Page 2 of Certified Pressure 3
“What’s that supposed to mean, Pressure?” she asked, her voice low, like she already knew but wanted me to say it anyway.
I stepped closer, my hand pullin’ the test out my pocket, showin’ it to her like proof of why I couldn’t even think straight. “It mean exactly what it sound like. You said a mouthful downstairs, Kash. And I ain’t appreciate none of that shit. Not one fuckin’ word.”
She took a deep breath and shook her head, her hands goin’ to her hips like she was tryna hold herself together. “Pressure, I was hurt. You think I wanted to say that shit? You think I ain’t been runnin’ it back in my head since the second it came out my mouth? You asked me to be your wife, and then two seconds later the person you just eliminated tellin’ you she pregnant? What the fuck you expect me to say? Congratulations?”
Her voice cracked again, and I could see the tears fillin’ up her eyes even though she fought hard not to let them fall. And as much as I wanted to stay mad, I couldn’t even lie…she had a point. If the roles was reversed, if I was standin’ in her shoes, I probably would’ve said some wild shit too.
I ran my hand down my face and shook my head. “Look, I get it. I ain’t gon’ sit here and act like you ain’t got the right to be mad. This whole situation fucked up, and it’s gon’ test you in ways you probably ain’t never imagined. But one thing I’m not gon’ let slide is you disrespectin’ my kid. I don’t give a fuck how angry you get, Kash. Don’t ever fix your mouth to tell me to get rid of my baby again. You do that shit one more time, and this engagement is off. I mean that shit.”
Her face dropped like I had just slapped her. She stumbled back a step, clutchin’ her chest like my words hit her harder than she thought they would. Her lips parted, but nothin’ came outat first. Then finally, she whispered, “So that’s how it is? You’re going put a baby that’s not even born yet before me?”
I ain’t even hesitate. “If that’s how you wanna look at it, then yeah. My child come first, always. That’s just common sense, Kash.”
Her tears finally spilled over, rollin’ down her cheeks as she stared at me like I just ripped her heart out, and maybe I did, but I wasn’t gon’ backtrack. I meant every word.
She dropped her gaze to the floor, her body shakin’ like she was fightin’ to keep it together. “I love you, Pressure,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. “I love you so much I can’t even breathe without you, and that’s why I ain’t leavin’. I’ll deal with it. I’ll deal with her. I’ll deal with and accept the baby. But don’t… don’t shut me out. Don’t make me feel like I’m already losin’ a game I don’t even wanna play.”
Her words hit me hard, and for a moment I ain’t even know what to say. Here I was, standin’ with a fiancé who was damn near beggin’ me not to throw her away, and a baby on the way with a woman I couldn’t stop lovin’ even if I tried. My whole body burned from the weight of it.
I turned away, grabbin’ my keys off the dresser, needin’ space before I said somethin’ that made shit worse. “I need some air,” I muttered.
Kash sniffled, wipin’ at her face, but she ain’t stop me. She just watched as I headed for the door.
Minutes later, I was in the garage, slidin’ into my Ferrari F8 Spider, that red leather huggin’ me like a glove. I pressed the button, the engine came to life, and I peeled out, hittin’ the freeway with no destination in mind. The city lights blurred past me, but my focus was stuck on the pregnancy test sittin’ in my lap.
Every few minutes, I glanced down at it, my mind spinnin’ faster than the wheels beneath me. I wanted this. I wanted ababy. I wanted a son to carry my name, to teach him the game, to show him everything I learned and everything I built. Hell, I was already thinkin’ of names, rollin’ them around in my head like the shit was real already.
But then reality slapped me in the face. I had just proposed to Kashmere. My parents was already on my ass about settlin’ down, and now I had to explain a baby mama and a wife? I could already hear my mama’s voice, calm but sharp, askin’ me how the hell I planned to clean up the mess I created. My pops would probably shake his head in disappointment before pourin’ a drink and tellin’ me to figure it out.
I gripped the wheel tighter, my chest tightenin’ at the thought of Pluto not makin’ it full term. That fear was already creepin’ in, reminding me of Ka’mari, and of the night I lost everything. I shook my head hard, forcin’ the thought out. I wasn’t about to let that shit happen again. This baby was gon’ make it, and I was gon’ do whatever the fuck I had to do to make sure of it.
As the freeway opened up in front of me, my mind drifted further, draggin’ me back into memories I tried to bury… memories of the last time I thought I was about to be a father.
And just like that, the past came rushin’ in.
Nzora City–Flashback
A Father’s Pain…
Ka’mari had just turned seven months pregnant and I was excited as fuck ‘cause that meant we had just a couple more months before we got to meet my baby boy… Kamir.
I went all out for her, not just ‘cause she was carryin’ my son, but because she was my girl and I wanted her to feel like the queen she was. We wasn’t doin’ no regular ass baby shower with balloons and diaper cakes. Nah, this was legacy. This was the same way my father had it when he was waitin’ on me to be born, and now I was carryin’ that tradition for my own son.
The Galleria in Nzora City was glowin’ that night. I rented the whole place out, and when you walked in, you could feel money drippin’ from the ceilings. Gold chandeliers hung low enough to catch the diamonds on everybody’s neck, and the marble floors reflected the shine from the lights. Every table was laid out with glassware, crystal centerpieces, and roses that looked like they’d been dipped in silver. The smell of food hit you before you even got to your seat. It had chefs movin’ through the kitchen with the type of dishes you only saw on magazine covers, and the bar in the back was stacked with wine and liquor bottles you couldn’t even find in the States.
I looked around and already knew it was a billion dollars in the room easy, and that was the whole point. All this power, all this money, and tonight it was all centered on my son. The Mensah’s was in the buildin’ heavy, and so was the Draquó’s, which was my mama’s side of the family.
My father sat at the head table lookin’ like the king he was, and on each side of him was his brothers, Kwame and Asa. That was the three pillars of the Mensa dynasty right there. My uncle Kwame was Kay’Lo’s father, and Asa was Renza’s. Together, the three of them didn’t just walk in a room and take over that bitch, but they made grown niggas sit up straighter and watch how they moved. They carried generations of power on their backs like it was nothin’. They wasn’t just niggas in suits; they was real men who had built empires brick by brick, the type of men who made other families fold under pressure. Each one was married to powerful women of their own, and together they carried the Mensah name. Lookin’ at them up there reminded me that this wasn’t just family, this was a bloodline built on power, respect, and legacy, and now I was the one carryin’ it forward with my son.
On my mama’s side, her sisters Novah and Lyricah Draquó was done up to perfection, sittin’ there with all their diamondscatchin’ the light. They always carried themselves like they had crowns on their heads, and their daughters, my girl cousins, was right there too, laughin’ and blendin’ in with everybody else. It felt like both sides of my world was standin’ together in one room, and for me, that was somethin’ I would never forget.
Ka’mari was glowin’. Her stomach was round, and she had on this soft cream dress that made her look angelic, but with the type of curves that had me whisperin’ shit in her ear all night. I stayed close to her, rubbin’ her back, makin’ sure her plate was full and her glass stayed poured. She didn’t lift a finger for shit. If she wanted it, I got it for her. That was my job, and I loved it. Every few minutes I was leanin’ down to kiss her, lettin’ her know she was mine and I couldn’t wait to make her my wife. She smiled at me in that way that made me feel like nobody else was in the room, even though the whole family was watchin’ us. Her mama and daddy sat nearby, not my biggest fans but still present, showin’ their support for their daughter and the grandchild she was carryin’. A few of her cousins lingered close too, all of them takin’ in the moment.
The music played smooth in the background, somethin’ classy mixed with a lil’ soul so it still felt like us. People was eatin’, drinkin’, and laughin’, but when the time came to bring out the offerings, the whole room shifted. This wasn’t about gifts for a baby to grow out of. It was about settin’ Kamir’s legacy before he even took his first breath.
Uncles was presenting deeds to land, stocks, and family jewels that had been passed down for generations. My aunts spoke blessings over him, promisin’ to keep him covered and remindin’ me of the same way they had poured into me when I was born. Ka’mari sat there with tears in her eyes, overwhelmed by the love, and I wrapped my arm around her tighter, whisperin’ in her ear that this was just the beginnin’.
Then Mamáh stood up, and the whole room gave her the type of attention only she could demand. Solenne Mensah aka, the Great Matriarch. She wasn’t just my grandma, she was the head of this entire dynasty. She was the woman who held it all together. At seventy-two years old, she was dressed down like a queen in emerald and gold, with her bold red lipstick shinin’ against her smooth brown skin, and heels clickin’ on marble like she owned a runway. She ain’t look like no frail old lady either; she looked like power, elegance, and legacy rolled into one. Everyone in here knew it too. She was Mamáh, and in our family her word carried the same weight as law.
