Genesis,
My timer went off as I quickly slipped on my mittens and rushed to the oven to take out my two sweet potato pies. This is one of my mom's best recipes–being as everyone in my family loves it when she bake her pies for any occasion. Once I graduated high school she started teaching me how to back them and every holiday afterwards we would bake them together. It sadden me because this would be me and Giana's first Thanksgiving without our parents.
I didn't dwell on the fact too much since they are the ones that cut us off. But I really wanted to make these pies for Giana to atleast have something similar to home. Logan and her girlfriend has offered to spend Thanksgiving with us—which I'm thankful for—but other than that it'll be alot of Chris' family and friends that she wasn't too familiar with. I just didn't want to overwhelm her too much and I figured these pies would be the next best thing.
"Not bad." I grinned satisfied with my work in front of me. I had officially made four sweet potato pies all by myself.
Well, Giana started to help since I didn't start 'till after the concert which was a little past midnight. Chris and everybody else had went out to celebrate the ending of the tour but I decided to come home to get started on my baking. But around two Giana was extremely sleepy and it was evident all over her face. Which I didn't mind sending her to bed because Chris had promised me he'll come home early to help me bake.
I thought it would be a cute little bonding time for us. Nope. Here it is going on four in the morning and I'm finally done and Chris still isn't home. I've sent texts and only called once since I figured if he's out drunk and high there's no point in killing his vibe. He'll just hear what I gotta say when he comes home.
Sighing, I began cleaning the last few of my dishes before going to bed. As the water in the sink ran a beeping from our security system let me know the garage door was being open. Pursing my lips, I purposely put on my mad façade even though I wasn't tripping too much.
I could hear him walking up before his voice broke the silence. "Aw, shit baby I'm sorry. I forgot." This time I spun around to make sure my ears weren't deceiving me.
But just as much as it sounds, Chris stood before me appearing to be completely sober. Oh, so he was blatantly ignoring my texts and missing my call? Okay now I am mad.
"Hm." I pursed my lips before turning my back to him. "The club couldn't have been that popping to have you so busy that you forgot and couldn't even text me?"
"Nah, we did end up leaving the club around two something but we went to the studio." He says placing his phone by the sink next to me as he snaked his arms around my waist. "I was working on something and forgot to check my phone til we left." He says before placing a small kiss on my neck.
I shrug him off. "I guess." I mumbled slowly giving in.
"I'm sorry, forreal. I know you wanted me to help you babe." He says sincerely. "It smells hella good in here though. Can I get a little tas—"
"Nu uh! Do not even try to cut into my masterpiece." I spun around nudging him out the way. "If you were here you could've tried it. Now you gotta wait to try it later with everybody else."
"Damn." He frowned then shrugs. "I honestly didn't expect you to be up this late baking 'em."
I smile and place the last dish into the dishwasher, starting it then turning to Chris who was leaned against the island watching me. I licked my lips at his appearance. His crisp white tee and chain always compliments the tattoos on his neck.
"Perfection takes time. Giana helped a little bit though."
"They look good so I know they must taste as—"
His phone went off next to me gaining both of our attention. I raised my eyebrow seeing Sevyn's name across the screen and picked it up. "Why is Sevyn calling you?"
"Oh it's nothing really." He says quickly snatching his phone out my hand. Out of instinct my hand flattened and swung across his arm–slapping him.
"Nigga I will beat your ass."
"Ah! What?" He chuckles.
"Christopher Maurice, never out of all these months and Sundays you've known me—ten months to be exact and seven of which we were actually dating—have ever snatch your phone from me like that. The fuck is your problem?"
He laughs. "My fault I ain't mean to snatch it but it's nothing babe." He says trying to take my hands into his.
I stepped back. "Okay then call her back and see what she wanted." I say calmly. "Matter of fact I'll call her." I say picking up my phone.
"Nah, it's late." Chris says taking my phone as well.
"Baby." I laugh lowly to prevent myself from blowing up. "I'm about to go off on you. Why you acting like you're keeping secrets?"
"I'm not!" He says as his phone buzz again but this time with a text. "More like a surprise."
"Well my patience with you is running thin so I think it's best you tell me before you end up in the dog house." I cross my arms over my chest.
"I can't."
"Chris let me see your phone." I demanded more than asked.
"For what?"
Okay now I'm pissed. He has never asked me why whenever I wanted his phone so I'm not understanding what the problem is. Besides it's Sevyn and she's damn near my best friend so I'm not understanding why I can't know what they are talking about.
"Okay." I nod slowly. "Well I advise you text Sevyn back and let her know you'll be sleeping on her couch at her house."
"Wha??" He says in a high pitch voice. I only turn my back to him and proceed upstairs.
"And you can't come back 'til two with all the other guest either!"
"Don't blow this out of proportion Genesis." He sighs following me into our bedroom.
"I'm not." I huff before he grips my waist and purposely falls on top of me on the bed, crushing me with all his body weight.
"Aw my baby is upset." He teased.
"Chris get off of me." I growl putting up a useless fight. Chris only smiles goofily down at me and the more I wiggled around the more weight he put down on me but never too much to hurt me.
Chuckling he takes my wrist and hold them up above my head. "What are you so worried about? Cheating? 'Cause I'll never cheat on you Genesis."
"Right so let me see your phone."
"That's not important right now."
I stale face him as he laughs in response.
"You laughing when really you're signing your death certificate right now."
"I love you, so so much. Do you trust me?"
I rolled my eyes. "Ion know let me ask my side nigga." His smile dropped.
"Don't play with me, girl."
I laugh, "Okay! Can you just get your big ass off of me?"
"Answer my question first or I can stay here all night long." He says tucking his head into my neck as I sigh.
"I trust you, Maurice and I love you more." I huff. "Now let me up!"
"That's all I needed to hear baby."
He grinned and rolled to the right as I sat up and began coughing to catch my breath.
"Got my asthma acting up and shit." I coughed.
"Nigga you don't got asthma, fuck outta here." He laughs. "High blood pressure–maybe just like every other black person."
He had a point.
"Whatever." I laugh waving him off. "But forreal, I'ma let this slide because I love surprises but next time I ask for your phone you better give it."
"Yeah, yeah all that." He says flopping his back against the bed as I stood up to go into the bathroom. "On a more serious note, Mark emailed me and let me know that they are possibly gonna reopen the case tomorrow. If not tomorrow some time next week for sure."
I glanced over at him while washing my face to see him talking up to the ceiling. I couldn't see his face but I could hear the wary in his tone.
"Y'all going to trial?"
"Yeah but it'll be a closed trial." He sighs. "The girl's attorney doesn't believe we deserve a plea deal and wants to go to court."
I frown and quickly dry my face while releasing my hair from it's bun, letting my natural curls fall around my face. It was quiet as I changed out of my t-shirt and shorts to just one of Chris's tees. Once I walked out the bathroom Chris still laid in the same position on his back while facing up to the ceiling. Slowly I walked between his legs and and crawled onto the bed and straddled his lap.
"I can't say I understand how you are feeling right now—but I do know that I will be there a 100% of the way supporting you." I say running my hands up his shirt rubbing his abs.
Chris eyes eventually averted from the ceiling to me as he titled his head some to get a better look. For a few seconds we just stared at one another as I pushed his shirt completely up to his neck while placing small kisses on his torso. His hands eventually found its way to my ass as he rub small circles around it.
"That's the thing." He sighs. "Don't get me wrong I want you there, of course I do. It's just somethings will be said and I don't want you to look at me any different."
I rolled my eyes. "Babe there's not much that could be said that could possibly change the way I feel about you." I assured. "Unless they say some shit like you were actually the one that killed Michael Jackson cause then I might actually have to fuck you up."
He chuckled. "Michael died from overdosing on his own medication."
"That's what they want us to think. It could've been a inside job just like Biggie and Pac."
He laughs causing me to smile, glad that I could relieve some of his tension. I know the facts behind this case may have Chris worried that it'll freak me out but I know his truth. He was in a dark place back then and even though he knew what happened was wrong, he was only looking out for his kin and his image. Too bad his image is definitely going to falter with this case.
I attempted to massage Chris shoulders from my position as a yawn escaped my lips.
"We should sleep, been up all day and before you know it people will be knocking on our door asking where the food at." He says lifting me up and switching our position to spooning.
I nod as another yawn escape me. "Your mom and Aunt are supposed to be coming by early to finish the dressing and Macaroni." I mumbled. "Did you leave the garage door unlock for them?"
It was quiet for a few seconds before his light snores against my ear answered my question.
Chris,
"Where the motherfuckin food at?!" Jamal exclaims the second I swung the front door open. I instantly shushed him and he walked in with Mijo and Rob behind him.
"Shut yo loud ass up, Genesis is still sleep." I huffed annoyed. "The hell y'all doing here anyway? We specifically said if you not cooking shit to show up at two for dinner."
It was only 11 o'clock and I was only up because my mom and Aunt Christine just came over to start heating up everything.
"Oh shit, I ain't read that far into the message." Mijo says pulling out his phone.
"Well shit we here now." Rob shrugged walking past us and into the kitchen. "Ma!"
"Fasho and I got that thang on me." Jamal grins as he pulls out a bag a weed.
I nod. "Bet but we gotta go out back."
"Back? Like outside?"
"Yeah nigga, Genesis don't like for me to smoke in the house. Especially now that her pregnant sister is living with us."
"Ard then, but TJ and Hood 'bout five minutes out."
I sigh and shook my head. "Black people don't ever pay attention to instructions."
To keep them niggas occupied we smoked out back for a little while then even took a few of my dirt bikes out for a ride. When two finally rolled around we had a full house. It was Sevyn and her new mans, my mom, sister and aunt with my nieces and nephews with a few of my lil cousins as well. Then the guys–of course–, Logan and her girlfriend, EJ and Munchie with a few other people on my team.
"Aye everybody in this house better have a slice of sweet potato pie on they plate too! My baby stayed up all night baking them pies." I announced as everybody started making second plates.
"Let 'em know babe." Genesis grinned as she stood at a table with "girls only" as they say.
"These niggas." Logan mumbled under her breath as her, Asia and Sevyn laughs.
"Yeah cause I almost kicked your ass for bringing a damn store bought pie in my damn house." Genesis says pointing at Logan. Logan snorted.
"I did it just to rile you up." She teased.
"I like Patti's pies though." Asia spoke up uneasy.
"It's okay, but they ain't my pies." Genesis shrugged.
"My baby shit taste way better than ol' lady Patti."
"Boy don't disrespect the queen." My mom butted in.
"But Aretha better though!" I teased just catch that deadly look in her eye.
"Don't start with me." She stood up from the table as I laughed.
"I'm just playing ma, chill."
"Man bump Aretha and Patti. Ain't none of them
got shit on my good sis Whitney." EJ adds.
"WHITNEY?!?" We all scrunched our faces up.
"First of all, crack is whack." Logan mocked in Whitney's voice causing all of us to bust out laughing.
Somehow this conversation sparked a debate with everybody in the house. We went from talking about old heads like Aretha and Patti to recent artists.
"Man hell nah. R Kelly did it! Ion give a fuck about his music either, the man is dead to me!" Sevyn argued.
"Man R Kelly innocent just like OJ is innocent!" Rob shot back.
"Okay Robert." Genesis adds while walking over to me on the couch and sitting on my lap with a piece of pie on a plate.
"Mmm, give me some." I hummed as Genesis placed some on her fork and fed it to me. Her pies were good as hell. "I love this." I mumbled as the argument around us continued.
"What? Me feeding you?" Genesis asks with her eyebrows raised.
"That too." I smiled. "But this." I motioned to all around us.
I remember back when I used to feel so lonely and afraid to be around family like this because of what they might say or think of me. Now I sort've wished everyday was like this.
"Oh." Genesis giggled. "Just imagine when we have children and they fighting over something like the remote." She laughed while finishing off her slice.
I could tell Genesis made the statement in a jokingly matter and sort've brushed it off but my face lit up at the thought. It's crazy to me how I haven't even been with this girl a full year yet but she became my world. I could honestly see myself having a family with her and marrying her. But I can't say I didn't imagine the same thing with Robyn.
Although with Genesis it is different, but only time could tell. I guess this trial would be the first real test of our relationship. I just hope she doesn't judge me too much based on my past actions. I've changed and I'll continue to change if that means making her happy.