Page 80 of Certified Pressure 4
She looked out the window with that calmness that made people underestimate how strong she really was. Her hair was down, and the sunlight from the windshield made her skin glow like gold. Every time I looked at her, it was like I had to remind myself she wasn’t a dream.
My pops raised me to believe a man supposed to handle his responsibilities, and I had been doin’ that since the moment I met Toni. But now, after everything we done been through, it hit different. Seeing Pressure with his son, watching him move like the kind of father we all said we would be one day, it lit somethin’ in me. I wanted that too. I wanted a family with my woman, but I couldn’t ignore how long I had been tryna plant my seed in Toni and nothin’ came from it. It wasn’t her fault. I knew what she went through as a lil’ girl, and every time I thought about it, somethin’ dark moved through me. I would kill for her. Easy. But lately I been wonderin’ if maybe what happened to her took more than we could see.
We pulled up to the mansion, and the sight alone had me feelin’ all kinda ways. I loved my people, but I already knew what I was walkin’ into. Pops had his own way of seein’ the world, and I could respect that, but lately it felt like me and him just ain’t been on the same page. Still, I wanted to give this a chance ‘cause Toni deserved that. She deserved to be loved out loud, tohave a big weddin’ surrounded by family instead of some small secret ceremony that made it seem like she wasn’t good enough. I wanted her to have everything from the flowers and the music to the food, the champagne, the photographers, and the lights. I wanted the kind of celebration that showed what we built together was real. I wanted both our families sittin’ front row, watchin’ me take her hand and make her my wife. I wanted my people to see what I saw in her, and to see why I chose her.
Even though part of me was still tight about how my pops treated her before, another part of me was hopin’ maybe they would come around. Maybe we could start over. Maybe if they saw how happy she made me, they would finally understand.
I parked and got out, walked around the car, and opened Toni’s door. Her hand slipped into mine, and the second she stepped out, I felt that pride hit me again. My woman looked good as hell. I ain’t even gon’ lie. She was wearin’ this soft cream dress that fit her shape perfect, with her hair laid just right. I saw the nerves in her eyes, but I squeezed her hand, lettin’ her know she had me no matter what.
We walked up the long driveway, and when the front doors opened, Ma was standin’ there. She smiled soon as she saw me, her whole face lightin’ up. “Baby boy,” she said, wrappin’ me in a hug like I ain’t seen her in years. She kissed my cheek, then turned to Toni. “You look beautiful, sweetheart.”
“Thank you,” Toni said softly.
My mama looked between us, her eyes kind but a lil’ unsure. She offered Toni a glass of wine, and we followed her into the livin’ room. Everything in here looked perfect, from the white marble floors to the gold-framed pictures of our family. I could tell Toni was tryna keep her composure, but she was nervous. I slid closer on the sofa and rested her hand on my lap, rubbin’ my thumb over her knuckles.
Pops walked in a few minutes later, tall and sharp like always. “Son,” he said with a nod before walkin’ over to me. I stood up, and he reached his hand out, pullin’ me in for a hug. His palm hit my back twice, the way he always did when he was proud of me. “Good to see you, boy,” he said with that deep tone that still carried authority but had love in it too.
Then he moved to sit beside my mama, and kissed her cheek. She smiled at him like a woman who’d been in love her whole life.
“Wussup, Pops,” I said, leanin’ back on the couch.
He gave me that look that said he already knew I was about to drop somethin’ heavy on him.
My mama looked between us. “You said you needed to talk to us. What’s going on?”
I took a breath, glanced at Toni, then back at them. “I asked Toni to marry me.”
My mama’s lips parted just a lil’ before she caught herself. She forced a smile. “That’s… that’s wonderful, baby. Congratulations.” She turned to Toni, reachin’ for her hand. “I’m happy for you both.”
Pops didn’t move. His jaw flexed, and he just shook his head. “You serious?”
“Yeah,” I said, lockin’ eyes with him. “I’m dead serious.”
“You can’t be,” he said, still not lookin’ Toni’s way. “You forget who that woman’s family is? You forget what happened?”
“I ain’t forget nothin’,” I said, my tone calm but tight.
He leaned forward, restin’ his elbows on his knees. “You killed her cousin, boy. You think marrying her gone erase that? You think that’s smart?”
“Come on, pops. Don’t talk about her like she ain’t sittin’ here,” I said, my hand tightenin’ around hers. Toni tried to pull away, but I held on. “She didn’t have nothin’ to do with whathappened. She didn’t deserve what happened to her, and she don’t deserve the way you lookin’ at her now.”
My mama reached out, placin’ a hand on Pops’ arm. “Kwame, stop,” she whispered. “Please.”
He didn’t listen. “You don’t know what you doing, son. That woman is gon’ ruin you.”
I stood up, my chest risin’. “Nah, Pops. You wrong as hell for that.”
“Watch your tone,” he warned, standin’ too.
“I’m talkin’ to you like a man,” I said, my voice calm but firm. “You taught me to protect what’s mine, to stand on my word, and that’s exactly what I’m doin’. I love this woman. She done been through hell, and I been the one helpin’ her climb out of it. You ain’t gotta like her, but you gon’ respect her.”
“Respect?” he repeated, finally lookin’ at Toni for the first time. “She don’t even respect herself.”
Toni’s face fell, and that was it for me. “I’m fuckin’ done,” I said, steppin’ closer. “You’ll never hear from me again after this. You said enough.”
“Kay’Lo,” Ma said quickly, standin’ up between us. “Baby, please don’t do this.”
I looked at her, and it hurt. I hated disappointin’ her. She didn’t deserve to be in the middle of this, but I couldn’t unhear what my Pops said.
