Page 76 of Sunday

“Not anymore.”

“But I’ll bet you were a beautiful, fussy baby,” Layla shared.

“Can I hold your baby?” Janaya asked her.

“Sure, sugar. Baby, can you put Amara in her arms?” Layla asked Bryan.

“Here, sit down next to Mommy,” Janae commanded, lifting her daughter onto the couch beside her, and then Bryan carefully placed his baby in Janaya’s arms.

Cedar decided to prepare a large brunch today for our family and friends to enjoy, and it was hosted at his parents’ home. His sisters and their husbands were here, along with my brothers and all our friends. My parents were supposed to be coming, but I hadn’t seen them yet.

The newly turned three-year-old beamed at her mother before she looked at Amara again, who was starting to get fussy.

“Shh, baby. Iss okay. Don’t kwy.”

She planted a juicy kiss on Amara’s forehead, causing the baby to settle down and stare in wide-eyed wonder at her newfound friend. Amara pushed her fist into her mouth before she broke out into a drooling smile.

“They’re so sweet,” I professed. “They almost make me ready for another one.”

“Girl, please. You can have it,” Janae joked.

“I said almost.”

“Well, darling, be careful what you wish for around that son of mine. Because I just heard him talking with the fellows about being ready for his little princess,” Sylvia Jackson, Cedar’s mom, shared as she walked into the room from the kitchen with his sisters, Tiffany and Amber.

“Girl, don’t let that man have you tied to the kitchen,” Tiffany stated.

“For real. Cedar’s a focused and determined thang. When he wants something, he doesn’t stop until he gets it,” Amber shared.

I blew out a breath. “No. As much as I love my little one, I’m not ready to go through all of that again.”

“What? Labor or pregnancy?” Layla asked.

“Neither one just yet. Maybe in time, but not right now.”

“Girl, I know that’s right,” Janae chimed in.

Cedar followed his father, Paul, into the room at that moment, with Chaz, Shawn, Bjorn, and Nils right behind him.

“What’re y’all hens in here cackling about?” Paul asked.

“Watch it, Mr. Jackson,” Sylvia warned, pointing a finger at her husband, who chuckled.

“Our future sister-in-law was saying how she’s not ready to be barefoot and pregnant. She’s too young and has too much life to live,” Amber piped up.

Cedar beelined in my direction, tilted my chin, dropped a kiss on my lips, and then asked, “Is that right, baby?”

“You already know.”

“But making them is only half the fun.”

I giggled. “We can do that without actually making them, you know.”

“I don’t know if I can last six weeks, though, baby.”

“You’d better, Mr. Jackson. Because the alternative is to get it cut off.”

Cedar kissed my lips again. “Or the alternative could be that you just get hemmed up quicker than those six weeks.”

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