Family Reunion Ch. 04

"I'll think about it and get back to you on that okay?"

"I will wait. Also, I'll ask around about a black OBGYN."

"Thank you." I was gifted with a dimpled smile.

I finished my shower, about to brush my teeth when she jogged in to kiss me goodbye. I could get used to this every day. I liked seeing her around the house, here waiting for me when I got off.

At work, I kept trying to talk to Alanna but there was always too much going on so we agreed to meet at lunch. I had to take a late lunch because one of our correspondent's mic wasn't working and we had to hurry to get a replacement out to her because for some reason, the backups were missing.

I met Lanna at the local deli ordering her meal. I walked up to her giving her a bear hug, smashing her body to mine.

"You are too happy nowadays." she said after I let go from suffocating her.

"That obvious?" I turned to order.

"I ordered for you already, now let's go sit." I followed her to a table in the corner. She placed our number on the silver stand then gave me her undivided attention, "So what's new boo?"

"Boo is new."

"I just came up with it, all by myself." her smile was self gratifying.

"Anyways bighead, I want to ask Zoe to marry me. What should I do?"

"Woah pump the brakes. You guys have only been dating for what, six months?"

"Seven."

"Not any better. Don't you think you're moving a little fast?"

"No. Once you know, you know." I shrugged.

She took a deep breath, "Ooook. Well Zo is a total hopeless romantic, so something incredibly thoughtful." she was deep in thought when our food came. "Oh I know! She loves scavenger hunts. We can send her on a scavenger hunt."

"I didn't know she liked those." I frowned.

"That's why I said you're moving too fast but if you want, I can still help you."

"I accept your help. So what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking maybe send her to get a mani pedi so her nails will look bomb for the millions of photos I'm bound to take, we need to take her shopping for a cute dress or maybe a sexy dress? Eh, we'll figure it out. Oh oh how about, you know how every June, we have that annual music festival? You can do the finale there!" I think Lanna was more excited than I was.

"Sounds nice but I don't know any of the bands that are playing."

"Please, you work for a news station. Use your connections. Matter of fact, I'll use my connections. I'm so excited!" she yelled.

"I can tell." I smiled behind my drink. "I need you and Steph to come over this weekend so we can talk about it."

"Of course, we'll be there Saturday by noon."

We finished our lunches and walked back to work bouncing ideas off each other about the perfect proposal. I needed to look for a ring that will fit her bubbly personality. Now that we are talking about it, I realize there are a lot of things that I need to do to prepare for this momentous decision.

Would she say yes? And June is five months away which I guess gives me an ample amount of time but she'll be five months pregnant by then. I hope she still feels the same way about me five months from now. I would want to wait until after our little bundle of joy is born to get married.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed, I enter work and put on my business face to finish the rest of my day out. A couple of hours later, I felt my pocket vibrate with a message from Zoe.

~*I met a friend!*~

I typed back:

~*His name better not rhyme with Brevante Toads*~

She has a huge crush on the celebrity Trevante Rhodes, which only makes me slightly uneasy because clearly we look absolutely nothing alike but then again she's in my bed, in my arms every night.

~*LOL nooo. She's this woman working for one of the investing companies. We're gonna have drinks after work. I'll be home by eight. Please wait up!!*~

I smiled down at my phone, happy that she finally made her own friends. She liked Lanna's friends but she wanted to find someone that she got along with. So I responded:

~*Have fun princess and don't do anything I wouldn't do.*~

My phone shook again:

~*You're a trouble maker so there's nothing you wouldn't do. I'm the angel among us. I'll only dance on one table tonight.*~

I chuckled at my screen:

~*Bring home any tips you make.*~

Well I guess I would have to slum it until my woman gets home. Hopefully I can snoop around at Alanna's place to find a ring that she has. She doesn't have much at the house since we'll be getting her things this weekend. Shit. I need to tell Lanna we're moving Zoe out. I turned on my heel rushing to find her.

Checking my watch, I realize I don't have time. I had to be monitoring all the stories that we were putting out for the next hour. Now that we have expanded a bit, we have at least four separate stories that we try to talk about for the day and if they're big then for the next days until a new bigger story comes along. The one we're getting ready for is the one about the decline in the following of our President.

After that hour was up, I had about seven minutes to find and talk to Lanna. I strolled into the SMO (Social Media Office) and spotted Lanna at one of the many tablets. They even have a weird chant that makes no sense at all. 'We want SMO, we want SMO'. I get that it's a play on 'we want some 'mo, but it's still pretty lame.

"You on the bird or the camera?" my version of asking if she's tweeting or on instagram.

"I'm trying to convince Brandon to do a boomerang for IG with his co-anchor but he's being a baby. What's up?"

"Just letting you know I'm coming over after work. I need to put to use my investigative skills and find a ring of your sisters to gauge her size."

"Ok, see you then. Try to convince Brandon for me." she gave me puppy dog eyes.

"I don't think it's safe to be throwing a boomerang around the station." I joked.

She gave me a deadpan look, "You're hilarious."

"I know." I walked out the door to resume the work that I get paid for.

Work was finally over and I was pulling into Lanna's driveway. I was about to ring the doorbell when Stephanie opened the door before my finger reached the glowing button.

"Hey Finn, where's Z?"

"She met a friend." I bent down to hug her.

"I'm so happy for her!" Stephanie hugged me back then stepped to the side to let me in.

"Lanna get out here." I hollered into the space.

"If you summon me, you must present me with a sacrifice." she yelled back.

"I've got a pretty little woman with short hair and hazel eyes that- ow" I rubbed my arm where Stephanie punched me. "Never mind." I called out.

"You can't sacrifice me even if you wanted to. Did Lanna not tell you, I don't have a soul." Stephanie smiled dangerously at me.

"No Steph, I'm the one without the soul. Redhead here." I gestured towards my hair.

"We're soulless mates." she clicked her tongue and had a hand over her heart.

I laughed, nudging her a little. Alanna appeared with a plate that looked like risotto so I glided into the kitchen to grab me a plate.

All of us settled down to eat, I spoke between bites, "Zoe and I will be here this Saturday to move her stuff to my house."

"So Steph and I don't have to be at your house by noon?"

"I'm not sure, I have to talk to Zoe about it but I'll text you tonight when she gets home."

"Cool. Now tell Stephanie what you plan on doing before I ruin it."

"I'm going to propose to Zoe."

Her fork dropped to the table, her hands flying to her mouth. She started smiling, the grin engulfing her face, brightening her eyes. "Oh my gosh really?"

"Yes really."

"I'm over the moon! I finally get to go to a wedding. I wonder what kind of dress she'll wear. Oh what will the colors be." she gasped, "Where will the wedding be?"

"I haven't even asked her yet." I laughed.

"I just love love." she looked out the closed window blissfully.

"Zoe will make a beautiful bride. You better treat my baby sister right or I will cut off your left ball." Lanna pointed a knife at me.

"Where on earth did you get a knife? We're eating risotto not steak." I feigned fear.

"I stay strapped Finn, remember that."

"Yeah yeah, my left ball is scared."

"You know Zoe has been pining over you for years? I feel like I can tell you this now that you want to marry her."

"She told me." I gave a shy smile.

"See that's why I love that girl so much. You never have to wonder where you stand with her. She lets you know upfront how she's feeling and she wears her heart on her sleeve. My baby sister is a gem. Can't cook for shit but she's a gem."

I laughed at the accuracy in that statement. She truly was a gem. And it was ok that she couldn't cook because I'm a decent cook, I can also order a mean meal. "Good thing I don't require a chef in a partner. I love her just the way she is."

"I'm still shocked that you like black women." Lanna mentioned.

"Why would I not like black women?"

"Most men prefer white women or lighter toned women. Like Asian women, Latina, mixed women, et cetera. Zo is an identifiably dark skinned black woman and you're the whitest person I know. I guess it's just cute to see." she said around another forkful.

"I won't lie and say I have dated black women before. I didn't even know you were black when I met you. I thought you were Hispanic or maybe black mixed with something."

"I consider myself black but as you can tell, my mom is definitely not all black. Her mom is white but her father was not in the picture so she grew up in a white household, not really learning her black culture. So my mom, believes herself to be white, therefore believing she is above dark skinned black people, even though she had kids with and married a dark skinned man."

"I see why your mom would identify with being white because she looks very ambiguous. Just one of those white people who happen to have the skin that colors really well but why would she believe herself better than darker skinned black people?" confusion colored my face.

"Slavery." Stephanie quipped.

"How did you make that specific connection?" I asked.

"What she means is, that way back when hell was on Earth, white people would divide black people up by the shades of their skin, creating discord among the slaves by treating the lighter skinned slaves "better". Notice how I used air quotes for that one. And out of that preferential treatment, colorism was born."

"Colorism?" she had to be making this up.

"Yup colorism. It's a nasty prominent issue in the black community." Stephanie spoke up again.

Before I could ask them to elaborate, my phone pinged with a message from Zoe:

~*Omw. Didn't dance on any tables. Just the chairs.*~

I sent back a thumbs up emoji smiling down at my phone.

"Well I can see that we lost you. Ask Zoe about colorism. She'll tell you all you need to know." Lanna gathered all of our plates while Stephanie saw me to the door.

"See you guys later." I strode to my truck, ready to see my woman.

I made it home before she did and decided to do my nightly routine. By the time I hopped out the shower, she was removing her clothes to get in after me. Her body was exquisite to me. Those thick thighs and ample bottom with stretch marks creating lines that I loved to run my tongue on. My little tiger.

Her skin reminded me of an honest to goodness chocolate bar. All that smooth soft skin that trembled when she was satisfied. Those plump lips that looked like a heart when you stared at her profile. Cute dimples that shone every single time she smiled or talked. Midnight eyes that stared at me with desire on a daily basis.

She made my heart pump out of my chest like the cartoons. My thoughts were consumed with her. My baby was growing in that belly of hers and I couldn't wait to see the bump.

"Keep looking at me like that mister and you won't sleep at all tonight." she said saucily.

"Sounds like heaven and not a threat at all." I said as I moisturized.

Her sweet sounding voice began to sing as she washed. I stayed longer to admire her voice, wondering why she didn't pursue a music career. Somewhere in the middle of the song, I gave her her privacy so I could do some fact checking on the next content on our show.

"Can you tell me about colorism?" I asked when she stepped out to put on underwear that had tiny apples everywhere.

"Sure. So once upon of time there were these wicked men and women who owned black people. They called these black people slaves." she began ominously, "Those slaves were forced to work for free but those wicked men and women took their evil to new heights by intentionally separating the slaves by skin color. This separation caused strife amongst the slaves which spilled over to our present.

"Now colorism, is perpetuated by the very same black people who should want to fix the community. Black men in particular are the ones who continue to perpetuate the myth that darker skinned women are lesser than lighter women. Just listen to any popular rap song. They always mention a thick redbone. Which is slang for light skin.

"They are so brainwashed that they honestly think it's ok to bash black women for their skin color. The colorism issue isn't just being called mean words, it is also ingrained in the fabric of America's genes. It's in the school system, the justice system and even in corporations in the form of lesser pay.

"As a dark skinned woman, I cannot speak for all of us but, growing up, I've always been made fun of by black men and women. I have been called things from tar baby, roach or blackie. Men tell me to my face that I'm too dark for them or that they don't want to have dark babies. It was a lot to be told and very overwhelming for me. It also created a person with low self esteem who couldn't even look in the mirror because I never wanted to witness how ugly I thought I was.

"But now that I'm older, I came to terms with all of that and I found my confidence. I think I am a beautiful dark skinned woman who is worthy of love. It took a lot for me to get where I am and I wish it never happened but it has made me who I am." she cuddled beside me in the bed.

"I'm sorry all of that happened to you. To me you are the most beautiful woman I have laid eyes on. I don't want you to ever think that I don't desire you because I always will. Never forget that." I stared at her to solidify my point.

"I'm not worried. The way you look at me makes me feel sexy and wanted. The way you touch me." her hand snaked down my underwear as her lips pressed against mine.

We fell asleep after I worshipped her body through the night, promising myself to never make her feel how those men made her feel. I couldn't comprehend how anyone could find her unattractive. She, to me, is universally good looking. I also see the way men look at her when we are out. I always have to keep an arm around her to send the message that she's mine.

I close my eyes grateful again that this woman has taken over my life.

Thursday and Friday come and go, now we are packing the last of Zoe's bags in the bed of my truck. Zoe was standing in the bed reorganizing whatever Lanna just piled on. Her hands on her hips, she looked like she was playing a life sized game of tetris.

"Al you can't arrange for shit! Look at all this extra space I created." she called as she tried to jump down.

"Uh huh no no." I jogged to her to help her down.

"Finn I'm not an invalid." she eyed me with mild menace.

"Yes but we don't know what that will do to the baby." I whispered in her ear so only she could hear.

I placed her on her feet then bent to kiss those stubborn lips.

"Get a room." Alanna whined.

I flipped her off while Zoe stuck her tongue out. We got in our respective cars with Lanna and Steph following behind us.

"So how do you plan on telling Alanna that we're pregnant?" I asked turning to look at Zoe.

"I'm gonna brew some tea while we're unpacking because I got her a 'you're going to be an auntie' mug. It says it on the inside. I can't believe we're gonna be parents." she shook her head but was smiling.

"I can. You cast a spell on me, I just know it." I grabbed her thigh laughing.

"At least it worked and you didn't turn into a goat like the last one."

"Should I invite Jesse over?" I forgot all about my other best friend.

"Of course, I'll text him now."

"Speaking of best friends. You never told me about your new friend from the other day."

She smiled, "I don't know how I didn't mention it. Her name is Sincere but I call her Sin. And yes that is her birth name. She is the personal assistant to the CFO of some company and her boss makes her do basically everything, that's how we met. She was gathering info about the FUN-draiser. When we met, it was like an instant connection. I have to introduce you two! How about I invite her over next week for dinner?"

"Sounds good to me princess." hand still on her thigh, I gave it a squeeze.

Once we made it inside, Zoe started the pot then we unloaded the truck. It didn't take long seeing that she didn't have much and also Jesse showed up in time to help unpack. Zoe went to let the tea steep while we did a double check in the cars and settled down to talk in the kitchen.

We all took a seat, then Zoe served us tea and sandwiches she ordered.

"I've been getting a lot of orders in for this coming spring, can I use your computer to upload more pictures?" Jesse asked me as we ate.

"You really need to buy a new computer. You have had that computer since college. It's obsolete now." I said matter of factly.

"I will not tolerate disrespect towards Betty."

"You named your computer?" Zoe questioned beside me.

"Yeah and what of it?" Jesse asked in mock indignation.

"Why Betty?" Stephanie piped up.

"Because that computer is older than sliced bread." I laughed.

"Hardy har har. Sliced bread is very good and reliable." he motioned towards his almost finished sandwich.

"Jesse, do I have to force you to buy a new computer?" Zoe asked sternly.

"Fine, I'll get a new-" his sentence was interrupted by a loud gasp coming from Lanna.

We all trained our eyes on her. Her hand was shaking as she tilted the cup towards Zoe. "Is...Is this real?" her eyes were misting.

Zoe smiled nodding her head.

"I'm gonna be an aunt? You're pregnant? I'm going to be an aunt!" Lanna laughed running around the table to pull Zoe into a hug.

Jesse's head swung to me with wide eyes. I shrugged happily. "Congrats man." he dapped me across the table. Stephanie was hugging both Zoe and Alanna.

"Oh I can't wait to go shopping! I'll get you a crib, some clothes and diapers." Lanna was still hugging Zoe.

"No need to bother, Finn went a little crazy earlier." Zoe chuckled.

"What you mean?" Lanna stood upright.

"I can show you better than I can tell you." Zoe got up and motioned for the girls to follow her.

A loud 'What' traveled down the stairs and Jesse and I laughed.

"You are going to be a dad Finn."

"I know."

"You look excited.

"I am." I said slyly.

"You look like there's more."

"There is." I ate the last of my sandwich to make him squirm, "I'm asking her to marry me in June."

"Oh shit. I'm the best man."

"Yeah but keep it quiet. I want it to be a surprise."

"I can do that. I'm locked tight, nothing coming out of me."

"I'm serious J, don't let her charm it out of you." I give him a steely look.

"I can't help it, she's a cutie pie. Have you seen those dimples?" he tried to argue his case.

"Keep it zipped and locked." I made a show of zipping and throwing away the key.

"All right all right." he pouted.

The ladies came back downstairs and we discussed the many intricacies of names for our baby. Jesse tried to go with a crazy mashup of me and Zoe's name. Alanna was too busy trying to figure out what the baby would call her as the godmother. Our fun afternoon together turned into a fun all day filled with a multitude of conversations.