All Grown Up (Sequel To WDE)

16.

Ares' Pov

"Baby!" Adonis yells and runs to me. I watch her thick thighs run towards me and her muffin top bounce. She was wearing a maxi dress with a high split and her hair in a high bun.

She looks just as young as I remember her. Her smooth caramel complexion, her dark brown eyes, her smile, her beautiful tiger marks, everything about her is intoxicating. She's always been the proof that God still loves me.

I hug her tightly , kissing her forehead. "I missed you."

"I missed you too."

"How are the kids?"

"They're a little shaken up. They've adjusted though. They've been eating jerk chicken."

I sigh. "This is all my fault -"

"Babe..."

"Nah, Dawn (Don/Adonis), I shouldn't have put you guys in this position."

"Baby, look, we're in Jamaica," she points around. "You couldn't have put us in a better position than the Caribbean." She sips her juice that I think is guava.

"Which reminds me. I need a milli in three months."

She nearly chokes. "A million dollars for Z?"

"Yeah, it's either that or he dies."

She hugs me again.

"I shouldn't have let this happen," I said.

"I have it."

I let her go. "You have a million dollars?"

"Yeah ... In savings and college funds, along with leftover college scholarships. It'll take a while to get it all together and accounted for but ... This is your son."

"Supposedly."

She gives me a look. I finally notice how much she's really matured over the years and I love her for that.

"Zeus is your son. I love him. The kids adore him. I know you love him with everything in you. I could work hard to build it all up ... I could get on the kids' grades ...."

"Let's talk about it later. I just want to enjoy the family I have left."

She gives me a look then takes my hand. I walk with her to the beach. I see Aj and Amber playing in the water chasing fish. I creep up behind them and they jump on me.

We wrestle in the water and splash the surface. We run on the beach then head in later on to eat.

My baby fed us seafood and fruit. I enjoyed every bite. I couldn't help but think about how perfect this family moment is and how it's missing something. Someone. Zeus. I know he loves the beach. Especially in Charleston, messing with the locals and speaking Gullah. He loves the sand. I remember when he was young and he wrote "Zeus + Daddy" one day in the sand at Myrtle Beach in a heart.
Adonis is right. I do love him. I miss my son, even if he's not my son. I wish I would've expressed that more before the twins came along.

I help Adonis clean up and walk with her as the sun set in the island. I hold her hand.

"This is so beautiful, " Adonis says.

"Not as beautiful as my wife, " I smile.

She wraps my arm around my shoulder. "You're so sweet."

"Thanks."

"You know, I've been waiting forever before you came in my life for someone that actually wanted me for me. I was in relationships that didn't last or finding guys that had no intentions of being with me for me. Then you come along with your wisdom ... Your love for your family. Something I wish I had."

"I was only mature because of trauma not age," I kiss her. "I learned how to treat women great in spite of my mom not being there. I just wanted to be there for you.

I didn't want to pretend to be some stereotypical dope dealer. I didn't want to be that guy that holds back on his feelings just to be hard. I don't want to be a gangster. I did whatever I had to do provide for everyone." I stop beside her and look at the sun. "I'm sorry I put you through everything. Laying a child on you , having two more then one getting abducted . I'm sincerely sorry," I look at her. "But I'm not apologetic about falling in love with you. I want you to travel the Caribbean. I'm sending you with the kids to travel to Trinidad, the Bahamas, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Barbados, Puerto Rico, and any where else. I'll even come. We got two months after traveling to sort things out. What do you say?"

She looks up at me. "Ares .."

"Come on. Carnival is coming," I smile.

She smiles back. "Okay." We kiss. "To Trinidad."

"To Tobago."