**** Am I the only one who thinks Aug needs to take his behind to bed, instead of being up and about. I mean, its okay for him to do some things. But he just got out the hospital. He needs to sit still for a minute. Even if only for a couple of days. I hope he really learns, cause if this happens again, no telling what will be the outcome."
Bracelet in m/m.
AUGUST P.O.V. –
Since Dr. Edwards and his wife’s flight got delayed and they wouldn’t make it into town until tomorrow, Me and Amb were just going to meet them for breakfast tomorrow morning.
But everybody else, Me, Amb, Stac, Trav, My mother, my grandmother, the girls, Muk and Cha were all seated at the table waiting for my mother to say grace.
“Ey Ma before you say grace I wanna say something.” Travis raised his index finger eating a piece of cornbread. This was this nigga’s third plate. How he eats so much and stays fit is beyond me.
“What is it Trav?” She looked at him annoyed.
“I’m letting y’all know now before I max my third plate. If y’all niggas got any secrets get’em out now so I can enjoy my meal without interruption. Cause y’all know how you niggas get. Stacy if you pregnant with my baby, just let me know now. Don’t be dropping nothing like that on me.” He looked at Stacy who was sitting next to him.
“You not funny.” She gave him a stale face.
“Muk if you really the monster from the Lord of the Rings let us know now. We don’t want to wake up one day and see your real face without the makeup. Niggas gotta prepare for that.”
“Shut up!” She threw a napkin at him.
“Amber. August. Anything y’all need to tell each other. Cause we know you niggas be hiding secrets like y’all the FBI or something.” He looked at me and Amb.
“Mama say grace and ignore this nigga.” I looked at my mother.
“Naw Shelia Trav does have a point. Baby you got anything you want to tell my grandson?” My grandmother looked at Amber.
Amber looked at me. I gave her a look like ignore her.
“No ma’am I don’t.”
“God don’t like liars sweetheart. Just tell Auggie the truth about the baby. He might be a little hurt but he’ll live.”
Amber turned to look at me and said trying to be serious. She grabbed both my hands and sighed. “August, the baby isn’t yours. Her real father is Mexican.”
Everybody started laughing except my grandmother.
“I told y’all the baby was Mexican.”
“Mama, she was being sarcastic.” My mother explained.
“People use humor to tell truth. And I don’t know how you were raised, but don’t you sass me girl. I’m on to your little game. You might be foolin’ him, but you ain’t foolin’ me. Trying to trap my baby.”
“Sorry for trying to trap you August.” She softly touched both my cheeks.
“I forgive you.” I smirked.
“Y’all cut this foolishness out and let me pray. Bow y’all heads.”
Everybody bowed their heads.
“Dear Heavenly Father we come to you today thanking you not only for this food, but for this fellowship of family and friends. We pray your blessings over Assata’s life. May her parents bring her up with the knowledge and understanding of you. May each one of us in this room help her to become the woman you desire her to be. In Jesus name we pray Amen.”
“Amen!” Travis said loud and dug in his food. “You know when we get together you got to cook like this.” Travis looked at Stacy while chomping on a chicken wing.
“That’s never gonna happen.” She scooted her chair over.
“Now August that’s who you should’ve got with. Stacy. She’s in school. She’s beautiful. She’s your age. Ain’t looking to try to trap no young boy cause her expiration date is almost up.” My nana eyed me.
“Mama if you gon be negative we can take you back to the house.”
“I’m not being negative Shelia. I’m letting this chile know, she not foolin’ me.” Her eyes turned to Amber.
“Mrs. Blair I’m a lawyer in my own right, I don’t want anything from August.”
“Besides his sperm.”
“Mama!” My mother turned shocked at my Nana.
“Nana chill, Amb ain’t like that.”
“Mm-mm-mm.” My grandmother shook her head. “I don’t know what she putting in her pussy. Must be cranberries like that Badu lady that got all these men whipped, but boy you better wake up. For she have you fathering five or six damn babies.”
“Alrighty then.” Travis threw up his hands. “I am trying to eat. I don’t want to be imagining nobody’s pussy but Stacy.”
Stacy hit him upside his head.
I noticed Amb was picking through her food, which let me know she was bothered by all of this.
“Eat Amb. We know what it is. Your expiration date was almost up, and you wanted to have a young nigga baby. I get it.” I
She narrowed her eyes at me and I smirked.
“Ey Amb.”
“Yes Travis?”
“I need you to do me and Stac prenup.”
“Muk do you want to switch seats with me?” Stacy looked at Muk across the table.
“Not at all. That’s all you baybeh.” She said eating some macaroni.
“I’ll do it Trav. Just tell me when the wedding is.”
“Amb don’t.” Stacy rolled her eyes at Amb.
“Might of fact, since everybody moving to Philly. Why don’t you move up there too?”
“Amber!” Stacy yelled.
“I’m kidding.” Amber laughed.
“You don’t want me up there in Philly with you?” Trav wrapped his arm around Stacy’s chair.
“No I don’t. Move your arm.”
“Call me Papi and I’ll do it.”
Stacy took some mashed potatoes, put them in a napkin then put it in Trav face.
“Aww you like that Papi?” She said with a sad face.
He removed his arm and wiped off his face.
“No but I bet you like this Mami.” He put some on her face.
She gasped.
They went back and forth. The girls laughing at them being silly. Until my mother put an end to it.
AMBER P.O.V. –
August put his right leg over my left leg and put his arm on the back of my chair.
“What are you doing?” I looked up at him, eating.
“I’m full.” He rubbed his stomach and burped loudly.
“August.” His mother looked at him.
“My bad mama. Excuse me y’all.”
“You are so nasty.” I rolled my eyes at him.
Everybody was having a conversation amongst themselves while they ate.
“What we on for tonight?” August asked me, looking at me eat.
“Uh nothing. I’m cleaning up and going to sleep after this. You can help me clean up.”
“I was thinking we take a bath or something.” He stroked his chin hair.
He said this dead serious. Like this was a routine. Like we were back together. I have not taken a bath with this man in almost two years.
“August, I said I was going to Philly with you. Not that we get back together.”
He looked at me for a minute, then he removed his leg and scooted his chair over away from me a little bit.
“Are you really upset?”
He ignored me and just ate his food.
“When we gon open the gifts?” Kay asked Mama Shelia.
“When we get done eating baby.”
“I’m done.” She lifted up her hands and cheesed.
“Everybody else has to get done.”
“Everybody hurry up and eat so we can open the gifts.”
“Kay be quiet.” Cha gave her a look.
We all finished up eating.
“Give me your plate, I’ll take it to the kitchen.” I told August as I got up.
“I’m good.” He got up and took it himself.
I rolled my eyes and followed him out. People were in the kitchen emptying their plates, then we all gathered in the living room so we could open the gifts.
Sata started to cry, and I was going to go get her, but Aug did it.
“He’s just spoiled as most men are, don’t worry about him. And don’t let him rush you. Whenever you decide, trust me, he’ll be there.” Mama Shelia reassured me and sat next to me on the couch.
“Give Pop-Pop a kiss.” August entered the living room with Sata in his arms.
Sata just looked at him and touched his face.
“Oh my God, I just wanna kidnap her.” Muk said looking at Sata.
I looked at August who looked at me, then looked away, and sat on the other side of the room next to Kay.
“I guess we can open the gifts now.” I reached for one of the gifts.
“Wait let me get out my camera.” Mama Shelia pulled out her phone.
I waited for Mama Shelia to pull out her phone. “Aight you can go.”
“Okay. This is from…” I looked at the label. “The girls and Cha.”
“I picked it!” Kay yelled.
I tore the wrapping paper.
“It is a… Baby Grand Piano Toy.”
“It plays music and lights up.” Kay exclaimed excited.
“Thank you for this girls. I know Sata is going to love this.”
“You welcome.” They all said in unison.
August reached for a gift.
“Let’s see what Uncle Trav got you Munch.”
Sata reached for it. “You can help Pop-Pop open it.” He let Sata tear some of the paper. It was a shoe box. August pulled out the shoes and Sata looked up at them.
“What Trav get Aug?” His mother asked.
“Some Fake Gucci shoes. My baby ain’t where this.”
“They ain’t fake. I got them off my friend, friend. Who sell authentic designer clothes for kids.”
“Nigga this is a C, not a G.” He threw the shoes at Travis and Sata started to giggle.
“You think that’s funny?” Travis asked Sata.
Sata started to giggle even more.
“Tell him you don’t want that.” August looked at Sata.
Sata looked at Aug and started clapping her hands.
“Travis you pitiful.” Muk looked at him and shook his head.
“Here are some real shoes.” Stacy handed me a box.
I opened it and it had the cutest baby booties.
“Thank you Stac. These are beautiful. I love these.”
“Those shoes do not look better than my shoes.” Travis sucked his teeth.
“Anyway.” Aug got another gift, it was a small box it seemed.
“Who that’s from Aug?” His mother asked.
“Uh…” He looked at the label. “Grandma.”
“Oh lawd.” She said.
August opened it.
“Condoms? Really Mama?”
“He better learn to use them from now on.”
I rolled my eyes. His grandmother was ridiculous.
“They the extra-sensitive so you have no excuse. Talking about it don’t feel the same.”
“Well thank you Nana. I will put these to good use. You ain’t got to worry about that.” August laughed.
Sata reached for the box.
“Unh-unh. This for mommy and daddy.” She looked up at him. He looked at me then quickly looked back down and put them back in the wrapping paper.
I reached for a bag.
“That’s from me.” Mama Shelia said proudly.
I opened it, it was the cutest clothes. She had a couple of dresses for Sata.
“Aww thank you Mama Shelia these are beautiful.”
“You welcome baby.” She hugged me.
Aug picked up a gift bag.
“Save the best for last.” Muk said.
Aug opened it was a bottle of Hennessey.
“That’s for when she driving y’all crazy.”
“And y’all talk about me and my fake shoes. Ha!” Travis was still bitter no one liked his gift.
“That Hennessey is real baybeh.” Muk rolled her neck.
“So is that ugly on your face.” Travis snapped back.
“Y’all both a trip.” Mama Shelia laughed.
Aug whispered something to Kay and Kay got up and went to the bedroom.
“Thank you guys for the gifts. Even you Trav.” I laughed.
Kay returned with a small box and handed it to me.
“Who’se this from?”
“Uncle Aug.” She put her finger in her mouth, then sat next to me.
I looked at him, he was looking at Sata.
“This for Sata?”
“Nah its for you.”
“Look at Aug being thoughtful.” Stacy teased.
I was sorta nervous to open it.
“Open it. I wanna see what it is.” Muk said being nosey.
I tore the paper and saw it was a Tiffany’s jewelry box. I opened it and it was a bracelet that said Mom and on the back it said Love August and Assata.
“Thank you.”
“You welcome.” He looked at me then back at Sata.
“I guess I should give you your gift too.” I went into the hallway closet and came back with the scrapbook I made. “here.”
“What is it?” He took it from me.
“Pictures of Sata from birth until now. Moments you missed.”
“Preciate it.” He looked at me, then started looking through it.
“Y’all about to make me cry.” Muk was tearing up.
Everybody started laughing and gathered around August to see the scrap book of pictures.
All you heard were “ooo’s” and “ahhh’s.”
I went into the kitchen and started cleaning up.
LATER THAT NIGHT
“Sata sleep?” I asked Aug who came into the kitchen where I was washing dishes.
Everybody had left it was just us.
“Yeah.” He got the drying towel and started drying them.
There was silence for a moment. The only sound was the dishes either being washed or put into the cabinet after Aug dried them.
“Thank you for my gift.” Aug broke the silence.
“You already thanked me.”
“And I wanted to thank you again.”
I smirked and shook my head.
“Well thank you again for my gift. Although I think its weird you got your name on the back of it.”
“Why?”
“Cause it’s a mother’s bracelet.”
“And you’re the mother of my child. I don’t see the problem.”
“I guess you’re right. I just thought it was for like your kids to you.”
“Well I wanted to be different. Nan.”
“Okay Mr. Different.”
“What you think about Trav and Stac together?”
“I think they’d be cute. Travis is a great guy, I think he’d be a good fit for her. What do you think?”
“I think you like my brother more than you like me.”
“August stop. I’m not going there with you.”
“First you talk about his eyes, then you said he a great guy. You ain’t never said I’m a great guy.”
“Why are you getting jealous?” I couldn’t tell if he was serious or playing. I think it was a little bit of both.
“Because you don’t never talk about me, like you talk about Travis.”
“August you know that’s not true. I always say good things about you.”
“Like what?” He raised his chin up, and turned his mouth.
“You just want me to feed your ego and I’m not gonna do that. You know how I feel about you.”
“No I don’t. How do you feel?”
I ignored him and kept washing the dishes. He turned the water off.
“Look at me.”
I sighed, dried my hands and looked at him.
“How do you feel?”
“I feel happy that you’re Sata’s father.”
“I didn’t ask you how you felt about me and Sata. I said how do you personally feel about me.”
I looked away, then down.
“How do you feel about me?” I tried to deflect the question to him.
“I asked you first.”
“I feel that you’re amazing. You know that.”
“How am I amazing tho?”
“August.” I sucked my teeth and shook my head.
“Amber.”
“I love you and I told you that already.”
“Love as in friend- zone love? Or love as is in I want to wake up to you every day for the rest of my life, love?” He tucked his bottom lip and leaned on the Island in front of me. We were facing each other.
“Love as in I want to wake up to you everyday, but I still want to take things slow.”
“Aight.” He looked down then back up at me. “Can I kiss you tho?”
I thought about it for a moment, then slowly shook my head yes.
He slowly walked toward me and put his hands on the sink on both sides of me. Locking me in. He looked down at me, following my eyes.
“I’ve missed you.”
I knew what he meant. He meant, he missed us like this. He rubbed his cheek against my face, and the smell of his cologne tickled my nose.
He then kissed my cheek. Then looked at me while biting his bottom lip.
“You missed me?”
I shook my head and bit my bottom lip starring in his eyes. He teasingly reached out his lips to touch mine, but pulled away. He did that a couple of times before connecting his lips with mine. He deepened the kiss by allowing his tongue to gain an entryway into my mouth.
The electricity I felt was unexplainable. Every great memory I had of him, rushed back to mind. I remembered what it felt like to lie next to him. For him to dominate my body with his tongue, then control it with his ego. I remembered why I loved him. How even despite his attitude, he would do the sweetest things. The carriage ride in Paris. The hot air balloon. The dinners he made. The inappropriate jokes. The ball. The tat. And the day of his graduation he asked me to be his wife with a ring pop.
But as he continued to allow the kiss to travel to my neck. I remembered the bad times. The repeated fits of anger. The night at the jail. The Mel thing. And tears started to fall. I softly pushed him away.
“What’s wrong?” He pecked my lips.
I wiped my eyes.
“Just thinking about how we were. The good and bad. I just…I just don’t want to get hurt anymore August. If you leave again, or if something happens worse than before, I’m not going to able to take it.”
“I’m not gon leave.”
“You said that last time.”
He looked down then up at me.
“In order for this to work, you can’t hold the past against me. You got to let me reprove to you that I can be the man you need. But you gotta give me a chance to do that babe.”
I shook my head ok.
He pecked my lips a couple of times. “We can take it slow tho. Aight?”
“Yeah.”
“I love you.”
“Love you too.”
“So this mean in Philly I get to kiss my babies again right?”
“Your babies?” I was lost for a minute.
I noticed he looked down at my breast.
I hit him with the dish towel and rolled my eyes. He will always be a freak.