Page 50 of He Snatched My Soul

“Anastasia, you told me you and my son decided to get back together. Why would you lie to me?” Mrs. Armstrong was in disbelief.

“Jamian, we can still make this work, baby. Just give us another chance,” she pleaded and I rolled my eyes.

“I’ma ask you to leave my house, young lady. We don’t play that up in here. Julius, show Anastasia to the door, please,” Mr. Armstrong told his son. I was shocked to hear him speak like that. He’s normally so reserved.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come into your home and start trouble. I just thought I could get your son to see that we belong together.”

“Nah, I got the woman I love right here. You can bounce.” Jamian pulled me to him, shocking his mother.

“Come on, Anastasia. I’ll walk you out.” Julius escorted the trash out of the kitchen.

“Son, I apologize for that. I didn’t know. Now, did I just hear you correctly? You and Modesty are together? And love? When did all this happen?”

“Well, what had happened was that trip to Jamaica that you and Pop forced me to take?”

“What he is trying to say is that they were over there doing more than working. They were hunching,” Julius butted in as he came back into the kitchen. And when I tell you my mouth was on the floor, I wanted to crawl under a table somewhere.

“Knock that ass clean up. She stuck for life.” Jamian and his brother snickered and bumped fists. I elbowed him in the stomach and shot him a look.

“Pregnant! I’m going to be Glam-ma!”

Mrs. Armstrong clutched her chest with her eyes widened. She pulled me into her arms, and we shared a tight hug. Everyone congratulated Jamian and me on the baby before we headed into the dining room. On the table, there was a huge spread of food that made my mouth water. By this time my nerves had calmed down, and Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong welcomed me with open arms. We sat around talking, and Mrs. Armstrong boasted about throwing a huge, extravagant baby shower. I could tell she was going to be over the top just like my mama and grandma. Not to mention Jayla, my sister from another mister.

Two years later in Dubai

Gazing at my reflection in the full-length mirror of the Royal Villa's grand bedroom, I couldn't help but admire the image before me. As I shifted from side to side, I took in every aspect of the elegant white A-line dress that adorned me. Its fabric draped gracefully over my curves, pooling gently around my feet. The dress tastefully revealed a hint of cleavage and featured a daring slit that promised a glimpse of my strong thighs with each step I took. Complementing the dress, I chose delicate strappy heels and shimmering silver adornments. My makeup was beat for the gods, courtesy of the expert glam squad Jamian had arranged for me. My hair was styled in a sleek high bun, with a few tender strands cascading softly around my face. With a final approving glance in the mirror, I retrieved a small, carefully concealed gift box from an empty suitcase in the closet.Tucking it securely into my clutch, I felt a flutter of excitement at the thought of surprising Jamian, hoping he would cherish it.

Jamian made reservations for breakfast at this well-known restaurant. He also said he had a big surprise for me, and I was geeked to see what it was. We have been in Dubai for four days, and I have been in my glory the whole vacation, which was a high that will take weeks for me to come down from. Tomorrow is our last day here, and as much as I’m enjoying our stay in this beautiful country, I missed my baby boy, Jamian Jr. He’s one year old and is the spitting image of his daddy. When I first found out that I was pregnant, I didn’t know how to feel about it at the time. I accepted it, however, and never looked back. Now, here I am two years later with a man who loves me unconditionally and a baby that I had grown to love with my whole heart before he was even born into this world.

I must have called my mom fifty times before she threatened to block me. I laughed at her, but I had my backup, Grandma Netta. She made sure I got a FaceTime call with my baby anytime my mother wasn't around after I threatened to tell my mom she has been smoking in her house when she wasn’t home.

“Juicy, you ready to go. Our ride is outside.”

I almost drooled when he walked into the room. He looked so good in his cream linen suit, displaying his chiseled chest.

“I’m ready. And I hope you know you are not going out like this.” I raked my freshly manicured hands down his chest.

“Ain’t nobody checkin’ for me but you.” He smiled.

“You better believe it.” I winked, using one of his favorite sayings.

“You look good, baby.” He grabbed my hand and twirled me around to look at my outfit. “Damn, I’m a lucky nigga. All this fine-ass body belongs to me.” He pulled me to him, gripped my ass, and gave me a sloppy kiss.

We left the villa and drove to what I thought was supposed to be the restaurant, but we ended up at the beach. Jamian helped me out of the truck, and I looked at him with a perplexed expression.

“Baby, what are we doing at the beach? I thought we were going out to eat.” I pouted.

“I got you, Juicy. Take off your shoes and leave them in the truck,” he told me, and we both left our shoes behind.

Jamian grabbed my hand and led me down to the beach. The soft white sand felt good under my feet. This moment was right out of a movie. The setting sun gleamed on the water, and the waves crashing on the shore made for a perfect relaxing atmosphere. We walked down the secluded beach and came upon a hidden cove beautifully decorated with different kinds of white flowers. I noticed a table set for two with silver-covered platters as two men dressed in waiters’ uniforms stood nearby.

“Good morning to you both. I'm Sergio, and this is Ali. We will be your servers for this morning,” one of the male waiters stated with a smile.

“Breakfast on the beach? You are too good to me, baby.” I looked up at my man with a smile.

We were seated and served mimosas. I declined and went with just orange juice. The servers prepared our food right there on the beach. The eggs benedict, fluffy French toast topped with fresh fruit, pancakes, bacon, and fresh croissants all tasted amazing. Enjoying a delicious meal with the sound of the waves in the background, feeling the warm sand beneath my feet, and breathing in the fresh sea air was a perfect way to start the day. The experience was out of this world. After breakfast, we walked the shoreline.

“This place is so beautiful. I have traveled to many places, and I think Dubai has become my favorite. Everything about this place is perfect.”

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