Page 36 of Sunday

“It’s okay, Sunny. Sir, I have the greatest respect for Sunday. I didn’t prey on her, and she’s not anyone’s victim.”

“What were you thinking, Sunday? I didn’t send you to that town to get knocked up by the first thug you came across.” My father’s pale gray eyes burned hotly from his warm cinnamon-brown skin.

I blinked back tears. “Daddy, I’m grown. I’m not a little girl anymore, and while I didn’t purposely set out to get pregnant, I don’t regret my baby.”

My hands instantly went to my belly and covered my unborn child protectively. It was as if my hands could ward off his negative energy and horrible words.

“Sweetheart, we don’t expect you to regret your baby. But you must understand that we are shocked and mildly disappointed. Did you think that we were going to be overjoyed about you going off and returning home pregnant?”

Tears streamed from my eyes at my mother’s words. “I never wanted to disappoint you.”

“What did you expect if you were out here making rash, immature decisions?” my father demanded in a harsh tone. “And how dare you come to my home to meet me and not even consider that you should have been coming to at least ask for her hand in marriage? I raised you better than to take up with some thug and get pregnant out of wedlock!”

My father’s words were coming rapidly at us like bullets as his eyes went from me to Cedar and back to me again. I had seen my father staring at Cedar’s tattoos but hoped that he wouldn’t judge him by them. Based on his name-calling, I was wrong.

Cedar stood and extended a hand to me. I took it and allowed him to pull me up. My brothers stood in the doorway with Sarah between the two of them. All of them wore empathetic looks while my heart broke.

“I apologize that our visit today has caused you both distress. We meant no disrespect to either of you. Sunday’s a very loving and caring person, who worried about how you would receive the news. She’s not immature and doesn’t make rash decisions. She’s mature and reliable. So much so that her department head tasked her with a major project at the end of the year. People come to her for wise counsel, assistance, and anything else because she’s reliable. Even our neighbor relies on her to watch her two-year-old.”

“Your neighbor? So, you shacked up with him?” my father asked and laughed harshly. “If you needed money to pay your bills, then you should’ve just asked. Not sold yourself to the first bidder.”

My body went rigid with anger and pain. Before I could reply, Cedar squeezed my hand.

He shook his head, pinched the bridge of his nose, and immediately changed his speech. “I tried hard not to disrespect ya disrespectful ass since I’ve been here. But, nigga, I’m this close to knocking your ass out,” Cedar warned, pinching his thumb and index finger together.

“Hey! Come on. You two need to chill out. Dad, you shouldn’t have said what you said about Sunday. Cedar, we’re gonna need you to chill on threatening our dad in front of us.” Bjorn jumped in and held his hands out between my father and Cedar.

“Bjorn, I respect the fact you need to protect your pops. I’d do the same thing. But he’s not about to say anotha disrespectful word to this one. I don’t give a damn if I’m in his house. I’ll be damned if I let anyone disrespect or stress her, especially while she’s carrying my seed. Look at her. She’s crying, and that ain’t even necessary,” he stated and pointed at me where I desperately tried to wipe my tears.

“Sunday’s too good for this type of treatment. She’s got the biggest, most beautiful heart I’ve ever seen. So, nah, I’m not gon’ sit back and watch her get disrespected for nobody. ’Cause one thing I’ma do is show up for mine and have they back. You and nobody else ’bout to take her through no shit. So, if you can’t accept her or our baby, . . . deuces.” Cedar tossed two fingers in the air and led me to the door.

“Ray, do something,” my mother pleaded.

I glanced at my father, and in his obstinance, he remained rooted to the spot with his head held high.

My brothers and Sarah followed us out of the house. Each of them hugged us, told me they loved me, and asked me to please keep in touch.

As we rode down the street, I looked at Cedar. “Cedar, I love you, but don’t threaten my father again. It’s too easy for us to walk away when he gets that disrespectful.”

Cedar was fuming. “You taking his side in this shit? He disrespected you, Sunny. He was out of line!”

“I know that he was. He went too damn far, but again, all we had to do was walk. We can live our lives without all the drama.”

“You’re right. But I need you to understand that we ain’t gon’ take that type of disrespect from nobody.”

“Okay.”

There was no need to argue. I planned to discuss it later. He just needed to know that I’d get with my daddy later about the shit that he said. And he also needed to know that he couldn’t threaten people’s families, especially their daddy, when all three kids were in the room.

“Aye?” Cedar spoke after fifteen minutes.

“Hmm?” I turned my gaze to him.

“Did you just say you loved me back there?”

“I uhm . . .”

He chuckled and shook his head. “You love a nigga. That’s cute, Sunny.”

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