Page 147 of The Promise

I nodded. “The woman who is your sister you refuse to acknowledge?”

“The alleged one you refuse to let go of. She’s been your leach for years.”

“She’s been present,” I argued. “For years…in your absence. You can’t be kind to her for the sake of Chi-Chi, at least? The girl adores Ines, and the feeling is mutual.” I began to feel nauseous, no longer wanting to continue this conversation. I grabbed my forehead. “You know what? You coming back to be with Dad again means you have to adjust to the life we were forced to create while you were away.”

“Ines isn’t in Noel’s life.” She scoffed.

“But his namesake, his daughter, Noelle is. Did you speak to the innocent kid? She’s really sweet.” I shrugged. “She’d be taken away by all your feminine charm, culture, and confidence. Her mother’s dead, out of the way. But my sister’s here. How are you adjusting to that when she visits?”

Petulantly, my mother lifted her chin in the air. “The young lady hasn’t stepped foot in my home since my return.”

“Does that mean Noelle isn’t allowed there?” My mother didn’t respond.The bitch!“You knowwhat—”

“No, young lady! Doyouknow what?” She waved her arm in the air dismissively. “I’m human, and haven’t always made the best decisions, but I’m a good person. I love my family, including you. I adore my grandbaby more than life itself. So what, if I don’t want to embrace the physical manifestation of my husband’s betrayal! I will not stand in judgement by a woman who’s lived half my life’s experience. You’re not married, you wouldn’t understand, Ashira.”

I shook my head, twisting my lips to keep myself from saying something I’d regret. “I’m not married because you showed me how it could anger you to the point of tossing out your own child. Why would I want to participate in something that would compromise my womanhood? You’re right: I’ve not lived half of your life experience and I have no interest to. However, I will tell you this; the moment you disappoint or abandon Chivon Ojasvi Sinclair, I will pursue you as if you didn’t give birth to me. And newsflash, mother: not accepting her biological aunts will disappoint her.”

Then I left her ass in the dining room alone to sit in her ugly.

The following week, with more pushing against my father’s pussy whooped will, Noelle moved in with me. She forced my clothes out of the fourth bedroom of my apartment, causing me to rent a storage unit in my building’s basement. That was when I began to toy with the idea of purchasing a single-family home. I was stretched to capacity with all feminine energy under one roof. Searching for new property couldn’t be a priority, though. I had a tour approaching and a baby girl beginning school.

“You want to marry her?” Noel chuckled, fat fingers against his chin as we sat in the smoke room of his home.

His daughter, blowing cigar smoke directly in my face turned me the hell on: having her father do it across from a coffee table, irritated the shit out of me.

“I’m going to marry her.”

Noel shook his head, still taking his time with words. I was sure when I called and asked to meet with him, this was the last thing he’d expected.

He scoffed, “Your confidence has always been uncanny. At first, I thought it was your immaturity and recklessness as a kid. Then I believed it was arrogance when my baby girl showed up with you at my house four years ago. Now, I know…”

“I’m going to marry your daughter,” I completed for him. “She will be my wife, and won’t nothing come between us.”

His head pulled back, and Noel scoffed. “So, this isn’t for my blessing. It’s for your ego?”

“It’s me being respectful to Ashira’s father and Chivon’s grandfather. I’m going to propose to her next month.”

“Next month?”

“Her birthday. I’m taking her to a private island in Antigua.”

“How is it private in Antigua, Sinclair?”

“It’s the vicinity of the island. A smaller one in the Caribbean. My guy owns it, and I want to celebrate her birthday there and propose.”

“Well,” He swung a fat hand. “I can’t stop you.”

That’s when I chuckled. “Nah. You can’t, but you can come. It’ll be dope to have you and Celestine there.”

“Tha—” his words failed him. “That right there is a difficult feat.” It was his turn to laugh.

“That’s why I came to meet with you face-to-face. This shit between those two ain’t healthy. It ain’t productive for Chivon. And it won’t be for the other kids we’ll have. This is your legacy, Witherspoon. You need to step the fuck up and take the reins.”

“I don’t know who you think you’re talking to, Sinclair. I’m aman—”

I stood to leave. “Take the fuckin’ reins, man.”

“This is damn cute!” Shizu held up to Corinne a hickory bikini with ivory straps on a hanger.

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