“ Y ou should be dressed and don’t wake her up,” Imani said stepping into the bedroom, dolled up like only she could get in her silk trousers that she paired a black corset top with and a jean jacket.
Ossa eyed her briefly before looking back at his daughter. As a man somethings were out of the scope of comfortability for him. Him admitting that he was scared out of his mind to sit down and see the woman who he thought was dead since the age of ten was one of them. Scared him so much that he had purposely avoided any event that she would be at concerning his family even bypassing Reuben memorial which gutted him. However, seeing Jazmine was hard and he didn’t wanna do the shit. But his wife was insistent as hell, even worse than his sisters. She said he’d waited long enough and with Ossa causing so much hell in the streets he felt the need to pacify her in any way that he could because like all the other nights even after the dinner it was time for him to hunt.
He was relentless in his pursuit to catch Rocco and his pops slipping and knew that in time it would come.
“I’m chilling and here you go feeling some kind of way. Don’t worry ma, soon as I lay her down I’ma show you some love,” he remarked garnering a blush from Imani.
Imani leaned in the doorframe and watched Ossa cradle their daughter Amia Love Toussaint in his arms. Amia was the perfect combination of him and Imani. But Ossa felt like his blood had won the battle. His baby girl carried the same complexion as him with her slanted dark hazel eyes and chubby cheeks. She also housed a head full of noir like curls that were very thick, and the cutest button nose you could ever see on a baby. She was a good baby only crying when she was hungry, and she was already doing shit that was past her age limit. She raised her head and was very alert telling Ossa that she was going to be just as smart as her mom and older brother. She was the apple of their eye and Ossa continually thought of her beautiful face when he was in the streets because she along with her mom and brother was his reason for living. While his family may have thought he was crazy he wasn’t. He was still very smart and every move he made was thought out because he had everything to lose, and he wasn’t trying to see what a life like that was about.
Nah he was past being alone. He wasn’t trying to let his family go until God came calling for him.
“Daddy love you baby girl, get some rest,” Ossa spoke sincerely before standing and placing his daughter in her white crib.
Ossa made sure she was good in her swaddle wrap before turning and advancing on Imani. She giggled when he scooped her up and carried her out of the room. Her legs went around his waist as he bit her neck.
“Man come on,” Kasher groaned as they passed him in the hallway as he held a late night snack on his plate full of chips, subs and candy.
“Boy you better go put all that shit back in the kitchen, and this is perfectly normal. If you don’t love on your wife even after she has your baby I’ll come over to your house myself and kick your behind,” Imani retorted.
Kasher waved his head going back to the kitchen to appease Imani as Ossa smirked. Time had been well to their family. Even despite the shootings, Rico case and family drama he was happy. The happiest he had ever been, and it was all thanks to the woman in his arms. So yeah when she told him it was time to man up and see his momma, his black ass did just that. Also, he was alpha enough to know when it was okay to let his woman have the say so. He wasn’t intimated by trivial shit like that. They respected one another so if Imani had a feeling about something concerning him that was affecting her, how flawed would he be to ignore it? He was trying to grow and be better not move in reverse.
“Pops! Can Kalvin come over? I haven’t seen him in a long time!” Kasher yelled halting his steps into his bedroom.
Every time Kasher called him pops it made Ossa feel like he was doing something right. In no way was he trying to take Kashers father place however he took his job as a bonus parent very serious. Instilling in Kasher ways to be an even better man than he was.
“Yeah but I gotta holla at your auntie and uncle about it. I’ll let you know tomorrow,” Ossa replied, and Imani gave him a look because they were aware of Maia’s pending custody case that could still very well take Kalvin away from all of them.
“A’ight, cool. Love y’all,” Kasher replied.
“Love you too,” Imani and Ossa replied before Ossa kissed Imani’s lips.
He kissed her twice with enough passion to make her brown skin flush over before he placed her back onto her feet. Ossa fixed her dreads as his hazel eyes bore into her.
“Not sure if I can do this,” Ossa admitted getting a sickly feely to his stomach.
Imani gave him a gentle smile before grabbing his hand.
“You can baby and I’ll be right there with you. Come on and lets go see your momma.”
The Creole eatery was Imani’s doing. Ossa could tell, and while he appreciated the gesture, it did nothing to calm his nerves. With every step they took inside the restaurant, Ossa’s blood pressure rose. As his forehead began to sweat, he caught a whiff of her scent.
How was that even possible?
He had forgotten her voice, so how the hell did he still recognize her fragrance? He closed his eyes, trying to calm his racing heart.
“You are so handsome, son. Oh, how I’ve missed you, and I’m so sorry. I will die trying to make this right because I am so sorry,” Jazmine said, coming up behind him, her voice trembling with emotion.
Then her hand was on his back, and without thinking, Ossa turned and embraced his mom. Keeping his eyes closed, the ten-year-old boy who never got to say goodbye clung to her for dear life. As Jazmine began to cry, she spoke.
“I missed you so much, baby. I am so sorry—for everything,” she whispered, her face pressed into his shirt. “For leaving and not coming back. For letting him keep your mom away from you. For everything.” Her words were so sincere that the same man who had stayed away from her since she’d returned crumbled.
Ossa couldn’t do it any longer. The facade of being angry with her being back fell as each sincerer apology left her mouth. People made mistakes and instead of continuing to push her away he allowed for himself to forgive her.
“Damn you really here,” Ossa remarked pulling back to look down at her. “You still look the same,” he mumbled.
Jazmine smiled as she wiped her tears away. Ossa hugged her again, allowing for himself to stay in the moment before letting her go. He looked at his wife who was crying and he chuckled. Imani was still emotional even after having his baby girl. Ossa low key felt like she was pregnant again, but he didn’t wanna voice it yet and have her spazz out on him. Already she was making plans to travel with his sisters next summer and be outside, but he wasn’t having that bullshit.
“Ma, this my wife Imani. Imani this is my—” Ossa stopped speaking as his chest swelled with emotion. Before he got choked up his mom spoke for him.
“I’m his mother, Jazmine. I saw you at a few of the events, but I didn’t wanna impose. You are so beautiful and thank you for taking care of him,” Jazmine replied before giving Imani a warm embrace.
Ossa watched them embrace before they were all shown to a table in the back of the eatery. As Ossa stared at his mom still in disbelief at how young she looked Jazmine cleared her throat. He could tell from the way her leg was shaking that she was nervous.
“I can’t believe you are so grown now. I missed everything,” Jazmine’s eyes watered over as the realization hit her once again. “You are so handsome baby,” she smiled as another tear fell.
Ossa shifted in his seat trying to not cry. That wasn’t his intentions for the meet up.
“Yeah,” he mumbled not sure what to say and Imani placed her hand onto his thigh lovingly giving him comfort.
“I wasn’t happy with your father, Ossa. I’m not sure when it happened but it was very prominent when I loss the baby. We were young and married and not even two years in when I got pregnant. However, I miscarried at like eight months and I was in so much pain because I still had to deliver my child. Carlos answer to that was to bring home a child that he created with another woman. I was going to leave him but when I saw you and I held you, I knew I could never hate you. We both clicked and in my heart you are my son. However, Carlos and I was both wrong with how we handled your mom. She wanted to see and be in your life, but he wouldn’t let her. He even went as far as to beat up her father and get him deported. I searched for her for years, but I could never find her, I’m sorry baby.”
Ossa nodded not sure if he ever wanted to search for his biological mom.
“It’s cool,” he mumbled.
“But it isn’t. I left because I was shot and thinking that I would be able to get you all back but that was the worst mistake of my life. Carlos made it clear from the people in my family that he killed down to his attempts to take my life that if I ever stepped foot near that house I would be dead. I had Reubens wife and my sister watching after you all but that wasn’t enough. Even when my sister tried to at least get you, Carlos killed her husband. My family outside of her doesn’t even fool with me because of all that he did to hurt them. I should have stayed and left when I could with my kids. I left and I allowed for him to hurt you all like he did me and I will have to answer for that. I messed up baby and I can’t take it back. No matter how much I apologize but please never think that I don’t love you all. Every day I thought about you and your sisters. I even bought cards and left notes in them for you,” Jazmine said and reached for the bag that Ossa hadn’t even noticed she was carrying. It was a Tom Ford duffle and when she unzipped it, it was filled with birthday cards that were in envelopes along with neatly wrapped small gifts.
“I want any time I can have with you all. That’s all I’m asking,” she said sadly.
Ossa sat back as his mind finally allowed for him to process his words.
“So, you went on to live your life with Davido, huh?” He said more of a statement than an actual question. “You was shot by pops?”
Jazmine’s eyes shifted nervously to the left as she nodded, and Ossa picked up on her hesitance.
“Yes, he had a gun stashed in the drawer of the kitchen,” she replied, peering all over the restaurant then at him. “I almost died, and it took nearly six months to recover because I lost my baby,” she revealed and when her brightly colored eyes lifted to Ossa they were filled with tears.
Ossa without thinking stood and went to her side. He allowed for his mom to cry on his shoulder as she spoke of losing her child and almost losing her life.
“Not many know about that baby, not even your sisters but it’s the truth. I tried Ossa but I wasn’t successful. When Reubens wife told me just how bad things were, I couldn’t take it anymore. I started having Davido’s men steal from the trucks and little stuff like that to see how far we could piss him off so that he would lose his cool. See Carlos doesn’t work well under pressure and usually makes horrible decisions when he is pushed to the limit. I also knew that he was still knee deep in business that he shouldn’t have been, and I didn’t want you all to get knocked with him. I knew I had to strike, and I did. I just regret waiting this long. Everything that’s happened is my fault,” Jazmine divulged, sadness and worry filling her voice.
Ossa held onto his mom tightly as she poured her heart out to him.
“And I keep letting you all down when you don’t deserve that. I regret everything I’ve done but I can do one big thing to right my wrongs,” she spoke, and Ossa pulled back to look at her.
“Like what?” He asked and her eyes turned dark as she responded.
“Kill your father.”
Before Ossa could respond his auntie Jazzlyn was coming over to the table and he briefly lost his train of thought. Outside of his mom his aunt Jazzlyn was the second best woman he had in his life when he was younger. Ossa could still remember how hurt he was when his aunt tried to take him after his mom passed and his father made her leave.
“See, right now I’m somewhat speechless because I know my little door opener and football-watching partner isn’t this grown-ass man before me. You better get your behind up and give your auntie a hug,” Jazzlyn said, her smile bright as tears welled in her eyes.
Ossa chuckled as he rose and went to his aunt. He leaned down and hugged her, feeling a happiness return that he hadn’t experienced since his mom left his life.
“Auntie, you still look the same,” Ossa smirked.
He pulled back from the hug, and his aunt swiped at her tears. She looked up at him, shaking her head in disbelief. “Wow, you are grown as hell now. It still feels unreal, and I’m sorry, baby. Auntie tried; I really did, but that dad of yours… he wouldn’t let me get to you,” Jazzlyn expressed.
Ossa nodded, understanding her words. “I remember what he did when you came over. I understand,” he told her as Imani stepped up to his side.
Jazzlyn smiled, glancing between Ossa and Imani. “I saw you at a few events, but I didn’t want to scare you off by rushing up and hugging you. It’s so nice to meet you, baby, and you are so pretty. I knew my nephew had good taste,” Jazzlyn laughed before pulling Imani into a hug.
As Jazzlyn and Imani embraced, Jazmine stood and joined Ossa’s side. He looked down at her and sighed, hating that he had waited so long to see her. Almost immediately, she filled the void in his heart that had been missing since she was gone.
“Ma, you don’t need to worry about pops. I’ll handle him,” Ossa assured her as Jazzlyn and Imani sat at the table, talking.
Jazmine gave him a gentle smile and nodded. “All I need for you all to worry about is your kids and your own happiness. The least I can do is take care of the man who has done everything in his power to ruin our lives,” she replied before joining his aunt and wife at the table, where they talked about his baby girl while looking at photos of her on Imani’s cellphone.
“Thought you said you didn’t wanna wake the baby up?” he asked, smirking as he cupped her neck from behind while slowly drilling into her center.
Imani was so wet that her pleasure was splashing everywhere as she moaned loudly. Briefly, Ossa eyed their daughter, who was peacefully asleep in her bassinet across the room, before turning his attention back to his wife. Against his better judgment, he had met up with his mom, and for the first time in years, he felt a sense of happiness he thought he might never regain. It was all thanks to his wife and her insistence that he go.
His mom and aunt had revealed other shocking truths he was still processing. However, the overall outcome of the meeting had gone well, and Ossa wanted to thank his wife in every way imaginable.
“I did but you feel so good papa. Damn,” Imani whimpered, and seconds later her thighs shook.
Ossa licked his lips as she wet up his dick in the best way imaginable. He gripped her neck harder as he moved faster in her sex wanting to fill her up with his release.
“You feel even better. I love you so fucking much, you know that? Huh, baby?”
Imani nodded weakly as she moaned, and Ossa leaned down to kiss her neck.
“Use your words, Imani. You already know I don’t play that nodding shit. Tell me how this dick making you feel?”
He hiked her leg higher, and Imani’s moans grew louder.
“So good, baby! Shit!” she screamed.
Ossa stuck his fingers in her mouth as his tongue went into her ear.
“I’m so fucking thankful for you, Imani. Thank you for giving me real love,” he spoke sincerely before twisting her face and kissing her passionately as he came deep inside of her.