Page 27 of Dom 3
She side-eyed him. “I’m not nervous. I’m just thinkin’ about how extra your mama might be. I met some real extra mamas, and they never liked me.”
Dique started laughing again. “You right about that. She gon’ talk loud, she gon’ hug you tight, and she gon’ make you eat a plate whether you hungry or not. What you see is what you get.”
Keondra cracked a real smile then, shaking her head. “Y’all better not leave me hangin’ in there.”
“Nah,” Dique replied, taking her hand quick before she could pull away. “We got you. You part of this now.”
The streetlights flickered across the windshield as we pulled onto our parents’ side of town. The houses got bigger, the lawns got cleaner. Amour pressed her face to the window when the gate came into view. “Daddy, they got a big house!”
“Yeah, baby,” Dique said with a proud grin. “That’s Grandma and Grandpa castle.”
Security waved us through. The driveway curved around a big fountain with water shooting high in the middle. Ma dukes’ house glowed like gold in the night with warm lights shining through the tall windows. The front door open, just enough to see her silhouette standing there in a silk robe and diamonds. Even from a distance, her presence was strong. She’d been waiting.
Dique whistled low. “Man, she already at the door. She probably been pacin’ since I called.”
Keondra exhaled hard. “Lord, this about to be somethin’.”
I parked and killed the engine. “Yeah,” Dique said, stepping out, adjusting his hoodie. “Welcome to the Royals.”
The front door was already cracked when we stepped out the truck. The sound of old R&B played from the inside carrying along to the outside with the sounds of Luther singing low over the bassline. You could smell the food before you even crossed the threshold. It smelled like fried chicken, collard greens,cornbread, and whatever candle ma decided to light today. She had a thing for making the house smell like a bakery and Victoria’s Secret at the same time smelling like vanilla mixed with that deep musk perfume she swore that Pops couldn’t resist.
I straightened my own hoodie and walked ahead with Dique right behind me. Keondra trailed next, trying to fix her dress again like she hadn’t already done it three times, while Amour held her daddy’s hand swinging it wild with every step. The closer we got, the louder ma’s voice got.
“Well look at God,” she said, with one hand on her hip. “My boys finally decide to visit their mama without me having to guilt trip them.”
She was dripped out as always with her hair in loose curls, with long natural pretty lashes, and a silk robe with her name embroidered across the pocket in gold. Ma wasn’t no average mama; she carried herself like she owned half of Miami. Every ring, every chain, every look saidmoney and held memories.
“Ma,” I said, leaning down to kiss her cheek.
She swatted at me playfully. “Don’t ‘Ma’ me, boy. You and your brother think y’all too busy to eat at home unless y’all are trying to hide from somebody.” Then she spotted Keondra standing in the doorway and raised her brow. “Oh… this must be Keondra.”
Before Keondra could even open her mouth, Dique stepped forward, with his hand on Amour’s shoulder. “Ma, this my lil girl right here... Amour.”
Ma froze for half a second. Then her whole face softened. “Well, ain’t you just the prettiest thing in Miami,” she said, crouching down with a big smile. “Come here, baby. I’m your grandma.”
Amour looked at Dique first for permission. He nodded his head, and she ran right into ma’s arms, giggling when she scooped her up like she’d been waiting her whole life for it.
“Oh, she smell like baby lotion and love,” ma said, with her eyes watering just a little. “Lawd, she got them Royal eyes too.” She looked up at me, grinning. “You see this, Dom? You an uncle now.”
I reached over, and tickled Amour’s side. “Hey now, Grandma got you spoiled already, huh?” I told my lil niece. I couldn’t lie, it felt weird having a niece. We didn’t have many kids around us, but I might as well have gotten used to it. I loved her already.
Amour laughed, hiding her face in ma’s shoulder. “Grandma funny.”
“That’s right, baby. Grandma real funny when you do what she say,” ma said, winking. Then her eyes snapped back to Keondra, who still stood quiet by the door, clutching her purse like a shield. “So, you the mama, huh?”
“Yes ma’am,” Keondra said, stepping forward with a small smile. “Keondra. It’s nice to meet you.”
Ma gave her one of them up-and-down looks at first. Then she smiled, a slow but real one. “You look better than what I expected. Sit your fine self down. You hungry?”
“Uh… yes ma’am.”
“Good. I don’t raise boys that keep women hungry. Y’all get in here before my food get cold.”
We followed her inside, and the warmth of the house wrapped around us like it always did. The living room was lined with family photos of me, Dique, O’Shynn, even old Polaroids from back when Pops still rocked that gold tooth and Kangol. Pops came out of the back hallway right on cue. He still moved like he owned whatever room he entered too… tall, silver neat beard, chain tucked, and eyes sharp behind his reading glasses.
“Well damn,” he said with a grin. “If it ain’t the prodigal sons and you must be Amour.”
Amour’s face lit up again. “Hiiii.”
