Page 23

One Year Later

“Hey there, little one. What are you crying for?” I cooed as I walked over to the crib and picked up my two-month-old son. “Are you hungry?”

Scooping him into my arms, I couldn’t help but nuzzle his fat cheek and relish in his newborn baby smell. Andre Jr., or AJ, is the spitting image of his father in every sense of the word. From his complexion to his little attitude, I know he’s going to give me a run just like Dre. I love my baby boy, though, and wouldn’t trade him for anything.

This past year and a half has been a whirlwind, but I’m thankful for it. I never expected to find love with the very man I wanted to arrest, but God has a funny way of changing your plans. I’m grateful I got out of my way and allowed it to happen.

Removing my left breast from my dress, I rubbed my nipple against my son’s lip, and he latched on immediately. I wanted to say I couldn’t believe I had an infant son, but that would be a lie. His father and I couldn’t keep our hands off each other, so it was inevitable.

“Sis, what are you—ugh!” Jerome placed his hands over his eyes as he walked into the nursery. “Every time I see you, you have your damn titties out. I’m going to need my nephew to drink Similac or something.”

Rolling my eyes at his foolishness, I continued to rock my son as he fed. We were spending time at Dre’s home in South Florida, and today, he decided to have a family barbecue. I love the fact that his family has their own compound. After going back and forth from my home to his, we decided that we would live here. It was really a no-brainer because Dre wasn’t going to have it any other way. He couldn’t stand the cold weather in Milly Grove.

“Are you still loving being the queen of your castle?” Jerome gestured around the room dramatically. “Do you miss the Grove?”

“You know Milly Grove will always be home.” I placed my baby over my shoulder and burped him. His little ass was already knocked out. “I just want to be where my man is. I do miss working with the guys in the office, though.”

Being a federal agent is all I ever wanted to be growing up. When he and I decided to give this relationship our all, I transferred to a new location close to the city. I don’t know the aspect of everything Andre does, but I know that our lives would be conflicts of interest if not for his position at Boudreaux Enterprises. As much as I love my job and what I do, I would have given it up if he wanted me too. Surprisingly, he didn’t ask. What I do know is that he’s my husband—the love of my life. I would never allow any harm to come to him or his family. If he ever needed me for anything or if there was anything I think he needed to be aware of, I’d tell him every single time. I’m confident that he would do the same for me.

“Girl, fuck them. I wouldn’t even be working if I was you.” He came and pulled my son from my arms before I could lay him back down. “You have a fine-ass husband who’s paid and treats you like a queen. I would be on my hands and knees?—”

“Mommy, what are you doing up here?” Briley burst into the room as only she could. Thankfully, she didn’t wake her brother. “Daddy said you better not be up here sleep.”

Giggling at my daughter, I walked over and fixed her little ponytails. She’s gotten to the point where she wants Dre to do everything for her, and sometimes, he has my girl looking crazy. Although her parts were crooked and ponytails were uneven, she was still the prettiest little girl in the world.

After we decided to be together, we sat Bri down and told her that her father had been hurt and was in a better place. Dre refused to tell her he’d died and gone to Heaven because he was sure that he was Diddy-bopping for the Devil. I wasn’t going to tell her that, no matter how much I hated Bryce. She understood that he was gone and never coming back. She was sad for a while, and even though Dre wasn’t trying to intentionally replace Bryce, he was doing an excellent job at being her daddy.

“Go tell Daddy that I’m getting AJ ready, and I’ll be down in a minute.” She nodded and ran off before I could tell her how pretty she looked in her green and white dress. Dre wanted all of us to dress in green and white today so she, AJ, and I had on stripes.

When painting the nursery, we researched the various colors and their meaning because I was adamant about painting the room something other than blue. Dre got really into the science of colors and ended up hiring an interior designer for me to work with to redo the entire house. We painted AJ’s room sage green and burnt orange because it represented a good balance of calm and playful energy. Green and white paired together represented peace, unity, and prosperity, and we loved that. Dre was big on us being communicative about our thoughts and feelings because he liked balance and peace after handling his day-to-day work. He felt green and white were our colors now, and I had racked up on clothes in both colors in various shades. My green and white dress was a striped halter that matched Bri’s striped smock, while AJ had a green and white striped sleeper. The baby weight had me a little self-conscious these days, so I always opted for something loose-fitting, and this fit-and-flare style always did the trick.

“Daddy, huh?” Jerome asked as he followed me to my bedroom. He’d been staying with us, along with my mother, to help with the new baby, and I fear he’s never going home. While I love the women in Dre’s family, I also love having my own tribe here too. “She loves that man for real.”

“Like she came from his sac.” I snickered as I looked at myself in the mirror. My curls were loose, and my face was bare with only some lash extensions. This is how Dre loved me, so I was happy to oblige. “The day she called him ‘Daddy’ for the first time, I think I shed more tears than him.”

Dre has never been an emotional man, but he reserves that for me and our kids. The night Bri called him Daddy shocked us all. We’d just told him about the baby, and she asked if she could call him dad too. It was the most precious moment, and one I’ll remember forever.

“All right! Let’s go eat.” I turned and faced Jerome and found him staring at me. “What’s wrong?” I looked down at my dress in hopes that I looked okay. “Should I change?”

Smiling, he rocked the baby in one arm and pulled me into the other. I’m so proud of you, Denim. I prayed that a man would find you and love you the way you deserve. You’re worthy of all the happiness and success you’ve had in your life, and I know it will only get better. I love you so much, sis.”

Dabbing my eyes, I wrapped my arms around Jerome and kissed his cheek. He’s been my rock through so much in life, and I pray it never changes. “I love you too, Rome.”

“Okay, okay… come on before you start wailing like you was in the club.” He chuckled as I wiped my eyes once more, smiling. “You know Dre has antennas and can sense when you have been crying, and I don’t have time for his shit today.” He grabbed my hand and led me out of the room and down the stairs. “Plus, I’m trying to bag one of these rich niggas. I can’t do that if I’m out here tussling.”

Laughing at his antics, we made our way through the house and out back, where everyone was located. The house was massive, with lots of land between the others on the compound. Bri loved it more than I did, and I was happy to raise her in the unlimited space. Andre let the girl do whatever she wanted, including decorating a separate room specifically for tea parties. I didn’t have a dog in the fight, so I minded my business at all times.

“Rome, how come every time I look up, you are always attached to my wife and kids?”

“Because we’re all in this relationship together. Although you chose my cousin over me, I still love you.”

“Nigga…” Dre kissed his teeth and snatched my hand from Rome’s. I couldn’t stop myself from folding over in laughter. “Give me my damn son.”

Rolling his eyes, Rome smirked and handed us over. Kissing AJ’s forehead, I saw all the love Andre had for him. I think I may have fallen in love with him a little bit more after watching.

“You ready to enjoy the day?” he asked me as he kissed my lips. The yard was covered in tents with food, a live DJ, and games for the kids. All of our family had shown up, and the grounds were full of people.

I nodded, taking in the view and feeling the joy.

“You feeling okay, Lil’ Mama?”

“As long as I have you, Andre… I’m just fine.”

Kissing me again, we made our way through the yard to mingle with our family and friends. Life with Dre is one I never dreamed of and never want to live without. My husband is everything to me and my family. I’m thankful he decided to let me live and give love a chance. Would I do it again? We’ll never know because I don’t have to. Dre is mine—forever.

“I wish your mother could have been here to see you like this, Dre. She would have loved a mini you just as much as I do.”

Placing my hand on my grandmother’s shoulder, I gave it a slight squeeze as I stood and watched her love on my son. I know she has many years of life ahead of her, but I’m happy I could give her one of the things she wanted most for me: to be in love and have my own family. Denim came into my life at a time when I thought this kind of happiness was too far out of reach, and I could never repay her for that.

“You think so?” I asked out of genuine curiosity. “You always say he’s me, made over.”

In the last few years of my mother’s life, she wasn’t the woman who birthed and raised me. While she became someone I no longer recognize, my love for her never faded. I often wondered when Rosier would come and tell me she was dead, but he didn’t have to. The cops showed up at my grandparents’ door, saying she’d been found dead in a rundown hotel from an apparent suicide. Jules confirmed because he always had eyes on her. I don’t know what was going through her head in her final days, and I never would. We never got around to speaking again before she died, but I made peace with it. I’m just glad my grandparents were able to put her away like they wanted.

“Let’s just hope this one here has a little bit more sense than his daddy,” my grandfather said as he rubbed AJ’s little fingers, side-eyeing me. “I’m yet praying for you, boy.”

“Where would I be without those prayers?” I chuckled as I bent down and kissed both of their heads. “I love y’all.”

“We love you too, baby,” Sweets cooed as she nuzzled AJ. “Can you give me one more?”

“Huh, Jules?” I called out, pretending I heard him say my name. “Here I come.”

Hearing them laugh at my back, I walked off and went to mingle with my people. Today is a beautiful day, and I want to enjoy it with my family. Looking around the yard, I can say the mission was accomplished as everyone was decked out in green and white.

“Did I ever tell you I was proud of you, baby?” My Aunt Ros approached and pulled me into a hug. “First Rosier, then Jules, and now you…” She smiled as her eyes misted. “You all have made me so proud!”

“Thank you, Auntie.” I kissed her and wiped away her tears. “I appreciate you.”

“Maybe Mimi will find happiness soon.” She sighed and glanced over at her daughter, who was laughing and talking to the ladies. “Anyway, let me go in here and finish this potato salad. I thought Jules was a mess when it came to eating. That damn Adrian is worse.”

Laughing at her frown, I agreed as she wandered back inside the house. Over the past year and some change, my family has grown extremely close to the Mills. Skip and I are closer than the rest of his brothers and me were, but they’re all good people. I invited them here today because even though they weren’t my blood, they operated as if they were whenever I was in Milly Grove for business or with Denim.

“Y’all good over here,” I asked as I walked up to the tent with the fellas. Wild and Luca were playing spades against Jules and Trench. “Y’all need anything?”

“Look at this nigga being the perfect host.” Jules chuckled as he threw down the ace of spades hard as fuck. “Eat that shit, bitch!”

“Nah, you eat this muthafucka!” Wild stood and slapped down the baby joker. “Get your sorry ass up from the table!”

With his mouth wide open, Jules sat in shock as he and Trench lost their second game in a row. When that stupid-ass grin came across his face, I knew then it was time for me to go. I was not up for witnessing any hocus pocus shit today.

“Trench, you’re sorry as fuck! I should have never sat at this table with you.” Slowly, he turned his head toward Luca and Wild. Pulling a small vial from his pocket, he placed it on the table. “You niggas ever wanted to be a turtle?”

Flipping the table and chairs, we all scrambled and ran, getting away from that nigga. Although I’m half Haitian like him, I don’t fuck around with the fuck around. Running straight to my grandfather, I tried my best to hide behind him.

“Pop, I need you to gather all the saints and tell them it’s a code red. That nigga about to lose his mind again over a card game.”

Falling into a fit of laughs, I mugged them all as if I wasn’t in distress. Seeing Jules cool as a cucumber, kissing all over his pregnant wife, didn’t help the situation or calm my nerves.

“I’m tired of y’all upsetting my man.” Bridgette pouted as she rubbed the back of his head as he lay on her shoulders. “Don’t make me go get my bag!”

“She’s just as crazy as he is,” Wild said, panting as he caught his breath. “Where is Rosier?” He looked around the yard and found my brother. “I’m about to see if I can steal some ribs and take my ass home. I’d rather be ducking bullets in the Grove than for a nigga to be out here calling me Franklin.”

Bent over, I all but cried in laughter at how serious he was. This is all I wanted in life: to be surrounded by my family and to be at peace. We may not be good people according to the rules of society, but we’re loyal to each other and have each other’s back consistently. We might joke with you here and there, but we never allowed anyone to play with us.

“Unk, tell Briley she can’t have a boyfriend until she’s thirty.” RJ’s badass ran up to me with a pouting Bri on his heels. Those two clicked instantly when they met each other, even though they were constantly bickering. He was only two years older than her, but swore he was the boss. “She’s about to make me mad.”

“Man, what the hell are y’all talking about?” I crossed my arms and mugged them both. “Bri, what do you know about a boyfriend?”

Briley had officially deemed me her father, and I had seamlessly stepped into that title. Her bitch-ass father didn’t deserve the honor, but she knew nothing of his wicked ways, and if it was left up to me, she never would. Sharing the same DNA wouldn’t make me love her more than I do right now, so if she wanted me to be her father, I was more than willing.

“I told him when I get big, I want someone like you. You love me and are nice to me, AJ, and Mommy.” She pouted before mugging RJ. “You’s a hater.”

“Man, y’all go play.” I laughed and patted them both on the head. “I don’t want to hear y’all fussing either.” Bri ran off, but I called out to RJ before he could. “Beat up all the lil’ niggas that ever look her way.”

He nodded with a sparkle in his eye from being coached to hit other people. The boy was Zoo’s child through and through.

"You got this shit set up nice out here,” Skip greeted me with a dap, followed by Uno. “Shit was like a maze coming through this bitch, though. I started to turn my ass the fuck around.”

Waving him off, I thanked them for coming as I made my way over to Rosier. He and Uno had business to handle back home, so they were a little late getting into town.

“Where’s my girl, Harley?” I asked Uno as I handed him a beer. “She told me we were going shot for shot today.”

“Man…” He dragged his hand down his face before nodding toward her. “She left the baby home with our parents, and she has been on one. Look at her ass.”

Chuckling, I glanced over near the tent where the DJ was and found the ladies dancing. Bridgette and Denim sipped from their bottles of water while Mimi and Harley were dancing with Patron bottles on their heads. The girls were having the time of their lives.

“Who the fuck is that?” I could hear Skip’s frown as he noticed Chandler walk over and whisper into Noemi’s ear. We watched as she looked up at him before nodding, and they both walked off. “That’s her nigga?”

“Something like that…” I responded as I sipped my drink. “That’s her fiancé.”

Watching his eyes turn into slits before his face went blank, he nodded before taking a sip of his drink. I don’t know what was up with him and my cousin, and I’d determined it wasn’t my place to know. If something needed to be brought to my attention, it would be. In the meantime, I was going to mind my own shit.

“Hey, y’all. The food is ready.” Rosier walked over and grabbed a beer from the cooler. “You gone round ’em up.”

Nodding, I finished off my drink before making my way over to the DJ booth. Asking for the mic, I tapped it before gaining everyone’s attention.

“Excuse me… Can I bother y’all for a few minutes?” I called out as he cut the music down. “It won’t take long. The food is ready, and I know no one wants to hear Jules’ and Adrian’s mouth, so y’all better beat them to the tent.” Everyone laughed, with some nodding in agreement. “I just wanted to say thank you all for coming today. I appreciate every single one of you and the position you all play in my life. As you know, family and loyalty mean everything to us, and without it, we wouldn’t have the bond we share.” They all nodded and agreed, so I continued.

“I ask that you bow your heads for a word of prayer.” Giving everyone time to quiet down and bow, I started. “Lord, we come to you today, to not ask of anything but to simply say thank you. Thank you for your grace and thank you for your mercy. Thank you for the wins and thank you for the losses. Thank you for what you’ve done and what you will continue to do. Without your love, grace, and mercy, we would be lost. I want to personally thank you for never taking your hands off me.” I had to pause for a moment to get myself together. “I’m not a perfect man. I know that I have sinned and fallen short, but you love me anyway. Through all my faults and imperfections, you’ve blessed me with a woman that I only dreamt of. I know sometimes, she often thinks she doesn’t deserve me because of how we started, but it’s me who doesn’t deserve her.” I lifted my eyes to find Denim’s on me with tears streaming down her face. “She’s brought peace into my life when it was pure chaos. She’s blessed me with two wonderful and beautiful children. For that, I can’t thank you or her enough. Thank you for giving me a clear mind and heart to love her and treat her the way she needs. Thank you for removing me from blocking my way to peace, so I could receive what was tailor-made for me. If I had a thousand tongues, Jesus, I wouldn’t be able to thank you enough.” Wiping my eyes, I sniffed and winked at her. “Thank you for everlasting love, Lord. Thank you. All these blessings in Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.”

“Amen!” everyone replied as they smiled and cheered. Denim was in my arms in an instant. It took the restraint of God not to smack her ass with my grandparents watching.

“Whew!” Jules shouted as everyone filed in line to fix their food. “The doors of the church are open! Pastor Jones, you got some more oil?”

“I got some bullets for you today, boy. Don’t come playing with me!”

Shaking my head, all I could do was laugh at them. Jules didn’t have a serious bone in his body. Alone in the tent, the DJ resumed the music as I stood with Denim planted against my chest.

“I love you so much, Andre.” The way she looked at me, I could see all the adoration she spoke of. “So, so much.”

“I love you more, wife.” I kissed her lips tenderly. “Thank you for saving me when I didn’t know I needed to be rescued.”

I’ve been called many things and worn several hats and titles when it came to my personal and professional life. Being called a husband and father is by far the titles that have carried the most honor. While I love it, there’s another one that I’ll always wear with righteousness. Being with Denim has shown me I can have it all, and I don’t have to choose. For that, I owe her. I can be the family man I didn’t think was possible, and I can also be Andre Boudreaux, the corporate assassin.

*The End*