Page 25 of Pieces of Us

I had no idea how I was living without her in my life. In the matter of a month, she had shown me what true love really meant. Coupled with having Morgan back in my life, I was a grateful man.

The DJ mixed the tunes while my uncle Trent manned the grill. If uncle Trent didn’t know how to do shit else, he knew how to grill.

I had to put my eagle eyes on because Megan neglected to tell me that she was inviting boys to the party. Although my family was in attendance, I still kept my eyes on these little horn ball niggas.

Morgan emerged from the patio doors rocking a teal one-piece with cut out sides, a sheer teal cover up, and gold three-inch sandals. Her hair was wild and curly with a pair of gold-tinted glasses. She had her little mama on her hip matching her fly with her hair wild and curly too.

My heart galloped as I let out a slow breath.

A nigga had been waiting to exhale since our separation.

She walked around hugging everybody, and when she got to my father, I watched their exchange.

My pops was never mean to Morgan, but I could tell because of who her father was, he kept his distance.

He would speak and be cordial, but he never showed her any affection.

Of course, Morgan took it as he didn’t like her, but I knew my pops was cautious because of who she was connected to.

I watched as they said a few words, then he tickled Mariah’s side and she erupted in a fit of giggles.

He then hugged Morgan and kissed her cheek just as Megan walked up.

She wrapped her arms around my pops and he cringed from her being wet and laughed while kissing her forehead.

I grabbed a beer from the cooler and made my way over to them.

“Daddy, are you getting in the pool with us?” Megan asked.

“In a minute, baby girl.”

“Okay. Come on, Mariah.”

“Him not you daddy,” Mariah blurted out.

We all looked at each other before Morgan kissed her cheek.

“He is, Honey Bee. Your sister has two dads now.”

“Can me have two daddies too? Pleeease!”

“Soon, little one,” I assured her.

“Yayyy! I like you now, Megan.”

“Yay! Come on. Let’s go swim.”

“Make sure you put on her floaters and goggles,” Morgan told Megan.

“I know. I know.” She took Mariah and walked off.

I slid my arm around Morgan’s waist and kissed her temple. I looked at my pops, and he smiled at us.

“Y’all look real good together. Picture perfect as it should have been.” He patted my shoulder before he walked off as well. I looked down at Morgan and smiled.

“Hey, sexy.”

She smiled up at me. “Hey, handsome. Can I talk to you in private?”

I nodded and took her hand, leading her back inside. I felt bad for Leann as I looked around the house at all the shit she was going to have to clean. I wouldn’t put it all on her, though. I was going to help her since this was my daughter’s birthday.

I led Morgan into my den and poured us a drink. I was almost sure she wanted to talk to me about her father, so I prepared myself to tell her that I warned her about what I was going to do.

I handed her the drink. “Talk to me, baby.”

“Did you beat up my dad?”

“I did.”

She paused, biting the inside of her jaw, looking worried.

“He wanted to press charges on you, Nehemiah. If my mom hadn’t threatened him, you’d be in jail right now.”

I chuckled. “Mo, I’m not scared of going to jail, baby.

I told you I was going to beat his ass. He kept me away from my daughter for years, making me miss experiencing all of her firsts because of some stupid ass beef he has with my father.

If I’m being honest, he deserves to be lying in a casket looking up at the roof of his church. He’s lucky I spared him.”

She walked up to me, wrapping her arms around my waist.

“I just got you back. Why are you trying to leave me again?”

“I ain’t going nowhere, Morgan. Ain’t shit else going to stand in the way of me having you and my daughter in my life. Ever again.”

“That’s not all.” She pulled her phone from her swimsuit, clicked around on it, then handed it to me. It was a text thread between her and fuck boy about what occurred between us today. He was calling her all kinds of names and threatening to take Mariah from her. I handed her the phone back.

So, I see gotta introduce this nigga to these hands too.

“I see these niggas want to keep testing me.”

“Nehemiah, what did you say to him? You know I’m trying to make things less complicated for everyone.”

“Listen. I know I only showed you the nice side of me. That’s all I ever want you to know and see.

But when it comes to the people I love being fucked with, I’ll go to hell or jail about them.

I wasn’t trying to step to homie, but when him and his side bitch stood in the line at the bakery poppin’ mad shit about my wife thinking he was about to take my daughter from her party, I had to address it. ”

“He was with Jolie?”

“I don’t know who the broad is. The fact of the matter is he cheated on you first. So, all that shit you saying about us being careful is dead. If I want to stand in the middle of Downtown with a bullhorn to let motherfuckas know that you’re mine, then that’s what I’ll do.

“Also, you work as a receptionist at my practice. I’ll have Shani draw up some fake check stubs or whatever we gotta do to move this process along faster because I’m getting very impatient.”

She sighed and kissed my lips. “I know. Whatever you have to do to get me back to you, I’m here for it. I do want to brush up on my physiology degree. I really allowed myself to be reduced to…nothing.”

“You are something. You’re a dope ass mom, a beautiful soul, and got some bomb ass pussy. Now that’s a whole lotta something, baby.”

She mushed me and laughed just as Shanise came rushing inside the room.

“What happened?” I asked.

“Gio is here, and your dad, my dad, and Loon are about to act the fuck up.”

“Shit.”

“Oh, God!” Morgan exclaimed, rushing out of the room as I hurried behind her.

This nigga had to have a death wish.

“Keep the kids out back, Shan.”

“Okay.”

Once we made it to the front, I saw Mrs. May standing in between my pops and Gio. The stare down between them could have dropped a million men. Morgan rushed over to them, assisting her mother.

“No. Hell no! Y’all are not doing this at my daughter’s birthday party! Dad, I asked you not to come here.”

“That is my granddaughter, and it’s her birthday. Am I not allowed to celebrate with her?”

“You weren’t invited here,” I told him.

“So get the fuck out,” my pops added.

He was pissed. Even though he didn’t show it, I’d known the man all my life to know when he was about to turn up.

“Please, everybody just calm down. This is my granddaughter’s birthday party. Do not embarrass her with this foolishness,” Mrs. May said. “Gioni, I told you not to follow me here—”

“As long as you’re here, I’m here. I’m not leaving you around these people.”

“Because you see what happens when you leave her unattended.” My pops smirked at him.

Mrs. May whipped her head around toward him. “You shut your mouth. Stop bringing up old stuff to antagonize him!”

“If you don’t get him out of here, it’s going to be more than me antagonizing his big ass.”

“I didn’t come here to bring trouble. Just want to see my granddaughter on her birthday.”

I chuckled. “Humbled that ass, didn’t I?”

Morgan elbowed me. “Okay, stop this. Please. Dad, can you wait by the car? I’ll get Megan.”

“I want him off my property. He can see her another time.”

“Nehemiah, please,” Morgan pleaded.

Gio scoffed. “And this is the man you want to be with?”

“Daddy, stop. You need to understand that I am a grown woman now. I make my own decisions. And if my decisions end with me making a mistake, then that’s on me.

I have always followed everything you taught me aside from getting pregnant.

I respected you, even when you didn’t deserve it.

I won’t let you ruin this for me or Megan.

I’m going to be with Nehemiah, and that’s the end of that.

I’m done allowing you to manipulate me.”

“I was only doing what was best for you and Megan. This man slept with my wife, sells drugs, and kills people. I didn’t want you all caught up in his mess!”

“Nigga, get yo’ hypocritical ass away from my son’s house.

You praising the Lord on Sundays but big tricking on every ho in this city off my million dollars you stole during the week!

If it wasn’t for your daughter and my granddaughter, I’d do your bitch ass in.

Get the fuck on before you won’t make it back to your whip. ”

“Let me lay his ass out,” Uncle Trent said, cracking his knuckles.

“Go, Gioni. I’ll bring Megan by tomorrow,” Mrs. May told him, pushing him away from my pops and uncle, who were inching closer to him.

“I want you to come home, May. I don’t want you around him.”

“I’m not you, Gioni. I’ve learned my lesson. Now, you have to learn yours. I can forgive a lot of things, but the things you’ve done, you need to take up with God. I’m over it, and I’m done.”

“What’s going on out here?” Drue asked, coming out front with Shelby and Chelsea behind her.

“Your mother and sister are treating me as if I’m some stranger,” Gio replied.

“Oh, okay. I’ll see y’all back inside.”

“Really, Drue? Your own father?” he asked, acting appalled.

The nerve of this nigga.

“You stopped being my father after I married that scum. Stop trying to play victim when you’re the one who caused all of this. Like I said, I’ll see y’all back inside.” She turned to leave.

“So, this is it? My wife and my daughters are choosing these people over me? I did everything I could to keep you all safe and protected. I sacrificed my life so that you ungrateful broads could have one, and this is how you repay me? Fuck all of you!”

When Gio hit the ground, I didn’t budge. I knew my pops wasn’t going to let him walk away without him catching a fade. I almost felt bad for the nigga—almost. I watched as Uncle Trent and my pops delivered blows to his face and body as Morgan and Mrs. May screamed for them to stop.

“Oh my God! Please, stop! Nehemiah, do something!” Morgan yelled.

I sucked my teeth and went to break it up.

“Pops, Unc, that’s enough,” I told them, pulling them away.

“Get your ass out of here!” Pops yelled. Morgan and Mrs. May tried helping him up, but he yanked away from them.

“You all are going to regret this. Vengeance is mine saith the Lord. The wrath of God will come upon you all. You don’t mess with a child of God!” he yelled, picking himself up from off the ground.

“Child of God where? Daddy, cut out the act please. Before you get struck by lightning for lying,” Drue said, laughing.

“You all will regret it. Watch.” He stormed off as we all gathered back inside.

“Mr. Newson, you just apologized to me. Now, you beat up my father?” Morgan asked.

“Baby girl, your daddy deserves a bullet in his head, but I spared his ass for the sake of my granddaughter. I know she loves that coward ass, thieving motherfucka, so because of her, his ass ain’t leaking from the hollow tips of my pistol.

“If you want to take up for a man who kept my grand away from her father, manipulated, and threatened you, then you’re not the girl I thought you were.”

“I’m not taking up for him, but he is still my father, and I wouldn’t want to see him hurt no matter how much he hurt me.”

“Mo, Daddy deserved that ass whupping—point, blank, period,” Drue countered then walked off.

“Whatever. I’m over this. Let me get back to my daughter’s party,” Morgan said, walking off as Mrs. May looked at my father, shook her head, then followed her daughter. I looked at my father, and his eyes were glued to her ass.

I chuckled. “Leave that alone, Pop. My girl is not about to become my sister.”

He smirked. “I ain’t fucking with it. It was a one-time thing. I only did it to get my payback on his punk ass…However, if you weren’t with her daughter, she’d definitely be the next Mrs. Newson.”

“I thank the Big Man for that roadblock.”

He chuckled. “You gon’ have some making up to do later. A new car will make this little situation go away.”

“Yeah, write that check, old man.” I laughed as I headed back to my daughter’s party.