Chapter thirteen

"Deuce absolutely not. Mama just tell him no. You letting him get away with murder," I said as I picked up the dog from the couch, placing him on the ground.

"Don't tell me what to do in my own house. Go make yourself useful, is the backyard set up?" She asked as I groaned nodding.

"Yes ma'am. A and I got everything done earlier,"

"Speaking of, where is she? I have yet to see her face today," she asked as I shrugged.

"Uh I don't know i think she went to pick up her god daughter earlier, but I'm not sure where she is now," I said as I went to check her location.

Mrs.Love🩷Target | New Orleans, LA |Now

"She's at the target up the road. She should be here soon," I said as she smiled, nodding.

"Perfect. I got something for her," she said as she tapped a box that she set on the counter.

"What's that?" I asked curiously.

"Nothing for you nosey," she said with all the sass in the world. I chuckled, scrolling through twitter and TikTok while I passed time. It was only 2pm, and Thanksgiving dinner wasn't set to starts until 5, so only a few of my family members were here. Since our families live in two different states, A'ja and I made the decision to do Thanksgiving with my family and Christmas with hers. I lost track of time within my doom scrolling, until a tiny body attacked my legs that were hanging off the couch.

"Jordy!" The tiny voice bellowed as she showed the biggest smile ever.

"Hi pretty girl, I missed you," I cooed as I scooped her, peppering her cheek with plenty of kisses.

"Where is god mommy, huh?" I asked as I carried her into the kitchen, where my mom was hugging A'ja who had just set down bags. I smiled at the sight because we've come a Loooong way, and I can't have the two most important women in my life walking on eggshells around eachother.

"Hey baby," I called out as she smiled my way.

"Hey Jordy. Halo, did you say hi to Ms.Cara?" A'ja asked as she shook her head.

"Hi Ms.Cara!" She squealed as she wiggled free from my arms, to hug my mom's legs. My mom smiled as she welcomed the hug from the toddler.

"Well hello beautiful," my mom said as she picked her up, waltzing to the sweet treats. I took this time to greet my fiancé properly. She was too busy unbagging things.

"C'mere mama," I said as I pulled her into my arms.

"I missed you. How's Ang doing?" I asked as she smiled kissing me back.

"She good, I took her some medicine and soup. Hopefully she starts feeling better soon," she said as I nodded.

"That's good. Text her later and check on her," I said as A'ja nodded, continuing to unpack the Target bags. My mom had already disappeared with Halo, probably showing her off to my aunties who were scattered throughout the house.

"What all did you get?" I asked, peeking into the bags.

"Just some last-minute stuff for the kids. Your cousins are bringing their little ones, right?" she asked, pulling out coloring books and crayons.

"Yeah, Tasha's bringing the twins, and Marcus is bringing his three," I confirmed, helping her organize the activities. "You didn't have to do all this, baby."

A'ja gave me that look – the one that said I should know better by now. "First holiday as an official part of the family? I'm doing the most, and you can't stop me," she declared, pulling out more bags filled with small toys and games.

The doorbell rang, and I could hear my mom's enthusiastic greetings echoing from the front of the house. More family arriving, right on schedule. The house would be full soon, just the way we liked it.

"Jordy! Come help your cousins with these dishes!" Mom called from the front.

"You good here?" I asked A'ja, who was already heading toward the living room with Halo's entertainment arsenal.

"Go on, I got this," she assured me with a quick kiss.

I made my way to the front door where my cousins Tasha and Marcus were trying to juggle multiple covered dishes while their kids darted around their legs. The twins, both six, were already racing toward the backyard, while Marcus's oldest, ten-year-old Maya, was trying to help her younger siblings with their shoes.

"Lord, these children," Tasha muttered, passing me a huge pan of what smelled like her famous mac and cheese. "Maya, baby, can you make sure the twins don't tear up Aunt Cara's yard?"

"Here, let me help with all this," I offered, taking more dishes. The smell of soul food was already filling the house – collard greens, candied yams, and something that had to be Aunt Patricia's secret recipe cornbread.

As we made our way to the kitchen, I could hear A'ja's laugh mixing with my mom's voice. They were probably sharing stories about me, if I knew them both – and I did. The sound made my heart full in a way I couldn't quite explain. Last Thanksgiving, things had been so different. My mom was still getting used to the idea of A'ja and me, still adjusting to the fact that her only daughter wasn't going to have the future she'd always imagined for me.

But now? Now she was showing off A'ja's ring to anyone who would look, bragging about her future daughter-in-law's accomplishments, and spoiling Halo like she was her own grandchild.

"Earth to Jordyn," Tasha snapped her fingers in front of my face. "Where'd you go just now?"

I smiled, setting down the dishes on the counter. "Just thinking about how different things are from last year."

"Girl, please," Tasha rolled her eyes. "The only difference is now Aunt Cara can stop pretending she wasn't already in love with A'ja. That woman saw how happy you were and couldn't help herself."

"Speaking of A'ja," Marcus chimed in, "when are y'all setting a date? Mom's been asking me every week like I'm in charge of the planning."

"We're thinking spring," I shared, helping to uncover and organize the dishes. "Nothing too big, but you know how that goes in this family."

"Ain't that the truth," Tasha laughed. "Remember cousin Regina's 'small' wedding? Three hundred people!"

The kitchen was starting to get crowded as more family arrived, each bringing their contribution to the feast. Aunt Patricia came through with her infamous sweet potato pie, Uncle James with his deep-fried turkey, and cousin Michael with what looked like enough seafood dressing to feed an army.

I slipped away from the kitchen chaos to find A'ja, who had somehow managed to organize all the kids in the living room. They were sitting in a circle, completely engrossed in whatever story she was telling them. Halo, Angel's little girl who was practically our niece at this point, was perched in her lap, hanging on every word, while the twins and Marcus's kids sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes wide.

"And then," A'ja was saying, her voice dramatic, "just when they thought the treasure was lost forever..."

I leaned against the doorframe, watching. This was what I'd fallen in love with – her ability to command a room, to make everyone feel special, to create magic out of thin air. She caught my eye and winked, not missing a beat in her story.

"She's real good with them," Tasha's voice came from behind me, making me jump slightly. I turned to see my cousin smiling knowingly at the scene before us. "The way she is with Halo and all the kids... y'all ever think about starting a family of your own?"

I felt my cheeks warm at the question. Truth was, A'ja and I had talked about it – late at night, wrapped up in each other, dreaming about our future. But we hadn't made any concrete plans yet.

"We've talked about it," I admitted quietly, still watching A'ja with the kids. "Probably after the wedding. We want to do things right, you know?"

"Mhm," Tasha hummed knowingly. "Well, when you do, that baby is going to be spoiled rotten. Between your mama and all these aunties? Child won't want for nothing."

My phone buzzed in my pocket.

MamaCome help in the kitchen. And bring your fiancée. These pies aren't going to arrange themselves.

I smiled at the text. Some things never changed – my mama still running everything with military precision. But other things? They changed in the best possible ways.

"Hey storyteller," I called out softly. "We've been summoned to pie duty."

A'ja looked at the kids apologetically. "To be continued, okay? Why don't you guys go see what trouble you can cause in the backyard?"

The kids scrambled up, racing each other outside, while Halo stayed firmly attached to A'ja's hip. As we walked to the kitchen, I couldn't help but remember last Thanksgiving – how tense everything had been, how careful we'd all been with our words. Now, watching A'ja walk into the kitchen with Halo on her hip, greeting my mama with that bright smile of hers, I felt nothing but peace.

"There y'all are," Mama said, already pointing to where she wanted the pies arranged. "A'ja, baby, I got something for you. Been waiting all day to give it to you."

A'ja looked surprised as Mama reached for the box she'd been guarding earlier. "Ms. Cara, you didn't have to get me anything."

"First of all, what did I tell you about that 'Ms. Cara' business? You're family now," Mama corrected her, pushing the box forward. "And second, yes I did."

I watched as A'ja carefully opened the box, Halo peering in curiously from her perch on A'ja's hip. Inside was a worn cookbook, its pages yellowed with age.

"That there is my mama's cookbook," Mama explained, her voice soft with memory. "Every recipe she ever perfected, written in her own hand. I always said I'd pass it down when one of my children got married, and well..." She smiled at A'ja. "You might not be the daughter I expected, but you're exactly the daughter I needed."

I wasn't sure who started crying first – me, A'ja, or Mama – but suddenly we were all hugging, with Halo squished between us, probably wondering why all the grown-ups were being so weird.

"Okay, okay," Mama finally said, wiping her eyes. "Enough of that. We got work to do. These pies ain't gonna arrange themselves, and people are gonna start wanting to eat soon."

As we fell into the rhythm of preparation, with A'ja flipping through the cookbook and asking Mama questions about certain recipes, I couldn't help but think about how far we'd come. Love had a way of changing things, of softening edges and building bridges. It had changed my mama's mind, opened her heart, and brought us all closer together.

The house was filling up with the sounds of family – kids running and playing, aunties laughing and telling stories, uncles arguing about football, cousins catching up on the latest family drama.

"Baby," A'ja called out, pulling me from my thoughts. "Your mama says we need to start setting the tables. You want to help me?"

"Yeah," I smiled, reaching for her hand.

Setting up for Thanksgiving dinner was always an event in itself. The dining room table wasn't nearly enough for our whole family, so we had to set up three additional folding tables in the living room. A'ja and I worked in sync, laying out the tablecloths and placing settings while the sounds of family filled every corner of the house.

"Remember last year when Uncle James tried to deep fry that turkey in the garage?" A'ja asked, smoothing out a wrinkle in the tablecloth.

I couldn't help but laugh at the memory. "Black folks can't help but to fry every damn thing. Mama nearly had a heart attack when she saw all that smoke. I thought she was gonna ban him from cooking forever."

"At least this year he did it outside," A'ja grinned, glancing out the window where my uncle was proudly showing off his perfectly fried turkey to anyone who'd listen.

The doorbell rang again, and this time it was Angel, looking better than she had earlier. Halo practically flew across the room when she heard her mama's voice.

"Mommy!" she squealed as Angel scooped her up.

"Hey baby girl," Angel smiled, kissing her daughter's cheek before looking at us. "Your soup worked miracles, A. I'm feeling much better."

"Good," A'ja said, walking over to hug her best friend. "We saved you a plate – it's in the kitchen. Mama Cara made sure nobody touched it."

I watched as Angel's eyes widened slightly at A'ja calling my mother 'Mama Cara.' It was still new, this level of acceptance and family integration, but it felt right.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur of food, laughter, and stories. The kids were scattered around the living room with their plates, while the adults crowded around the various tables. Every now and then, someone would share a memory or tell a story that had everyone howling with laughter.

"Remember when Jordy tried to convince us she didn't like A'ja?" cousin Marcus called out, making me groan and A'ja laugh beside me. "Girl was walking around here looking like a lovesick puppy, talking about 'we're just friends.'"

"Oh, you wanna talk about looking lovesick?" I shot back. "What about you following Jessica around for three whole years before you got the nerve to ask her out?"

The table erupted in laughter as Marcus's wife Jessica patted his hand sympathetically. "He still gets nervous sometimes," she teased.

As the evening wound down, families started heading home, loaded down with leftovers and promises to get together again soon. Angel had fallen asleep on the couch with Halo curled up on her chest, both of them worn out from the day's festivities.

"We should probably wake them," A'ja whispered, but I could see the reluctance in her eyes. She always hated disturbing either of them when they looked so peaceful.

"Let them stay," Mama said, coming up behind us with a blanket. "It's too late to be driving anyway. Angel's room is still made up upstairs."

That's right – Angel had practically lived here during college, and Mama had never changed her room. Going back home to Maryland wasn't always the most cost efficient or timely thing, and since Jordyn was so close with the lsu team she took Angel and a few other under her wing as well. Some things just stayed the same, no matter how much time passed.

A'ja carefully lifted Halo while I helped Angel up, both of them barely stirring as we guided them upstairs. Once they were settled, we headed back down to help Mama with the cleanup.

"Y'all don't have to do that," Mama protested, but we ignored her, falling into our usual rhythm – A'ja washing, me drying, and Mama supervising while she packed up leftovers.

"So," Mama said casually, too casually. "I couldn't help but overhear you and Tasha talking earlier about starting a family."

I nearly dropped the plate I was drying. "Mama..."

"I'm just saying," she continued, "that guest room would make a beautiful nursery. And I'm not getting any younger, you know. I want to be able to run around with my grandbabies."

A'ja caught my eye, her smile soft and knowing. We'd had this conversation between ourselves many times, but hearing Mama talk about it made it feel more real somehow.

"We're thinking about it," A'ja said diplomatically. "After the wedding."

"Mhm," Mama hummed, exactly like Tasha had earlier. "Well, whenever you decide, I'm here. And I've still got all of Jordyn's baby clothes in the attic."

"You kept those?" I asked, surprised.

"Baby girl, I kept everything," Mama said, pulling out another container for leftovers. "Your first shoes, your first hair bow, that horrible orange dress you insisted on wearing every day for a month when you were four..."

"Oh, I need to see pictures of that," A'ja grinned, and I groaned.

"Don't you dare," I warned, but Mama was already heading for the living room where she kept all the photo albums.

The next few hours were spent on the couch, looking through old photos while Mama told A'ja every embarrassing story she could remember. But instead of feeling mortified, I felt grateful. This was what family was supposed to feel like.

Later that night, after we'd said goodbye to Mama and headed home to our apartment, A'ja was quiet. She was sitting on our bed, looking at something on her phone.

"What's on your mind, baby?" I asked, sitting beside her.

She turned her phone screen toward me – it was a picture from earlier, one of her reading to all the kids. Halo was in her lap, and Maya was leaning against her shoulder, all of them completely engrossed in whatever story she was telling.

"I want this," she said softly. "All of it. The chaos, the family dinners, the kids running around... I want our own little piece of that magic."

I felt my heart swell. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," she nodded, setting her phone aside. "I mean, not right this second. But soon. After the wedding, like we talked about. I want to build our family, Jordyn. I want to create our own traditions, our own memories."

I pulled her close, kissing her temple. "We will. And our kids are going to have the most amazing village around them. Between your family and mine, plus Angel and Halo..."

"Our kids," A'ja repeated, her voice full of wonder. "You think they'll have your smile?"

"I hope they have your heart," I replied, thinking about how she was with everyone today – my mama, the kids, our whole crazy family.

We fell asleep like that, wrapped up in each other and our dreams of the future. The next morning, my phone was already buzzing with messages from the family group chat – Aunt Patricia asking who had her serving spoon, Uncle James defending his turkey frying techniques, and Mama sending about fifty photos from yesterday.

But the message that caught my eye was from Angel:

Little AHalo won't stop talking about story time with TT. Y'all really gonna make me explain why she can't have story time every day? 😂

I showed the message to A'ja, who was still half asleep beside me. She smiled, that soft morning smile that still made my heart skip a beat.

"Maybe we can do a weekly story time," she suggested. "Have Angel and Halo over for dinner, make it a tradition."

"I love that idea," I said, already thinking about how our future kids would fit into that picture. "But you know once Mama finds out, she's gonna want to host it at her house."

"Even better," A'ja laughed. "More people to help wrangle the kids."

As we lay there, planning our future Sunday dinners and story times, I couldn't help but think about how far we'd come. From "just friends" to engaged, from tentative family acceptance to full embrace, from dreaming about our future to actively planning it.

"Hey," I said, turning to face her. "I love you."

"I love you too," she replied, pulling me closer. "Even if your Mama is definitely going to show up at our place later with more baby clothes from the attic."

I groaned, burying my face in her neck. "She's not going to let this go, is she?"

"Nope," A'ja laughed. "But that's okay. We've got time. We've got all the time in the world."

And we did. Time to plan our wedding, to build our family, to create our own traditions while honoring the ones that came before. Time to love each other and be loved by our beautiful, chaotic, perfectly imperfect family.

Excuse all errors Ajah 🩷