#*distant off-screen voice* 'you got that from j cole'

[fishoutofcamelot]

Leon: sorry, my lady, but you'll have to stay here until we can figure out who the murderer is

Morgana: what?! Why do I have to stay put, I'm not a suspect!

Merlin: with that creepy conniving grin on your face, you're suspect for anything. Like, I just bit my tongue five minutes ago and I think you did it

[eyez-ff-blog]

○○ eyez | twenty-eight

February 14, 2017

“Jermaine Cole,” A rhythmic beat was being made against his wall. “Aye, Jermaine Cole. Wake yo ass up—Jermaine Cole,” He huffed slightly before he pulled the pillow from under his head, tossing it at the sound of the voice. “That’s why you missed!”

“A short list of things I don’t miss—you waking my ass up,” He mumbled from under the covers. “Get out, Ibrahim. Let me get ready,” He chuckled lowly.

“Alright, hurry up. We gotta go to the store,” Ib closed the door to his bedroom, and J slowly slid out of bed before he scratched against the side of his face. He got out of bed before grabbing his pillow, putting it back on the bed before he made his way over to the bathroom.

After relieving himself and taking a shower, he got dried off before putting on some deodorant and lotion. He put on his boxers and a tank before putting on a t-shirt and a pair of sweats, sliding on a pair of socks and his sneakers before grabbing a jacket and sliding it on. He grabbed his keys and things before he came out of the room.

“Ah, the sleepy head is up!” Nicole announced as he entered the kitchen where she and Beija’s friend Lauren were cooking and preparing the meal. “Ib went to use the restroom but he should be out,” She said.

“Right. Thanks—how y’all doing by the way?” He gave Nicole a quick hug and then went to Lauren next before glancing over at Beija who was sitting at the kitchen island. “And how’s my big mama?” He smiled before he walked over to her and kissed her forehead.

“We’re good, just trying to get everything together,” Beija handed J a list of things, and he read over them. “Make sure they got the cake right before bringing it home, okay? And don’t be too long—we only have four hours left to get it all done,” She nodded.

Jermaine looked over the list quickly before he nodded, stuffing the list into his jacket pocket. “It’s all good! I got you,” He looked back as he heard Ib enter the kitchen, and he saluted. “I’ll see y’all later,” He said before the two men headed out of the house. They decided to take Ibrahim’s rented car to run the errands. “Okay so—who all coming?” He asked.

“I know Cody and Bas are here, they came on the flight with me,” Ib said as he drove, keeping his eyes on the road. “Dame just touched down and got off the plane, and Court said she just hit the state line on the bus,” He explained. “Zeus and Whitney are here too, I think they came in last night,” He added.

“Damn, whole family’s here,” J ran his hand over the top of his head. “That’s wassup. But thanks for coming in early with Nic and helping out, man. I know Beija been stressing to make sure this party was nice,” He explained.

“You always thank me and I always tell you the same thing—we got you,” Ib grinned. “And you know I’m not missing out on my niece or nephew’s shower. Must be crazy,” He chuckled. “But yo, I meant to ask you...have you spoke to Mel lately? I saw her about a week ago.”

“Last time we talked was when the album dropped. I’m through with that,” J furrowed his eyebrows as he thought about the last time he spoke to Melissa, frowning softly as he shook his head slowly. “She was on some other shit, so I’m cool off of her,” He relaxed in his seat.

“Really? What happened?” Ib asked.

“She calls me at like four in the morning—drunk as fuck,” J began, and a soft groan escaped from Ib’s lips. “She’s hollerin’ at me and shit, calling B all types of bitches and shit. I wasn’t with it,” He explained. “I mean I get it; she’s mad about this shit with me and B but like...fuck she gon’ do about it now? I apologized, I recognized my wrongs. I’m not about to be in this endless cycle of trying to feel guilty and kiss her ass. I got bigger shit to worry about,” He rubbed the side of his head before Ib pulled up to the traffic light, stopping for the moment.

“I feel you. It was weird. Like we talked but she seemed distant and shit. She didn’t even ask about you, it was weird,” Ib shook his head slowly. “It’s too bad, but we gotta move forward,” He decided.

“Exactly. I’m not worried about it. If it ain’t affecting my family I really could give a fuck right about now,” J cleared his throat when he finished.

“Man, I still can’t believe you’re about to be a father. Like, it blows my mind. The Jermaine I knew back in the day would be still trying to run from the shit,” Ib chuckled. “But I guess B got you locked the fuck down.”

“Shit changes, man. Sometimes you gotta realize what you got and play the game accordingly. I was gonna settle down eventually. I just had to accept my role,” J chuckled.

“My son is growing up! I’m too impressed,” Ib fake cried, and J sucked his teeth before the two of them began to laugh.

The boys first went to get the catered food that would go alongside what Nicole and Lauren were cooking—then they went to pick up the cake. They went to the party store to get more supplies and utensils, and lastly they went to get the balloon that held the answer to the biggest question of the day: the baby’s gender.

Kay had been such a big help with the gender reveal as well; she had taken Beija to her second trimester update, and once the gender was revealed to her, Kay worked in secret to decorate the nursery. Beija was pretty much out of the loop when it came to the planning of the party and how things would go. Her ideas were given to Lauren, Nicole, and Kay, and the three of them worked hard to get the party together and composed the invite list of Jermaine and Beija’s closest.

Once the boys got back to the house, Jermaine headed to the bedroom to get himself officially ready for the party. He saw Beija in the bedroom as she shuffled through some of her outfit options, and he closed the door behind him. “Baby, do you really think I should do the lavender dress? I’m gonna look like a tube of paint or something,” She complained.

J laughed a bit before he shook his head. “You’re not. It looked nice when you showed it to me at the store. Here,” He walked over and attempted to help her into the dress.

The dress was a scrunchy style, and with the help of her strapless bra, her breasts were somewhat under control. The dress fitted loosely and showed off her large bump. “It’s not that bad, huh?” She asked, and he shook his head.

“You’re cute, baby. Glowing ass,” He laughed as he kissed the side of her face. “You gonna put on your make-up or whatever?” He asked.

“Hm...I am, actually. I wanna be cute today,” She smiled as she walked over to her vanity and took a seat. She put on a smock to cover up her dress, and started on priming her face. “Let me see what you’re gonna put on,” She requested.

Jermaine went into the closet before he took out a pair of jeans and grabbed the lavender colored polo that Beija had bought for the occasion. He changed out of his clothes and into those before sliding on a pair of white sneakers to compliment the outfit. He dusted himself a bit before he turned to face Beija, who was looking at him through the mirror as she added foundation to her face. “Yes! You look so nice,” She complimented.

He nodded as he sprayed a bit of cologne on him, and took one last look at himself. He hadn’t worn such a combination of clothes since he was younger, and he had to chuckle a bit. “I’m getting the fuck fat. Beer belly out of control,” He patted his stomach.

“You’re still kinda small,” She laughed a bit as he looked back, watching her carefully start to work on her eye make-up. “Go on outside and go make sure everything is right, please?” She asked.

“Got you. Take your time, we still have a bit of time left,” He reminded her before he headed out of the door.

Before long, the shower began and the house was filled with individuals, from Jermaine and Beija’s family and friends to their label family and some of their neighbors. The event seemed to roll smoothly and the house looked beautifully decorated, from the lilac and lavender decorations, to the slideshow of Jermaine and Beija as children playing on their TV screen and other small details that made the party especially personal and sentimental even amongst all the usual games and jest.

The food was absolutely delicious as well—alongside the catered chicken wings, Nicole had made her ‘famous’ spaghetti with Caesar salad, and Lauren had made some finger foods that people could munch on. For sweets, they had a bakery make a full sized vanilla cake, with assorted vanilla and chocolate cupcakes.

It was getting close to the end of the party, and there were still the gifts and the gender reveal, so while Beija opened up the multitude of unisex clothes, diapers, wipes, and other items, J took care of the registry and the list of who gave what while the photographer they hired took photos. The last person to go as far as a gift was Kay, but that meant it was time for the gender reveal.

“Okay baby, we got one more gift but before that—everyone let’s head outside,” J helped Beija off of the couch and led her outside with everyone else.

The crowd of people hung about at the end of the driveway while Jermaine and Beija stood near the garage, and soon enough Ib and Nicole brought out the large balloon that would reveal the gender. “Okay this is how it’s gonna go; there’s either blue or pink confetti inside of this balloon. We all know what that should mean, yeah? Cool,” Ib laughed softly as he walked over and climbed up on the small ladder that stood near the couple of honor.

Jermaine stood in front of Beija and took her hands, looking down at her with a small chuckle. “You ready, B?” He asked.

“Mhm, let’s do it,” Beija chuckled.

“On the count of three, we’re gonna pop the balloon,” Nicole called out.

“1! 2! 3!”

Suddenly, the popping of the balloon sounded in Jermaine’s ears, and he watched as pink confetti fell over he and Beija, his eyes widening as the partygoers cheered in excitement. His heart seemed to skip a beat as he squeezed B’s hands, the realization coming over him almost immediately; he was going to have a daughter. He wouldn’t have cared no matter what—he was just excited and within the moment he felt this surge of undeniable happiness.

“Congratulations!” Kay finally stepped forward, smiling wide as she hugged Jermaine first, then Beija. “Now that you know the gender, I can show you my gift. Come on,” She took Beija’s hand and she led her back inside with Jermaine close behind.

The three headed down the hallway before they got to the door to the nursery. Beija quickly went to open the door, and Jermaine entered behind her to take a look around. “Wow...” He mumbled as he looked around at the soft touches to the room, and how feminine and elegant the room felt. Even the crib and changing table seemed to give off this sense of style, and Jermaine smiled softly. “Mama, this is beautiful,” He complimented.

“Thank you. I know how stylish Beija is and I wanted a room to reflect that—I wanted my granddaughter to feel just as stylish,” Kay commented, and Beija turned to hug her tightly.

“I love it, mommy. Thank you so much,” J smiled a bit as he watched them embrace, and he bit into his lip as they left the room and allowed some of the partygoers to also get a look at the finished nursery.

Soon enough, everyone was back in the living room where they were congregating and talking amongst themselves. Soon enough Beija cleared her throat before raising her hand. “Hey, guys, I just wanted to say something,” She said, and the room quieted down before all eyes were on her. Jermaine glanced over at her as she took his hand, smiling a bit as she began to speak. “I just wanted to thank you all for coming. You all came from a long way to be here with us today and it personally means so much, considering everything. This has been...the happiest time of my life, and I’m happy that I could share this day with you all,” She smiled as everyone applauded and shared their well wishes.

“Hey uh,” Jermaine spoke up before he rubbed at Beija’s knuckles briefly. “I would like to say something too. If y’all don’t mind of course,” He said, and everyone grew silent again. “Today’s been a real proud day for me. Got to share a dope memory with my family and friends...and this incredible woman,” He glanced over at Beija before chuckling to himself. “Today’s not just a big day for our family, but today was the day I finally made Beija my girl. One year ago I had gathered the courage and she was brave enough to deal with me.” Some of the partygoers began to chuckle. “Despite all that, she’s been my friend for two interesting years. We’ve had highs and lows and here we are, stronger than ever before. I’m so lucky...I’m so blessed to be in love with my best friend,” He nodded, and he smiled a bit as he kept his eyes on Beija.

“Baby...you’re beyond words. I can’t begin to tell you how much you’ve changed me and made me want to be a better man. From the night I met you, I knew you were unlike anything I had ever experienced and you’ve done nothing but prove to me that God is real. I always questioned it...I don’t question it anymore,” Jermaine cleared his throat as he licked over his lips, feeling an odd wave of emotions overtake him. “When I look at you, I see God’s beauty. When I hear you speak, I hear God’s wisdom. When we touch I feel God’s grace. And our daughter...” He looked down and bit his lip. He had to get through what he had to say. He heard some encouragement from some of the males in the room, and he looked back up at Beija, who was on the verge of tears. “Our daughter is our greatest blessing. She’ll be our lifelong reminder of the love we found. God is real...He lives inside of you, Beija,” He slowly pulled himself off the couch, and he kneeled down in front of her, causing the crowd to surge with excitement and anticipation.

Beija quietly sobbed as she covered her mouth. “Jermaine,” He heard her mumbled.

“Baby...I can’t go another day without making this what it’s supposed to be. I know for a fact that you’re my forever. I had been contemplating if I deserved a second chance at this, and I know now that you did not come to me by accident. So I’m here today to give you my greatest and most humble gift—myself. My life, my love...it belongs to you and our daughter,” His voice quivered as he pulled the black velvet box out of his pocket and opened it. The ring was on a four prong setting, with a .9 carat center diamond, and two diamonds on the side. The ring sparkled brightly in the light, and the look on Beija’s face was exactly as he expected. “So what do you say, huh? Will you—...”

“Yes! Yes, Jermaine!” Beija didn’t even let him finish, and she wrapped her arms around him before hugging him tightly. He let out the deepest breath as he heard everyone cheering and applauding for them. He pulled back and slid the ring onto her finger. Despite the fact that her fingers were a bit thicker from pregnancy, he knew he had picked the right size. He looked up at her and wiped her tears before kissing her slowly. “I—I love you,” She smiled as she hugged him again.

“I love you more,” He hugged her back as he rubbed her back. He felt this surge of warmth again, and he knew he was making the right choice. There was no way that this could be wrong. Before long, he would not only be a father, but finally giving himself and Beija the chance to have a true union.