by Jade Royal
“Did you get the video?”
“Yup, I’ve been working on it all night. I loved the new version.”
“Do you want to run through it before the others get here?”
“Of course.”
“Angelica, this is Ms. Renee. Renee, this is my princess.”
“I’ve heard so much about you Angelica.”
“That’s because I’m her baby girl,” Angelica said as she blushed a bit.
“That’s exactly right,” I said as I kissed her cheeks.
“Well, Angelica and I are going to go work on dinner while you girls have fun.”
“The rest of the girls will be here in a half hour.” Renee threw in.
“Got it. Angelica and I will listen for them.”
We did a run through and adjusted a few parts, but by the time that everyone else arrived, we’d nailed the routine. Angelica walked everybody in. I met Sampson and Matheis which brought our total to nine dancers. We demonstrated the routine and, when we were done, everybody whistled. Sampson ran up to us and offered some alterations. We performed it again and he threw in some exaggerated motions that made some transitions into the next step so much smoother. It probably had everything to do with the fact that he was a choreographer.
By the time we’d perfected the moves from our perspective, the rest of the girls joined in to start practicing it. The next few times we watched to make sure that things were looking good. We were both surprised to see that the moves were sexy and flawless. They seemed a lot more confident and less overworked. We ran through it twice more before Renee recorded it. She then sent a copy to all of us so that we could use it to practice at home. Though everybody had the routine down, we definitely needed to polish it up. We had a little more than two weeks before we had to perform.
“I have a question.” I looked around. Everybody gathered around to hear. “What are we wearing?”
The group looked around as if the question was brilliant. Master J and Angelica walked into the room carrying a cooler with waters. He sat them down by the door and Angelica opened it and took out a few waters to hand out. She felt like a big girl as she helped. Master J leaned on the wall, chaperoning her.
“Who is this little diva?” Sampson asked.
Before I could answer, Zihanna spoke up. “That is Vanessa’s daughter.”
Sampson smiled and squatted down. “Aren’t you the cutest girl in the room?”
Angelica smiled. “That’s because I’m the only little girl in the room.”
“I guess you told me, didn’t you?” Sampson said. Instead of looking offended, he seemed impressed.
“What kind of dance are you guys doing?” Angelica asked.
“You want to learn it?”
“Yes.”
Sampson started teaching her some of the steps but altered the moves to make them kid friendly.
I turned back to listen to the conversation about the costumes.
“I thought we were just wearing the clothes that we already had on.” Amy chimed in.
“I’m not wearing the same clothes that I danced in for the rest of the night, honey.” Torrie said. She was definitely offended.
“Why don’t we just figure out what we want to wear?” Renee cut off the conversation, saving the mood.
“How about we wear black boy shorts, black tanks, black masks, and black stilettos?” I suggested.
“That’s easy enough and still sexy.” Zihanna agreed.
“I just figured that we should all have that stuff or getting it shouldn’t be horribly expensive.”
“Can we add some belts so that when we do the moves with the hip action it appears like we are moving more than we are?” Hope asked.
“I love it, honey,” Torrie added.
“Some of us don’t wear heels,” Matheis interjected.
“You remember those shoes that we wore for the non-profit event?” Sampson asked Matheis.
“Oooooh, those would work.” Matheis caressed his goatee as he pondered the possibilities.
There was a light buzz and Angelica shouted. “Our food’s done!”
Everybody laughed as she ran out of the room dragging Master J with her.
“She is too cute, Vanessa.” Sampson said as he walked over to join us. “I was thinking that the girls could have sheer wraps to wear, and me and Matheis could use knotted fabric.”
“That sounds neat. This is supposed to be a claiming, right? So, nobody should be able to identify us, correct?”
“Exactly.” Renee agreed.
“Maybe our dominants should be able to tell us apart by a specific marker.”
“What were you thinking?” Renee was on board with the plan and she hadn’t even heard it.
“What if we all have something of our dominants? Like Master J prefers rope, so I could wear wrist rope cuffs.”
“Master Stevie prefers the whip, so I could have it coiled along my side.” Carmen chimed in.
“I’m loving it,” Sampson nodded.
“We just have to find a way to incorporate their signatures into our performance wear without taking away from it.”
“Everybody has their Dominant partner for this correct?” Renee asked.
Sampson, Amy, and Torrie looked at each other. The rest of us turned to them. “Spill it,” I blurted.
“The three of us are single, and so are the Doms that we’re hoping will claim us.”
“But they have no clue that they are supposed to claim you?” Carmen asked.
“Exactly.” Amy nodded.
“Back in the Victorian Era, women offered handkerchiefs to the men that they crushed on. They would return it in hopes for a date or a conversation starter.” Hope offered.
“Oh my god, I love it!” Amy shrieked. “That just means that we have to find a way to give it to them before we perform.”
“Yes!” I chimed in. Things were starting to come together. The excitement was finally starting to kick in for me.
The excitement spread as everyone talked about making their own hankies. We wrapped up our meeting and hugged before we parted ways. After everyone left, I cleaned up the studio and headed across the hall, where Angelica and Master J were playing Uno.
“Do I have time for a shower or should I come eat now?” I asked.
“Nessa G, you can shower. I’m trying to win.”
Angelica had her tongue on the side of her lip in concentration. I looked at all the cards in her hand in comparison to Master J’s. I gasped. “Are you cheating my princess?”
Master J laughed. “You need to see her play. This is the first game where I’ve had the upper hand. She doesn’t like it, either.”
I walked over and looked at her cards. I frowned trying to figure out why she hadn’t played some of hers. She had a number of draw twos and draw fours.
“Angelica, how come you didn’t play this?” I pointed to the card and she shook her head.
“I can’t play that if I have the color, Nessa G.”
“Says who?” I asked.
“Mrs. Turner.” That was the teacher in her class. I chuckled.
“Mrs. Turner is cheating you baby. You can play those cards any time that you want. Watch.” I removed several of the cards in her hand and played them back to back.
Master J squinted at me. “We were doing just fine until you got here.”
I laughed as the sore loser in him surfaced. I backed away and headed to the shower. “Angelica, play your cards and make sure that he draws all of them.”
Angelica smiled big. “Pick them up, sucka!”
I laughed hard as I ran upstairs. She was my baby girl alright. I took my time in the shower and even used Master J’s body wash although I had my own. I preferred the smell of him on me. Once I was fully cleaned and relaxed, I got out of the shower and dressed. I wrapped myself in his bathrobe as well for added comfort. I descended the steps to find them setting the table.
“Nessa G! Mr. Jamar said he’s not playing Uno with me because
I’m too good. Next time I have to bring Candyland.”
I hugged her tight. “Okay, princess.”
We ate spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, and salad. Angelica fussed at Master J for not having dessert. She told him that dessert was the best part of the day. I called Mama and she said that she’d already talked to Jamar and Angelica. She’d already eaten, but Jamar had promised to send her food that she could eat for lunch tomorrow. I was stuffed and dozing while talking to Mama. She insisted that we stay the night and that I could drop Angelica off at school in the morning before going to my first class.
Mama insisted that she would drop off some clothes at the school so that she would have fresh ones. I agreed and went upstairs to climb into Master J’s bed while he and Angelica watched a movie before her curfew. He’d made up the spare room next to his so that Angelica would be near. She’d claimed the room as hers, and of course, Jamar agreed. I barely remember Master J undressing me before he climbed into bed. I recalled cuddling up to him and my world was all kinds of right as I let sleep take over.
Chapter 25: Vanessa
It was showtime! Angelica was performing tonight, and she had quite the audience. Of course, my entire dance troop was present. They’d fallen in love with her instantly, and my princess couldn’t let the opportunity to invite them go to waste. Little did I know, she’d also secretly invited Master J. Here we were, a group of eleven people all anxious to see my baby girl in her play.
Just like my friends fell in love instantly with Angelica, they were entranced with my mother. Mama was eating up all the attention and seemed to be drawn to the sassy Amy and Sampson. They were like the trouble twins, always searching for something to get into. They reminded me of Angelica in her terrible twos, constantly wanting to get into everything. The lights started to dim, and the auditorium grew quiet. Master J was sitting next to me on one side, and Mama was on the other side. Renee was sitting directly behind me and gave me a gentle massage as she leaned forward in her seat.
“Ready, Mama Bear?” she asked.
Renee knew about my situation with Angelica, and she’d been super supportive. She agreed with Mama and Master J that I needed to get over myself. Her view was a bit different, though. The relationship that I had with Angelica was special and should be treated as such. She also thought that Angelica was lucky to have me. I’d fought to keep her safe from Alphonso and his goons multiple times. Though I’d told Renee, it was a mere custody battle which was only a slim comparison to the truth. Her theory was simple: only a Mama Bear fights tooth and nail to save their cub. To her, I’d done that and deserved to reap the rewards which was motherhood. I deserved to be called anything that Angelica could think of to show how much she cared. Master J and Mama always approached me from Angelica’s point of view. Renee’s view appealed to me because she made me feel deserving.
“As much as I can be.”
“Nobody deserves it more than you, chica.” Renee leaned back in her seat as the principal came on the stage to announce the play.
The school created their own version of the movie Big. It was actually pretty good. They kept some of the major iconic scenes of the movie. The playful scenes were turned into musical ones, and Angelica’s role was Billy. They changed her name to Billie Jean, and her job was to show Josh how important it was for him to be responsible. He had to do things like brush his teeth, shower, and get dressed by himself now that he was big.
As Angelica was moving about, I saw that the corsage that Master J had given Angelica never left her arm. No matter how unfitting it was in the scene, it was always right there on her arm. I knew that Angelica was getting just as attached to Master J as I was. I’d debated on whether or not to take him up on the idea of him being my Daddy because things felt like they were progressing smoothly, but quicker than I’d imagined. Tonight, I couldn’t ignore how right it felt, and I knew just how I was going to accept his offer.
My favorite scene was the one where Josh and Billie Jean danced on the large keyboard. They made one out of paper, and the piano player played on key. What I didn’t expect was for them to turn it into a dance routine. Everybody clapped on beat as the children danced to the song “When I Grow Up”. The real shocker was when we noticed that they were doing some of the moves that Sampson had taught Angelica from our routine. The nine of us laughed when we noticed it. Sampson stood up and bowed, obviously taking the credit for it.
At the end of the play, when Josh goes back home and yells for his mother, announcing that he’s back and ready to do things the right way, that’s where they made the tribute. They sang “Mama” by Boys II Men. The kids dispersed across the stage, each holding a single red rose and belted out how much they loved their mothers. They continued to sing as they descended the steps in search of us. Angelica looked nervous as she approached me. She looked over at Master J, seeking reassurance. He nodded to her which made her stronger. She stood taller and sure about her task. She walked up to me and smiled. She then took my hand and pulled me to the aisle where all the other mothers were with their children. They sang the last chorus to us directly. It was complete with hand motions and sentiments that caused more than one mother to tear up. I kept it together until they bowed to us, showing how much they loved and respected us as mothers. That’s when they presented the rose. I wiped at the tears as they rolled down my face. I was beyond honored. It was overwhelming to know that she loved me as much as I loved her.
Mama, Master J, and Renee were more than right. I was her mother, and it was time that I let her know that it was okay for her to refer to me that way. I took the rose from her and hugged her tight.
“Gracias, mi hija. I love you, too.”
“But you’re crying again.”
“Tears of happiness. I’m happy that you chose me.”
“You’re my mom. Why would I choose anybody else?”
Cue more tears. “Exactly. And you’re my daughter. Why should I expect anything else?”
Angelica hugged me again and music began to play lightly. Angelica looked at the stage. “I have to head back.”
She pulled me down and kissed me then ran to the stage to get into position as I sat down. Renee and Mama hugged me at the same time. Renee was wiping tears from her face when she pulled away.
“Good job, Mama Bear!” she said to me.
I nodded, wiping more of my own tears.
“I’m so proud of you.” Mama sat with me and held my hand tightly.
“I’m proud of you too, Nessa.” I smiled at Master J. He put his arm around me and massaged my shoulder. Warmth. Safety. Protection. I put my head on his shoulder thankful that he’d come. He kissed my forehead, and I closed my eyes letting his affections fill me. I don’t know how the small gesture made me feel so cherished, but it did. In his arms, with Mama holding my hand, I felt new strength and determination. Master J produced a handkerchief that he used to wipe away my fresh tears. I looked up at him and marveled in the adoration I saw. He kissed me, sealing the moment.
The principal came back on the stage and gestured for the children to bow. Afterwards, he invited everybody to eat in the cafeteria. Mama, me, and a few of the other parents had volunteered to make the dinner. The other volunteers, who were men, agreed to serve since it was a tribute to mothers. We’d made large quantities of crowd friendly foods. We offered spaghetti with sauce without meat or steamed meatballs as an option, garlic bread, several salads, and milk or apple juice for drink options, plus coffee for the parents.
We found Angelica and the twelve of us went downstairs to eat dinner. Master J told Angelica how proud of her he was, and she happily held my hand the whole time. The food was delicious, of course. I thought that they were going to have to roll us out with all of the good eats. Angelica took me to meet her music teacher who had been responsible for the play. She was a beautiful older woman who had gorgeous silver hair.
“Angelica is a joy to have in my class. She’s so sassy which is why I thought the part of Billie Jea
n was perfect for her,” Mrs. Gilbert complimented.
“I agree. She’s very outgoing, and I try to encourage her to stay that way. I like that she has individuality. It’ll take her places.”
“It will. She’s also very smart, and that could only open more doorways for her.”
“Nessa G, can I go say hi to Emily?”
“Who is Emily?” I looked in the direction that she pointed. I lowered her hand but then I noticed a little girl who was waving hard. She was just as excited to see Angelica.
“I’ve told you about Emily. She’s the coolest! She’s my school friend and my bestie.”
I laughed, liking the sound of solid friendship. “Sure thing, princess.”
“I won’t keep you. I see that Angelica has a lot of supporters with her today.”
“Yes, besides my mom and boyfriend, she invited my dance troop that was happy to come since they love her so much.”
“Is that where she borrowed some of the dance moves that had to be incorporated?”
“Yes ma’am. A friend of mine took some of our moves and made them kid friendly.”
“I’d love to talk to them because we have another play that I’m working on, and I could use the help with the moves. I’m too old to know what’s cool to do. I’d have them doing the jive.”
I laughed. “That could actually be really cute.”
I walked Mrs. Gilbert over to where Sampson sat. He turned toward me, looking a bit confused. “Mrs. Gilbert, this is my friend, Sampson. He’s responsible for the choreography that you asked about.”
“It’s wonderful to meet you.” Mrs. Gilbert shook Sampson’s hand. He stood, and I left to let them talk amongst themselves.
I walked to get Angelica so that we could depart. Master J fell in line with me as we approached their table.
“No, my mom has one already. Your daddy can’t be her boyfriend. too. Mr. Jamar likes pizza, so he has to stay around, Emily.”
“But I want to be sisters, and I don’t like my dad’s new girlfriend. She’s mean.”
