Page 46 of Certified Pressure 2

“Pressure,” she said gently, “I’m proud of you for even sittin’ here and bringin’ this to us.

You’ve grown into a man who takes responsibility, who cares about love, and who wants to protect what’s his.

That makes me proud.” She sipped her wine, her eyes never leavin’ mine.

“But love… love is tricky. It doesn’t always start out clean or magical.

Sometimes it begins in places that don’t make sense.

You think me and your father had a fairytale when we met? ”

I glanced at her, confused. She smiled faintly and shook her head. “No. I’ll admit it to you now—the first reason I gave your father any attention was because he had money. If he was broke, I wouldn’t have looked his way.”

My pops chuckled, shakin’ his head. “She telling the truth. She ain’t give a damn about me till she saw the cars, the suits, the whole image. I used to call her shallow for it.”

My mama leaned over, kissin’ his cheek. “And look at us now.”

They both laughed. It was the kind of laugh that came from years of fightin’, survivin’, and choosin’ each other over and over again. Then my pops looked back at me.

“Son, it wasn’t perfect. We argued, we damn near walked away from each other plenty of times. But she stayed, and I stayed, and the love grew from there. That’s what made it real. Just because we didn’t tell you what we went through don’t mean it didn’t happen.”

My mama nodded. “Sometimes love don’t look how you think it should at the beginning.

What matters is what it turns into. But don’t confuse that with letting someone use you.

You are not just a man, you are an empire.

If a woman only sees what you can give and not who you are, she can destroy everything. ”

My pops leaned forward, his voice firm. “Exactly. You marry the wrong woman, she don’t just ruin you, she ruins the whole kingdom.

That’s why you gotta be smart. Follow your heart, yes, but protect yourself too.

Don’t let lust blind you. Don’t let loyalty trap you.

Ask yourself who’s really standing beside you for you. ”

Their words sat heavy, makin’ me think harder. My mama reached for my hand, her grip soft but strong. “Sleep on it, baby. Don’t make any rushed decisions. Trust yourself. Trust your spirit. It will lead you where you need to go.”

But I pulled back a little, shakin’ my head.

“Nah, Ma… hold up. Y’all the ones that put this on me in the first place.

Y’all the ones that said I needed to find a wife, carry this family forward, keep the empire strong.

And now I’m sittin’ here, torn between two women, both of ‘em drivin’ me crazy, and I don’t know what to do.

Do I pick Pluto, who I love but feel like might be usin’ me?

Or do I pick Kash, who been down but I don’t know if I can fully trust either? What am I supposed to do?”

My father leaned back in his chair, his eyes steady on me. “Son, don’t twist this. We told you to find a wife, yes. But we never said it would be easy. You think me and your mother had it all figured out on day one? Hell no. Love, partnership, marriage—it’s messy. It’s choices. It’s work.”

My mana set her wine down and leaned forward, her eyes lockin’ on mine.

“Baby, let me ask you somethin’. When you were looking into Pluto’s eyes, did you really see someone who is using you?

Did you see a hustler, or did you see a woman who was scared, who maybe didn’t know how to handle what she was feeling for you? ”

I swallowed, my mind flashin’ back to the way Pluto looked at me when she was cryin’, beggin’ me to hear her.

Ma didn’t let up. “Can you honestly sit here and say that girl never loved you? Think about all the times she let you close, the way she held onto you like you was the only safe place she had. Was that money to you, or was that love? I’m only asking questions based on everything you’ve just shared with me and your father. ”

I looked down, rubbin’ my hand over my face.

“You said it yourself,” she went on. “If she needed money, all she had to do was ask, and you would’ve given it.

So why would she put herself through all of this, after getting the money, chasing her tail, risking her pride, just to get something you’ve already handed her?

Why would she want to remain in her circumstances, rather than live in luxury with you if it was all about money? That don’t make sense, baby.”

Her words hit hard, and I hated that they did. Because deep down, I knew what I seen in Pluto’s eyes wasn’t fake. I knew the way she clung to me wasn’t about no dollars. I just… the shit still felt off.

She leaned in, her voice soft but firm. “Yes, you know I’m all about protecting you and you know I’m suspicious of every woman that look your way, but son… don’t get so caught up on the fact that Pluto needed you at first. Plenty of women start there. What matters is, does she want you now?“

Pops cleared his throat, leanin’ back in his chair. “Your mother is right. Don’t confuse fear with fraud. Some people run from love because they are scared it’s going to break them. It doesn’t mean it’s not real. It just so happens that she needed something in the process as well.”

Pops then sipped his scotch, his eyes never leavin’ mine.

“That girl might’ve leaned on you for money, son, but I saw the way she looked at you when I first met her.

That wasn’t no hustle in her eyes. She doesn’t seem that sure of herself.

Sounds to me that she’s just a young woman torn up by love she can’t control. ”

I sat back, sighin’ deep, my head spinnin’. They made sense, both of ‘em. But the truth was, I was still conflicted as hell.