Page 98 of Intercept My Heart

My chest tightenedas I got closer to my destination. A part of me wanted to turn right back around and leave, but I couldn’t. I didn’t even know why I was so nervous since we had been talking for months now. Dinero texted me, demanding that I relax and not to stress his daughter out. This little girl gave me enough hell, so I wasn’t thinking about Dinero or her.

Once I turned on the street, I smiled, seeing all these nice houses. If nothing else, Ciera had done well for herself, and it made me happy to see it. We went through hell as children, so the idea of her getting a happy ending filled me with happiness. I texted her to let her know I was here. When I looked up, I noticed her standing at the door. She was even prettier in person, and I was so happy to see her, tears sprung from my eyes.

After I made sure the car was locked properly, I headed her way. The closer I got to her, the more excited I became.

“Oh, look at you!” Her hands palmed my belly, and we were both a blubbering mess. When she wrapped her arms around me, I melted into her hold. We remained in the same position for a few minutes until a little boy peeked his head out to see what was going on.

“Mommy! Why are you crying?” Ciera and I both laughed as we tried to get ourselves together.

“Mommy is happy, Chance. Sometimes people cry when they’re happy or excited.” He nodded and then raced back into the house. He reminded me of my sons. They never missed a beat with me.

“We better get in the house before he rats me out to his father. Christian already bet me money that I would be crying the minute you stepped foot in the house, and I’ve already lost.” I giggled because her husband sounded much like Dinero. He packed a box of Kleenex and a few snacks in the car, and as much as I wanted to deny that I would need them, I thought better of it.

We held hands as I entered her home, which was even more beautiful on the inside. I removed my shoes at the door before venturing further into the house. The same little boy from earlier sat on the floor as he watched TV on the big screen in front of him. There were two other kids in there as well. One looked to be closer in age, while the other girl, from her tall, lanky frame, looked to be either a preteen or a teenager.

“Do you want some water or juice? I would offer you a glass of wine, but it looks like we’ll have to wait a few more months for that.”

“And when the time comes, I’ll be taking you up on that offer. I’ll take some water.” She handed me a bottle of water before the two of us ventured into the living room with the children.

“Don’t mind their toys on the floor. As soon as I put them away, they suddenly can’t live without them.” I laughed, thinking of how the boys were when they were little.

“Trust me, I know all about it.”

“Hey, baby. I think it’s time for baby girl’s feeding.” A tall, handsome man sauntered down the hall with a baby cradled in his arms.

“Of course it is. She would wait until I finally sit down to want to eat.” Ciera reached out for the bundle of cuteness.

“Baby, this is Charae, the sister I went to visit a few months ago. Charae, this is my husband, Christian.” My heart swelled at her introduction as he reached his hand out toward me.

“Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you over the years. It’s nice to finally put a face to the name. I can tell by the makeup streaks that I won the bet, but I’ll be nice and let you pay up when the kids go to bed tonight.” He winked in her direction before heading to the kitchen. Ciera gave him the middle finger before tossing a pillow at him.

“Aww, how old is she?” I hadn’t been around a baby since the twins, and I could honestly say my baby fever had increased tremendously since they had grown up. I couldn’t wait until my baby girl got here so I could snuggle and love her all over.

“She just turned seven months last week. She was our surprise baby because I swore I was done having kids after Chance.”

“So, you have four kids?”

“Five, counting my bonus son. He lives with his mom during the school year and then stays with us for breaks and the summertime.”

“You went from saying you were never having kids to having a whole crew.”

“Girl, who are you telling? I never thought I would make a good mother, so it wasn’t in my plans to become one. God had other plans for me, though, and I have no complaints. My children are my everything, and I would honestly do it all over again if I had the chance to be their mother in another life.”

“I feel the same about mine. The timing couldn’t have been any worse, but they ended up being the greatest blessings I’ve ever had.”

“You have twins, right?”

“Yes, Cashmir and Cashynn. We call them Cash and Moolah. My best friend gave them those nicknames, and they grew on me.”

“Aww, that’s so cute. I tried to come up with cute names for my kids, but by the third one, I was starting to run out. I have China, Chance, Junior aka CJ, and my oldest, Charae Alise.” My heart skipped a beat, and my head whipped over to the young girl with her head buried in her phone.

“Wait, you named your daughter after me?” Again, the waterworks started because I was completely surprised.

“Hey, why don’t we go grab some ice cream while your mom talks to her sister?” Christian suggested. The boys jumped up and down with excitement. It reminded me of the days when I could bribe my boys with the promise of snacks. Now, they only accepted their bribes in money and clothing.

“Can I have some extra chocolate syrup and cookie dough on mine?” Charae asked. I still couldn’t get over the fact that she carried my name.

“You already know it. Go put your shoes on.”

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