by Heiress
I threw her the keys, and she caught them. “It’s all yours baby sis.” She went crazy even more when she got inside. Cali got her names stitched into the seats. When she read it, she cried real tears.
“Wait-this says Amber Joy Banks,” she read the seats and then glanced at Cali and me confused. Cali stayed silent, and so did I. My Momma walked up to the car with papers in her hand. “What are these?”
“These are documents that states by the state of California, you, Amber Joy Banks are legally my daughter. With everything that done happened to you in your life, I figured you need more than a sister. You need a mother and father figure and me and Banks want to be that to you. We don’t want to replace your birth mother, but we do want to give you what she couldn’t. And that’s a family.”
Crocodile tears flowed out of Amber’s eyes, and she jumped in my momma’s arms. My pops came from around me and embraced them both. Cali snapped pictures which I don’t how since her ass was crying too. I ain’t gone lie; this shit was a touching moment. A nigga almost shed a little tear, but everybody knows real niggas don’t cry.
“I don’t even know what to say. This is just-it’s just-I’m just so happy. Thank you!” she cried. We all embraced her because we knew this meant a lot to Amber and a nigga was proud to be a part of this.
“Okay enough of the sappy shit. We got gifts too,” Missy said, pushing through us to get to Amber. The end of the year was always busy for me and my business, so I knew I was gone be too busy to celebrate her birthday. So, we all decided to celebrate her birthday along with Cali. Missy gave her unlimited access to her boutique. Snoop gave her cash along with Sean. Cali started her a trust fund under her new last name. Omario popped up and gave her this diamond necklace that she was blushing and shit over. Like nigga you just met her, chill out. They basically family. Like that shit nasty.
“So now that we got, the gifts out the way, I say we go out to eat,” I stated, rubbing my stomach.
“Yes, because I’m starving,” Cali agreed. She was about to walk to the car, but she stopped.
“Nah, lil’ momma you need to go change. I left something on ya’ bed. Gone put that on and meet me out here,” I told her. She was looking confused, but she didn’t question me. She just shot me a shy grin and walked away. I rushed in after her and got dressed. I had to look good for tonight. I took a quick shower and slipped the all-white Gucci sweat suit with the matching kicks. You couldn’t tell me I wasn’t fresh. Once I was done getting right, I walked back outside and waited for Cali.
“You nervous?” Sean quizzed.
“Hell nah I ain’t nervous,” I lied, constantly fidgeting with my hands. Sean looked at Snoop, and then they both looked at me. “Man, I’m so fucking nervous I think I’m gone shit on myself. What if she don’t like this shit? Maybe it’s too soon. That shit with E is still fresh and-,”
“Boy shut the hell up and pull your thong out your ass. I know, Cali and she is going to love this. It’s a sacrifice for you, and she’s going to fall in love with that more than the present,” Lee chimed in.
I ain’t want to seem like no bitch, so I just kept it cool. We went over the plan again, and in the middle of us talking, Cali walked out. “Okay, I’m ready now can we go-,” she paused when she saw us staring at her like a piece of art. “What?”
“The good lord blessed a nigga too good,” I commented, referring to her beauty inside and out. She was rocking an all-white Chanel dress with silver sparkly Christian Louboutin heels. Her hair was down and curly, and she had a fresh face. Damn, I loved it when she was natural.
“I think he blessed you too,” she quipped, strutting towards me. “Now that your done undressing me with your eyes, can we eat. I’m starving.”
“What’s with you being hungry all the damn time?”
“I don’t know. I just be hungry now can we go. My stomach is hitting my back,” she whined. I laughed her cry baby ass off, and I told everybody it was time to go. Everybody followed behind us, and Sean texted me and told me that everything was good to go.
“Oh shit, I forgot to drop these papers off to that white bitch,” I lied, grabbing my phone to call Sean. “Aye, Sean hit this left up here. I forgot about the paperwork,” I said into the phone. We pulled into this gated brick style mansion, and Cali’s mouth dropped.
“Damn. This white lady must have money,” she mumbled, admiring the exterior.
“Yes, this crib nice. Now stay in the car while I go-,”
“Ummm, no. I’m staying in the car while you flirt with some white girl,” she snapped.
“Jealousy don’t look good on yo, lil’ momma so chill out. Now just sit tight. This is business, and I can’t have you in here fucking up my shit-,”
“Excuse me?” she quizzed now facing me with her arms folded. “And just what the hell does that mean? I’m not ghetto or anything, and I’m pretty so it’s not like I would embarrass you.”
“Look, just stay ya’ ass in the car. You nag too damn much,” I mumbled enough for her to hear me as I got out the car and slammed the door. I was stalling so that everybody could go inside. I could hear Cali going off and as the passenger door opened. I had her right where I wanted her. I rushed inside and got in position. I was so damn nervous a nigga’s ass was sweating. You could hear Cali cursing like crazy which she never did, but she had been moody, so she snapped on me easily.
When I heard her get closer to the door, my heart pounded in my chest. This moment meant the world to me, and I wanted to make it perfect for Cali. “Compton, you are such fucking asshole-,” she paused when saw me on bended knee with a red box open in my hand. That red box had a yellow ten karat diamond in it. Yes, I was proposing to Cali.
“Oh, my God,” she gasped with her hand over her mouth. “Compton,” she whispered, getting all teary eyed. I grabbed her hand in mine and glanced up at her.
“Cali my pops once told me that when you find a wife you find a good thing and you just that to me. My good thing. We started this shit off on a lie, and I don’t want it to end that way. I’m on my knee in my brand-new Gucci suit, not asking for your hand in marriage but asking for your heart. I broke it once, and if you grace me with it again, I promise to never even put a dent in it. I was a boy when I met you, and you made me grow into a man. A man who knows’s the true definition of love. I loved before, but I didn’t know what being in love felt like until I found you. I can literally say that without you in my life, I’m a lost ass nigga. You have become my better half, and I can’t lose you. I won't fuckin’ lose you. I’m willing to do whatever it takes. Even if that means moving out here.”
That was Snoop’s queue to hand Cali the envelope, but that nigga didn’t move. “I said, I’m willing to do whatever it takes. Even if that means moving out here,” I repeated louder, and still this nigga stood there. “SNOOP!” I barked, and he jumped.
“What nigga?” He quizzed as if he didn’t know he had a job to do.
“The fuck you mean what? I’m trying to fucking propose and you fucking it up. I gave you one task, and that was to hand Cali the envelope when I say what I just said.”
“And what was that?” his dumb ass asked.
“Nigga what I just said- you know what never mind. Just hand her the envelope,” I told him, rubbing my temple with my free hand. This why you don’t ask niggas who smoke weed to do shit for you. They always fuck it up. After he fucked up the mood and handed her the paper, I waited for her to read it. When she pulled out the keys, the tears in her eyes had fallen.
“Compton please tell me this isn’t an early April Fool’s joke. Please tell me you're serious.” She glanced down at me in disbelief.
“I’m always serious when it comes to you. This shit we are standing in is already paid for. All you got to do is agree to be my wife again. Agree to do this shit the right way. We gone pledge our love in front of all of our family and friends and this time, it’s gone be real. Our vows gone actually come from the heart and this time ain’t no lying to G
od. I want it to be real,” I told her, and she remained quiet.
“So, what’s it’s gone be? You gone be my lil’ momma forever and for real this time?” I quizzed awaiting her answer. She looked me in my eye and then glanced above me at our family. Then back at me and then them. With tears and snot running down her face, she nodded her head up and down.
“I just have one question before I answer you,” she spoke softly.
“What’s that?”
“Why did you hesitate when it came to choosing me and Monique that day?” she asked and you could hear the gasps of my family behind me. I wasn’t expecting her to ask that, but I was definitely gone give her an honest answer.
“To be all the way one hunnid with you, Cali…I just couldn’t do it. In my mind, I choose you no doubt, but I couldn’t pull the trigger. I done emptied the clip on a lot of people but women are off limits. Especially when they were once special to me. I know you don’t want to hear it, but she did mean some shit to me. What kind of man would I be if I offed her? If I did, you would be happy, but in the back of ya’ mind, you would think I’m a monster. She deserved a lot of shit, but death wasn’t it,” I truthfully responded.
“So what would you have done if my momma didn’t show up?”
“I was gone pull the trigger on myself. I wasn’t gone be able to live with the guilt of killing Mo’ and I can’t fathom living my life without you. So if I had to choose, I would have chosen myself. I would die for you, Cali. Know that.”
A smile crept on her face along with more tears. “Then yes! That’s all I ever wanted was to be was your little momma,” she answered, cheesing from ear to ear. I slid off her old ring and placed the new one on her ring finger. Standing to my feet, I picked up my wife and wrapped my arms around her. Out of excitement, I wrapped my arms around her waist not ever wanting to let her go.
“Well let’s break out the drink because it’s time to celebrate! Where the wine at?” Lee asked, looking around. I placed Cali down and kissed her forehead.
“It’s in here, Lee,” I through over my shoulder. I unleased Cali from my grip and walked into the kitchen with Lee. I made sure we were alone before I said what I had to say.
“So, when you gone tell Amber the truth?” I asked her in a hushed tone.
“What do you mean?” she tried to play stupid, but she wasn’t convincing me.
“You know what I’m talking about, Lee. When you gone tell them about what really happened the night her momma died?”
“I can’t do that, Compton. If Cali finds out what I did, she will think I’m a monster and she will hate me,” she cried.
“Or, she would understand that as a mother you did what the fuck you had to do. You human and you make mistakes. Cali gone forgive you but the one you got to worry about is Amber. She deserves the truth, Lee. Now I ain’t gone give it to her because it ain’t my place but the longer you withhold that from her, the harder it’s gone be for her to forgive ya’ ass when she finds out.”
I grabbed the wine bottle and walked away. I called Lee’s bluff when I heard her bullshit ass story. At first, I was falling for it, but then I had to do my own research. Let’s just say it was more truth that needed to be told. But that wasn’t my business. She was gone have to wrestle with that on her own.
Brushing off my conversation with Lee, I approached Cali and embraced her from behind. This was it for me. I went from a nigga who was scared to love again to finding out what true love really is. Cali changed my life when she walked into my house that day. I may have thought it was for the worst, but it turned out to be for the better. She was what I had been missing, and I’m the luckiest nigga alive to have found my better half. I was gone forever cherish her and treat her like the queen she was. This being in love shit felt good as hell, and I wouldn’t want it with anyone else but Caliana Banks.
EPILOGUE
CHAPTER 20
CALI: MY HAPPILY EVERY AFTER
Two months later…
Everyone was running around my dressing room like chickens with their heads off. It was my wedding day again, and it was so chaotic that you would think I didn’t do no planning at all. I had done nothing but plan for two months straight, but you wouldn’t be able to tell. I was sitting in my vanity chair on the west wing of the house trying to fix my makeup that some white girl messed up.
“Cali what the hell are you doing in here? We need to get you in your wedding dress before Compton kill all of us. We a whole thirty minutes late for the wedding and the wedding is in your backyard. How the hell is that even possible?” Missy quizzed when she barged through the door.
“Well if you had hired the girl I wanted to do my makeup then I wouldn’t be in here. I’m just going to wash my face and wear it natural since that’s what Compton likes. Oh-God! My hair. He’s not going to like my hair like this. Compton likes my hair curly not straight. My nails are too long and my dress,” I paused, pointing at my dress that was hanging on my door. “It’s too much lace and see through. My breast is all out and, Compton hates when I show too much skin. He’s not going to want to re marry me,” I panicked.
“Cali if you don’t get your chubby ass downstairs and re-say these damn vows,” Momma Banks chimed in as she walked in with my momma.
“I can’t marry him like this. I look a mess. My skin is too pale; my nose looks like it’s spreading and don’t get me started on my ankles,” I complained.
“Girl, what the hell wrong with your ankles?” Missy quizzed.
“They're thick. I could barely strap my shoes around them and-,”
“Okay, Missy and Tasha step outside. I need to talk to Cali alone,” my momma interjected, trying to take control. She saw more than my panic. She saw my fear.
“Fine but if she not out there in ten minutes, I’m coming back up here and dragging her narrow ass out there by her fat ass ankle,” Momma Banks threatened before walking out with Missy. When they were out of sight, my momma pulled out a blunt and lit it up.
“Momma what are you-,”
“Girl shut up and take a hit,” she ordered, passing me the blunt.
“I’m sorry, you want me to get high before I get re-married? I can’t do that,” I told her, declining her offer.
“And why is that?” she quizzed.
“Be-be-because I just don’t do that. Compton is the smoker, not me,” I halfway lied.
“Are you sure that’s your only reason?” She had this suspicious look on her face as if she already knew the answer. “Fine don’t tell me. Just know that a Momma always knows. Now tell me why you in here acting like them bridezilla bitches on tv?”
“Momma I just want this day to be perfect,” I answered.
“Since when did love become perfect? Especially not true real love. It’s not gone be perfect. It’s gone be what it is, so stop panicking and come downstairs.” She took a few more puffs from her blunt before she put it out. She noticed that I wasn’t saying anything, so she came to sit next to me. “Unless you that’s not the real reason why you're stalling.”
She gave me the side eye, and I sighed because I knew she was going to make me talk about this. “Momma, you know I love Compton with everything that’s in me. That man owns my heart. I’m not afraid of recommitting ourselves to our marriage. I’m afraid of my role as his wife. I’m twenty-one momma, and we are doing this for real. I don’t know if I’ll be a good wife to him,” I confessed.
“Cali listen to me. I got married to your dad at sixteen-and yes it was legal. I didn’t know how to be a good wife to him either. I was still a baby, and you’re still a baby. But all I knew was that I loved him. I was in love with him and willing to do what it takes. We both failed, but we had the right intentions on being the best husband and wife. We just didn’t have the right tools. You and, Compton do. Y’all got me and Monty and Tasha and Banks. Learn from us. I didn’t know what I was getting into when I married Monty, but we communicated. He told me what he wanted in a wife, and we compromised. Vice versa. As long
as you have love and you're willing to work hard then you’ll succeed,” she advised.
“Yea, I guess you right,” I agreed.
“Good. You are sitting up here talking about your makeup, your hair and your dress like he cares. Compton loves and worships the ground you walk on. He would marry you with acne on your face, a bald head, weighing over two hundred pounds with a brown paper bag on as a dress. He could care less. That’s love so unless you want another bitch to come snatch his fine crazy ass up, I suggest you get dressed and meet him at the altar.”
I glanced at her and shot her a shy smile. “Thanks, momma. You always got my back,” I said to her before I wrapped my arms around her neck. “I got you no matter what baby. I always got you.” She smiled.
I hugged her for a moment longer, and then I let go and got dressed. She helped me with my makeup and hair. She made sure I was on point, and then we walked downstairs. I was nervous, but when I laid eyes on Compton, I relaxed. This man was my soulmate, and I believed that in my heart. I had nothing to be afraid of.
My mother kissed me and then placed me in the hands of Monty. We had a great relationship now. He walked me down the aisle, and I stared at Compton the entire time. We never took our eyes off of each other. When Monty gave me away, I took Compton’s hand, and the ceremony started. We poured our hearts out in our vows, and we planted the sweetest most sensual kiss on each other lips. Our family and friends cheered us on as we took our real steps as being Mrs. and Mr. Banks.
When we made it inside the house, I finally was ready to tell Compton my secret. “So I wanted to wait to tell you this until I found out for sure but after eleven tests, I think I’m positive,” I revealed, rubbing my tummy.
His mouth flew open, and he picked me up and swung me around. “Hell yea! That’s what I’m talking about. A nigga about to be a daddy? I bet it’s a boy this time.”
