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Mariah reaches back into the car to get her mystery box off the dashboard, and I wave to my mom. I don’t think her smile could get any bigger, although I should’ve expected that from the way she screamed when I told her I was bringing Mariah home to meet her.
“Oh, you’re just beautiful,” my mom says to Mariah when we reach the door.
“Mom, this is Mariah. Mariah, my mother, Evelyn.” I introduce them.
Mariah extends her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you.”
My mom waves Mariah’s hand away and goes in for a hug.
“Oh, honey. I’ve heard so much about you. Come in, come in.”
We go inside, me apparently forgotten because I barely get a look from my mom. She ushers Mariah into the kitchen and yells for my dad to hurry and join us.
“Mariah’s here.” She shouts. “Damien, if you don’t get your butt in here.”
“I’m coming, Evelyn.” He chuckles. “There she is.” He enters the kitchen and hugs Mariah.
God, I hope she’s okay with all this hugging. I have to wonder if she’s cringing inside from both the hugs and all the attention being on her like this. At least my dad notices I’m here and comes over and hugs me too.
“How was the drive?” he asks.
“Shorter than usual with someone to talk to this time.”
“I have a feeling you’ll have company on all your trips going forward,” he says low.
“What are talking about dad?” I chuckle.
“I know love when I see it.”
My eyes snap to Mariah to see if she heard my dad. I was so close to saying it in the car, but I didn’t want to make this weekend awkward for her. She wouldn’t have even had to say it back, I wouldn’t want her to if she didn’t mean it, but I didn’t want her to feel weird for not saying it back either. Especially when she’s meeting my parents.
“Look at you.” My dad brings my eyes back to him. “You can’t even take your eyes off her. Oh yeah, you’re in deep.”
“Maybe.”
“There’s no maybe about it,” he murmurs as my mom and Mariah’s attention comes to us.
“Oh hello, Mom. Finally realized I’m alive?” I joke.
“I’m sorry honey. How are you?” She hugs me.
“Good. You have to give Mariah a tour of the house. I was telling her how me and Dad built your dream house.”
Her eyes light up. “Aren’t my men just the sweetest? Come on, I’ll give you a tour while dinner finishes.”
“We’ll just quietly follow along, I guess.” My dad laughs.
My mom shows her every inch of the five bedroom, three bath dream house we built her. We end up back in her favorite room, the kitchen with its huge island and double oven. The timer goes off, and Mariah helps my mom plate the food while my dad and I get the drinks and forks.
“Do you like to cook Mariah?” my mom asks.
“I wish. I try, but I usually end up with a kitchen full of smoke.” She chuckles.
“Oh, we’ll make a chef of you yet. This one”—my mom juts her thumb at me—“Used to eat me out of house and home, and I’m pretty sure that hasn’t changed over the years.”
“I definitely want to learn.” Mariah smiles. “But you’re in for quite an experience. Even when I follow recipes to the letter, my food just never turns out very well.”
“Your mother never cooked with you?” my mom inquires.
My breath hitches thinking the question will take Mariah aback, but I should have known better. Nothing seems to shake my girl. Wow. My girl. My woman. I can’t even explain the pride that rushes through me just from thinking that. And the thought that she could be mine, for life.
“My mother wasn’t a very good cook herself, and we’ve been estranged since I was fourteen, so no cooking lessons there.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to pry.” My mom apologizes.
Mariah shrugs. “It’s okay. You didn’t know.”
“Are you estranged because you want to be?” my dad asks, never one to take a hint.
“I am.” Mariah answers.
My dad nods. “Good. I find whenever that’s the case, then it’s for the best.”
“That’s definitely been my experience.” Mariah gives a small smile.
“Well dig in,” my mom says.
God, how I missed my mom’s cooking ever since I moved out. I eat the baked chicken, rice, black eyed peas, and macaroni and cheese in what feels like seconds.
“Do you have any other family?” my mom asks as we’re finishing up.
“Just my brother,” Mariah replies.
“And he’s met Damir?”
“In the funniest way, yes.” Mariah grins and proceeds to tell my parents about that whole night.
“My boy.” My dad laughs. “Well at least you were prepared to go caveman style over your woman.”
My mom just rolls her eyes at my dad and focuses back on Mariah.
“And does he have an issue with Damir being black?”
“Mom,” I grumble.
“I just want to know. You act like that wouldn’t be a problem for some people.”
“My brother has never cared about race or color. I mean, he’s never had a problem with having a half-Dominican sister, and fought anyone who made it known they did have a problem with my race. And even if he’d voiced an opinion on Damir’s race, I would have set him straight there and then.”
“Oh, I like her.” My mom nods. “She’s got sass. Something every woman needs in this world. Now for dessert...”
“Actually, I brought something, if you don’t mind.” Mariah interrupts her and stands up.
She walks over to that mystery box I’ve been wondering about and picks it up, bringing it to the table. When my mom opens it, her entire face lights up, and she’s so giddy, she gives a few claps.
“It’s my pie, Damien.” She exclaims before hugging Mariah. “Oh, thank you. I haven’t been able to have it in so long. How did you know?”
“Damir took me there for dinner and mentioned this was your favorite thing on the menu.”
“I tried to bribe the owner to move his restaurant out here,” my dad confesses. “But he wouldn’t be swayed.”
Everyone laughs, but I’m just speechless looking over at Mariah. She remembered the pie, and even more, took it upon herself to get one for my mom, when honestly, that thought had never even crossed my own mind. Did I say I love this woman? No, I love the shit out of this woman. She looks over at me then, her beautiful smile making the breath catch in my chest, and I realize she’s the one. And I plan to make sure she knows it.
“Did I say I liked you? I love you,” my mom says, hugging Mariah again as my dad starts cutting slices out of the pie. “Well Damir, if you don’t marry her, I will.”
A shocked laugh bursts out of me. “Really Mom?”
“Seems you have some competition.” Mariah arches a brow.
“Oh really?”
She shrugs and smiles.
After we’ve eaten the pie, we go into the basement to watch a movie before going to bed. My parents have us set up in the guestroom furthest from their bedroom, and I have to laugh a little inside. My mom may want me to get married and have lots of babies, but I know she damn sure doesn’t want to hear them being made.
“They’re amazing,” Mariah says low as we get under the covers.
“You’re amazing. I told you they’d love you,” I murmur against her ear.
I wrap my arms around her, and she moves back until her body is curled up beside mine. We go to sleep just like that.
When I wake up, it’s to the smell of bacon and pancakes, and the faint sound of my parents laughing downstairs. All thoughts of eating flee my mind when Mariah backs up into me and rubs her ass on my hard dick. I groan and she chuckles, squirming against me more.
“You know exactly what you’re doing, don’t you?” I ask against the side of her neck.
“Maybe,” she teases.
“I don’t think you quite understand how much I adore this ass of yours, so if I were you, I’d stop before we end up having sex right in my parent’s house.”
She only grinds back against me harder, moving my hand from her hip under her shirt. Well that’s all I need. When I realize she’s not wearing a bra, my dick gets impossibly harder as I palm her breast. She lowers my boxer briefs down until her hand is wrapped around me. When she places me to her opening, she’s already wet and ready for me.
I slide into her, and her tightness immediately makes me groan. Being inside her with nothing between us is pleasure on another level. I hold her to me as I thrust into her, her ass rubbing against me every time I push in. She drops her head back, and her small breaths turn into low moans, then to her whispering for me not to stop.
“I never want to leave this pussy.” I nip on the tip of her ear.
“Oh, God.” She breathes.
I lift her leg onto my thigh and start driving into her. Her arm comes up and wraps around my neck as her gasps spur me on. My balls begin to tighten, but I hold off, needing to feel her coming on me before I release. Her pussy gets tighter around me, but it’s when I pinch her nipple that she falls apart with a gasp, muffled behind her hand coming up and covering her mouth.
She spasms around me, more wetness coating my dick while she sighs my name and pushes back harder into me. I put my face in her neck and finally let go, coming inside her until I feel like every ounce of energy leaves my body, and I sag into the bed behind her. Her fingers stroke circles on my neck until our breaths even out.
“No condom.” I murmur after we’re laying there in silence for a while.
“I noticed.” She chuckles. “I’ll get the morning after pill since I’m not on anything.”
“If you want.”
“If I want, huh?”
“Yup.” I place one last kiss to her neck before getting out of bed. “And if we want breakfast before my dad eats everything, we better go down now.”
“I’m gonna take a quick shower. Save me something please.”
“I’ll try.”
I pull my boxer briefs back up before putting on pajama pants and a T-shirt while Mariah goes to the bathroom. When I get downstairs, I claim the last five pancakes and some pieces of bacon and toast for Mariah before pouring two glasses of orange juice.
“So what’s on the agenda for today, sleepy head?” my mom asks.
“Whatever you guys wanna do is fine,” I answer before taking a bite.
“The mall.” She smiles, giving the answer I thought she would.
“That’s fine with me. And I had already mentioned we might go there to Mariah.”
“She’s lovely,” my mom says, taking the seat next to me at the island, coffee mug in hand. “I’ve had to wait twenty-seven years for you to bring a girl home, but now I’ll say it was worth the wait.”
I chuckle. “I’m glad you like her.”
“And you? I think you more than like her.”
“Dad said the same thing.”
“And are we wrong?”
“No, you’re not. But maybe let me tell her that before I tell you guys.”
She sighs dramatically. “Oh, if I must. As long as it gets me some grandbabies out of it.”
“Now you sound like dad. Where is he anyway?”
“Getting dressed. He already inhaled his usual ten pancakes.” She chuckles.
“Mariah’s getting ready too.”
“Ready to fall in love.” My mom sing-songs.
“What’s this I hear about love?” Mariah’s voice reaches me right before she walks into the kitchen.
“Mom,” I whisper, pleading with her not say anything.
“Nothing,” my mom says. “Oh, I love your hair.”
I look at Mariah then and damn near do a doubletake. Her hair is still wet and curly. She’s already beautiful with how her hair usually is, but with the curls hanging around her face, she’s stunning.
“We were talking about going to the mall today.” I tell Mariah.
“Okay. I’m ready whenever you guys are.”
“I managed to salvage a plate for you.” I push her food over to her. “I’m gonna hop in the shower.”
I kiss Mariah’s forehead before walking across the kitchen and quietly begging my mom not to chase Mariah off while I’m gone. She just winks at me and grins. Lord. After I shower and dress in jeans and a long-sleeve black T-shirt, I go back downstairs and find my parents showing Mariah some of our family photos.
“I see you just couldn’t help yourself, huh?” I say to my mom.
“Oh, you were such a cute baby.” Mariah chuckles.
“Just imagine how your kids together would look.” My mom smiles.
My body stills at her words, but Mariah just smiles right back, picking up the next photo.
“They would be the absolute cutest,” Mariah adds.
Babies. Yeah, I could definitely see myself having a baby with Mariah.
“You guys ready to go?” my dad asks.
“Yup. We can head out.” I walk to the kitchen to get the keys off the counter.
The mall is crowded as usual, and also as usual, my mom window shops, looking at jackets, purses, and even candles through windows, and shooting my dad down every time he offers to get something for her. She does accept gifts from him, but for whatever her reason, she doesn’t let him buy them when they’re together. Maybe she likes the surprise, I don’t know.
Suddenly Mariah lets go of my hand, walking over to the window of a jewelry shop and looking at the bracelet on display. I take a hold of her hand again and lead her into the store.
“What are you doing?” she whispers.
“You’re never window shopping again.” I tell her.
“Damir, I was just looking at it.”
“And now you’ll be wearing it. There’s nobody else it would look better on.”
“Can I help you?” the man behind the counter asks.
“Damir.” Mariah tries to pull me away.
“I would like to see the bracelet that’s in the front display case.”
He smiles. “I know just the one. I’ll be right back.”
“Thank you.”
“Damir, this is crazy. You don’t even know how much it costs.”
“Does it matter?”
“Um, hell yes, it matters.”
“Are you ever going to buy me gifts?”
“Well, of course.”
“Then let me buy you this.”
She softens under my hands. “Fine. I’ll let you drape me in diamonds.”
“Good. I’m glad we had this talk.” I laugh as the man brings the bracelet back over.
“I’ll take it,” I say before he’s even completely back behind the counter.
He hands it to me, and I turn to wrap it around Mariah’s wrist.
“You better be careful or I’ll get spoiled.” She grins while I kiss her cheek.
“Go ahead and start then.”
We get lunch after we leave the mall and go to the movies before heading back to my parents’ house. Mariah helps my mom make lasagna and garlic bread for dinner, and when we’re done eating that, we watch a movie. I’m hardly paying attention to the side conversation my mom and Mariah are having on the other couch when I hear words that make me cringe a little inside.
“Hopefully we don’t get pulled over when we get back into town,” Mariah says.
My parents knew the cops bothered me, even after I stopped getting into trouble, but I haven’t told them anything that’s been happening lately.
My mom and dad both turn their heads towards me.
“So they’re still harassing you then?” my dad asks.
“Sometimes.”
Mariah gives me an apologetic face, but I shake my head slightly.
“Let me guess, that dirty cop Miller?” my mom adds.
I nod. “Some tickets and he pulled me over a few days ago.”
My mom shakes her head. “That’s why I wanted you to move out here. Get away from those cops and start over.”
“My business is there mom,” I explain for the hundredth time.
“And you can build anywhere. People will be in need of construction anywhere you go.”
“But nothing like what I’m working on right now. There won’t be anyone wanting to build an apartment complex here, Mom.”
“Well, no, but is it really worth staying there and having to deal with those crooked cops?”
“They hate you, Son,” my dad says. “They’ll never believe you’ve changed your ways, and you should always beware the lengths someone will go to, to prove you’re exactly who they think you are.”
I nod. “I know, Dad. I can handle a few tickets.”
“And when it gets worse?” my mom inquires.
I hate that she looks like she’s fighting tears. It’s the face she would have every time my dad and her had to pick me up from the police station or the cops brought me home. I never want to be the cause of that face again.
“I’ll tell you what...” I walk over to the couch and drop to one knee before her. “After I finish this apartment complex, I’ll consider moving. Check out what my opportunities would look like out here. Okay?”
She nods quickly, sniffling a little. “I’m gonna need to be near my grandbabies anyway.”
“Yes, I thought you’d throw that one in.” I chuckle.
“You don’t even know the half of it.” My dad laughs. “If you think I’m bad...” My mom arches a brow at him and he backtracks. “Then you’d be completely right.”
When the movie’s over and we head to bed, Mariah curls into my side.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make your parents sad,” she says low.
“You didn’t know. I just don’t tell them anymore since they moved away. I know it still worries them.”
“Of course it does. They don’t want you getting into trouble, especially when you’re not even actually doing anything.”
“I’ll be okay. As my mom used to tell me, I should leave my worries with her because that’s what parents were for.” I chuckle.
She playfully scoffs. “Yeah, I never got that message.”
I hold her tighter at her words, kissing her hair.
“You can leave them with me. I’ll take care of them.”
“I just might take you up on that.”
This time I wake up alone, the spot where Mariah fell asleep in my arms empty. I don’t have to wonder why for long though when I hear her give a shout of frustration from downstairs. That and the smell of clearly overcooked bacon lead me to assume Mariah’s taking a stab at breakfast. I put on a T-shirt and head downstairs, desperately trying to contain my laughter when my mom’s words reach me.
“Damir likes his bacon fried hard. It’s fine.”
“If you say so,” Mariah murmurs.
“You did good for your first try. Don’t worry.”
I come to stand in the kitchen entryway, watching my mom and Mariah make the plates. My mom turns around and notices me first. Her eyes narrow in a clear warning as she tilts her head towards the plates. Even though I didn’t need the reminder, I nod.
“What smells so good?” I ask.
Mariah’s head pops up, and she looks at me over her shoulder. “Oh, um, I helped your mom make breakfast.”
“She did most of the work,” my mom insists. “I just guided her along.”
“Well I am starving,” I say as I sit at the island. “Is everything ready?”
Mariah turns around, putting the plate in front of me. “Yup.”
It is beyond ready. Everything on the plate looks like it was ready about five minutes before Mariah took it out the pan. The bacon isn’t fried hard, it’s black. The pancakes aren’t crispy, they’re burnt. And somehow, the eggs still look too wet to be done, but are charred.
“This looks amazing,” I lie. But I figure this is a good thing to not tell the truth about.
“Thank you.” She smiles. Then her eyebrows raise as she waits for me to take my first bite.
Not a single part of me wants to eat any part of this plate, but I wouldn’t dare do anything that would make that smile fade from Mariah’s face. I cut off a piece of the pancake, dip it in the syrup that’s collected around the edge of the plate, and get my first taste.
It’s bad. It’s really bad. It’s very, very bad... But I’ll be damned if I don’t put on a smile and chew like it’s the best freaking thing I’ve ever tasted.
“Mmm,” I hum around my mouthful of pancake.
“Really?” She beams.
I nod. “So good.”
“Try the bacon too.”
I pick up a piece and bite half of it off. Oh God, my tooth.
“I know it’s too...” She begins, but I cut her off.
“It’s perfect. I like it just like this.”
Her smile grows, and I may have just condemned myself to a lifetime of burnt bacon, but somehow, I’m okay with that.
“I’ll get you some juice,” she says before walking over to the refrigerator.
With a huge gulp, I swallow the bacon down. When I look at my mom she’s watching me with her lips tucked into her mouth, clearly holding back a laugh.
“I’m gonna get in the shower,” Mariah tells me.
“You’re not gonna eat?” I ask.
“I ate the pancakes your mother made. I’m smart enough not to eat my own cooking. I know it’s horrible.”
I burst out laughing while she walks around the island. She wraps her arms around my neck before kissing me on the cheek.
“The fact that you even put anything on that plate in your mouth, let alone called it perfect when it looks like something I scraped out of the trash can means the world to me. But uh, please, eat your mother’s food before you end up having to stop in the middle of our trip home to use some roadside port-a-potty.”
I shake my head, pick up the bacon and take another bite. “The plate you made for me is more than enough.”
She chuckles. “Your stomach won’t thank you for it, but I do. I’ll be back.”
“I really did raise you right,” my mom says once we’re alone.
“I’m a little insulted you even felt you had to warn me not to reject her plate. I would never hurt her feelings like that.”
“I know, but I wanted to make sure she didn’t get her feelings hurt too. She’s grown on me quite a bit in her short time here.”
“I can see that.”
“I hope you can also see that means I expect to see her again very soon.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I’m going to walk away now, so uh, whatever you do with that plate will be witnessed by you and only you.”
“Okay.” I chuckle.
I do eat it, with a mouthful of orange juice accompanying each bite. Just so I can tell her I ate it all if she asks.
We hang around in the backyard, easy conversation flowing between us, until we head back inside to eat sandwiches for lunch. After we’re done, Mariah says her goodbyes to my parents while I put the bags in the car. Well, the bags and the fifteen pounds of food my mom packed up for us. I don’t think I’ll have to cook for the next week. My parents walk us to the car with one last whisper from my mom telling me I better marry Mariah, and soon, before we leave.
“It’s gonna be weird being alone after these past couple of days,” Mariah says when we get closer to her house.
“If I didn’t have to meet your brother, I’d be coming right inside with you.”
“Goodness. The two of you together.” She chuckles.
“We’ll be on our best behavior.”
“I believe you will. Liam on the other hand... His middle name might as well be Mischief.” She laughs.
“I’m excited to get started on his house though. Maybe then you’ll let me work on yours.”
“I may let you show me some plans.”
“That’s all I need to hear.”
We arrive at her house, and I bring her bag and some of the food inside before Mariah gives me a kiss so good it has me wishing I didn’t have anywhere to go. But I leave her and take the half hour ride to her brother’s house. Although I knew the city she grew up in, seeing it is different. I never had any reason to come out this way when I was younger, I found trouble just fine in my own town, but everyone has heard of this town. It was known as the ghetto of our state, where the throwaways lived. The town other people would say was across the tracks, and you only went there if you wanted to get robbed or worse.
Liam’s house is on one of the few streets without apartment buildings and has houses instead. I wish I could say his house is easy to spot, but almost all of them are pretty run down so I have to use my GPS to direct me to his address. And yup, they were right, it’s worse than Mariah’s. Liam is sitting on the front steps and gets up when I get out of the car.
“You’re not running away yet, so I guess that’s a good thing.” He chuckles.
“My legs are feeling real twitchy,” I return.
He turns around, and we both look at the house. I can already see the things I would want to begin with.
“First up, I’m gonna have to fix that roof. I’m pretty sure, just from looking, that you have a leak or two. There’s no sense in working on the inside just for it to rain, and we get some mold or water damage.”
He nods. “I don’t know the first thing about any of this, so whatever you tell me is what goes.”
“Can I ask why you stayed in this neighborhood?”
“The community center I work at is here, and the kids I work with are from here. They’re not gonna relate to someone they don’t think has lived the life they live. Will I stay if I ever have kids...” He shrugs. “I don’t know. I definitely wouldn’t want my kids growing up and seeing the things I saw in this neighborhood. But for now, I’m here.”
“I get it. My mom once again begged me to move closer to them this weekend, but the town I grew up in feels like home to me.”
“How was it this weekend? Mariah come out of it alive?”
“She was amazing. My parents loved her, of course. We went out to eat, to the movies, the mall. It was a nice time.”
“Did you get anything for Mariah’s birthday while you were at the mall?” he asks.
My eyes about pop out of my head. “Her what?”
His shoulders shake with a quiet chuckle. “I figured she hadn’t told you. Hence, why I’m ever so casually dropping it in this conversation. It’s in three weeks.”
“Why wouldn’t she tell me?”
“Mariah never likes to ask for anything. In her mind, telling you when her birthday is, is basically like asking you to buy her a gift. Even when we were younger, she’d be outgrowing her clothes, and I’d basically have to beg her to let me buy her more. Usually I’d have to just get them without her and leave them on the bed, knowing she wouldn’t waste money and not wear them either.”
“That explains why she practically fainted when I got her a bracelet at the mall.” I shake my head with a smile. “Well thank you for telling me. I’ll definitely start thinking of something to get her.”
“Now, back to this beauty.” He waves towards the house. “How long do you think it’ll take to get it into shape?”
I take a deep breath. “How much time do you have?”
