorry, I dazed out thinking about our family." I said.
"What about the family?" Zaya asked.
"Nothing crazy. Just thinking about what everybody has going on. We're all growing up and handling business and so I'm glad yall are here so we can spend time together. With my new play starting soon, I won't have as much free time so this was perfect timing." I said.
"Yeah, school is going to slam us once the break is over so that's why we wanted to do something fun with you." Blue said.
"And fun is what we'll have. So are we going to the spa and later on meeting my friends for some night life fun?" I asked.
"Yeah and let's throw in lunch after the spa." Zaya added.
"I gotchu, let me finish getting ready and we can head out. My driver Pierre is already waiting for us outside." I said. The girls left and closed my door so I can continue getting dressed.
~~~
Michelle's POV, Christmas 2027
It's Christmas morning and I woke up to kisses from my love. We're coming up 8 months being married and I still have to pinch myself. Together for 4 years and married 8 months still surprises me in the best way.
"Good morning my love. Merry Christmas." I told her. B kissed me back and moved my hair from my face.
"I thought I could wait once Blue and the twins wake up but I want to post our statement now." She said.
"Now? Like the marriage and family photos?" I questioned. She nodded her head. I could see how giddy she was and mentally prepared myself for this moment.
Once the Instagram post goes live, there's no turning back.
I smiled and passed her the phone because she'll be the one posting it and adding me as the collaborator so that it's a shared post from us. I laid back in bed as B got the pictures together and placed them in the order she liked. I watched her take her time editing the caption.
"There. It's posted, look." She said, cheesing to me like she won the lottery.
I slouched and laid my head on her chest as I looked on Instagram. I swiped through the pictures she chose and laughed at an off guard photo of me sleeping that I didn't pre-approve for her to post.
"I should've known you had something up your sleeve." I said as I looked at her choices.
She had a picture of us from our DC3 days, our first anniversary trip as a couple, a picture of me behind her when she was in labor with the twins, us backstage at the Renaissance tour with Blue hugging me tight and me giving her a kiss on the forehead, her proposal to me in Houston, my proposal to her, photo of me asleep in her arms, and the final three pictures of our twins. I finally read the caption and teared up.
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beyonce Merry Christmas everyone ✨🎄
Tenitra Michelle...My Belle, my love. You are the peanut butter to my jelly. The suga to my koolaid. (Ha, I had to throw in corny lines before I get mushy) ...The best thing to ever happen to me and I'm so glad God placed you in my life all those years ago. I fell in love you with you the moment you auditioned for DC and though it took decades to profess my love to you, I couldn't have asked or prayed for a better partner. You're my soulmate, my best friend, an amazing mother to our kids, and a fine ass wife to me. 4 years together, forever to go. #BeyChelle
I looked up at her as she wiped away my tears.
"I also followed you on Instagram." B added. That made me laugh out loud because B never follows anyone on her public profile.
"Oh we go together forreal if Queen Bey follows me back." I joked. She rolled her eyes and laughed.
"But how are you feeling baby?" She asked.
"I feel free. I finally feel free."
The End.
Thank y'all for supporting this story and rocking with it! If you didn't know, the title of this story was inspired by Kierra Sheard's "Won't Hold Back" song so check it out if you've never heard it. A lot of inspiration behind this story came from that track.