Dal’s grin expands as she texts someone. “You say that now… have you thought of a name? We can’t keep calling her Beanie.”
I step out of the gown and let the dressmaker go press it and throw Shaddy’s Birch crew neck on. “No. I know I want her middle name to be Reese, for Mo. So I’ve been playing around with different names that go with that.”
Dal simpers as she rushes to help me pull up my maternity leggings. “That’s beautiful, Mace. God, I can’t believe it sometimes. A little mini you. The world isn’t ready.”
I roll my eyes and shove her playfully. “I doubt her daddy is gonna let her be too much like the hellion I am. He’s already talking about banning YT from being around her until she’s eighteen.”
“Not a bad idea… but shit, the way you ignore his ass I thought you were done letting him play daddy.” She smirks and twirls to grab her stuff.
I damn near snatch my dress from the dressmaker, thank her, and stomp out of the shop toward Dal’s car. She’s just cackling loud as ever behind me, through me hanging up the dress, getting into the front seat, and us sliding into traffic.
“Damn bitch you ain’t tired of laughing yet?” I snap.
“Hell no!” she squeals. “It’s all in ya grill. You done caught feelings for Shotta. He sang to the pussy yet?”
I roll my eyes and rest my chin on my palm. “I’m telling Nut you got your tubes tied.”
She kisses her teeth as we drive deeper into downtown. “You never could take a joke when it’s on yo ass. Play with him if you want, he’ll kill you just because he’ll think you knew beforehand. Besides, I made the appointment to take my IUD out as soon as we get back from Fiji.”
“I don’t even care no more, ho! Our kids are cousins now, anyway, so our plans to make them get married have been ruined ever since you let Mo use them tired ass lines on yo dumb ass.”
Dal just snickers more before pulling into a valet. “The more you hurl insults, the more in love I just assume you really are. Foreal though, if you like him, why not just tell him? He’s already claiming Beanie Reese as his own.”
I sigh and turn towards my best friend. She’s got so much hope in her eyes. She’s wanted the love bug to bite me since we first decided to make our children marry each other, in middle school. But I was never with it.
And even now, as much as Shaddy means to me, I’m grabbing out at anything I can, kicking and screaming as I keep falling.
“Dally, Rahshad is the type of person that gives his all to make sure everyone around him is happy. But no one talks about how, after you’ve given all you’ve got, you have nothing else for yourself. Even if I did like him, and he liked me, he has nothing to give me. And I can’t and won’t subject myself to that. We just cool, bro.”
Her face falls before grabbing my hand. “If he does come to you, promise me you’ll give it a chance. You deserve happiness, too, Mace.”
I nod, to appease her, and we finally get out her car. But I know the real. The happiness Dal is talking about may have passed me by long ago.
We enter the nice ass building and take a private elevator all the way up. As soon as the doors open, the first face I see is YT, holding a confetti gun.
Her smile is so fucking unhinged, I cringe as she shoots it. “Surprise!”
The other girls cheer behind her as tears gather in my eyes. And my face completely crumbles when my mom comes to the front and pulls me into her arms.
“Now you know we weren’t gonna let you bring your baby in without showering her with love.”
She leans back and plants a kiss on my forehead.
“But… but–”
“Yeah, I get married tomorrow, but you’re becoming a mommy right after, Macy. Fuck a bachelorette party, we celebrating you and the life you made.”
I turn and crush Dal’s tall ass into my arms. Mom hugs as both, and I break down even more.
It doesn’t stop, even when all the ladies pass me around, hugging me and putting a crown and sash around me. Brina and Set permanently moved into their house before the twins were born, so really, Set’s condo is where we go to chill if we’re in the city. I was thinking we were all meeting here to kind of pre game before the bachelorette dinner, but judging by all the pink and purple and green decor, the girls had been planning this for a while.
After we eat a delicious brunch spread, they have me open all the gifts they all got me. Everything from onesies to diapers to a bottle warmer and bassinet and shit. All the guys besides Shaddy even bought me a Bentley stroller, with their own personalized messages in the card. YP bought Beanie a star, while YC got me a membership to this ritzy spa in West Kenton, because “why would he get a gift for a baby he’s never met?”
I’m a blubbering mess. I mean, I know my support system is amazing, but I’ve been so busy helping Dal with the wedding, I didn’t too much care about a shower. I had more than enough money from not paying rent and my old art showings to buy whatever I needed, even if Shaddy let go of the charade.
But seeing everyone show up for me… yeah. I love these hoes.
“Deezyyyy, you know when you get upset like this it makes me homicidal.” YT pouts and rests her head on Mom’s shoulder. My mama just rolls her eyes and pats her cheek, making her smile.
