(18+) These Three Words | A DeVanté Swing Fanfiction

Chapter 40: Tonight's the Night

Please excuse ANY errors.

December 31, 1998

~DeVanté's P.O.V~

Emotional... I've been extremely emotional for the past few days because I've never done anything like this. I don't have any hesitance because that would mean I shouldn't be doing this. I'm definitely ready, but I'm so nervous that I'm emotional. Tonight's the night...

The music is smooth, Luther Vandross, Freddie Jackson, and Minnie Riperton are played because anything different would definitely rub my parents the wrong way. Also besides Joe, the singer, those are Tia's favorite music artists. This is about Tia AND my family.

Tia and I danced or more like swayed to the music. When we first started to dance, we conversed, but we eventually ended our conversation and just swayed. Every blue moon, I lost my rhythm and went the wrong way. I grabbed Tia's hands, still moving, but pulled back. Taking my cue, she spun and dipped into my right arm.

"Didn't think I knew how to do that salsa dance, did you?" I asked, whispering as we'd been doing as she remained dipped in my arm.

"That's simple," Tia chuckled.

"That's a smooth move that ain't that simple," I replied laughing. "That's salsa."

Tia rolled her eyes with a smile, "alright, Donald." Feeling my eyes well up, I lifted her up to where she was standing straight. "Babe? What's wrong?" Tia asked me in a concerned tone with her bottom lip poked out.

"You're so beautiful," I replied.

Her right eyebrow lifted, "is that why you're crying? We see each other every day and all of a sudden-" Tia sighed, calling out to me, "Babe? What's the matter?"

I shook my head, then laid my forehead against hers, continuing to sway. She rubbed my tears away with her thumbs. She sighed again and continued to dance with me in silence. Eventually, dinnertime rolled around and EVERYONE sat around the large dinner table. Elijah's sexuality is apparent and before this, I told my family about Elijah. My cousins are accepting of gay people, but the older ones are strongly against and hate gay people and anything beyond gayness
The kids sat at a different table, all except Asiri because she's a baby. My mother lead the prayer, but my grandfather decided that he wants to add more.

My grandfather has a few health problems. He had a stroke this year and has recovered from that quickly with physical therapy, but he still has so many other things going on. He came to Paris with the rest of us because he wanted to be here too, but he hasn't been out of the house much nor does he want to be bothered too much.

"Donald Junior, I know that you got other plans, but the fact that you were able to get so much of the family to come here for the holidays speaks volumes. Not just for Christmas and New Year, but for Thanksgiving too. Thank you. THIS may be the last New Year's Eve and Day that I ever spend with my family-"

His speech was interrupted with a few, "Don't say that," and sad coos of disagreement.

Looking down at my empty plate, getting emotional from my grandfather's words. I closed my eyes as Tia rubbed my back in comfort, she then grabbed my hand with her free hand.