Page 54 of Certified Pressure 4
When we pulled up to the gates, the gold emblem of the Mensah family shined under the sun. Pressure leaned over, pressed a few numbers into the keypad, and the gates opened without a sound. The drive up was long and lined with palmtrees. He parked near the front and got out first, opening my door like he always did.
Inside, the mansion was full of life and laughter. The smell of food hit me the second we walked in. Abeni came rushing toward us the moment she saw Pressure holding the baby. “My grandson,” she said, her voice filled with joy as she reached for him. Pressure handed him over and Abeni’s face softened as she kissed his forehead. “You look just like your daddy,” she said softly.
She turned to me and Zurie next, hugging us both tightly. “Pluto, you look beautiful, dear. And you,” she said, smiling down at Zurie, I’ve missed you.”
Zurie smiled wide, and hugged her back. Omá. Can I stay the night with you?”
Abeni’s face lit up. “Of course you can, sweetheart,” she said, brushing a curl from Zurie’s forehead. “I’d love that.”
Pressure smiled at the sight, shaking his head. “She got you spoiled rotten, Z.”
Kojo was nearby, standing with some of the uncles and cousins, and when he saw Pressure, he came over with a proud grin. “My son,” he said, pulling him in for one of those strong embraces that said everything words didn’t. “Good to see you home.”
Pressure smiled and nodded. “Good to be home, Pops.”
The family filled every corner of the mansion. Music was playing low, kids were running through the halls, and laughter echoed from the kitchen. It felt like love lived in the walls. Abeni wouldn’t let Prestyn go, and every few minutes another cousin or auntie came by just to get a turn holding him. Even Zurie was outside with the other kids, running through the yard while the older cousins kept an eye on them.
I stood by the window for a minute watching her, thinking about how blessed we really were. Pressure came up behind me,slipping his arm around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder. “You good, baby?” he whispered.
“Yeah,” I said softly. “Just looking at everything. It feels good to be around family.”
He kissed the side of my neck again, his lips barely brushing my skin. “You my family,” he said. “You and them kids. That’s all I ever needed.”
Later that evening, everyone gathered at the long dining table. The food looked and smelled like heaven. There were pans of baked macaroni with a golden crust, slow-cooked oxtails with rice and gravy, fried fish, collard greens, cornbread, yams glazed like candy, and a few bottles of wine and champagne chilling in ice buckets. The chatter never stopped, everyone laughing and eating, passing plates and sharing stories.
Pressure was sitting next to me, feeding me bites off his plate even though I had my own. He kept his hand on my thigh under the table, his thumb rubbing slow circles that made it hard to focus on the food. I could tell he was in one of those moods, like he was quiet but thinking.
Then, out of nowhere, he pushed his chair back and stood up. The room went quiet, all eyes turning to him. He looked around the table, his voice deep but calm. “I just wanna say somethin’ real quick,” he started. “First off, I wanna thank my family for always ridin’ for me. For prayin’ for me. For keepin’ me together when I damn near lost it. I know I done done some wild stuff in my life, but y’all never turned y’all back on me.”
Kojo nodded, proud. Abeni already had tears building in her eyes.
Pressure turned toward them. “Pops, Ma, I love y’all. I really do, and I know I don’t say it enough, but I mean that from my soul.”
Abeni reached for Kojo’s hand and whispered, “That’s my baby.”
Then Pressure looked at me. His eyes locked on mine and the rest of the room just faded away. “And you,” he said, his voice dropping lower. “Pluto, I wanna thank you for not giving up on me. You could’ve left. You had every reason to, but you didn’t. You stayed by my side, and you showed me what real love look like.”
My heart was beating so fast I didn’t know what to do with my hands. He kept going, his gaze never leaving me. “If I would’ve followed my heart from the start, you would’ve been my wife already… But it’s not too late to do the right thing.”
The room was silent. I could feel my lungs swell as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. Then he got down on one knee right here in front of everybody. He opened the box, and inside was the most beautiful diamond ring I had ever seen. The center stone sparkled under the chandelier, surrounded by a halo of smaller diamonds that looked like they were breathing light.
He looked up at me with that half smile that always melted me. “Pluto Monroe,” he said. “Will you marry me?”
My eyes filled with tears instantly. I covered my mouth, nodding before I could even speak. “Yes,” I whispered. Then louder, “Yes, Pressure, of course I will marry you.”
He smiled and slipped the ring on my finger before I could even stop crying. I scooted my chair back and leaned down, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him. He kissed me back slow, like he wanted me to feel every bit of what he was saying without words. The whole family erupted in claps and cheers.
Abeni was crying for real now, and Kojo had a proud smile on his face as he held Prestyn. Zurie smiled and shouted, “Pluto and Pressure getting married!” and everyone laughed.
I looked down at Pressure, still on one knee, and holding me like I was the only woman in the world. My heart felt full in a wayI hadn’t felt in years. He’d hurt me before, but he also fought like hell to love me right, and now, he was doing just that.
When he finally stood up, he kissed my forehead and whispered, “You mine forever now, baby.”
Eboni Keep in Nzuri Hall
We were still at Pressure’s parents’ house and I couldn’t stop smiling. My cheeks hurt from it, but I didn’t care. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. The man I loved, the same man who used to drive me crazy to the point I swore I was done with him, had just gotten down on one knee in front of his family and asked me to be his wife. And I finally said yes. Every time I looked down at my hand, I wanted to cry. The ring sparkled every time the light hit it, and it wasn’t just the size or shine that had me emotional. It was what it meant.
Pressure was mine, for real this time. And I was his.
