Nova Solana Carter
We'd just landed in Chicago, maybe 10 minutes ago, and were already making our way to the Uber spot. It was 11:30 in the morning, and the reunion didn't start until 3, so we had a few hours to check in at the hotel and unwind before dealing with my family. Honestly, I wasn't trying to show up right on time anyway.
I was nervous, though. The last time I brought someone around the family, it was my ex, and the vibes were off the whole time. No drama, but nothing clicked either. Since then, I hadn't introduced anyone else. I kept them out of that part of my life.
Some of my people in Chicago hit me up last night, saying we should slide to their section tonight. I wasn't sure how Ramirah would feel about it. I know she gets awkward around new groups of people, and between my family and the potential outing, I didn't want to overwhelm her.
"Did you get the Uber? I need a nap..." Ramirah's voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
I glanced at my phone. "Yeah, baby, it's like three minutes away." Our flight wasn't crazy early, but she'd stayed up most of the night on FaceTime with Nina, gossiping about something I tuned out of after a while.
The Uber pulled up on time, and we loaded our bags in the trunk. The ride to the hotel was quiet, both of us lost in our thoughts.
Once we got to the room, I sat on the couch while Ramirah disappeared into the bathroom to undress. I had no intention of letting her shower alone, so I followed her in, closing the glass door behind me.
Wrapping my arms around her shoulders from behind, I placed a soft kiss on her neck. "I love you," I said quietly.
She turned around and kissed me back, smiling. "I love you ." She went back to washing herself, and I couldn't help but admire her. This woman—my woman, looked beautiful no matter what she was doing.
"Why are you staring at me, Solana?" she asked, her back still turned. I wasn't even sure how she knew.
"Because you're so damn beautiful, mama. I can't help it," I said, kissing her shoulder.
She whined playfully. "Papa, stop it. I'm too sleepy for this. I want a good nap before I have to deal with people."
"Alright, crybaby," I laughed, grabbing my soap to shower quickly.
♡
"Don't stress, my mama is gonna love you," I said as we pulled up to the venue.
"And the rest of your family?" she asked, looking over at me with a raised brow.
"Fuck them. I'm only worried about my mama and my granny." I smirked, and she rolled her eyes.
As soon as we walked in, I spotted my mom at the front talking to one of my aunts. She practically ran toward me when she noticed us, pulling me into a tight hug and swaying from side to side.
"Oh my God, my baby is here!" she said, grinning from ear to ear.
"Yeah, mama, I'm here. I missed you too." I laughed. "This is my girlfriend, Ramirah."
My mom quickly hugged her too, making Ramirah chuckle.
"I'm Katrina, but everyone calls me Mama K," my mom introduced herself.
"It's nice to meet you, ma'am," Ramirah said politely, and my mom beamed.
"Likewise, baby. I've been waiting to meet the woman who's got my child acting so crazy all the time. You're even prettier than the last one," she whispered to Ramirah, making them both laugh.
I shook my head. "Alright now, don't do too much, ma."
"Take her around and get some food before it's all gone," my mom said, shooing us further into the venue.
The place was packed. I recognized maybe a handful of people, then I heard someone shouting from across the room.
"Is that Lil Nova?!" my cousin Tre yelled, running over.
"Big Nova," I corrected, pulling him into a hug. It had been at least two years since we last saw each other.
"How's my niece-cousin doing?" I asked, grinning.
"She's good! She just turned one, bro. She's over there with Granny. You gotta meet her," he said, pointing to the corner of the room. "Her name's Leilani."
I realized Ramirah wasn't by my side anymore, so I texted her, and she said she was with my mom and granny. I shook my head. No telling what my mama was saying to her.
I finally spotted her across the room, holding a baby—Tre's daughter, I assumed.
"You brought your girl with you?" Tre asked, eyes wide. "Man, you really in love now."
"Yeah, bro, that's her. I'm tryna tell you," I laughed, feeling proud.
I made my way over to them, kissing Ramirah on the forehead. My mom, granny, and Ramirah were deep in conversation, probably about me. I scrolled through my phone for a bit, but then Ramirah handed me Leilani.
"There's TT Nova," she said, gently placing the baby in my lap. I watched her walk away, wishing I could put a baby in her.
"Give me this baby," my granny said, taking Leilani from me and rocking her to sleep.
A few minutes later, Ramirah came back with two plates of food. She set one in front of me and sat down.
"You better not be making her fix your plate," my mom said, shaking her head.
"She always does," I said with a slight pout. "I don't make her, ma. She just does."
"It's true," Ramirah added with a laugh. "Solana doesn't make me."
I leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Thank you, baby."
My mom smirked. "Solana, huh? I thought nobody called you that."
"Just my woman," I said, smirking back.
"Well, okay then. Period," my mom teased, snapping her fingers, and we all burst out laughing.
"Mama, stop," I groaned, shaking my head.
As we kept talking, my mom mentioned the wedding and how excited she was about grandbabies. Apparently, she and Ramirah had been having deep conversations while I wasn't looking.
"I'm trying to speed up the process, ma," I said, giving Ramirah a knowing glance. She blushed, and my heart swelled.
