Page 27 of Betrothed To Love

“And these are my boys,” Shuga says while beckoning Quintus’s brothers over to us.

One by one, tall, handsome men start marching toward their mom. As they approach, Niya lifts her little head, quickly glances at me, then returns her cute little face back to her daddy’s chest. When Quintus pats her back, she lifts again, but only for a second.

“Tell Miss Mireya hi, Niya,” he says and she shakes her head. However, her arm raises and she waves her hand. “That’s not nice. Tell her hello,” he insists before looking at me apologetically. “She’s not shy so I don’t know what this is about.”

“She just woke up. It’s fine,” I assure him. Like most little girls, she just has to warm up to me.

“I’m Ace,” the brother who appeared in my courtroom says. When I hold my hand out for a shake, he nods, steps closer, then hugs me. “You fam now. We hug,” he says as he gives me a church hug, the one with an approved but unspoken distance.

Deuce is next followed by Tre then Shiro. Unlike his brothers, Shiro pulls me all the way into his large frame. He’s handsome and tall like his brothers, maybe an inch shorter. He’s the biggest though. While Quintus, Ace, Tre, and Deuce look like former basketball players, Shiro’s built like a football lineman.

“You snatched that nigga on the low,” Shiro whispers. “You betta take care of him, sis,” he adds with a grin before ending our embrace.

“Bruh, what did you just say to my wife?” Quintus asks and Shiro grins.

“Yeah, I see you,” is all Shiro says before turning to his mom. “Can we eat now, Shuga?”

“Shiro, five minutes won’t kill you. She’s got to meet Sade and the lady you brought this week,” Shuga says, then rolls her eyes as she reaches for my hand to lead me to the table with the ladies.

TEN

“We’re more alike than I thought,” Shiro says smugly as soon as Shuga and Mireya walk off. “She’s pretty and thick as hell.” I glare at him.

“Bruh, be glad Niya’s right here,” I warn and he smirks. “That’s my wife.”

“That you kept from us. But I get it. I get it now, bruh. If I was wrapped up in all that I wouldn’t bring her around no niggas, not even y’all,” he jests, and when I turn to curse his ass out, he laughs. “Damn, you ’bout to bite my damn head off!”

“Yo’ ass play too much,” I grit.

“It’s all love. But congrats for real. We gon’ chop it up about yo’ nuptials later. I’m ready to eat now.” He leans down then kisses the top of Niya’s head. “Come on. Let’s go tell yo’ nana you hungry,” he says, reaching for Niya and she climbs right into his arms.

Shuga is right. My baby is four and a little tall for her age but she’s truly a princess. If she doesn’t want to walk, she doesn’t have to. Her papa, uncles, and my nephews will carry her all around this damn house.

“Yeah, take her before I lay you out on this patio for talking reckless,” I joke but only a little.

My brothers and I talk shit all the time, especially me and Shiro, but his constant words about Mireya’s fine ass body really rub me the wrong way and have my chest tight as fuck. I glare at his shit-talking ass again and he just shakes his head as he walks off. Ace steps to me and reads my vexed face.

“Shiro being Shiro?” he asks.

“Every fucking day. But he goes too far sometimes,” I huff and Ace chuckles.

“Yeah. I know that tone. It’s your wife, so shit hits different,” Ace says knowingly. “I had to check all y’all when I married my bae, so I get it. When it comes to wifey, all bets are off.”

“All of them,” I agree. While I still don’t have a clear memory of how Mireya and I got married, the fact remains that she is my wife and Shiro has to tread lightly as fuck.

The night of the ball is still hazy for me. I’m not really a drinker, but I can handle my shit. I’ve replayed as much of it as I can recall and the only thing I can conclude is I fucked up by taking allergy pills at the office before I went. I love my city, but during late summer and early fall, ragweed fucks me up. That’s the main reason I played basketball in high school and not football. Allergies kicked my ass and on Friday night they were on me bad. I popped three pills before going home and getting dressed. Mixing allergy pills with my drinks must have fucked me up. That’s the only thing to explain my hazy memories.

“But the judge? You know I recognized her as soon as she stepped out on the patio. Bruh, what the fuck? I hope this ain’t about my case,” he says with so much concern in his tone.

“The marriage isn’t,” I admit, telling the truth about that at least. Having a drink with her at the ball was about the case. Marrying her in my altered state and choosing to stay married is about her for me and the election for her but my brother doesn’t need to know that. “I’m with her because I want to be.”

“Bruh, marriage is about need not want. To make it work, remember that shit. You know what Asali always said, he needs Shuga and she needs him. The children, the house, the job are wants. Like he told us every damn day, we weren’t shit but bonuses that he and Shuga wanted,” he says and we both laugh.

Asali said that shit all the time and made sure we saw how much he needed Shuga. It’s engrained in me and all my brothers and it’s how I knew Janis wasn’t for me. I never needed her and she only wanted me. My bonus is Niya. I’ve just been waiting for the woman I need and everything in me says that woman is my new wife.

“I think she’s my need,” I admit while nodding.

“You’re married; she better be. And where’s her ring? I know you gon’ come correct.”