Second chance christmas, p.25
Second Chance Christmas, page 25
I used this quiet time to our advantage. This felt like the perfect time to tell them about the move and the baby. Rome was still sleeping peacefully the last time I peeked outside the door.
“Should we go sit and wait for everyone in the living room?” Madison looked at her twin. “Well, Mayven woke up Pop-Pop and Marie.” She snitched on her sister.
“Didn’t I tell you to wait?” I giggled.
“Well, at least we can get some breakfast before opening gifts.”
I shrugged and opened the bathroom door.
“Morning, Mr. Rome!” the girls both shouted.
“Rome . . . Please leave the ‘Mr.,’” he laughed. “Merry Christmas, girls. Did Santa come?”
“He did, and he ate our cookies. I don’t think he liked that soy milk,” Mayven snickered.
“We could have given him regular milk, but you have problems with it,” her twin called her out.
The girls continued to bicker while heading out of the bedroom.
“Merry Christmas, baby,” I kissed him on the lips.
“I think this is the best Christmas morning I have ever experienced. I think it would have been better if . . .” He winked.
“Hmm, how long do you think we have before the girls bust in here?”
He smacked my ass. “They might kick down the door. I think I’ve kept everyone waiting long enough.” He stretched and got out of bed.
“Go ahead and handle that breath.”
“It ain’t that bad.” He walked into the bathroom.
I used that as my chance to grab my gift for him and put it under the tree. Marie and Dad were sitting in the living room while the girls stared a hole through their gifts.
“Merry Christmas, honey,” my father smiled.
This was all he wanted for Christmas, so he couldn’t care less about any gifts. But I got him the biggest gift that I planned to give him.
“Merry Christmas, family!” Rome came behind me and kissed me on the neck. “I see Mama is right outside in her favorite spot.”
Mrs. Atkins and Pia were bundled up, sitting on the back patio. Mama loved being near the water. I made Rome promise he would bring her to the coast more often.
“I brought some coffee and coffee cake out there for them. Pia loves it just as much as your mama,” Marie smiled. I allowed Rome to greet his mother while I helped myself to some coffee and cake.
We all sat in the living room, laughing and joking around with the girls. After a quick FaceTime with their father, we gave them the signal to open their gifts . . . and all hell broke loose.
There were so many screams and squeals because of their excitement. They got everything and then some. I had never been hugged so much in one hour.
When the girls were done opening their gifts, they went out to show Mrs. Atkins everything that they had. Now, it was the adults’ turn for gifts, and I became nervous.
“Can I give my gift last?” Rome asked.
“Yes, you may.” I extended my hands and gave both Rome and my father their gifts.
“A gift? I don’t need nothing, Faithy. You have already given me the biggest gift I could have asked for.”
“Dad, I wanted to give you more.”
“Any order you want us to open these?” Rome asked.
“You open yours first.”
I sat beside Marie, who already knew about my pregnancy. She was the first person I told.
Marie didn’t realize she was healing the little girl inside me. Her motherly love and comfort meant everything to me. It was something that I never experienced from my own mother, and now I knew why.
It didn’t make it hurt any less, but I finally had closure and could stop questioning why my mother didn’t love me. I now knew why, and I would close that door in my life.
Rome carefully tore the wrapping paper and opened his box. He pulled out the tiny onesie and stared at me, confused. “Read it,” Marie instructed.
“My uncle handpicked me from heaven,” he read slowly.
I watched as he picked up the old picture of Allen, him, and me. “Fay, you’re not telling me . . .”
“I’m pregnant.” I pulled the test out of my pajama pocket and handed it to him.
Rome’s eyes became red as tears slid down his face. I watched as he kept looking from the test to the onesie, then back to the picture. “Stop.”
“I’m serious, baby. You’re going to be a father.”
“God is sooo good!” my father hollered. “He’s always in the business of blessing us when we need it the most.” He stood up and came over to hug us.
“Congratulations, you guys. A new baby to love and squeeze on.” Marie hugged and kissed both Rome and me.
Rome finally snapped out of his trance and stood up. He pulled me into his arms and picked me up before spinning me around. “I’m going to be a father, yo!”
I held the side of his face. “Yes, baby.”
“Thank you, Fay . . . Thank you.” He kissed me repeatedly.
“Thank you, baby . . . I love you.”
“We will make this work, I promise . . . Whatever I gotta do, I’m going to do to make us work, Fay,” Rome promised.
We shared the most passionate kiss that I think we ever had. Had my father not been in the room, I was sure it would have led to the most amazing sex.
“Dad, open your gift.”
He opened the envelope that had a bow on top of it. “All these papers . . .” he said while looking through them. “A lease . . . Faithy . . .”
“The girls and I are moving to Sageport,” I announced.
Both Rome and my father looked like they were about to fall out. “You serious, Fay?”
“I’m serious . . . I leased a town house a couple of streets from yours.”
Rome didn’t even reply. He just kissed me on the lips. The way he held my face and continued to kiss me was all he needed to do. I could tell he appreciated everything.
It was much easier for us to move to Sageport than for him to follow us to Georgia. I wanted the girls to experience this small town that they have come to love and adore.
“Whew, thank God. Now I can spoil you and that baby with lots of good food. We got to fatten you up and that baby.” Marie jumped up like she was about to start cooking a feast now.
“Not too fat. I will still need to lose this baby weight.”
“A baby?”
We all snapped our necks to the patio door. Mrs. Atkins was standing there.
The girls must have told her, not expecting her to come in here to repeat it. “Yes, Mama . . . I’m having a baby with Faith.” Rome walked over toward his mother.
We were all nervous.
Scared of how she reacts to the news.
She held onto his hands, and a smile formed on her face. “A precious, sweet baby . . . You are going to be a father, Rome?” She squeezed his hands.
“Yes. How do you feel about that?”
“I’m happy. I’m going to be a grandmama,” she cheered, and we all sighed in relief.
“Congratulations, Debra. We’re going to be grandparents!” My father called over from the couch.
“Congratulations, Clyde. I can’t wait to spoil this baby. Where’s my credit card? I need to head on—”
“Not today, Mama . . . We’re going to enjoy Christmas first,” Rome told her.
Pia rubbed her back, and she settled down. “Let’s get you more coffee,” Pia suggested.
Rome walked over with a smile on his face.
“What’s that smile about?”
“Well, I didn’t know how this would work, but I knew I was determined to make it work for us. It didn’t matter if you spent some weekends here or I spent some weekends there. I just knew we would make it work until we knew what we were doing.”
“Okaaay . . .” I narrowed my eyes at him.
He pulled out a set of keys from his pajama pocket. “I put an offer in on this beach house, and it was accepted. I want this to be our beach home. A place where we can make happy memories with our families and the girls.”
“And now the new baby.” Mayven came over and hugged Rome. Madison went to his other side and hugged him.
“Yes, now with the new baby.”
It was my turn to be emotional. I sniffled while wiping my eyes. I had no clue that returning to help my father would turn into all this. I was the happiest that I have ever been. My relationship with my father was so much better, and I had rekindled a relationship that I thought was gone forever. We were pregnant with our baby, and now, my girls and I were moving to Sageport.
“Our beach house sounds perfect.” I kissed him while the girls hugged us both.
For a while, I doubted if I would ever find true happiness again. I couldn’t picture myself building a new life without Ashton.
It was tough.
I couldn’t see giving myself to a man again. With Rome, I willingly gave myself to him because I knew the kind of man he was. He has shown me that he’s man enough to apologize when he’s in the wrong and put in the work.
All I wanted was for someone to put in the same amount of effort that I put into something, and Rome has shown that every step of the way. He has shown me that he loves me and has accepted my girls.
“Remember what you said at Pier 3? How you wanted somebody who wasn’t going to run and cower?”
“Yes.”
“I’m never running from you again, baby. I put that on everything.” He kissed me on the lips.
God told me not to doubt him, and I knew why he sent me back to Sageport. He sent me back here to reconnect with the people I needed most. He sent me back for a second chance.
THE END
To my husband, thank you for being
my rock throughout the years.
I couldn’t do this without you.
I wouldn’t want to do this without you.
I love you, Mr. C.
Acknowledgments
I want to thank my tribe. The Jah Tribe. I couldn’t do any of this without the support each of you show me with every release. We are truly a family and have grown together throughout the years. You guys have been riding with me since 2014, and I appreciate every cousin in the tribe. Love you guys!
To Jaleesa, Jaki, and Jaya, I love you guys so much. Thank you so much for being the best siblings ever. I love you guys.
To Quiana and Treasure, thank you for being my sounding board, support system, and putting up with my shenanigans. I love you both soo soo soo deep! With nearly ten years of friendship under our belts, our friendship is compared to wine, it keeps getting better and we’re getting finer lol.
Kisha Mills, yes, I went with the real name. Thank you for always being you. For speaking my name in rooms that I hadn’t even entered yet. This book wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for you. When I was at a weird place with my career, you restored that and gave me back the spark I had been desperately searching for. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.
To my agent, LaSheera, thank you for all that you do for me and my career. You’re appreciated so much, and I don’t take the work you put in for us for granted.
N’Tyse and the Black Odyssey Media family, thank you for this opportunity. I appreciate you taking a chance and allowing me to be a part of this amazing company that you’re building.
Jahquel J, Second Chance Christmas
