Forever Isn't Enough | A Short Story
Hey, you!
Here’s an update on Lia x James.
*Please note, this content may contain spoilers if you haven’t already indulged in Come Alive.
In the meantime, happy reading! 💋
With love, ShanicexLola
(Copyrighted material)
Sneaking up on me from behind, James kissed his teeth and took my phone out of my hand.
“No more of that,” he said, tossing it onto the bed.
Wrapping me in his arms, he guided me toward the balcony of our hotel suite. The sun was setting behind the bright, golden sandy beach of Cancún, the beauty of it simultaneously drawing a deep exhale out of us as we braced ourselves against the railing.
“You’ve been checking those cameras nonstop since we got here. And every time you do, Mrs. Johnson is doing her job.”
“I know, but—“
“She’s fine,” he said, referring to our daughter, who certainly was fine and dandy.
Whenever I checked the cameras, she was either laughing, eating, stumbling around her room with joy, playing with her toys, or seemingly having the time of her life with Mrs. Johnson. We’d been gone for about six hours, and she wasn’t even thinking about us. She fancied the nanny we’d hired three weeks ago, and I’d yet to accept that we had one.
Me, with a nanny? The same woman who swore she’d never have one or pawn her child off on someone else to depend on?
Yeah, well, my outlook on having one was different now.
James had changed my perspective and convinced me that it didn’t mean I failed or couldn’t care for Lori alone. It meant I was human with needs that had to be properly met to take care of her to the best of my ability. And on the other hand, it did take a village.
I sighed and shook off my bad nerves. “You’re right. We’re in Cancún, and I want to enjoy my weekend with you.”
“Enjoy it for yourself, too. You’ve been working your ass off. Balancing work from home, taking care of our baby girl, and slowly baking another one in there.” He laid his large hand on my stomach like a crystal ball. “I don’t know how you do it.” He turned me around to face him, staring down at me with an impressed guise on his face.
“Shit, me either.” I rolled my eyes and shrugged as he kissed my collarbone softly. I failed to hold back from smiling whenever I tried to front on him. He pulled it out of me effortlessly, evoking a high standard of happiness that couldn’t exist without him.
Just a few months prior, our marriage counselor suggested we dedicate more time to each other. James jumped right on that. My heart swelled at how excited he was to have me to himself.
Last week, he asked me to name a place I’d recently thought about visiting. I’d barely finished answering before he booked our trip and made arrangements for the nanny we’d interviewed and agreed on two months back. She was an older woman, who reminded us of our late grandmothers, and she did great helping us out with Lori a few times a week.
“We’re gonna have so much work to catch up on when we get back home,” I reminded him, moaning as he kissed and rolled his tongue around the most sensitive spot on my neck. His intoxicating, faint masculine cologne embraced me as he held me tighter.
“Fuck that job,” he said, slowly whisking me in the air, then backing me against the railing. His dick poked me through his pants as I anticipated him bending me over and unbuckling his belt, but then I remembered that he was even more careful with me now. He handled me more delicately than he ever had.
We were thirteen weeks pregnant, and now that we’d officially reached our second trimester, the man couldn’t wait until we returned home and told our families we were expecting again.
I could wait.
I could definitely wait.
Lori was nine months old, and the last thing I needed was my father staring me upside my head and shuddering like, “Damn, girl. Keep that man off you.”
“I’m hungry,” I announced as my phone rang from inside our suite.
“Put your face on, and let’s go then.” He went under my dress and slapped my ass, giving me a boost into our room as I made a beeline to my phone.
“Hey, Baby Doll. I don’t have long before James comes in and—“
“I’m pregnant,” she whispered into the phone.
Though I heard her clearly, I still responded, “What?!” I swallowed hard as my eyes widened and almost popped out of my head.
“She is pregnant as fuck,” Kyle blurted out, and I should’ve known she’d already added him to the call. “I knew it when she kept buying pizza and donuts for our team all week and then eating most of it. She never eats that much in front of other people, only us.”
“Kyle, shut up.” Kiyah huffed. “I’m six weeks pregnant, Li-Li. I’m at the doctor’s office now.”
“Girl, then why are you whispering?”
“Because I’m in the bathroom, and Nixon just got here,” she said while the sound of running water in the background got louder. “I made an appointment because I’ve been feeling lightheaded for the past week, and he just popped up with flowers at the damn doctor’s office. I only told him about the appointment. I don’t know how he knew where to find me.”
“I’m not surprised.” I snickered as Kyle laughed. And I wasn’t sure why she was acting surprised. There weren’t any lengths Nixon wouldn’t go to for Kiyah. He looked at her like he was always fully prepared to jump before a bus to protect her at any moment. Their love was intense.
“He’s a smart man, Baby Doll. I think he already knows what’s happening and is waiting for confirmation.”
“Excuse me?!” she whispered harshly. “What are you not telling me?”
“Okay, I may have eavesdropped on James talking to Nixon on the phone last night. But only because they’re always telling each other our business, so it’s only right I know what’s being said.”
“Damn,” she mumbled. “I must’ve already been asleep for that call.”
“Mhm. Cause you’re usually the one eavesdropping,” Kyle sassed her.
“James kept telling him to wait until you told him and confirmed it. He said it would come to light sooner than later, regardless. I couldn’t figure out what they were talking about until James told him I was pregnant, too. I guess I couldn’t wrap my head around you being—”
“You’re what?! Jesus, please take control of the wheel. Just grab onto it, Lord and drive us to the destination that’ll make sense of all this,” Kiyah said.
“Everybody’s pregnant.” Kyle scoffed. “I must be next.”
I covered my mouth and giggled, laughing to keep from crying from being overwhelmed and excited that Kiyah and I were now in this together.
“This is what you wanted, right?” I asked, squinting at the television on the wall across from me as I anticipated her answer. She reminded me and Kyle that she was in love with Nixon and wanted to bear all his children every chance she got. Now, the realization that she was pregnant had her spooked.
“I am, I’m just—“
“Scared, I know. I’m scared all over again. It’s okay to be intimidated—“ I stopped talking as James walked into the room and closed the sliding balcony door behind him. His deep-set brown eyes zoned into mine as a slight smirk rested on his handsome, dark brown face. His new haircut made me contemplate risking it all to jump his bones.
“Gotta go. Nixon’s knocking on the door. I’ll text y’all. Don’t tell anyone,” she rushed out, then ended the call. I scoffed at my phone before tossing it on the bed. The nerve of her to give me a disclaimer like I didn’t know how this worked. But I understood that she was in panic mode.
“You didn’t have to stop talking when I came in.” His chuckle aired just as deep as his penetrating voice. “Nix and I knew she was pregnant last week. Now we’re all in the know.” I rolled my eyes and smiled as he extended his hand for mine. “Let’s go eat, woman.”
“Yes, please.” I accepted his hand, grabbing my purse from the dresser on our way out.
I’ll take forever with James Davis, please.
“You cross-eyed or something, my man?” I asked our waiter, who only shook his head before walking away from our table with our drinks and appetizer order. While we ordered, his eyes kept lowering to Lia’s chest. The black, mesh top of her dress exposed her smooth, plump cleavage that he couldn’t look away from.
I didn’t like that shit.
“James...” Lia sighed and glanced over her menu at me.
“I’m chillin’,” I said while studying the three-page menu at Cambalache Steak House. Besides our eager and lanky ass waiter, who couldn’t hide his attraction to my wife, the atmosphere was organized, laid back, and serene.
My jealousy had turned up a notch. I usually kept that shit under wraps and shook it off quickly. But lately, I caught myself trippin’ if I saw another man looking at her for too long. I knew I needed to check my ego and cut it out; my possessiveness was getting out of control. But I’d been on that tip since almost losing her. It’d only been a few months since we were at war with each other, and looking back on that shit still stung.
Lia often reassured me that I had nothing to worry about. Every time I was deep inside her, she reminded me it was mine. That she would be mine until the end of time. I never hesitated to reassure her of the same. Despite that, I knew my jealousy amused her more times than none.
“You’ve been grinning on the low since we left the room.” I sat back in my chair and stared at her, admiring her beautiful, light brown face as her deep dimples came into play.
She flipped her curls out of her face and blushed. “What? I’m in a good mood. Like I said, we’re in Cancún. Our babies are healthy.” She rubbed her hand over her stomach, “We’re getting back to us and—“
“You and your sister are both pregnant.”
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.” She sighed and set her menu down. “But I can’t help how excited I am that we are. We get to go through the motions together. I never imagined that would happen.”
“Nix and I are starting a support group for men with—”
“Sir, please don't ruin my high with that foolishness.”
I chuckled and nodded, saying nothing further as we stared at each other in silence with satisfied grins.
Whenever she was happy, I was happy. Knowing that we were still on track to creating our own family and legacy together after the hurdle we’d just faced did it for me.
“I want us to sell the house and buy one in Griffin Cove before the baby arrives. We need more space.”
"Here comes the demands,” I thought. I’d been waiting on those since the doctor confirmed she was pregnant again.
“Griffin Cove, huh?”
“We can afford it,” she returned.
“I know we can. And I’m with that. It’s whatever you want.”
After a talk with my pops yesterday, the main thing he said that stuck with me was, “Happy wife, happy life. Especially when she’s pregnant.”
Since I was dedicated to making sure she got what she wanted and remained as stress-free as she was during her first pregnancy, moving into the lavish, gated community of Griffin Cove was going on our to-do list.
“Sunsets and forever with our little family in our five-bedroom house in Griffin Cove,” she chirped.
“And what else?” I asked, prepared for her to overwhelm me with her thoughts and plans for us.
Either way, real talk, I was with whatever she was with.
On whatever she was on.
Forever wasn’t enough for how I loved her, but I planned on giving her the world while we were here.
“Whatever you want,” I assured as she rambled on.
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