What side of bed did she prefer?
To deeper:
Should we get a new house, or would she be okay with the one I had?
Was she interested in being a stay-at-home mom and wife, or was she looking to seek out a new career.
I was open to whatever made her happy.
Even saying that let me know that this shit was real. I wanted her to be happy. With me. With Melo. With my family and all the other ways in life that gave her happiness. I wanted to witness the joy, peace, and love that I had been blessed to experience every time I saw her face.
I loved the way her eyes would light up when she saw me. The way her nose wrinkled just so when she gave me one of those smiles. And her laughter—it was the purest sound I've ever heard next to my son's. I couldn't even hide how happy I was even if I tried.
And not to mention the sex. Lord have mercy…the sex was incredible. I ran my tongue over my teeth shaking my head slightly as I layered the last bit of cheese over the lasagna. Maybe the length of time it had been for me played a part—but nah—that wasn't all of it.
Gianna was different.
Everything about her felt…intoxicating. Addictive.
The way she fit against me. The way she responded. The way she gave without holding back. Her smell, her taste…shit. Just thinking about her had my body reacting before my mind could catch up.
However…that was unfortunately the part of the problem. Because I knew what she had to offer and now that she was officially mine, that feeling of possessiveness would creep in when I thought about her with other men.
I didn't like that shit. Didn't like sharing something that was mine. But I knew what I signed up for so I couldn’t force her hand. So for now, I was just forced to sit with it and make sure I kept my mind busy when the thoughts of her with other men slid into the corners of my mind.
Especially at night—nights were the worst. I exhaled slowly pushing those thoughts aside as I slid the lasagna in the oven. One step at a time, that's what I kept telling myself.
My family had been bugging me for the last couple of weeks to bring her around. Well—mostly my mama and Angel. Pops was cool and letting me move at my own pace just like he always did.
And then there was my son…he had been asking as well. I thought he may have forgotten about her already, but she had made quite an impression on him. He kept asking me about "The pretty lady who makes chocolate chip pancakes."
That made this feel even more real.
But I wasn't about to throw her in the middle of my family without giving everybody a heads up first. That wouldn't be fair to her or them. And I damn sure wasn't about to let her walk into any bias or judgement blind. I wanted to make sure her feelings and boundaries were protected.
So, I decided the best course of action was dinner at my place and an honest conversation with my people. Let the cards fall where they may. But regardless of how they felt…I was going to continue moving forward with Gianna. I just hoped they got on board.
Melo was watching cartoons while I put the finishing touches on dinner. I was pulling the lasagna out the oven when I saw my parent's car pull into the driveway.
"Mee-Mee and Pop-Pop are here, Daddy!" he announced, jumping up from couch.
"I see, buddy," I smiled.
By the time I made it to the door, he was already waiting like he hadn't seen them in months. My mama scooped him up, covering his face with kisses while Pops laughed behind her rubbing his head. Angel stepped in after him with a grin.
"Hey, baby," Mama said pulling me into a hug.
"Hey, Ma." I kissed her and my sister forehead’s before giving Pops a hug.
Moments later, we were all sitting down to dinner. It started out light and relaxed. Conversing about our day-to-day life. Angel was launching into one of her spiels about the patriarchy—the usual. No Gianna conversation yet, but I was prepping mentally for the shift.
And then it came—
"Does Gianna go to school or have a degree, Remy?" Mama asked.
My heart kicked up. Wiping my mouth, I shook my head. "Almost. She was in school for Communications but decided not to continue on."
"Oh—" she raised her brow. "So what does she do now?"