Page 63 of Papa's Beloved

“I swear to you, Beloved. Now, how about you? Let me show you a house plan I've been looking at?”

“You picked out a house plan for us?”

“Pending your approval, of course.”

“Show me?”

Papa takes my hand and leads me to our home office. He fires up the desktop and soon he has a floor plan pulled up. It’s two stories with nine bedrooms, eight full baths, a half bath, and nine car garage. Over fourteen thousand square feet. There’s a two story foyer with twenty foot ceilings that opens to a curved staircase. It has a walk-in pantry and a veranda off the formal dining room. Looks like he wants that big family, after all.

“If you want to fill all those bedrooms. I hope we have a couple sets of twins.”

He chuckles.

“You hear that, spirits? My woman wants twins.”

I laugh at his antics.

“Let me feed you.”

My stomach rumbles.

“I could eat.”

I let him lead me back to the kitchen, where he dished out some of my favorite foods. My mouth waters at the sight of gumbo. I take a bite. It’s absolutely delicious.

“Is that smoked turkey?”

“It is. Jimmy went shopping for us. Which reminds me. We need to order groceries or hit the compound’s bodega.”

“Let’s hit the bodega. I haven’t been since it’s been fully stocked.”

“It’s a date. We can pick out a site for the house, then get groceries.”

We finished dinner. I had two slices of sugar cream pie before we walked instead of taking a vehicle or sled. When we passed Stormy’s house, the kids were playing out front.

“We’re going to need a playground and maybe one day a school for all these kids.”

Papa chuckles. “We are growing by leaps and bounds. I’ll bring it up at church.”

“How about the plot next to Gambit. You can be next to your bestie.”

“Our kids will get into so much trouble,” he replies.

“Likely. I’m sending them to you.”

Gambit came out of the garage as we were about to leave.

“Good to see you two. How are you feeling, Nay?”

“Better, thanks.”

“Do you want to come in for dessert? Stormy made death by chocolate cake.”

I groan and pat my stomach. “Papa stuffed me full with gumbo, greens and beans, cornbread and sugar cream pie.”

“I love sugar cream pie,” Gambit says.

“I’ll save you a slice, unless you can talk Jimmy into making one for you.”