2: ONYX

"Boy, get out of that cake! You haven't even eaten yet," Mama says, smacking my hand and forcing me to put down the cake knife.

"Ma, I'm not a little kid anymore. I promise you that if I eat this cake, it won't destroy my appetite," I say.

"He's telling the truth, Mom. He'll eat whatever you put on his plate, mine and yours too, if you allow him," MJ says, coming into my mother's kitchen behind us.

My mother laughs and shakes her head. Pointing the spatula at me, she says, "We're about to sit down for dinner as soon as your sister arrives. I hope you'll be ready to eat."

"I will," I say, picking up the cake knife and slicing a piece of the caramel cake that she had baked from scratch.

"How do you put up with him?" Mama asks Meadow.

"Easy. He's the center of my world," my wife says, looping her arms around my waist and resting her head against my back.

As I slid the cake onto a saucer and put the lid back over the cake, Mama smiles at us.

"I love how you love my son. That's one thing I always prayed for my kids; that they would find someone who loved them as deeply and unconditionally as their father and I do."

"Onyx makes it easy loving him," Meadow says.

Spinning around with my plate in one hand, I loop my other arm around my wife's waist. Leaning down, I kiss her forehead and then her lips. "And you make it easy loving you, babe."

My mother inhales deeply and then shakes her head.

"What, Ma?"

"Nothing," she says, fanning her face.

"You're thinking about Dani, aren't you?" Meadow asks intuitively.

"Aren't I always?" Mama says.

The topic of my sister always makes my mother emotional. Something is going on with Danica, but she keeps us all at arms' length.

"Well, she gives us something to think about," my father says, walking into the kitchen. "How much longer do we have to wait for her before we can eat? I'm starving and haven't eaten since breakfast."

"That's your fault, John. I told you to grab you a bite to eat for lunch earlier, and you said you weren't hungry."

"I wasn't, but that was seven hours ago. I didn't eat breakfast until ten, so of course, I wasn't hungry two hours later. That girl should've been here an hour ago. Have you called her?"

"I did," Mama says, gazing away from my father because we all know that she doesn't want to see the recrimination there. "Meadow and Onyx, when are you two going to give me some babies to have running around here?" Mama asks, changing the subject.

Meadow glances at me, and I roll my eyes. Before I can utter another word, my wife speaks up.

"Let me try calling Dani. I'll be right back."

I watch as MJ pulls her phone from her pocket and leaves the kitchen. Mama looks between MJ and me, but I see Dad shake his head subtly.

"Why does your sister not answer our calls, but she's quick to answer MJ's?" Mama asks.

"Maybe because she doesn't have to hear a speech or judgment."

"We don't judge her," Mama says.

"You don't, but Dad does."

"As I should," he pronounces, grabbing a saucer and shoving me aside not so gently to get to the cake platter.

"John, you're only going to ruin your appetite if you eat that cake now. You'll be complaining that you're not that hungry when it's time to eat," Mama says.

Dad looks at me and then at Mama. Pointing the cake knife at me, he says, "He can eat, but I can't?"

Shaking her head, she says, "Fine, John. Eat the cake. If you lose your appetite, that's not my concern. I'm not saving any food for you. I'll send the leftovers home with Onyx and Meadow. And I'll even send some home with Dani."

"If she arrives," Dad mutters as we hear the front door opening.

"Well, seems like she'll be taking your portion," Mama says, twisting her lips at Daddy as she begins grabbing the plates and heading to the dining room.

I walk out to the front to greet my sister. MJ is hugging her when I arrive. My sister pulls back from MJ's embrace when she spots me.

"O."

"Dani, Mama was just about to have me call you."

"Meadow told me," Danica says.

"Dad's in a mood. He's been waiting for over an hour to eat so you know he's not going to be too happy that you're walking in here like that," I say, referencing her glassy eyes.

"Like what, O?"

"High. Or drunk. Hell, I'm never sure which one it is anymore these days."

"You don't know what you're talking about," Danica says angrily, brushing past me.

"I don't? I've been your brother for all thirty-four years of your life. I know my sister...the mood swings, the dodging family, the absences, the glassy eyes, and the stumbling walk," I point out.

"Back off, will ya?" Danica says as she stops at the end of the hall to glare at me.

"Onyx, baby. Not today, okay?" MJ says softly as she places a hand on my arm to keep me from following my sister.

"I don't know what she's doing, MJ. I can only guess, but what I do know is that she's killing my parents. Dad's constantly asking himself what he could have done differently and where he went wrong. Meanwhile Mama is always trying to cover over it as if nothing's going on while straddling the fence between Dani and Dad so that they don't explode."

"I know, baby, but you jumping on her isn't going to make anything better."

"What do you suggest I do, huh?" I ask angrily, glaring at my wife.

MJ does what she always does. She strokes my arm, lifts an eyebrow, reminding me that she's not the enemy, and then, in that peaceful, soothing tone that she has, she speaks.

"I suggest that you set up a meeting with your sister to have this conversation privately away from your parents and away from me. When there's no one else around, she may not be as defensive."

"When do you suggest that I do that since she's avoiding my calls and texts?"

"Either you show up at the studio, or you show up at her house. Let her know that she left you no options."

I nod, knowing that MJ is right. My sister is a retired fashion model who now has her own talk show that's filmed right here in Charleston and airs every weekday at ten in the morning right after the news shows end.

Financially and career-wise, her life is successful, but her personal life is a dumpster fire.

"You're right," I concede to my wife.

"Come on. Let's go have dinner. It'll be difficult enough to make it through dinner with your father berating her and your mom walking on eggshells."

"I know," I grumble, taking MJ's hand in mine and leading her down the hallway toward the dining room.

When we arrive, I notice that my sister is buried in her phone, my father is glaring at her, and my mother is chatting away happily as she places the final serving dish on the table.

Looking around at all of us, she asks, "Can we eat now?"

"Yes, please," MJ says, taking her seat beside mine and across from Danica's. Dad has removed the leaf from the table that extends it to a long rectangle and creates a small square table for the five of us.

My mother stretches her hand out and takes my father's hand, who sits at the head, and he takes mine where I sit on his left. MJ takes my left hand and reaches her free hand across the table to take Danica's.

My father begins praying, and although I bow my head, I keep my eyes open, watching my sister intently. She purses her lips several times, constantly shifts in her chair before her eyes fly open, and her gaze rests upon me.

I have no idea what made Danica so angry and shut off from the world or what caused her to push everyone away. My sister was a beautiful, free spirit all her life. She made others laugh, and she was friendly, outgoing, generous, and kind.

Most of the time, I don't even recognize the person that she's become. Some days, I can't stand her. When I feel my wife squeeze my hand, I lift my gaze and notice that the prayer has ended, and no one is holding hands anymore.

Dropping MJ's hand, I begin plating my food.

"Now, back to the question I asked earlier," Mama says.

"What's that?" Dad asks.

"When are you two going to get started on making us some grandbabies? I'm ready to retire, and I want something productive to do with my time. Some babies to spoil," Mama says as her eyes sparkle like diamonds.

MJ grows tense and shoots a glance my way.

"We'll get started when we're ready, Mama. Right now, we're just enjoying our married life. We've only been married two years."

"Plenty of time to enjoy each other and start a family by now."

Dad's flipping through his phone and half-listening, and Danica is rolling her eyes.

"We've been discussing it lately," MJ says, causing my stomach to cramp.

Shit! Why did she have to go there with Mama?

"Great! Sounds like you two aren't on the same page, though," Mama says.

Silence descends as she looks between my wife and me. Danica looks up cautiously from her plate, and Dad looks away from his phone.

"Tina, honey, leave those two alone. They'll have children when they're ready," Dad says.

"I know. I just can't wait."

"Sounds like you'll have to," I say lightly, following it up with laughter to ease the tension.

We all dig into our food and forget about conversing for a while. Halfway through the meal, we begin talking again.

The mood is jovial, the conversation is light and easy, and the food is amazing as always because my mother, who's a neurosurgeon, is also a talented cook. Mom entertains us with stories about her newest patient, an eight-year-old boy with a brain tumor, who displayed more courage facing brain surgery than her thirty-two-year-old patient who was getting injections for a pinched nerve. She talks about how the man cried upon seeing the needle.

Meadow talks about her upcoming dance performance, and Dad and I both talk about our businesses, but Danica remains quiet. Even when Mama and MJ attempt to pull her into the conversation by asking questions about her show, she remains passive and noncommittal when it comes to conversation.

It explodes near the end of the night when Mama serves the cake.

"Maybe you should have a glass of water or some juice with that cake," Dad says to Danica.

"Or maybe at my big age of thirty-four going on thirty-five, I should have whatever I'd like."

"Honey, are you driving home?" Mama asks.

"I am, but so is Onyx, and he's drinking. And don't dare say that Meadow's his desi because she's drinking, too," Danica spiritedly points out.

"That's one drink for them. It looks like you were drinking before you arrived," Dad says.

"And if I were, that's my problem," Danica retorts.

"Well, it's our problem, too, if we allow you to leave here driving knowing that you're drunk."

Danica laughs and says, "There you go with the assumptions and recriminations."

"Aren't you?" Dad asks, his blue eyes turning glacial as he stares at her.

"No, Dad. I'm not drunk!"

"Why don't we all just have water, or coffee, or tea?" Mama suggests. "I don't mind making any."

"No, Tina. You've outdone yourself by preparing a wonderful meal and dessert. You're not doing another thing tonight except for relaxing. Dani, that's your problem now. We spoiled you growing up, and you're unappreciative acting as if people owe you something!"

"No one owes me anything, and I don't owe anyone anything either, including sitting at these bi-weekly meals to appease your curiosity about what's going on in your adult children"s lives!" Danica rises, and Mama says, "Danica, please don't leave."

Her words fall on deaf ears because within seconds, my sister has left the den where we were having dessert, and I hear her heels clicking on the marble floors of the hallway.

"I'll be back," MJ says, rising and racing after my sister.

"Well, at least we made it through dinner before the shitstorm erupted," I say snidely.

"Onyx, watch your mouth, honey," Mama says tiredly.

"That girl is not to return here for another meal until she can take responsibility for her actions!" Dad thunders.

"That won't be happening any time soon," I tell my parents. "Well, I'm heading out."

"So soon?" Mama asks, ignoring the fact that MJ and I have been here for three hours now.

"Yes. I have a seven o'clock meeting in the morning, and I need to get home and get some rest. See you in a couple of weeks," I say to Mama, kissing her cheek.

Dad gives me a hug, and I turn to leave them to deal with their feelings about my sister. As far as mine are concerned, I shut them away a while ago.

"Hey, Mama and Dad said goodnight," I tell MJ when I step out into the driveway where she's standing.

My sister pulled off no sooner than I stepped out onto the porch.

"We're leaving too?"

I nod. "They need time alone, and I'm tired."

MJ pulls me close to her and wraps her arms around my waist. "Hey, they're going to be fine. Dani's wake-up call will come, and she'll see how she's hurting the family."

"I hope it happens sooner than later," I mutter.

"In the meantime, you need to be her big brother. Give her love, support, and understanding rather than judgment."

"It's hard," I mumble, resting my chin on top of MJ's head.

"I know. But that's what you've got me for," she replies."

"I've always got you. The best part of my life."

MJ grins up at me, and I take her lips into a deep, slow kiss, loving how she hums contentedly under my pressure.

"You're the best part of mine, as well," she says.

"Show me when we get home?" I challenge.

"I'm all about show and tell with an emphasis on the show part," MJ says cheekily.

Releasing her, I swat her on the ass and say, "Get in and show me what you're working with."

No sooner than we pull out of my parents' community than MJ is lifting the armrests and unzipping my pants.

"Reposition your seat," she instructs as she fiddles with my underwear, and her warm hand grips my erection.

I press a couple of buttons on the steering wheel to push me back, giving Meadow more space.

"So sweet," she mutters, taking my head between her lips and running her tongue over the slit repeatedly.

"Nothing sweet about my dick, babe."

"To me, it is, and tonight, I've got a sweet tooth," she says, looking up at me winking.

"Go ahead, baby, and lick me like a lollipop," I say, thinking of Lil' Wayne's lyrics.

"I'd prefer to take the blow pop and..." she licks the head again.

"Blow it, baby," I encourage, and she pulls me into her mouth, working me over from the top to the bottom.

With one hand on the wheel steering us through the streets and one hand on her head, I relax in my seat while my wife sucks me off.

MJ manages to work her hand into my pants to cup my balls and massage them while she bobs up and down on my dick. Knowing that my wife doesn't mind taking a risk like this while we're driving home and that she's solely focused on my pleasure, it gives me the feeling of unadulterated bliss.

"Fuck, MJ. Girl, you feel so damn good," I grumble, jerking my hips upward and causing her to choke.

She readjusts her position in her seat, laying half across her seat and mine. Removing her hand from my balls, she takes my erection into both hands and works them around me in alternating circles.

A quick glance at her shows that she's receiving as much delight in pleasuring me as I am in being on the receiving end. There's nothing that I wouldn't do for this woman, and I'm glad that she feels the same about me.

I'll spend a lifetime doing whatever it takes to make my woman happy because she's the reason that I find joy every morning.

I come from a reasonably wealthy family, and I'm wealthy myself, but none of that compares to the love of a good woman.

My dick hardens, and I grip the steering wheel tighter to keep myself balanced. I feel as if I'm about to lose control so I slow down and pull over into the parking lot of a CVS drug store. Pulling to the rear of the parking lot under some trees and away from the camera, I park the car.

"That's it, baby," I growl as she goes to work now that my seat is fully reclined.

I close my eyes, exploding in her mouth as my hand grips her hair. When she finishes, she sits up and smiles at me.

I lean over, kissing my baby before pulling back and looking into her eyes.

"I love you, MJ."

"I know you do, boy. Ain't no woman gonna treat you like I do."

"Is that right?"

"Absolutely. Now, don't test that theory, or you might regret it."

"Never that," I say, kissing her again.

When we're finished, I start the car again. Looking at her one final time, I say, "I promise to do everything in my power to fill you with my future little kings and queens."

Joy fills my wife's eyes, and tears begin to flow.