Thanksgiving Dinner turns out to be a success and somewhat of a reunion as a couple of our father's old friends show up. I scan the room and appreciate what I see, both of my parents, my sister, my men, and my heart, Estebana.

" Ban, what's wrong" Estefania stands by me and moves her eyes around the room. "Nothing, just looking at how happy everything is, how today is so different from this day last year. She rubs my back understanding the moments I have when I am overwhelmed with gratitude.

Patting my back, she walks away, I see Remi sitting in between Merci and Lani, I swear those three are magnets if they are in the same room. I search for Estebana, she is sitting between Carlos and Rico Jr. who hasn't taken his eyes off my baby since he saw her. I observe them, she is paying him zero attention while he goes from looking at her to his hands, and his little cheeks get red. I chuckle

Rico walks my way "You are going to have big problems my man" he laughs and turns his beer up. " That might be and I don't mind spanking little six year old's either" We both chuckle and watch Rico Jr admire my oblivious daughter. Everyone close to us is spread around the room. "Excuse me for a minute" I walk over to Remi.

"I am going to borrow my wife for a moment, don't worry she will be right over there" I pointed to the space in front of the room. "Tsk whatever," Merci says while Lani rolls her eyes. I chuckle. They love me too and I know it.

"Are you ready to let our family know the date?" I ask her "Sure let's do it now before people start going into a food coma."

Holding Hands we walk to the front of the room. I signal to the DJ to cut the music that has been playing. It's been background music but the room quiets down and gives us their attention.

"Hope everyone enjoyed dinner," I said and the room filled with agreement. "So we have set the date for our wedding," Remi says and the room goes still

"The wedding will be in January" everyone starts clapping, "Okay one more thing" I get everyone's attention and drop to one knee.

Pulling the red box out of my pocket I open it and present it to Remi

"The look of shock on her face has me praying she doesn't pass out"

"Dominica, my love, I didn't get a chance to propose to you properly. So today with all the people who matter to us present, I want to confess my love to you and ask you to choose me again.

 Will you fulfill our destiny and marry me? I wait for an answer, her head is nodding, and gives me her hand, I slip the custom-made six-carat diamond solitaire on her finger and kiss her hand.

Standing up Remi finally says "Yes" I pull her into my arms for a hug and she cries. By the force of her sobs, I knew this was not a regular release of emotion so I excuse us and escort her to our library. Walking in I close the door behind us.

We stand in the middle of the room, in my arms she holds me as if she would fall if she let go. I hear all of the emotions she has experienced since I left her to wake up alone after she shared herself with me.

I feel the bricks of the wall she built to protect herself fall one by one as she sobs. I don't rush her, I hold her and give her time. Her emotions pull tears from my eyes as I realize how much she loves me, and how much she has done to make us possible.

I kiss words of comfort into her soft curls, slowly the crying stops, I hand her a tissue to clean her face. There is a knock on the door and then it opens, our parents file through the door and walk to us.

The looks on their faces cause waves of remorse, regret, sadness, and gratefulness to wash over me. I have hurt everyone in this room. Mr. Baptiste takes Remi into his arms and my eyes connect with my parents. Without Remi, I am empty and exposed.

But the first woman to love me steps forward and pulls me into her petite frame, my mother. As small as she is, her hugs are the biggest and tightest.

"Gabriel, we are so proud of you," she says and I believe her.

She steps away and I feel her touch my face," Lift your head up, son. I know what you are thinking, and every one of the men in this room has made mistakes and are now better men for it" I hear Mrs. Baptiste agrees.

I raise my head and stare into the eyes of my father who is standing behind my mother. I have one more apology I have to give and that is to my father. It takes a second to clear my emotions

 "Navarro, I apologize to you, for not doing what was asked of me, I am here now a better person and a changed man, who recognizes I need my father, so forgive me" I make it to the end of my apology and even with the tears ready to spill out of my eyes

"I am Dad to you. I forgave you years ago, your ego kept you from me and your guilt let the space and time between us grow, and yet I had already forgiven you. You are my son!" My father's love comes through and it is powerful, the tears spill but I keep my head held high, as a man I can stand in my emotions without shame.

And the thing I have needed for so many years, the thing that I ran from since the summer that changed me into an angry, unemotional young man, I stepped into my father's embrace and silently cried the tears I couldn't all those years ago.

I went through my late teens and twenties with an empty feeling, I knew I had lost something and something was missing. All the money, the women, and the Culture couldn't fill the void.

Encircled by my father's love and protection I realize what it was, the revelations hit me and my knees feel weak. The Summer of Bullets I thought stole my life, I didn't have anything to live for, and I had lost my best friend. Raphael, Remi's brother. For a short while, I lost my Father too as the memories of him and Mr. Baptiste going to war flooded my mind.

Like children Remi and I stand in place and allow our parents to comfort us and give us words of wisdom and encouragement. While they talk I walk over to Remi, I stand behind her, and wrap my women in my arms, resting my chin on the top of her head.

"I need you" I whisper in her ear, her body reaction is immediate 

She turns to look at me and then takes my hand, "Please excuse us" and with that, she leads me out of the room. I hear my mother. "Oh I know that look" and Mrs. Baptiste giggles in response. My wife leads me upstairs to Ria's part of the house.

"Baby I know we are not going to Estebana's room," I said, "No silly, we are going to the guest room". We make it to the end of the hall and Remi hits the blank wall and the door opens."What is -" I begin to ask "I'll explain it later"

She leads me to a fully made bed and pushes me back. Standing between my legs she unbuttons and unzips my pants, she removes my growing erections from the confines of my boxers. I watch her head lower and my dick disappears in her mouth, eyes on me just the way I like it. Sooner than I like I pull her on top of me and sit her on my manhood. 

The feeling of her sliding down was what I needed. As I think the words my wife starts fucking me hard, she was in just as much need as I. I grabbed her hips to feel her, and all too soon she made us fall over the edge.

Breathing heavily she lifts her head "Better now" she asks, "No, one more time" and then it's my turn to turn her over, my fingers find the way into her as I enter her this is hot and quick, I make sure we both cum "Now I'm better."

The room fills with laughter. "Let's get cleaned up," she says walking toward the ensuite bathroom.

Thirty minutes later we rejoin our family, things have quieted down as they watch This Christmas. Remi and I grab drinks and find somewhere to sit down to enjoy the movie with our family. I watch as our mothers track our movement sharing knowing glances with each other.

This is happiness, this is a blessing.

****

"The club is slow tonight," I tell Carlos. Looking around he agrees. "It is but hey  you refused a Bachelor party, we at least had to bring you out for a drink."

"Thank you" Raising my glass to him

"You ready for tomorrow," Rico asks, "Shit I been ready" The smile on my face confirms that.

Our conversation is cut short as we hear music and the lights dim. The dark stage lights up with strobe lights and four dancers walk on the stage shaking their ass to the beat of the music.

The strobe lights cross each other creating shadows so you have to focus on what you see but it's clear these women have captivated the audience. I didn't realize so many people were actually here tonight, but these dancers have brought men and women front and center.

"Attention Associates, The staff of the Office would like to Congratulate Commander Navarro on his upcoming nuptials. To celebrate this momentous occasion we pulled our strings and arranged for one of our own to come out of retirement and bless us.

"Let's give a warm Office welcome to the squad known to leave mouths and pockets dry The Bomb Squad" The room explodes with applause, The intro to UGK Players Anthem plays as the four strobe lights are replaced by one red spotlight.

Slowly they move to the right and the left while a fifth dancer does a sensual slide down the pole. I get uncomfortable because the one thing Remi said is no strip clubs the night before our wedding. I know why even the most faithful bachelor has been known to get caught up the night before with the entertainment.

I tear my eyes away from the seductress continues her descent to the stage. Looking at Lo he shrugs his shoulders" I didn't know there would be a show tonight". I know I'm innocent, what can I do? I signal to our host to bring another round of drinks.

I hear a whistle and females behind us commentary "Oh Shit it's Cherry" The closer she gets to the floor the excitement in the room picks up

When the beat drops the bombshell swings herself around and lands on the floor with her back to the audience. The dancers move in sync winding their bodies to the beat of the music.

The song slowly transitions and the dancers raise their hands and begin snapping their fingers to a beat of the new song. I have never heard of it. It is definitely a winner with the females in the club who sing about a white boy and lobster. What the fuck?

The dancer pauses as the music fades to a song I recognize, maintaining my cool. I casually tap my fingers on the arm of my chair. "Quit playin', you know this used to be your shit" Lo is up dancing his two step as the Nasty Song plays.

The dancers have all spread out and the shit they do is sexy as hell.

"Say, Imma have to leave early," I tell Lo, I put my finger between my shirt collar and my neck, the air is blowing cool but my neck feels hot. As if I need one more thing to stimulate me, the music slows down and the intro to Big Ole freak echoes through the club.

The strobe lights play over the dancer's bodies, adding to the sexual tension their movements instigate. Forming a circle that opens to reveal the one they refer to as "Cherry". Cherry saunters through the middle of the circle and is now surrounded by the other dancers.

The dancers bend over giving the audience a nice view. Yeah, I am going to leave early. Cherry is dancing and I swear her focus is on me. My wife will fucking kill me, I turn my neck to crack it and relieve pressure.

What the hell is happening here? Lo and Rico look at me "What, I swear I don't know her" They smile at me like I'm full of shit. The dancers finish their routine and the lights go off, the DJ plays music and I let out a breath.

"I think I'm going to head out," I tell Lo. "Hold up, a few of the men are on their way to have a drink with you," Lo says and I settle back in, I know he isn't going to let me off that easy. We have a couple of drinks and I try my best to relax. I text Remi that I miss her and That I am at the Office.

I almost explained the whole scenario, but I figured giving her my location showed I have nothing to hide.