Page 119 of Almost Paradise

Langley pulls out a carrier case from under the blanket. The moment he puts it down, I hear a soft meow.

“Tell me he didn’t,” Nia says.

“His name is Daddy Cat,” Carter says, proudly puffing out his chest. “I picked him out and Uncle Langley got it for me.”

My son jumps into my arms and hugs me. My eyes lock with Langley over his shoulder, and I give him the middle finger.

“Um, thanks, Son,” I say to Carter. Langley pulls out a Siamese kitten. I rub its head and reluctantly admit that it’s cute. “Thanks, Langley,” I say before I mouth ‘fuck you’ to him.

Langley and Carter’s latest obsession is watching cat videos together on Langley’s phone. I should have known my brother would do this. Of course, giving it to me as a gift for Father’s Day was a brilliant move on his part.

“I’m gonna go play with him.” Carter picks up Daddy Cat and sits on the floor with him.

“Langley, you are so dead,” Nia whispers. “Do you know how long it took us to train Pixie? Now you bring in a cat?”

“Threaten me again, and I’ll give you a pair of birds for your next birthday,” he threatens. “Or what about this? What do you think of the name Mommy Cat?” Nia’s nostrils flare, but she stops talking, knowing full well Langley means it.

“Okay,” I tell him. “We’ll get you back for this. Your day will come.”

“And Daddy Cat is a girl,” he tells me.

“Oh, please. He can’t even get a date,” Hannah jokes.

Langley pretends to be hurt by putting a hand to his heart.

Everyone serves themselves brunch, but Nia makes a plate for me. The kitchen is alive with chatter, and as happy as I am today, and as happy as I am in my marriage and family life, the mistakes that I’ve made with Scarlett continue to creep in.

It doesn’t help that she was sentenced recently. After sitting in a jail cell for months waiting for trial, the district attorney presented her with a deal of ten years, which included seven years for the kidnapping and three for the arson. Nia and I didn’t offer any pushback. We wanted the entire thing behind us, and we didn’t want to have to testify in court, but Scarlett would not take the deal. She felt she did nothing wrong and wanted her day in court. She went to trial and was found guilty.

The courtroom was packed with both our families, each taking a side in the small room. When the verdict was read, her side started to cry. Her father called me a son of a bitch and was escorted out of the room as per the judge’s orders. Scarlett turned white as a sheet and started to weep. There was no joy in our side of the courtroom. My mother teared up, and she later told me that she blames my father’s deception for all of this. If not for that, none of this would have happened. I didn’t offer a response. I held her in my arms and let her cry on my shoulder.

Scarlett was sentenced to a total of thirteen years with credit for time served.

“It’s your day, baby,” Nia says before she kisses my temple. “Nothing but happiness today.”

“Nothing but happiness every day with you,” I whisper.

From the corner of my eye, I see my mom smiling wistfully at us. Her eyes fill with tears, but I know she won’t let them fall. Not right now.

My father is the other source of unhappiness in our marriage. I still haven’t read the letter he left with Howard or looked at the video recording. Nia says to take my time, and that this is something I should handle when and how I want. My mom and siblings still talk about the good times, but I never engage. They went to visit his gravesite on his birthday, but I didn’t go.

A few months back, there was an award given in his honor, and Langley accepted it on his behalf because I refused.

“Da,” I hear Priya say. I look up, and she’s reaching for me. I take her from Hannah and put her on my lap before I feed her some of my eggs.

“Daddy’s baby doll,” I say to my daughter.

Nia runs her hand through my hair, and looking up into her smiling eyes, I’m reminded of everything I have. I have her back, and I’m never letting her go again. We have our family. We have trust and love. We have everything.

“Almost paradise,” she whispers in my ear.

THE END

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