26. Justine

Is it possible to be too happy? Is there some kind of cosmic occurrence that brings these things about?

‘Bitch you rambling.'

I know, but I can't help it.

‘By the way, this dress you wearing, put it away somewhere you can grab it and go if the need arises.'

Why?

‘Because these are real diamonds, and your new rich ass is bound to fuck this up somehow, and we'd be for the streets. Just keep this in mind, this shit isn't going to happen again in this lifetime, and it's much easier to find a man with three kids than six.'

"SIX?" Oh shit, now everyone was looking at me. I had to play it off like I had a Bluetooth in my ear and walk away.

‘Keep it down. Didn't I tell you three of those tadpoles made it to the egg and burrowed in like hibernating bears? You got three zygotes in there.'

All three made it past the second layer?

‘Yup. You took biology in school, didn't you? So, you know what a zygote is. Those little bastards ain't going nowhere. So you fuck around and end up on the streets with six kids. Or you could cop a squat with Paul and is crackhead bitch.'

I tried to walk away, but of course, there's no escaping Justice.

Our honeymoon was on his yacht, one he said he'd just bought because his other was no longer suitable for family, whatever that meant. I've seen yachts, and I've seen cruise ships. This was somewhere in the middle. It's huge.

There are bedrooms for all of us plus the staff and his security. It was the perfect honeymoon for a mother of three who would've worried about her kids each day if she'd left them behind. He knew that; he always knows the right thing to do.

"Why haven't you been drinking on this trip? I noticed you didn't touch your wine again at dinner."

"Oh!" Dammit, one of the only drawbacks to having a man who's so attentive to your needs. He tends to notice everything.

‘That's a big change because the other one didn't even notice he was missing a whole wife and three kids.'

He's right. I still hadn't heard from Paul since the divorce, and since everything about our wedding was so hush-hush, I doubt he even knows where we are.

I washappy to not have to fight him just yet over custody, but I thought he would at least want to see the girls. Nothing, not a peep since the night Monique broke his arm. I'm pretty sure he's moping and holding out for an apology from me. That's what he always did. He never took responsibility for anything in his life.

Why did it take me this long to realize these things? I guess it took having the love of a good man to show me that what I had was nothing compared to what I have now. If someone had told me that a man could love kids that weren't his own, I wouldn't have believed it. I would've said they were crazy.

I didn't have stepparents, so I know next to nothing about that dynamic, but I know love and respect when I see it. One of the only reasons that I would've forgiven Paul was so that my girls didn't have a broken home. I have a wonderful relationship with my father and wanted the same for them.

But I'm ashamed to say that Marcus has spent more time with my daughters on our honeymoon than my husband had in the whole last year of our marriage.

How had I not seen it? How had I missed the signs? Again, it was only now, seeing Marcus do it, that I realized it could be done. I guess some people might say we can afford to with all the helping hands around, but something else I've noticed is when Marcus and I are with the kids, no one else is around except his security, who stays around the perimeter.

But the throwing balls, the bathroom runs, and the swimming lessons are all him. I'm not going to say anything about the fact that my girls seem to call him more than me. Last night, Susie woke up from a nightmare, and when I walked into her room, which is right next to ours on the yacht, she asked for him.

And now we're going back tomorrow because work and life await us. Marcus has some big announcement to make that he's being all hush-hush about, and I think Monique knows, but she's holding out on me.

* * *

I didn't knowhow to feel about going back to work the day after we got back from our honeymoon. There was no hiding the ring on my finger, and I wouldn't even dream of taking it off because Marcus had already threatened what would happen if I ever did.

That's because I'd taken it off to wash my face that first night on the yacht, and he'd had a fit. But there's something to say for his fits. That one turned into one hell of a night of passion. At least we got three glorious rounds out of it, but I had to take another three days to heal.

Justice, that jackass, was howling with laughter that he was going to put out one of his kids' eyes. That's when I became mortified that he was hanging around while we were having sexy time. He claimed that he wasn't, but I'm not sure I believe him.

Anyway, now I got my first surprise of the day after helping get the kids ready for the day. With all the help we have, I still like to do the things I've always done, but what do you do when your three-year-old prefers her new best friend to choose her clothes and her little sister follows?

We haven't decided what the girls should call him yet. I know Gracie suspects something because she's been very vigilant lately, especially after the wedding.

I'd explained the best way I could that Mommy and daddy were not happy together anymore but that we still loved them and wanted only what was best for them, but how could they understand that at their young ages?

Anyway, it's either Marcus or Uncle Marcus so far, and we're letting them go at their own pace. But back to my surprise. When we came downstairs after breakfast, the car that was waiting for us was not the same one I had been using for the last few months.

This one had to have been custom-built because the back seats were facing each other instead of all facing forward. There were three seats for the girls with their car seats and then two for Marcus and me, and then Carl and the driver were up front.

This one was silver with a white interior. I once told Monique that that would be my dream car. I'm beginning to see how this works. He thinks if he asks me outright, I might be too shy to answer truthfully, but Mo and me sharing girl talk is different. Slick!

‘He could ask me. I have no problem pointing out exactly what I want and require.'

"Does Justice approve?" I nodded my head with a smile.

I'm going to have to get used to him talking about Justice as if he's real. Only my family ever did that, and Paul was not amused when I tried to explain that one time. In fact, he told me not to tell anyone about Justice, or they'd put me in the madhouse.

‘Paul is a pissy little bitch; who cares what he thinks? I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to read that bastard for filth. I'd have told him about his tiny little dick that goes along with his puny little brain.'

Not another one of your fits because I didn't let you have at him.

‘I'm just saying. Luckily, we don't have to see that D-list broke ass shit stain again.'

‘I woke up in a new Bugatti, bitch what? That trailer park trash could nevah.'

Justice, my brother, you would've made one hell of a bro.