Page 27 of Quasim II: King Inferno

Capri didn’t look convinced as she watched her sister-in-law and Aimee get out her truck. “It’s close to the range.”

Alaia already copped the plea when she saw Capri’s face as we got out her car. “And this is where you want to eat?”

“I’m sure the food is going to be fine.” Aimee tried to be positive, although I could see that she wasn’t all that thrilled with the aesthetic of the restaurant, either.

Alaia started laughing. “I always come here when I’m overwhelmed with things. Roy took me here when we first met. The food isn’t good, but it just gives me this warm feeling when I come.”

We all decided to stop judging the diner and went along with it because her reason for coming was sweet. Alaia entered the diner first and the bell on top of the door chimed. “Hey Alaia, how are you?”

An older white woman with reddish hair greeted her. “Hey Sue… how did the surgery go?”

Sue smiled, exposing a missing side tooth. I wondered if she had given hers up for dick. “Everything went well.”

“Alhamdulillah,” Alaia replied.

Sue gestured around the diner. “Ladies, sit anywhere, and I will go grab some menus for you.” she smiled before she headed down the counter, and we found a booth toward the back.

I slid beside Capri while Alaia and Aimee slid in across from us. Sue came and handed us sticky menus, then left us to look over them. “Leave it to pops to bring you somewhere like this.” Aimee laughed.

“Honestly, it was what made me fall in love with him. He could have showed off his money and he never did… never been my Roy.”

I admired Alaia and Cappadonna’s marriage, just like I admired Capone and Erin’s. The love that each couple shared with each other was something to admire and strive for. The respect was there on both ends. It was the way both Erin and Alaia honored their husbands that I loved the most. It was easy to submit and honor their husbands because Capone and Capp didn’t have them looking like a goofy. No woman could ever come and say that Capone or Cappadonna ever stepped to them.

The same applied with Capri and Meer. She had finally found a man that loved her and treated her like gold. Capri was used to pouring into everyone else, and she finally had a man that poured into her, and had no problem checking anybody when it came to his wife.

“I think that is romantic. Do you both come and eat here together?”

Alaia laughed. “Roy likes to come and sit with me if he knows I’m here, but he hates the food here. We both do.”

“Well, damn, Alaia… what the hell am I going to get since youhatethe food,” Aimee sat the menu down.

“I usually get coffee and some of the cake that is baked every morning… as far as food. Stick to the pancakes.”

After feeling the texture of the menu, I had already decided that I wasn’t going to get anything too complicated. “I think I’ll get some sausage and toast.”

Sue came back over to the table with her pad. “How’s Cappadonna and those babies? You know… we still have people come in and ask if he’s going to make those pancakes.”

Capri looked at Sue. “He was cooking in here?”

“Taught the cook a few tricks with the pancakes.” She smiled.

Me and Aimee busted out laughing because why was Capp in these people’s kitchen cooking. We placed our order and then continued to laugh about Alaia and her crazy ass husband.

Capri showed me a video of Cherry, and I smiled, looking at my God baby. “Why is she growing so fast?”

“I don’t know but she needs to stop it because I’m not ready for another one.” She flipped to another picture and I laughed, seeing her half asleep, laying on her grandmother’s chest.

“How many do you want?” Alaia sipped her water.

“I really want a little boy. I think maybe one more and then we’re good. Don’t ask Meer because he’ll start throwing out all these crazy numbers. It was easy to say I would give him however many babies he wanted, but that was before the baby.” She took a deep breath and held her hand up. “I promise I am fine; I promise.”

I held her hand. “It’s normal for you not to be, though… it’s okay to not be okay sometimes.” I assured her.

Every time she vented to me, she always led by saying she was fine, and I wanted her to know that it was fine if she wasn’t alright. None of us were judging her or placing blame on her for not being alright.

“I’m happy and I’m so in love with the life me and Meer have, but I feel like I’m watching myself from across the room. Like she’s there, and I just want her to jump back into my body so we can feel like normal again. I feel so guilty for even thinking like that because I love my baby so much. I have more help than anyone, and I still feel sad at times because I want to feel like the old me… it’s weird.”

“Not weird. It’s called motherhood, Capri.” Alaia rubbed her hands.

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