Page 48 of Our Promise
He was her twin. Not only did he steal her whole face, but he had brown skin and thick, black hair like her. The only thing he would probably get from his daddy was height, but she wasn’t that short either, so B had a good chance of being very tall.
It was still hard to believe she had a son. She just kept thinking Barryn was a girl. She had even convinced Benny to the point they picked out a girl's name. Brielle Dakota Collins.
Maybe next time…
“Oh, Elle, let me take him and you can finish getting ready.” Mrs. J entered the room. It was like she had a monitor that went off when her grandchildren were around and awake.
“You’re the best, Ma.”
Mrs. J insisted she call her Mama, but when Lorielle’s mom was in the same room, it could get confusing, so she called her mother Mama and Mrs. J, Ma.
“He just got up so he might need to warm up a bit,” Lorielle said as she kissed her sweet boy on the head, then passed him to her mother-in-law.
They had all traveled down together for Benny’s big day.
Family trips looked a bit different nowadays. Mr. B traded out the Sprinter for an RV since he has grandkids now. Jo and Trey had their almost three-year-old daughter Jolie Tiffany Walker. Gavin was still happily single, playing the field.
Mr. B and Mrs. J were in heaven with two grandchildren, and they wanted more.
“Thank you, Ma.”
“We’ll probably have him tonight. You know your husband.” Mrs. J wiggled her brow before leaving the room with Barryn on her hip.
Benny loved him some Lorielle, and after three years, they’d worked hard and built an unbreakable bond. After the incidentwith Tara and the fire, Benny vowed to never let something like that come between them, and Lorielle promised to stay and fight even when times got tough. They both continued to hold up to their end of the bargain each day.
Speaking of Tara, she had been released a few months ago. Lorielle was waiting to catch her, but her scary ass moved. Lorielle chuckled at the thought. She didn’t want a beat down. Because though she was a mother and wife, she would still get down, but everything happened for a reason. She just looked at it as something that brought her and Benny closer together.
Lorielle slipped into the outfit she would wear that day, then moved into the bathroom to fix her hair. She counted down the minutes until she would be reunited with her husband.
Benny knewthe exact moment Lorielle walked into the building. He was being interviewed, but his eyes followed her until she found a spot a few feet away from him. He was enthralled by the sight of his wife in front of him. It gave him a flashback to when Lorielle stood in front of him reciting her vows.
He stayed on her for a few more minutes before he acknowledged the rest of his family surrounding her.
His mother and father were to Lorielle’s left. His father held Jolie’s hand, and his mother held Barryn in her arms. B almost jumped out of her arms to get to Benny, but Bernard Sr. took him, and his mother reached in a bag for a snack. His little man took it but kept an eye on him.
Gavin, Jo, and Trey were on Lorielle’s right.
His heart was all in one building, and he was thankful for times like this.
“Mr. Collins, it’s true that you already had two established locations in Raleigh and Charlotte that your father started, then you began to distribute coffee products to businesses all over North Carolina. Then a few years ago you had to rebuild the original Cup of Jo in Charlotte after your ex-girlfriend burned it down.
“But you didn’t let that deter you. You not only rebuilt at the Charlotte location, but built two more locations, one in Winston-Salem and the other, which we are here to celebrate today in Wilmington. How does it feel to continue to see success after all the hard work and everything you’ve been through?”
The grand opening of Cup of Jo’s fourth location was a success. His family brand had supporters all over and it showed with the overflow of people crowding the shop.
“It’s just a testament of how situations happen and how people will try to bring you down, but you have to be stronger than it all. You have to say you’re more than what happened to you. I couldn’t have done this without my family. Cup of Jo Incorporated is a family business that I grew into a million dollar corporation, but I couldn’t do it without them.
“Cup of Jo could have gone down the toilet years ago, but my family pushed me to do what needed to be done. Now I’m up two more locations. I have a beautiful family, loyal friends, and outstanding employees. As long as I keep God first, do right by everyone, and keep my promises, I’ll continue to be successful.”
He passed the mic he pulled from his shirt back to the interviewer. “Excuse me.” He took strides toward his family, only his wife wasn’t there anymore.
“Congratulations!” They all sang.
Benny took his son from his father and kissed his head. “Hey, y’all. Thanks for being here.”
“You know we wouldn’t miss it for the world. We’re so proud of you.” His mother wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Thank you.” He went around hugging and dapping up every one of them before he asked a pressing question.
