Page 49 of To Love and Protect
“It shouldn’t be no secret that I wanna spend the rest of my life with you, baby, but I wouldn’t be the man my mama and Gramps raised me to be if I ain’t get down on one knee and ask you the proper way. There ain’t no way I’m goin’ much longer without you bein’ my wife. I need that up out of you. You give me that and a couple of pretty ass babies, and I promise to give you the world. You think you can do that for me? Will you marry me?”
Remedie cupped his face and leaned down into him. “Of course, I’ll marry you.”
“That’s a yes?” Nico grinned like he couldn’t believe it.
“That’s a hell yes.”
Nico stood up and scooped her into his arms. She giggled while he kissed her all over her face.
It amazed her that going to a house party in the Ellway Projects led to this moment right here. While she hugged her future husband, she sent another round of thanks up to God because she had finally found her place in life. She finally found her home.
EPILOGUE
15 YEARS LATER…
“Aye, slow down,” Nico shouted, and then under his breath he mumbled, “Bad ass mothafuckas.”
His three daughters raced toward the front doors of their mama’s restaurant. They nearly knocked a couple of guests over in the process, which made him have to mumble a hasty “My bad.”
The thing about having kids was they made Nico have to man up on some shit he didn’t even do at least twice a day. One time, when the twins were toddlers, they pulled a patch of fur out of a puppy and left the nigga with two bald spots. Guess who got stuck paying for the grooming bill?
Parenting was so ghetto, but he wouldn’t trade it for the world.
They made it into the restaurant, and Nico immediately smiled. The space had a cozy feel with the best elevated comfort food in the city. His wife had made him beyond proud. She pushed four bad ass kids out of her pretty ass coochie and raised them well. Anything she wanted was hers, so a year agowhen she came to him about opening up a restaurant, he didn’t hesitate to make it happen.
Back in the kitchen, they found Remedie and Isaiah, their youngest and only boy, cooking up a storm. There were other chefs running around, but Nico and his three girls zeroed in on their loved ones.
“What y’all cookin’, Ma?” Kira, the eldest twin, asked as she hopped up on a stool and kissed Isaiah on the cheek. She was his fighter. Imagine his surprise when they found out Remedie was pregnant with twins all those years ago. He had been a bit down when he found out it was two girls. Although he didn’t fight himself anymore, he wanted Gramps’s legacy to live on through at least one of his kids.
From the time Kira could walk, she proved to be a fighter. Nico perked up when that happened. He took that shit and ran with it. They’d just come from the boxing gym where she had a couple of mini fights. Of course, his fourteen-year-old rockstar won all of them. Her hands were lethal, but she had a heart of gold, like her mother. She didn’t black out like Nico, and he thanked God every day for that.
Kyla, the youngest twin, was the complete opposite. She was his introverted baby who loved to draw. She was damn good at it too. They had been scouting her work to art collectors since she was ten, and she had a nice sized piggy bank growing from her talent.
Then there was Teyanna, their wild card. She was nine and a girly girl, but she had a mean streak too. She was known for beating boys up and using their lunch money to buy snacks for all her friends. He couldn’t even be mad at her. She was smart as hell and knew how to work her mind. His baby was going to be a boss one day and making bank. He’d bet his last dollar on it.
Isaiah was the youngest of the crew. Nico was so excited when he finally got his boy. They bonded over all types of shit,but Isaiah drew the line at fighting, like his mama. He preferred spending time in the kitchen with Remedie, and Nico found comfort in that. He got his fighter, she got her sous chef, and they got two more talented children thrown in the mix. He was blessed.
“Caramel banana puddin’,” Remedie replied before kissing each of her daughters on the forehead. “You guys have time to eat?”
“You know Daddy wasn’t going to feed us,” Teyanna said as she rolled her eyes.
Nico tugged on one of her pigtails as he walked by. She swatted him away, but he ignored his youngest daughter so he could kiss his wife. When he pulled away, he said, “I know you got somethin’ good we can eat up in here.”
“I have a better idea. Let’s go home, and me and lil man can cook there,” Remedie suggested. “I’m exhausted and tired of hangin’ around here.”
Nico pulled back and peered down at her. “You okay?”
She blew out a putt of air that caused a curl in her eyes to pop up and then plop right back down into her face. “You’ll find out anyway,” she muttered as she pulled her phone out of her apron. She unlocked it, tapped a couple of times, and then handed it to him.
He looked down at the screen before he whooped loudly, grabbing Remedie by her waist. He hugged her to him and bent down so he could whisper into her ear. He didn’t want their nosy ass kids to find out just yet. “You having another one of my babies?”
Remedie grunted. “I guess.”
He grinned. He knew she was happy deep down. She acted like this every time there was a positive test. Their lives were busy, and the thought of a new baby always made her anxious, but she got over those nerves rather quickly every other time.
Nico felt alive inside. He would have twenty kids if Remedie allowed it, but somehow, he knew this would be their last one.
He gazed down at her lovingly. “Thank you.”
