"Let's go to Rockport for a few days," Onika announced suddenly the next morning at breakfast. "Since I'm off this week, this might be the only time we could get out there this summer."
"Onika, it's the middle of July. It'll be packed," Beyoncé replied fussily. "And getting a house last minute is probably impossible, and even if you could, isn't it a little expensive?"
Onika bit her lip and looked down at the bowl of pancake mix she was stirring.
"What? What's that look for?"
"We own a house there," Onika whispered, not meeting Beyoncé's gaze across the kitchen island. "Well technically, my parents own a house there, but since I live closer than my parents, I'm the one who primarily uses it and oversees management of the property. We rent it out quite a bit, but we usually keep a couple of weeks open in July and August."
"Oh." Beyoncé's voice was soft. Suddenly a smile graced her lips. "Then I guess let's go!"
"Really?" asked Onika hopefully.
"Yeah, why not? It'll be fun."
The smile that grew across Onika's face was brilliant. "After breakfast, we could pack and leave before lunch? What do you think?"
"Sounds good, Nicki," the young woman replied, mirroring Onika's grin.
"Will you go see if the kids are awake yet and please tell them we're going to head to the port for a few days? I'll finish breakfast here."
"Yeah, sure. Be back in a bit."
***********
"Okay, we're here. Everyone ready for the beach?" Onika asked excitedly as she and Beyoncé climbed out of the black Mercedes sedan, with Onika pressing the necessary button to pop open the trunk of the vehicle.
"Mama!" Anyla cried from her car seat. "Let me out! I hafta potty!" She kicked her feet out a couple of times for emphasis.
"Oh gosh. Come on," Onika replied in alarm, quickly releasing the safety belt of the little girl's car seat and grabbing the keys to the house from her purse in the floorboard beneath Anyla's dangling feet. She helped the curly haired version of herself out of the car and rested the girl on her hip, knowing that she could get them both into the house faster if she carried her. As she whirled around with her daughter on her left hip and the keys in her right hand, she headed quickly for the house, climbing up the front steps easily. Back over her shoulder, she said loudly to Beyoncé, "I'll be back out in a minute to help you unload the car, okay?"
Beyoncé waved her off with a smile as she began to help Jr. out of the car. "Hey little man, can you help carry your bag to your room?" She put her hand on his head and ruffled his hair a bit as she spoke, smiling down at him affectionately.
Jr. nodded as he walked around to the trunk, Beyoncé following behind. She lifted his bag and handed it to him. While he struggled a little at first because of the longer straps, finally he found a good enough way to carry the bag draped across his back to keep it from dragging the ground as he walked.
Rolling her eyes at the girly Princess Tiana bag, Beyoncé shrugged the light zippered tote onto her shoulder and reached for the next valise, pulling it to the edge of the trunk and then out. Though small, the suitcase was heavier than she expected and she lunged forward as she felt a painful twinge in her ribs, essentially dropping the bag to the ground. "Ah shit," she muttered under her breath, standing back up and massaging below her breast with her left hand.
She turned instead back toward the trunk and grabbed her own duffle bag, knowing the weight to not be of any issue. With a sigh, she trudged forward toward the steps of the beach house after Jr., leaving Onika's suitcase on the ground behind the Mercedes.
Once inside, her eyes widened at the neat, bright decor. Though simple, Beyoncé was amazed at how nice it looked compared to the beach houses she and her family had rented when she was a child. Mostly she was amazed because it simply didn't even look like a beach house - it looked like someone's home. No cheesy sand dune or sailboat paintings donned the walls. No seashells in vases or scattered on tables as centerpieces.
Beyoncé instantly liked it, though she wasn't sure why. She always enjoyed family beach vacations when she was younger, even when the houses her family rented looked like beach houses.
Finally the young brunette noticed that Jr. was nearly at the top of the stairs. She began her ascent after him, following him into the bedroom he'd entered so she could deposit Anyla's bag on her twin bed. Turning around, she exited the room and immediately opened the door next to it, only to find that what she thought would be a bedroom was actually a study. There were only three more doors, one of which was slim and clearly a linen closet. She opened up the second to find a bathroom, and the third door was obviously the master suite of the house.
Which meant that they'd either each be sleeping in a room with one of the children, or Beyoncé and Onika would have to share a bed together.
Beyoncé's heart leapt into her throat.
"Hey Jr., you wanna put away all your stuff while your mom and I unload everything else from the car?"
As he nodded and turned to his bag, Beyoncé surreptitiously placed her bag just inside the master bedroom door, unsure of where else to leave it, then quickly headed back down the stairs. When her foot hit the last step, Onika and Anyla appeared around the corner, fresh from the bathroom.
"I, uh, put Ny-Ny's bag on her bed in the kids' room," Beyoncé explained, jerking her thumb back toward the stairs.
"Wonderful!" Onika replied, smiling brightly, before looking down at her daughter. "Lady Bug, would you like to go upstairs and ask your brother to help you put your clothes away?"
Ringlets bounced excitedly as she nodded and slowly began to make her way up the steps of the staircase, holding on to the railing tightly as she climbed the stairs step by step.
Silently Beyoncé and Onika watched her, just to make sure she was safe. When the little girl reached the top step and hurried into the bedroom, Beyoncé finally turned around to face Onika. "I noticed there were only two bedrooms," she said nervously.
"Oh, I'm sorry," the older woman replied softly. "My parents allowed Michael to turn the third bedroom into an office last summer. I didn't think about it."
"Um, so where exactly am I supposed to sleep?" Her voice displayed at least a low level of awkwardness and discomfort.
Onika bit her lip. "Well I suppose one of the children could sleep with me, and you share the other bedroom, or you could just share my bed, whichever you feel more comfortable doing," the older woman offered. "I won't be offended if you choose the second option," she added, whispering. "But there is a probability that I'll be disappointed."
"You know that I haven't," the brunette started to say. "What if Jr. and Ny-" Beyoncé sighed. "Onika, I don't know what to do about us," she whispered, glancing down between them. "I haven't made any decisions."
Withholding the devious smile that she felt tugging at her lips, Onika glanced around Beyoncé up the stairs, listening hard for the sounds of the children. Satisfied that they were pulling open drawers and unpacking clothes, Onika pulled Beyoncé away from the stairs, along the wall where they would be out of eyesight from the top of them. Slowly she backed Beyoncé against the pale yellow wall.
Eyes wide, Beyoncé lowly hissed, "What are you doing?"
Onika's tongue flicked out to wet her lips as she pressed her body against Beyoncé's, her knee placed carefully between the brunette's thighs as she tilted her head back a little to look up at the young woman. "Giving you something to consider while you make your decision." She gripped Beyoncé's hip with her left hand and placed her hand on Beyoncé's shoulder.
A soft moan escaped Beyoncé's lips. "Onika," she warned.
"Tell me you don't want me to kiss you and I won't," the older woman whispered, eyes pleading to let her continue.
"You don't fight fair." Beyoncé bit her lip. "You know I can't think clearly when you touch me."
Lifting slightly on her toes, Onika placed a gentle kiss on Beyoncé's collarbone, then slowly continued up her long neck to her jawline, mumbling a few words between kisses. "Actually, I didn't know that little piece of information, but I do see how that would be very beneficial on my part."
Beyoncé planted her hands on Onika's curvy hips, still debating whether or not to push the older woman away. She bit her lip, eyes fluttering shut as Onika kissed her neck, and a moan sounded from her throat. "This is so wrong, Onika."
"Maybe," Onika replied softly, a lilt of sadness in her voice as she pulled back to look at Beyoncé. "Maybe not. I guess it depends on every individual's point of view."
"Maybe we shouldn't," Beyoncé cleared her throat, "talk about this right now."
"Okay," Onika agreed. Quietly she slipped her hand up over Beyoncé's side, then around and up her rib cage, skimming over her breast to her clavicle. The hand trailed up her slender neck and fingers threaded themselves in Beyoncé's black waves behind her ears, with the right hand following suit. Staring into Beyoncé's dark eyes, she pulled Beyoncé's mouth down to her own and pressed her lips firmly to her maybe-maybe-not lover's. It started gently, but without reservations Onika deepened the kiss, pulling and tugging at Beyoncé's bottom lip with her teeth. Over and over each other their lips moved, glided, caressed until finally Beyoncé had to pull back, breathless.
"I love you so much, Beyoncé," Onika whispered, the corners of her eyes filled with sudden tears. "And I truly want to be with you. I think we could be incredible together."
The young brunette sighed. "I'm scared, Onika," Beyoncé confessed.
"I am, too," the older woman admitted before adding, "But I think you're worth it." Reverently cupping Beyoncé's jaw with her right hand, Onika focused her eyes on Beyoncé's, searching them without a word. "He'll understand why, Beyoncé. He'll let me go."
Dark brows furrowed, first in confusion, then apprehension as she realized Onika was talking about Michael. "How do you know for sure?"
Onika took a deep breath as she slid both her hands back down to rest on Beyoncé's shoulders. "Just trust me."
Hesitating a few moments, Beyoncé finally nodded, swallowing hard.
"I'm going to have the children wash up and then get my luggage from the car. Would you grab the cooler with the sandwiches we packed for lunch?"
As Beyoncé nodded again and headed toward the front door, which was still standing wide open, Onika walked toward the foot of the stairs and called up to the children. "Jr., Ny-Ny, would you please come downstairs and wash your hands so that we can eat lunch in a few minutes?"
Seconds later Jr. appeared at the top of the stairs, and Anyla trailed behind. "Yes, Mama!" he agreed quickly, grabbing Anyla's hand to help her down the stairs. He grinned as he looked at his mother at the bottom of the steps. "And then are we going to play on the beach?"
"Then you and Ny-Ny will take a short nap, and then we'll go to the beach," Onika corrected.
"But I'm not sleepy, Mama!" Anyla whined, jutting out her bottom lip in a pout.
"Please could we skip our nap today?" Jr. begged. "Please?"
Lips formed a thin line before Onika spoke. "I guess," Onika sighed. "But we are not heading to the beach until after two o'clock." Glancing down at her wrist, she noted the time. "And it's nearly 12:50 now."
"You're the best, Mama," Jr. replied excitedly. His grin grew from ear to ear.
"Go wash your hands in the half bath down here, and help Ny-Ny wash hers while I bring in my luggage, okay?"
By this time, Jr. and Anyla had reached the bottom of the stairs and Onika squatted in front of them, closer to eye level with her two children.
"Of course, Mama," Jr. replied matter-of-factly, leaning forward to place a kiss on his mother's cheek. Anyla followed with a cheek kiss of her own and Onika wrapped her arms around them both, pulling them in tightly.
"Te quiero mucho, mis amores," Onika whispered. "Did you know that? So much," she emphasized.
"Love you too, Mama," Jr. said sweetly.
Onika released them both and stood slowly, placing a hand on each of their heads. "Okay, go wash up. I'll be back inside."
As she turned back toward the door and headed through it, then across the porch, Onika finally glanced at the car and noticed her hand luggage, which contained all her toiletries, including sunblock for everyone, lying on the ground behind the car. "Beyoncé!" she gasped. "Why is my Tumi carry-on bag just lying on the ground?!"
Beyoncé, who was only a few feet away at the bottom of the steps to the porch, looked up at Onika, startled, and then turned around to look at the bag. "Oh," she replied, blushing profusely as she looked up hesitantly at Onika. "I pulled it out earlier, but it was heavier than I expected so I kinda dropped it a little because it hurt my ribs."
Immediately Onika stepped forward and down the stairs to Beyoncé's side. Concern was now written in her features. "Oh Bey, baby, are you okay?" She pressed a hand to Beyoncé's back and then placed her right hand over Beyoncé's ribs, fingers accidentally brushing the underside of the young woman's right breast. "Take a deep breath for me."
Pulling away from the woman's touch, Beyoncé muttered, "I'm fine. Just took me by surprise."
Skepticism covered Onika's face. "Have you taken any medicine today, even just your Naprosyn?" As Beyoncé looked away, face showing a hint of shame, Onika frowned. "Beyoncé, you need to take it. Not only is it a mild pain reliever, it's an anti-inflammatory and that's very important for your injury."
Beyoncé rolled her eyes and readjusted the cooler bag on her shoulder. "Going inside now to eat," she replied, stepping away from Onika and heading up the stairs.
"Please?" Onika asked softly, turning her upper body to watch Beyoncé ascend the stairs.
Now on the porch, Beyoncé paused, turned partially to look at Onika, and with the beginning of a smile, she replied, "As you wish."