Page 64 of Intercept My Heart

“Damn,bestie! You look good! Your makeup is flawless, your dress is gorgeous, and that ass is sitting up real nice.”

Tamia hyped me up as I admired myself in the mirror. Today was my birthday, and I couldn’t help but reflect on how much my life had changed. My clientele was growing daily, my house was paid in full, my sons were thriving, and I had peace in my life, something I’d craved more than anything.

There were times when I thought I wouldn’t make it to this age, so I loved the place I was in right now. Outside of my situation with my children’s father, I had no complaints.

“Thank you, boo. I still can’t believe I let you talk me into paying three thousand dollars on a dress,” I fussed, admiring the gold, shimmery dress Tamia had custom-made for me. When she first suggested it, I shut her down immediately because it seemed like a waste of money. However, she reminded me that I never celebrate, and I deserved to treat myself.

I allowed her free reign to plan my birthday, and she spared no expense. I was almost afraid to ask how much she spent, but she told me not to worry about it. I offered to give her money, but she declined, telling me that she had it covered. We’d been friends long enough for me to know better than to question herbecause if she had her mind set on something, that was what it was going to be.

“I’m nervous about tonight. I know your extra ass probably went overboard with the decorations and food.”

“And what if I did? My best friend deserves the royal treatment, and that’s exactly what she’s gonna get.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m only letting this slide because your birthday is coming up in a few months, so if you do too much, I’ll be doing the same.”

“And you won’t hear me complain once, bitch. You’re a rich baby mama now,” she jested. I glared at her, hating the term she kept sticking me with. Dinero stuck to his promise of twenty thousand a month. It may not have been so bad if it weren’t for the fact that he still handled all the boys’ expenses. They stopped asking me for money because he opened up accounts for them and paid them a weekly allowance for doing their chores around the house. Every need they had, he took care of it, so I questioned what the purpose of the child support was for.

“Don’t start your shit. I don’t even like the term baby mama, but I guess that’s what I am.” Dinero and I messed around from time to time, and I kept promising that I would stop, but those promises fell by the wayside the moment he got in my presence.

“Girl, you are blessed. Not only do you have a man who loves his children, but you have a co-parent who is intentional about being active in their lives and making your life easier. If you wanted to pick up and go on a week-long vacation, all you have to do is book the tickets, and he would take care of the rest. You’ve hit the jackpot.”

“He’s more than that, though. The money is a blessing, but the smiles he’s been putting on the twins’ faces are worth so much more. Even Moolah has turned over a new leaf, although he won’t admit it. He loves Dinero. This is all I’ve ever wanted for them, and I thought it would never happen.” Watching Dinerolove our boys made me love him even more. It had only been a couple of months since he’d been in their lives, but the outside world wouldn’t be able to tell because he never missed a beat with his sons.

The fact that they could call him for anything and have confidence that he would come through for them made a difference. His presence made such an impact on them, even at school. I hadn’t gotten a single call about Moolah misbehaving in so long. Dinero went up to his school and sat in his class for a whole day. After that, he got his shit together. Him being a real father made my job as a mother so much easier, and I was grateful.

“I’m sure he is more than that since you can’t seem to stay off his magic school bus. You’re gonna fuck around and end up pregnant at the rate you’re going,” she warned. My face dropped at the mention of pregnancy.

After the twins, my doctor told me it would be difficult for me to conceive another child. Although I wasn’t sure if I wanted more until I got married, it bothered me that I may not have the option. My prayer was that I would find a man who already had children or who would be content with the twins.

We continued getting dressed before it was time to head to the venue. The only thing I knew about my party was the location. I requested something small and intimate, but knowing her, it would be nothing of the sort. A few of our mutual friends, as well as some of my co-workers, had already informed me they were coming tonight, so I figured the guest list would be longer than ten to fifteen people. She had even added that gifts were mandatory to gain entrance to the party. Tamia didn’t play about birthdays, and she never had.

“Are you excited?”

“I am. This birthday feels so different. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I’m ready to see what this year has in store for me.”

“It’s going to be full of blessings because you deserve it. I’ve watched you struggle over the years, but now you’re moving into your soft girl era. I believe that you’ll find love and get the happily ever after you deserve. As long as you’re open to it,” she expressed.

“I hope so. I want to be someone’s wife one day.”

“And you will be. I can’t wait to be in the bridal party too. I’ve always had this fantasy about being in a wedding and fucking one of the groomsmen. Those men are always fine as fuck.”

I giggled, even though she wasn’t lying. Fine men tend to run in packs, so if the groom was good-looking, you could almost guarantee he had some good-looking friends. They usually weren’t worth a damn, but they were fine, nonetheless.

“Well, that would work out perfectly. Then you can get together, and we all can go on vacations together.”

“Umm, no, bitch. I said I wanted to ride the groomsman, not marry them. You got way too ahead of yourself.”

“You don’t want to settle down one day and have a family, Mimi? At least a man you can travel with and make memories?”

“No. To be honest, relationships have never been my thing. I saw my mom in a different relationship every other week, and it just didn’t interest me. Men are dogs, and women are gullible. I’ve seen women completely lose their identity in a man, and I’ve never wanted that for me. I love being able to deal with them when I feel like it.”

“What about kids?”

“What about them? I only want to be the rich auntie, and I have no desire to change it. You have to understand that I’ve been raising kids my whole life. College was my excuse to get away from being an in-home babysitter. It’s possible that I mightchange my mind one day, but I’ll be in my fifties like Halle Berry,” Tamia proclaimed.

I understood where she was coming from because I swore I would never have any children, but God had other plans. Motherhood turned out to be the greatest blessing I’d ever experienced, but I never judged anyone who chose not to take that route. Life should be lived however you wanted to live it.

“Why are there so many cars?” I whined. My social meter would only hold up for so long once I became overstimulated, so I prayed there was plenty of space in the building.

---