Page 30 of Serenity
“Mmh hmm. Almost,” she agreed with a winded sigh. Our silence was broken only by the song of red cardinals. They fluttered and splashed in a birdbath nearby. Placid and comforting, the garden was a haven for relaxation. Closing my eyes, I basked in the moment of peace.
After a while, Sadie asked, “You sure you don’t want a few mini Serenities to occupy your time?”
Hell naw.
Drowning in the deep end of her delirium, I laughed.
“Girl, no. Thanks, but no thanks. I’m good with my nieces and nephews. You, Pre, Tori, and Saint will keep me perfectly occupied in my rich auntie vibe.”
I nodded to her swollen belly. She was carrying identical boys. The tally between nieces and nephews would be tied upon their arrival.
“I can’t wait to meet them, though, boo. And you’re super cute pregnant,” I added with a chuckle.
“You sound like your brother. He’s talking foolishness about wanting more.”
“More what? Condoms?” I asked, knowing damn well they weren’t needed considering Sadie and Supreme’s situation.
Sadie broke into laughter and shook her head. “Supreme doesn’t know half the battle we’re about to be in with two newborns.
“Well, I’m here if you need me. Don’t forget.”
“Girl, please. Need you for what? Supreme already has a chef, a housekeeper, a night nanny, and Ms. Ira on standby for when the twins arrive. He won’t let me do shit, Reni,” she fussed. “I had to put up a tantrum just to get time in the garden. If he had it his way, I’d be on bed rest.”
“Well, if you need me to help you spend some of Pre’s money on one of your self-care days, I’ll be here for that as well,” I tittered.
Of all my siblings, Supreme was rolling, swimming, and hell, even drowning in his cash. After quietly exiting the drug distribution business a decade ago, he got into real estate development. In a growing city like Paramour, his success had been imminent. When he made his first legitimate billion, he never looked back.
“Yeah, Reni,” she laughed. Armed with pruning shears, she rose from where she was to snip around a juniper tree. “You help me do just that. As soon as I get these two minions off my bladder, I have plans for Louis, Chanel, Demure, and Loewe.”
“Amen. Amen. We love a shopping outing, especially when it doesn’t involve my money,” I tittered. “And Sadie?” I deadpanned.
“Hmm?”
“If you need a day at the spa before and most certainly after the babies drop, let me know. My brothers are so hell-bent on paying me for my services. They do so much for me. Comping spa time is the least I can do.”
“Don’t you do the same thing, Serenity?”
“What?”
“Pay for their services knowing they’d prefer to give it to you for free.”
My shoulders fell. “I do that because they never let me pay for anything.”
“Rich bitch problems.”
“You’re a rich bitch now, too, Sae.”
“Ditto. But as far as your brothers go, it sounds like you need to relax and enjoy it. Accept the princess treatment, boo. Isn’t that what you want from your person?”
“Girl, what fucking person? He doesn’t exist.”
Even as I vocalized the words, my thoughts involuntarily trained on Duke Stepford. Our last encounter, though unplanned, had leveled up my business pitch tenfold. Refreshing, the man was such a breath of fresh air. Being seen by someone who knew what they were looking at was so damn energizing.
“Serenity,” Sadie summoned me back to the present.
“No. Hear me out, Sae,” I argued, exiting a realm of obsession about a masked man in Genevieve. “I’ve accepted that I may just be single.”
My shoulders rose and fell with the confession. “Maybe I’ll become a hotep heaux like Badu and gypsy my way through life, including casual encounters with men. It’s not the worst thing that could happen.”