Page 42 of Certified Pressure 3 (Certified Pressure #3)

Chapel Grove

The following morning…

It was a little past nine o’clock and I was up, still laying in bed with the covers pulled halfway over me. My phone kept buzzing beside my pillow, and when I finally reached over and grabbed it, I saw a few texts from Pressure.

Pressure: I found you a house. Should be getting the keys later this evening.

I read it twice just to let it sink in. A smile tried to creep across my face, but I fought it back.

I shouldn’t have been surprised because that’s the kind of man Pressure was.

If he said something was handled, it was handled.

If he didn’t do it himself, somebody in his family would make it happen before the day was over.

Everything he touched moved fast, and the thought of it made my stomach flutter in the best way.

I texted him back, letting him know I had just woken up and was about to wake Zurie and start getting myself together. Then I put the phone down and just sat there in bed for a while, staring at the ceiling and letting it all hit me.

I was really about to move to Trill-Land.

A whole damn island… a whole new life.

I looked around the room one last time, taking in the soft light peeking through the blinds and the smell of the cinnamon candle I forgot to blow out last night.

This was home, or at least that’s what it felt like it had been.

It wasn’t much, but it was where I’d gotten my peace back after all the bullshit. And now, everything was changing again.

The thought of leaving scared me a little, not because I didn’t want to go but because this time, there was no backup plan.

It was just me, my little sister, and the baby growing inside of me.

Every decision I made from this point on could make or break us.

But when I rubbed my hand across my stomach, I reminded myself that fear wasn’t an option anymore.

I was a mother now, not just to Zurie but to the life inside me.

That meant being brave even when I wanted to hide.

Finally, I pulled myself out of bed, brushed my teeth, washed my face, and tied my hair back. When I walked into the living room, Uncle Lionel and Aunt Deanne were already up, sitting on the couch with their coffee mugs and the morning news on low.

“Good morning,” I said softly as I walked in.

“Morning, baby,” Aunt Deanne said, looking up at me with her sweet smile. “You sleep good?”

“Yeah, I did,” I said, though my stomach was still twisting a little from the nerves. “Listen, I wanted to tell y’all… I’m leaving today.”

Both of them looked at me in surprise. Uncle Lionel set his mug down and leaned forward a bit. “Today?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I know it’s sudden, but Pressure’s been getting things ready for me and Zurie. He texted this morning saying the house is ready, and we’re leaving today.”

Aunt Deanne’s eyebrows lifted a little, but she wasn’t mad. It was more like proud, but just a little caught off guard. “Well, we knew this day was coming,” she said softly. “You told us he was getting things arranged, we just didn’t expect it to happen so quick.”

“I didn’t either,” I admitted. “I honestly thought it’d take a few more weeks, but I forgot who I’m dealing with. Pressure don’t like to wait for nothing.”

Lionel chuckled. “That man move like the world’s supposed to bend to him.”

I laughed a little. “Tell me about it.”

He smiled but then grew serious again. “You sure you got everything you need? Money, paperwork, all that?”

“Yeah,” I said, nodding. “I’m good. He handled everything.”

Aunt Deanne reached over and touched my hand. “You make sure you call us when you get there, hear me? And if anything don’t feel right, you call right away.”

“I will,” I said, feeling my throat tighten a little. “Thank y’all for everything. For real.”

The words almost got caught in my chest. Before I could say anything else, both of them stood up and came over to me. Aunt Deanne wrapped her arms around me first, and Uncle Lionel joined in, holding me tight from the other side. I felt the tears sting before I could stop them.

They had saved me and Zurie when we didn’t have nobody. When my parents turned their backs on us, when things got too heavy to carry alone, they took us in without question. If it wasn’t for them, I don’t know where we would’ve been.

“Y’all gave us a place to start over,” I whispered. “I’ll never forget that.”

Aunt Deanne kissed the side of my head. “You just go live your life, baby. Be happy and take care of that little girl and that baby. You deserve it.”

After that, I went back to my room to pack up.

I started with Zurie’s clothes, folding her shirts and dresses before placing her toys in a tote bag.

I packed all her favorite things first—her iPad, her stuffed unicorn, and the pink blanket she refused to sleep without.

I packed my own things next, making sure everything was ready by the door.

The more I packed, the more it started to feel real.

When I was done, I sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, taking it all in.

Finally, I went to wake Zurie up. She was curled up in her bed with her blanket half over her face. I rubbed her arm gently. “Zurie, wake up.”

She groaned a little, rolling onto her back before opening her eyes. “What time is it?”

“It’s time to get up, sweet girl,” I said, smiling. “We got a big day ahead.”

She yawned and stretched before sitting up. “Are we going somewhere?”

“Yeah,” I said, brushing a piece of hair off her forehead. “We’re moving. Remember how I told you we were gonna live on an island soon? Well, today’s the day.”

Her eyes lit up instantly. “Really?”

“Really,” I said, nodding.

I helped her brush her teeth and wash her face, then got her dressed in a pink outfit that matched her shoes. While she watched cartoons on her iPad, I went to make her some breakfast. She sat at the table, swinging her legs while she ate pancakes and fruit.

My phone buzzed again. It was Pressure.

Pressure: Driver on the way. He’ll be there in twenty.

I stared at the message for a second, feeling my heartbeat pick up. This was really happening.

By the time I got Zurie’s breakfast cleaned up, I heard a horn outside. I looked out the window and saw a sleek black car parked at the curb.

Aunt Deanne came out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. “That’s him?”

“Yeah,” I said, nodding slowly. “That’s him.”

She sighed, a soft kind of sigh that carried love and worry all in one. “Alright then, let’s get these bags out.”

Uncle Lionel came out too, helping me carry the luggage to the door. He walked them outside to the car and placed them neatly in the trunk. When I turned back toward the porch, Aunt Deanne had tears in her eyes again.

“You sure you ready for this?” she asked quietly.

I smiled. “I don’t know if anybody’s ever really ready, but I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

She nodded and hugged me again. “We love you, Pluto.”

“I love y’all too,” I said, my voice shaking.

Zurie hugged both of them tight before running to the car with her iPad clutched in her hand. She climbed inside, excited and full of energy, already talkin’ about how she couldn’t wait to see what Trill-Land looked like.

I turned back one last time before getting in. “I’ll text y’all when we land,” I promised.

Uncle Lionel nodded. “You better.”

When I got in the car, I glanced out the window as we pulled off. My aunt and uncle were still standing on the porch, waving until we turned the corner.

The drive to the airstrip was quiet. Zurie had her headphones in, playing a game on her iPad, while I stared out the window, lost in thought.

I couldn’t believe how much my life had changed in just a few months.

From fighting for custody, to being pregnant, to now flying across the ocean to start over.

It was overwhelming, but it was beautiful too.

When we got there, the driver parked and came around to open our doors. I helped Zurie out and grabbed our bags. The jet was already waiting, its steps lowered and ready for us to board.

Pressure wasn’t here, but I didn’t expect him to be. I figured he was handling business behind the scenes while making sure everything around me was taken care of.

Zurie’s eyes went wide as she looked up at the plane. “We’re really flying on that?”

I laughed softly. “Yep. You ready?”

She nodded fast. “I’m not scared.”

“I know you’re not,” I said, holding her hand as we walked up the steps.

Once we got inside, I helped her buckle up. She looked out the window, her little face glowing with excitement. I sat beside her, my hands resting on my stomach as I looked out too.

This was it… the beginning of something new.

I was on my way to Trill-Land, and this time, I wasn’t just surviving. I was starting over.

Trill-Land…

After spending hours in the air, the jet finally landed.

My nerves kicked in the second the wheels touched down.

This was it. I looked out the window, trying to take in everything around me.

Trill Land looked just like I remembered it with bright skies, palm trees swaying, and that sunlight that made everything look expensive.

It didn’t feel real that I was back, but I was.

When the door opened, I helped Zurie unbuckle her seatbelt and grabbed our bags. The second I stepped off the jet, the heat hit me, soft but warm enough to remind me where I was. I blinked a few times, adjusting to the sun, and then my eyes found Pressure.

He was standing there, leaning against one of his black cars with his chain shining in the light.

His skin looked like it was carved from rich chocolate, glistening just enough to make it hard to look away.

He had on a short sleeve shirt that hugged his arms, designer shades sitting low on his nose, and a look that could stop time if it wanted to.

Even the breeze blew across him just right.