Page 58 of For the Love of City

Corey cleared his throat but it didn’t do anything to erase the rasp I love.

“I want to thank y’all for coming out to help celebrate today with us.

Everybody in this room has meant something major to me and P and there was no way we could usher in this new era of joy without each of you here.

There was a period not too long ago where I had nothing but time to think about life.

To envision how I wanted my life to move forward when I had my freedom again.

I was set up for something I didn’t do but my family wouldn’t let me sit in jail and rot.

Despite me telling them to. Lyric has always been like my lil baby and my baby sister all rolled in one.

She brought joy and purpose into my life and it’s because of her, I met the woman who is going to bear all my children.

Porsha was there to befriend her, to guide her and to be there for her physically when I couldn’t be.

Lyric would tell me about this girl that was helping her with her hair and shit and at first I didn’t pay attention.

But then I heard how much respect she had in her voice.

The type of advice that this Porsha girl was giving her.

And I was starting to feel replaced, not gone lie.

Thought I was gone have to fight for my spot in Lyric’s life. ”

I tugged on his hand wondering why he was cutting up like this. “Corey!”

He grinned at me and couldn’t help but smile back because this was the first time I was hearing about him hating on me from afar.

“Nah, Pretty P, you was gone get cussed out if you thought you were gone be number one in her life. But then I saw you. And then I met you. And I understood that respect that you’d earned from Lyric.

Understood why she felt so quick to open up to you.

The warmth you have around you when it comes to people you love.

The way you don’t play about protecting your peace and the peace of those around you.

You have a giving heart, hit like you got a chip on your shoulder and your soul is so pure.

I couldn’t have picked a better woman to trap. ”

“Corey!” I was crying and laughing because he was being sweet and silly at once.

He smirked but then his face turned serious once again and I felt the love between us grow into something deeper with the way we just stared at each other.

“But for real. Thank you for this gift, Porsha. I’m a rich nigga and not yet a wealthy one, but all the money in the world can’t top the load that you’re carrying for us to bring our little one into the world.

I’m forever indebted to you for what you’re doing.

But I might need you to do something else for me. ”

I rolled my eyes because he just had to go and ruin the moment. “Corey if you talking about another baby already and this one just got feet—”

“Nah, Pretty P. I need you to marry me.”

His long body dropped to one knee right in front of me and it felt like a wall of emotion crashed into me.

I could hear squealing going around in the room but I couldn’t see anything but him.

The details of his outfit, the crisp edge up I’d given him before we left the house.

The way his eyes looked hopeful about my answer but also hesitant that I wouldn’t say yes.

The gleam of the diamonds in his ears and around his neck.

The tattoos on his neck I loved to lick while he stroked deep inside of me and was the reason I was knocked up now.

I wiped my face because even though I wasn’t conscious of crying; I felt the moisture on my cheeks.

“Yes.” I tried to speak loudly but my agreement came out in an emotion-filled whisper.

The stressed look left his eyes and his lips lifted into a gentle smile. “Yes?”

“I’ll marry you. Be your rider. Be your wife, Have your babies, whatever you want from me. You got all of that and more. My heart, my loyalty, my love forever.”

“All that?

“You deserve it and I deserve you. I couldn’t ask for anybody better.”

He opened the box and revealed a large princess cut diamond ring with a blinged out band. I wasn’t even sure what size the diamond was but it looked huge. I didn’t give him a chance to put it on my hand before I threw myself at him almost knocking him over.

“Aye, watch out for my baby with your crazy ass.” He was laughing as I cried but there was no way I was going to stop squeezing him.

In every part of life, he was my anchor and him wanting me forever was the kind of fairytale I’d never expected to get.

But I was here with Corey living the dream life couldn’t get much better than this.

He stood up with me still gripped onto him and all of our friends and family were cheering.

I’d forgotten about them even being there.

Keeping me hugged up underneath him everyone in the room wanted a chance to congratulate us and I wondered if any of my friends knew what he’d planned and this was why the party was so elaborate.

“Girl, you ain’t even asked about what you having.” Toots just got through hugging me before she reminded me of the whole reason why we were here.

My hands went to my belly and I felt like shit. “Oh my God, I forgot about my baby. I’m gonna be a terrible mom.”

“Somebody get that damn cake so her hormonal ass can cut it. She needs a nap.”

“Tootie, I know you not over here acting like you weren’t crying and cheering loud as hell too.” Man called her out but instead of being bothered she just tossed the deep wave inches I’d installed in her head last night over her shoulder like the bad bitch she was.

“Of course I was. That’s my baby. But now I need to see about my grandbaby.”

“I’m ready to cut this cake.” Today couldn’t get any better but I knew why everyone was here so we needed to give them the answers to see who was right.

“You that anxious to find out about the baby or are you hungry again?”

Corey wrapped his arms around me and I leaned back into him. The baby was barely visible even though I was well into my second trimester. I was thankful that being tall meant this kid had plenty of room to stretch out.

Instead of being shy I pulled Corey’s face down to mine so that I could whisper in his ear.

“I’m ready to feel the dick that’s the cause of this party to begin with deep in the back of my throat.

You put a baby in me, an ice rink on my finger and now you wanting to change my last name?

Respectfully, fuck this party. They can slide me a to go plate under the door for after I get done riding your dick. ”

I leaned back, saw the lust in his eyes and the way his nostrils flared. “It’s like that?”

“You chose me and I chose you. I can appreciate all these folks came out but if this day is about us celebrating, I want to do it the way I want to. So what’s it gonna be?”

“Hold on I know that look on your face nasty ass. See what being fast gets you?” My mama was back in our business and pointing to my stomach as if I gave a damn. Everyone in the room besides my friends’ kids were very much grown and fucking. Even her.

“I’m damn thirty-five ma I ain’t fast.”

“You right. We should change your name from Prissy to damn Squirtle with the way you were dragging this.”

“Ma!”

“Nah, let her speak, Pretty. Toots ain’t lying.”

My mouth dropped open at how Corey was teaming up with my mama to tease me about all of this. “Damn, I’m marrying you! You not gonna stop teasing me about this?”

Corey looked thoughtful before he seemed to come to a conclusion. “I need about two more kids and thirty years.”

“Y’all ready?”

Lyric held up that knife with too much joy on her face and I could only shake my head. I mean none of us were exactly normal but she was gonna have to be supervised watching my kid for a little while. Acting like the Black Wednesday Adams.

My mother held the cake and I took the knife away from Lyric and Corey wrapped his wide hand around mine. I could only smile at how his hand seemed mildly sweaty and I could see that he was anxious to cut this cake.

We were instructed to cut into the pink and blue cake that was decorated with bows and bears in the spot where the colors merged to purple.

I didn’t bother looking at the cake, just kept my eyes focused on Corey to see his reaction. He wasted no time pulling back the slice of cake and his mouth was in a wide grin.

“Damn, you really always give Lyric what she wants, huh?” I looked down at the color and could only shake my head as the round of I told you so’s went up among our guests.

Corey, of course, was grinning broadly like today couldn’t get any better. “Big Homie looked out so that I wasn’t surrounded by just you and her since Trav ass is always on the road. Damn, I can’t believe that shit.”

“Now I need to figure out how to keep the love of two Citys, huh?” The blue interior of the cake was a sign that I’d been wrong about the baby.

“Do for him the same thing you do for me.”

“Which is what?”

He leaned over and gave me a gentle kiss as he pulled me back into the shelter of his body. “Love me as unselfishly as I love you and everything will be alright.”

“Just like that?”

“As simple as that. My love is never something you have to work for. It always has been and always will be given to you freely. Never forget that, Pretty.”

My eyes filled with tears and I couldn’t wait to show him my appreciation for each way he’d loved me.

“And I know without a doubt, you mean every word.”

The End