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"Huey?"

"Yeah?"

"…You still a bitch."

Riley Freeman and Huey Freeman; Ballin'

Week 13

Sunday, September 9

Riley's POV

"Come again?" He heard Huey say into the phone.

Riley took another sip of his beer before he answered. He was currently sitting alone at the kitchen table being as though it was near 3 AM that Saturday morning. Granddad and Cindy were both asleep in their rooms while Riley had been restless and wide awake.

He had to talk to somebody.

"I said," Riley began, his voice slightly cracking. He quickly cleared it before continuing. "I uh… I think I wanna get married…." He tried the words again, letting them hang in the air. He listened carefully to the pause of silence on the other line. "…To Cindy." He added.

"Well no shit to Cindy." Huey scoffed in response. "I'm just surprised and confused as to why you're thinking about this now."

"Nigga, how the hell should I know?" Riley snapped. "All I'm saying is that I've been thinkin' about it damn near all day, I can't focus on anything else, and I can't shake this feeling, man!"

"What feeling?"

"This feeling of wanting to get married!" Riley answered, shrugging in frustration. He didn't know why Huey wanted to ask dumb-ass questions. If he could make sense of what was going on his mind, he wouldn't be calling him.

"Well say somethin', nigga!" He demanded impatiently.

He heard Huey sigh before speaking. "I need a drink first."

Riley rolled his eyes, taking that as the cue to down the rest of his bottle while he waited. He had already finished his second. Too antsy to sit still, he rose from the table and headed to the refrigerator to pull out a third.

"Alright." Huey spoke again after a minute. "Enlighten me. What thoughts or events have brought you to this conclusion at 3 o'clock in the morning?"

Riley paused. It was such a straightforward question. Shit if he knew.

"Hell, I don't know! A lot of stuff." He mumbled with a shrug.

"One: 'I don't know' is not an acceptable answer in this conversation." Huey began dryly. "And two: unless you want me to hang up on you, you're going to have to be more specific. 'A lot of stuff' like…?"

"Nigga, I… just…." Riley started in irritation, but midway through lost his drive. He then let out a sigh instead. "Look… I don't know piece-by-piece what or how I came around to this idea. All I know is that it hit me like a fuckin' brick wall out of nowhere and it's all I can think about."

"Maybe it's a phase." Huey replied lightly.

"Man, the fuck outta here with that shit." Riley retorted. "Cindy ain't no phase, I already know that. That's my girl and I love her to death. I don't care who knows it. She's it for me."

"Why? How do you know?"

"Because!" Riley snapped, tired of his stupid-ass questions. "She's everything I've ever wanted in a woman. She makes me better in every way and I know that. She's the most loyal person I know and my ride-or-die for life. I don't wanna have to go a day without her…." Riley didn't even realize that he started to trail off as he got lost in his own thoughts. "She's… all I want." Riley finished quietly.

Huey was silent for a moment, which made Riley slightly nervous. Then even more nervous when he let out a low sigh.

"What, nigga?" Riley demanded.

Huey scoffed. "Just trying to accept the fact that you're really serious about marrying that girl. And that said girl is going to become… my in-law." Huey said with disgust.

Riley rolled his eyes but smirked. "Man, whateva! All you do is hate."

"Then why'd you call?" Huey countered.

Riley hesitated, stumped for a moment. "Because… I need to hear about how you proposed to Jazz. I never cared enough to know all the sappy details."

"I proposed to her the traditional way. Straightforward. Down on one knee. Nothing outlandish." He replied.

"Where'd you do it?"

"Where do you think?"

"…The Hill probably." Riley answered his own question after thinking about it. The Hill had always been Huey's spot when they'd originally moved to Woodcrest. Then Jazmine started to visit him there almost every day. Not too much longer after, it became their spot.

"One more question," Riley spoke again. "How'd you know when the time was right?"

"When I felt completely sure." Huey answered honestly. "There was no hesitation. No doubt. No fear… well not completely."

"Hold up. YOU were scared?" Riley asked in surprise.

"Scared is a bit of a strong word. And you won't understand until you actually do it. But as a man, getting down on one knee is one of the most vulnerable positions you can ever put yourself in."

Riley let that sink in for a moment, feeling jittery just thinking about it. He had to deflect.

"I still can't believe Jazz even said yes to your punk-ass." Riley smirked.

"Let's hope that Cindy says yes to yours."

"Man, whatever. She will… I think she will…." He nodded, trying not to freak himself out about it.

"I don't know why she wouldn't." Huey snorted. "By the way, I'm proud you didn't say one of the reasons you wanted to marry her was because she was having your kids. That's not a reason to ever propose in any circumstance."

"Oh hell no. I mean I'm happy Cindy's the one having mine, but if it was somebody that I wasn't compatible with, there's no way I'd ever consider turning a hoe into a housewife."

"We don't love them hoes." Huey replied plainly, causing Riley to crack up.

"Nigga you wild at the most random times!" He was still snickering. "You drunk or nah?"

"Far from it." Huey scoffed. "I'm exhausted. I'm going to be heading back to bed in a minute."

"Already?" Riley asked. There was still so much more he needed to say and to ask. "But now what do I do?"

"You talk to Granddad."

"Granddad?" Riley echoed before sucking his teeth. "I don't wanna talk to that old-ass nigga about this yet!"

"Trust me. You need to talk to Granddad." Huey said again seriously. "Do it soon if you can."

"…If I can." Riley replied stubbornly.

"Good enough. We can talk about this another day if you want. Just let me know."

"Aiight. Thanks. And whatever you do, don't tell Jazmine. You know her ass can't keep a secret to save her light-skinned life."

"Out of respect to you, I won't."

"Aiight. Thanks, man."

"You're welcome."

"…You still a bitch though."

"Goodnight, Riley." Huey replied before hanging up the phone, making Riley listen to the sound of the dial tone.

Riley yawned tiredly as he trudged up the stairs. After not going to bed until 4:30 in the morning, he'd been sleep-deprived all day. When Cindy had asked why he'd been up so late, he had fibbed to her, saying that he was up working on his art. Luckily for him, she hadn't pressed him any further about it and accepted that as his answer. Currently, it was now almost three in the afternoon. Cindy had recently left to go to the mall with Jazmine, which gave Riley the perfect opportunity to speak privately with Granddad.

He paused outside of his bedroom for a moment, hearing the faint melody of Granddad's record playing on the other side of the door. Hopefully he would be in a good mood. Huey seemed serious about talking with him. But that could only go so far without Granddad being… Granddad.

"Aye, G?" Riley spoke, knocking on the door before pushing it slightly open. "Can I come in?" He asked as he started to peek his head in. He almost immediately had to jerk his head back, pulling the door back as well to narrowly miss a sneaker thrown in the direction of his face.

"Yo, what the hell?!" Riley demanded, opening the door all the way after the attempted assault. Granddad was sitting fully clothed on the edge of his bed as he glared at him.

"You interrupted the best part of my song with your loud-ass, dammit!" Granddad immediately started to complain. "Ooh, you as bad as your brother! Always knockin' for no goddamn reason and burstin' in whenever you feel like it! I'm an old man, you need to learn to respect your Granddaddy!"

"Nigga, you threw a shoe at me!"

"Boy, shut your ass!" Granddad shot back, rising to his feet and hobbling over with just one shoe on. "I didn't say you could come in so that's your own damn fault." He grumbled, snatching the fallen shoe off the floor before making his way back to the bed to put it on.

"Aiight whatever. I'm sorry." Riley rolled his eyes at his back. "But look, I came in here for a reason."

"Well spit it out boy, you know I'm about to leave."

"Where you goin'?" Riley asked in confusion.

"The park! You know I go play checkers every Sunday." He replied as he finished sliding on his shoe.

"Well yeah, but I didn't know you were planning to go now."

"You don't pay attention. I gotta head out now before someone takes my favorite spot."

"Granddad, the park is huge with a bunch of tables and benches."

"Boy, how the hell am I supposed to play checkers on a bench? What's wrong with you?" Granddad snapped, buttoning his green sweater. "Mm-mmm I gotta get to my spot. Ruckus's slow ass is always late."

"But Granddad-"

"I'll be back before dark." He interrupted him, placing his hat on his head. "We can talk about whatever you wanted over dinner."

"I can't do it then. I need to talk about it privately."

"Then tough titty, it's gonna have to wait! I have my game to get to! I'll see you tonight." He said, stepping around him to head to the door.

"Granddad!" Riley called after him.

"Boy what?" He snapped without looking back him, already walking through his door.

"I wanna get married, nigga!" Riley snapped back, already completely annoyed.

Granddad froze so suddenly he almost stumbled. He spun around and came back through the door immediately.

"What did you say?" He asked, his eyes wide. Riley finally had his full attention.

"I said I wanna get married. To Cindy." Riley repeated, still slightly glaring at him. "And I wanted to talk to you about it, but if you're too busy rushing to your game, forget it. I'll just-"

"Boy, shut up." Granddad cut him off, his phone already out as he pressed a button and raised it to his ear.

"Robert, what you want?" The sound of Ruckus's voice lightly answered. "I'm runnin' late, I'll be there in-"

"I've gotta cancel, Ruckus. Something came up." Granddad interrupted him, looking back to Riley.

"Just like a nigga to leave a man-" Granddad rolled his eyes and pulled the phone from his ear, immediately disconnecting the call.

Riley looked at him for a moment, slightly impressed. "Thanks… but you ain't have to do that. If you wanna go to your game-"

"Boy, what did I say? Shut up." Granddad grumbled at him again. "Now sit your ass down and talk to your Granddaddy!"

Riley rolled his eyes but grinned. He would never change.

"Is there much to talk about?" He asked, plopping down on the comfy chaise Granddad had added to the room.

"Boy, hell yes." Granddad stressed, sitting back down on the edge of his bed to face him. "This is a big deal, whether you realize it now or not. How long have you been thinking about it?"

"I mean, I've always sorta felt like Cindy was the one for me. But I've only recently started to really consider marriage in the past day or two."

"Why? And please don't say it's because she's pregnant."

"That's not why." Riley shook his head. "I'd be in my kids' lives regardless. The point is that I want to be in Cindy's too. Permanently."

"Good." Granddad nodded. "And you're positive you'd want to be with her for life? Because to be honest, you're still a bit in the honeymoon stage. It gets harder, trust me." Granddad said gravely.

"There ain't never been nothin' honeymoon about me and Cindy. We too gangsta for that lovey-dovey shit." Riley smirked. But his smirk started to falter when Granddad only blinked at him with a deadpan expression on his face. "…What?"

"Riley, that's some bullshit and you and I both know it." He replied bluntly. "Every couple goes through a honeymoon stage. And newsflash: you're still in one."

"What!" Riley objected.

"It's not a bad thing necessarily, but don't trick yourself into thinking it's always going to be like that. When's the last time you've had a fight? A real fight?"

"Cindy and I argue." Riley defended.

"That ain't the same as a fight, boy. And I mean a FIGHT. One where you are yelling. One where you need days to cool down, sometimes even weeks. One where your ass is on the couch for at least several nights." Granddad went on with a grimace on his face. From the looks of it, he seemed to be talking from experience.

"Fighting in a relationship is normal. And in most cases, it's healthy. If somebody tries to tell you that they and their partner don't fight, they lyin'. Point blank. That or it hasn't happened yet cuz their asses are still in the honeymoon stage. But you can't stay there forever. Marriage is hard work, boy. The hardest thing a couple can go through together. And if you're not willing to fight for it, you shouldn't commit to it."

Riley nodded, really listening to him for once. "I hear you, G."

"You better." He quipped in reply. "Now… are you sure that it's what you want… with Cindy?"

"I'm sure. She means everything to me." He answered. He noticed that Granddad nodded silently in response. "What? You don't think she's right for me?"

"No, no, it's not that." Granddad immediately shook his head. "Cindy is a wonderful woman. And very good with you. If I didn't know better, I'd say she was made for you."

"Me too." Riley grinned. "Why you look like that though?"

"Just… got lost in thought is all." Granddad answered quietly, now looking at him steadily. "…You seem positive."

Riley nodded again. "Yeah. I am."

Granddad held his gaze for a moment before nodding again in response. Then he got down from the bed and headed to his dresser along the far wall.

"Whatchu doin'?" Riley asked, not being able to see what he was rifling through. When Granddad turned around, there was a small black box in his hand. Riley's eyes widened.

"I knew this day would come sooner or later." Granddad spoke calmly, his voice low in volume as he came back to stand by the bed. Riley rose from his chair to walk up to him.

"G," Riley began carefully, his eyes still on the box. "Who's jewelry is in the case?"

Granddad took in a light but audible breath. "Dorothy's."

His first and only wife, now deceased due to the return of her cancer.

Riley could only look at him. "…What's in the box, Granddad?" Because if he was offering what Riley thought he was offering, he wouldn't believe it.

Granddad held out the case, waiting patiently to place it into Riley's hand. Once he did, he looked up to him. "It's yours now."

Riley didn't know what to say in that moment. Instead, he all but held his breath as he slowly lifted the lid. The sight really did take Riley's breath away for a moment.

Inside rested a beautiful engagement ring with an antique design fully around the band.

"Holy shit." Riley let out quietly.

Granddad managed to give a very light grin. "Do you know how many overtime hours I worked to even afford half the cost of this ring? Shoot, I had planned to propose to her for years. It took the majority of those years to finally have the money to do it."

Riley was listening, but could hardly draw his eyes away or reply to what Granddad was saying. Because holy shit.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Granddad spoke lightly again.

Riley barely managed to nod as he continued to stare. He'd always been a fan when it came to art, even before it really became an interest to him. However, he'd always been much more of a critic, especially when it came to detail. And even now at 21 years of age, he was still the same way if not worse.

But now as he continued to inspect the ring in his hands, he found it nearly impossible to critique.

The unique hexagonal shape of the moderate-sized diamond was stunning. Not too small, but definitely not overtly flashy in size. The cut of the diamond also eluded such a stellar shine when the light hit it at different angles. And the band was almost Riley's favorite part of the entire ring. The detail was completely in depth and in Riley's opinion flawless. It not only embroidered the face of the ring, but all the way down the sides of the ring as well.

"It's perfect." Riley said softly, his eyes still glued to the ring.

"I know." Granddad replied, his tone quiet. His voice finally made Riley raise his eyes to him.

Yes, the ring was perfect. And Riley was confident it would be the perfect ring for Cindy.

But at the same time… as much as he knew it would be perfect for Cindy, it was and always had been the perfect ring for Dorothy.

"I can't accept this, Granddad." Riley told him gently, holding the ring out to him. He wanted to. God he wanted to. But it belonged to Dorothy. It was probably one of the last things Granddad still had of hers.

Granddad shook his head, making no move to reach for it. "We had always discussed that our rings would be passed down through the generation, especially once Dorothy got sick."

"You had?"

He nodded. "It had been her wish in particular that one of her grandsons would take her ring to propose."

"For real?" Riley asked, surprised. He'd never known that. "I don't remember… did Huey and I ever get the chance to meet her?"

Granddad nodded again. "Yes. It makes sense that you wouldn't remember. You had just turned two when she passed away. If Huey remembered I'd be surprised, but he might…. She loved you boys to pieces." He trailed off wistfully.

Riley was quiet a moment before another thought occurred to him. "Why didn't Huey get the ring, G?" He noticed that Granddad gave him a careful look in return.

"Huey did get a ring… your mother's."

That took him by surprise. "What?" He blurted.

"Yes, and I hope you're not upset."

"No, no, I'm not I just never knew any of this." Riley shook his head. "When… how did it all come about?"

"Dorothy and I and your parents had always been in accord about most things. Dorothy had told your mother early on that she would want her ring passed down through the generations, either to her or to one of her future children or grandchildren. Your mother had respected that, and wanted the same for her and your father's rings."

"…They did?" Riley asked quietly, swallowing down the itchiness in the back of his throat.

"Mm-hmm." Granddad nodded slowly, still carefully watching him. "No one expected for them to be taken away so suddenly, Riley. And I… never expected to lose my Dorothy so soon either." He casually averted his eyes when his voice faltered a bit. He immediately cleared his throat before speaking again. "After it happened, I wanted their wishes to be carried out. To be fair, I decided that when the time came, whoever was the first to be ready for marriage would be given your parents' rings. The other would be given Dorothy's."

"What'd Huey say when you told him and gave them to him?"

"He was surprised to say the least. Damn near speechless for once. But he accepted them. I told him not to say anything to you until the time came. The last thing I wanted was for you to feel some type of way."

That explains now why he wanted me to tell him right away. Riley thought back to the conversation he had with Huey.

"I don't. And I'm not upset." He said honestly. "I just can't believe it…. Are you sure?"

Granddad nodded, this time with a small smile. "I'm sure. You're ready. And like I told Huey: both your parents and Dorothy would be proud of you… so am I, on occasion."

Riley let out a much needed chuckle before stepping up to hug him. "Thanks, Granddad. This means a lot."

"You bet." Granddad patted him on the back. "And I am proud of you. Just keep doin' right by that girl."

"I will." Riley promised. "Love you, G."

"…Pause."

"Ughh man you ruined it!" Riley complained, quickly pulling away from him, his face warm at Granddad's laughter.

"You know I love you too boy." He said still snickering at his own joke.

"…No homo." Riley said seriously just in case. Granddad smirked and nodded to the door.

"Get the hell out my room."

"Gladly."

Huey's POV

"And they lived happily ever after." Jazmine smiled as she closed the book.

"Again please." Jamilah grinned up at her, slyly reaching her hand for the book. Jazmine giggled while she casually pulled it out of her grasp.

"Again? That was second reading of the night, honey."

"It's my favorite." Jamilah continued to smile, her bright eyes now fixed on the cover of The Dragon Takes A Wife.

"I know baby, it used to be one of my favorites too. But it's late, sweetheart. We'll read it again tomorrow night though. Just like always." Jazmine explained to her.

It was like a switch that went off when Jamilah raised her eyes up again to her mother, an even cuter smile on her face if possible.

"Pleeeassee." She begged sweetly.

"Jamilah…." Huey calmly spoke up, knowing his wife would have no chance. Once she turned to him, he gave her a knowing look. "Your mother said tomorrow. It's already past your bedtime. Mommy is tired. And more importantly, you are tired."

"And my baby brother." Jamilah added with a smile.

"Or sister." Jazmine chuckled, lightly patting her slowly curving belly.

"Another good point." Huey smirked. "That being said, it definitely means that it's bedtime."

"Okay, Daddy." Jamilah agreed, starting to snuggle down into her covers. Huey stood from the bedside rocking chair while Jazmine started to rise from Jamilah's bed. She handed him the book to place on the shelf before beginning to tuck Jamilah in.

"Get some sleep, sweetie." Jazmine told her, giving her a squeeze, then a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mommy." Jamilah replied, kissing her back. When her father came back to the bed, she smiled again. "I love you, Daddy."

Huey couldn't help the miniscule smile that tugged at the corner of his lips. There were very few things that warranted that kind of reaction out of him. His daughter held the key to 90% of those things.

"I love you too." He responded quietly, leaning in to plant a kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight, Beautiful."

"Night-night." Jamilah lightly yawned, already starting to close her eyes as she clutched her stuffed bunny. Huey made sure the nightlight was on before turning off her lamp and following Jazmine out of the room. They both peeked at her again before quietly closing the door shut.

"I'm exhausted." Jazmine mirrored her daughter as she also let out a yawn, leaning into Huey and wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

"Apparently." He replied, encircling his arms around her in return.

"Huey?"

"Hm?"

Jazmine lifted her head to him with a playful grin. "Please take your wife to bed."

Huey smirked down at her, noting the mischief in her eyes. He brought his lips close to her ear before whispering. "You want me to exhaust you completely?"

"Babyy…." Jazmine giggled, a blush creeping onto her cheeks when she felt Huey cup her behind. He smirked even more.

They both knew the answer was yes.

Before Huey could verbally affirm this, his thoughts were redirected as phone started vibrating in his pocket.

"Who's that?" Jazmine asked after she felt it too, pulling away from him. Huey sighed as he dug out his phone, raising an eyebrow when he saw the caller ID.

"Riley." He said, still not accepting the call as he glanced to Jazmine.

"Aren't you going to answer?" She asked curiously.

"Yeah, I'll take it. You go change, I won't be long." He told her.

"You better not." Jazmine smiled, blowing him an air-kiss before heading down the hall. Once she did, Huey finally answered the phone.

"Yes?" He greeted, walking to the living room.

"Whaddup?" Riley replied. "Am I interrupting somethin'?"

"As usual, yes." Huey answered sardonically, earning a snicker from Riley.

"My bad, nigga."

"Whatever. What do you need?"

"What makes you think I need-"

"Riley, I'm not doing this tonight." Huey immediately cut him off, sitting himself down on his sofa. "10 times out of 10, the only reason you call is when you need something. Otherwise, you just text me spontaneous bullshit. So I'll ask you again. What. Do. You need?"

Riley paused for a moment before finally speaking. "I got the ring from Granddad."

"…You talked to him." Huey was slightly surprised. He honestly hadn't expected him to do it that soon.

"Yeah… I had no idea. About Dorothy… Mom and Dad… their rings… any of it."

"That was kind of the point." Huey admitted, absentmindedly using his thumb to spin the wedding band on his left hand.

His father's.

"What did you think?" Huey asked him.

"I've been thinking about it all day. Shit's overwhelming." Riley said honestly, making Huey nod. He could relate. "But the ring, yo. It's… perfect."

"They had good taste; that much is sure." Huey agreed.

"Did you see Dorothy's?"

"No I didn't. Granddad told me about it and the whole story behind the rings, but didn't show me. He didn't think it would be right to see both and compare, being as though you wouldn't have the opportunity to see either until the time came for you."

"Oh word? That's what's up." Riley replied, sounding appreciative of that fact. "I don't think I've ever really looked at Jazmine's ring, even after you originally proposed to her. I probably wouldn't have realized that it was Mom's because I was that young, but still. I always thought you bought that ring."

"A lot of people did. When they asked, I told them I got it at a jeweler in Baltimore. Jazmine's the only person other than us that knows the truth."

"Word." Riley repeated, silent after for a beat. "I gotta another question."

"What now?"

"How'd you figure out what size ring Jazz was? Granddad says I might need to get the ring resized."

"I had to too. All I did was borrow one of Jazmine's jewelry rings that she wore on occasion and took it to a jewelry store at the mall. They matched the size and were able to downsize it in-house."

"Dammit." Riley muttered.

"What now?"

"Cindy doesn't own any rings. I looked while she was out today. She has a narrow supply of jewelry period. How am I supposed to figure it out?"

"Don't panic for one." Huey rolled his eyes. "Did Granddad say what size the ring currently is?"

"I asked him later after I thought about it. He said Dorothy's ring size was a 7."

"Jazmine's a 5.5. I'm sure hers and Cindy's hand sizes don't vary by that much. And being off by a size or a size and a half shouldn't be that bad. You can always get it resized after the proposal."

"Aw come on nigga, I don't wanna do it that way! That's hella tacky!" Riley complained.

"I don't really know what to tell you since you don't have a ring on hand." Huey retorted evenly, trying to remain calm and continue to keep his voice quiet.

"…I gotta idea."

"Oh really." Huey replied boredly.

"Yeah. I just need your help."

Huey bit back a groan, already pinching the bridge of his nose. "What, Riley?"

"I need you to check her hand."

"Excuse me?"

"Tuesday. You gotta ride with her anyway when you carpool to work. Just try to look at her hand during that time."

"Are you on drugs?" Huey questioned, partially serious. "How do you expect me to guess what size she is?"

"Chill nigga. You just said Jazmine is a 5.5. And you're right, they can't be that much off in terms of hand size. You know Jazmine's hand verbatim, like the back of your own. You can mentally picture that shit right?"

"Yeah, so?" Huey shrugged.

"Sooo you can definitely do this! You notice things and little details better than I do nigga, and that's saying something. I can't do this because I can't accurate picture the size of Jazmine's hand, but you can. Which means you can compare the two. Right?" Riley asked again, sounding almost hopeful.

"Riley," Huey started, not really knowing what to say. All he knew was that he did not want to deal with this task. "This is ridiculous."

"Come on man, please?" He actually asked. Politely even. "I really need help. I wanna get as close as I can on this. I probably will have to get it precisely resized after the fact, but I just want it to already be in the ballpark. So when she puts it on she feels like it's meant for her, you know?"

…Dammit Riley. As if it's not already hard enough riding with the white girl.

Huey sighed lowly into the receiver. "Fine." He uttered.

"Really, nigga?"

"I said fine!" Huey snipped, but quickly composed himself. "I'll do it."

"Thanks, man. That means a lot."

"Yeah, I know." Huey grumbled. "Where are you that you can talk without her hearing you?"

"The studio. I decided to bring some supplies and a couple finished art pieces over."

"Tonight? Even though you could've just taken them with you when you go to work in the morning?" Huey raised an eyebrow. "Cindy didn't find anything off about that?"

"I mean, she didn't really understand why I wanted to take all this stuff tonight, but aye… she couldn't stop me so…."

"Uh-huh." Huey rolled his eyes. "Where'd you hide the ring?"

"I've got it with me now. I'm going to lock it up in my office desk."

"Smart."

"Yeah, I know nigga." He said smugly.

"Great. I'm gonna go."

"Don't forget about Tuesday!"

"I don't forget things."

"And don't tell Jazmine."

"I won't."

"And-"

"Goodnight, Riley." Huey told him before ending the call again, already standing to leave the room. He had just turned the corner into the hallway when he almost bumped right into Jazmine.

"Baby, what took you so long?"

"It was just Riley." Huey answered with a dismissive shrug.

"I know that much, but what did he want? It took a while and I've been waiting for you." She told him. She was now wearing her short white nightgown that stopped several inches above her knees. Draped around her was her pale pink robe made of sheer lace.

"I'm sorry it took that long. He was just telling me about some new artwork." Huey made up in the moment. "He told me that and just wanted feedback for other ideas."

Jazmine stared at him for a steadying moment, seeming to judge his story. He could practically feel the curiosity radiating from her. She needed a distraction.

"Is everything okay?" She asked innocently, eyes fixed on his.

Huey stepped closer, now in Jazmine's space as he slowly slid his hands onto the sides of her belly. Jazmine smiled as he gently stroked her with his thumbs, taking in her changing body. He then slid his hands down around her hips, brushing over her backside and slightly down the sides of her thighs before pulling her up into his arms. Her legs easily wrapped around his waist and she leaned down to kiss him on the lips. Huey immediately took control, kissing her passionately and fully. When Jazmine eventually pulled back for air, she rested her forehead against his and gazed down lovingly at him. Huey returned the look in his own way, a hint of mischief now shining in his eyes.

"Please," He spoke huskily, a smirk already on his lips. "Let me take my wife to bed."

Tuesday; 6:31 PM

"Thaankss, Carpool Buddy!"

Huey sighed at Cindy's favorite line as he parked the car in front of the house. He noticed that she gave him a look when he turned off the car.

"You're comin' in?" She asked in confusion.

"Granddad wanted to ask me something." He lied vaguely, not waiting for a response as he opened his door and stepped out. He didn't bother to wait as headed up the walkway and opened the already unlocked door.

"We're home!" Cindy called out, entering a few moments behind him.

"In the kitchen, babe!" They heard Riley answer. Huey led the way down the hallway, calculating how he would be able to speak to Riley alone with Cindy out of earshot. He still hadn't reached a probable solution by the time they reached the kitchen. Riley was stationed at the stove, adding salt to a pot of noodles while stirring a separate pot of red sauce at the time.

"Hey honey." Cindy greeted, walking over and giving him a kiss on the cheek while she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Sup girl?" He grinned, turning his head to peck her lips. "How was work?"

"Work was good. What's up with you? We doin' spaghetti tonight?" She asked, eyeing the dishes.

"Yes ma'am. With Granddad's bomb-ass sauce. It's 'bout to be lit."

"Can't wait." Cindy giggled, reaching up to give him another kiss. Riley gave her a wink before turning to casually look back at Huey.

"Aye, nigga."

"Hey." He answered, crossing his arms as he leaned against the counter.

"What you doin' here?"

Huey simply eyed him before answering. Really?

"Granddad wanted me to see him about something. I don't know what." He shrugged.

"Dammit, I think he's up there with his headphones on. Babe, will you do me a favor and go get him? I need him to taste this sauce to make sure it's right." Riley asked Cindy as he stirred the sauce again.

"Sure baby. I'll be right back." Cindy agreed, heading for the door.

"Thanks bay." Riley grinned. Huey's eyes followed Cindy after she walked past him, then back to Riley, slightly impressed.

He was getting better.

Riley quickly turned the flame down and placed two lids on the pots to simmer before turning to Huey. "So?" He asked expectantly, his voice quiet.

Huey briefly replayed his observations back over in his head. Cindy's hands were close in size to Jazmine's but slightly bigger. Her fingers were long and slender much like Jazmine's, but just a hint wider. They weren't different by much, just barely.

"I'd say a 6 at the minimum. Possibly between that and a 6.5, but no more than that." Huey answered confidently.

"Really nigga? You sure?"

"I'm positive. I'm certain about the 6. A 6.5 might be a little big for her, but you can always get it downsized again later."

"Right." Riley nodded, seeming to be in thought. "That's great. And that meant a lot that you did that, man. Thanks."

Huey nodded similarly in response. "Is it sinking in yet?"

"What?" Riley asked dumbly.

Huey rolled his eyes, but couldn't help but smirk. "That you're about to propose, dumbass. About to become engaged. Actually get married-"

"Aiight, aiight, chill with that, they probably about to come down." Riley interrupted him hastily.

"Getting cold feet already just by talking about it?" Huey raised a brow, a smirk still on his face.

"Nigga, hell no. It just… hasn't sunk in yet. It won't feel real until after it happens." Riley answered with a shrug, trying so hard to seem unbothered and unaffected.

Please. Huey thought with a subtle eyeroll.

"And when do you plan on doing it? Asking her?" He challenged out of curiosity.

Riley swallowed before speaking. "I was thinkin' about next week."

"Really?" Huey asked, surprised. "Wow. That'll come up sooner than you think." He ignored Riley's glare. "You have a plan in mind yet?"

Riley sucked his teeth, crossing his arms. "Nigga, maybe I do, maybe I don't! Hop off my-"

"Shut up." Huey raised his hand to silence him as he heard noise coming from the hallway, signaling that they were walking down the stairs. "They're coming."

Riley immediately stepped back to the stove and took the lids off the pots with a clatter, quickly beginning to stir both. Huey rolled his eyes at his nerves and remained calm, leaning back against the counter once more. A few moments later, Cindy entered the kitchen first followed by Granddad.

"Granddad!" Riley immediately exclaimed, a little too eager. "The pasta's almost done, I need you to check the sauce. I'm tryna have them both ready at the same time, dig?"

"Boy, if you don't learn how to just know when somethin' tastes right before I die you ain't ever gonna eat right." He grumbled as he nudged him out of the way.

"…What?" Riley questioned.

"You need to know how to cook your food by taste so you can figure out if it needs more or less of something!" He snipped before using a spoon to try it. After swallowing, he smacked his lips several times before speaking. "More oregano."

"Dammit." Riley cursed, reaching into the pantry again while Cindy giggled at the two. Granddad put the spoon in the sink before making eye contact with Huey.

"Whatchu want, boy? I thought you were just droppin' Cutie Pie off."

Huey had almost forgotten about his false reason for coming inside. Shit.

"Didn't you want to see me?" Huey countered, pretending to be confused.

"The hell you talkin' about? When did I say that?"

"A few days ago. Probably sometime after Sunday dinner." Huey spoke nonchalantly. "You wanted me to stop in after work today about something. I would've came in before work but knew you'd already be out on your morning run."

"Boy what? I don't remember saying anything like that to you!" Granddad retorted, clearly frustrated.

"Of course you don't." Huey supplied an eyeroll. "It probably wasn't important then. If you remember, call me later. I'm heading out." Huey swiftly began to head for the hallway. "Enjoy your dinner." He said over his shoulder.

"Later, McHater." Riley snickered.

"What he said, Carpool Buddy!" Cindy added.

There was an empty moment of silence before Huey heard Granddad speak to the only two left in the kitchen.

"Doesn't make no damn sense. What the hell would I need to say to him? Did y'all hear the conversation when I asked him that? And if I did, why didn't I just talk to him about it then?"

That's gonna bother him all night. Huey smirked, about to open the front door. However, he still was able to make out Riley's simple response from the hallway.

"I dunno old nigga, you cray."

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Finally updated! So happy! It's been a minute with this story (well, all my stories) but I do have some good news….

I GRADUATED COLLEGE Y'ALL! Finally DONE and I couldn't be happier! I finally FINALLY will have some free time in my life. Omg I'm free and it feels so good! More frequent updates will definitely now be doable :) :) :) :) :)

So about that engagement ring ;) I will try to put a link onto my profile for the picture I was inspired from and also put the title of it in the disclaimer section below. If you Google it exactly the first four images should be the correct one if it's from the Topazery website.

Disclaimers: I don't own rights, copyrights, anything regarding Edwardian Antique Engagement Ring with Bird Motif, RG-3126 or The Dragon Takes A Wife by Walter Dean Myers (however, this is a children's book that I LOVED when I was a kid. Still have it).

I hope you guys enjoyed it! Sorry if there's any typos. Also I know it's a little shorter than my usual lengths, but more is coming soon! Next update is for my other story, Friends First, Benefits Second, and then I'll be hopping right back to this! Next update for this one will be a big one ;) Til then!

Kisses! XOXO

~Gossip Girl

~I mean Schweetie