Page 128 of Zimyra

“Yeah. We have grown folk business to discuss,” Zander says.

The server brings two appetizer platters. There’s a blooming onion and fried shrimp. It smells heavenly.

I grab a shrimp, pop it in my mouth, and ask, “What grown folk business do we have to discuss, Zander?”

“You know—how you took it upon yourself to marry this man without allowing us to fully vet him.”

Axel grins and says, “I thought we were cool now, man.”

“We are,” Zander admitted to my relief. He continues, “But Zimyra has always been an active and very special part of our lives. I’m not just her brother. I’m her daddy.”

“Lord have mercy,” Mom says. “Zander, if you don’t stop your mess.

Nykendy and Alyssa are in stitches.

“What’s so funny?” Zander asks.

“Just wondering why you saiddaddylike that,” Alyssa says. “And why does Zimyra need a daddy when she got aZaddy.”

Zayda leaned back in her chair and released a good, hearty chuckle.

Zavier says, “All jokes aside, I would like to officially welcome you to the family, Axel. I don’t know all the circumstances surrounding your relationship with my sister, but what I do know is she’s happy and therefore I’m happy.”

“Youarehappy, aren’t you, Zimyra?” Zander asks.

“You can’t tell by that smile on my baby’s face?” Axel asks.

Smiling, I say, “Yes, I am happy.”

“Now, here’s what I want to know—when did this marriage take place, and why did y’all run off like hot-in-the-tail teenagers and do that?” Mom asks.

“We got married in Hilton Head, Ms. Zayda, about a month ago. And I know we’ve only known each other for a few months, but I love your daughter very much and she knows that, don’t you, Zimyra?”

“I do,” I say, feeling my face tighten with embarrassment. I’ve never been in a position where I had to talk about my significant other in front of my family but now, I have to. Iwantto. They should know how much Axel means to me.

I say, “Yes, I’ve known him for a short time, but in that time, I’ve found something I’ve never encountered before. I mean, I wasn’t necessarily looking. I wanted to do things, be accomplished, start my business and finish so many things before getting married, but when it’s right, it’s right and I couldn’t let that go—couldn’t lethimgo. I love him that much.”

“That’s beautiful. My baby and her maintenance man. You got yourself your own live-in handyman.”

“That’s the thing, Ms. Zayda. I’m not a maintenance man.”

“He’s the head negro in charge,” Zander says.

“Wait—what did I miss?” Nykendy asks.

Axel explains, “It’s a long story, but I don’t really work in maintenance. I was posing as a maintenance worker to get close to Zimyra.”

“Why would you do that?” Mom asks. “Because you wanted to date her? Is that what men are doing these days?”

“No, Ms. Zayda. I work for the company that owns the property Zimyra works at. The reason I had to get close to her was to find out some things about how she was running things because she does it so well.”

Alyssa says, “So, if you’re not in maintenance work, what exactly do you do?”

“I told y’all…he’s the HNIC,” Zander says.

“Acually, I’m not. My father is. I’m—”

“He’s the chief operating officer of one of the largest property management companies on the East Coast,” Zander explains before Axel has a chance to. “He lives in Bridgeport, Connecticut in a two-million-dollar home. His mother and stepfather also live in Bridgeport. Yeah, I looked you up. My question is, where are you and my sister planning on living?”

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