"Pick an envelope." Athena hopped on the bed while pointing five envelopes toward me. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"What's this, beautiful?"

"I'll tell you after you pick one."

I picked a random envelope.

"Okay, Bia and I were scrolling through TikTok and saw this amazing idea where you put a bunch of Disney princess movies in an envelope."

"Gross."

"No, listen." She pouted. "Okay, like I was saying. Depending on the princess, we cook food from the movie and eat it while we watch it."

I hated Disney movies, mostly because they weren't ideal, but she seemed so excited. I smiled.

"Anything for you."

"Yay! Now open the envelope."

I opened the envelope.

"The princess and the frog, the menu is..." I flipped the card. "Beignets."

"Ah!" She squealed. "Come on, my love. Let's get cooking."

Which we spent the next hour researching beignet recipes and cooking them. To say we made a mess was an understatement, but the fun of it all was worth it.

We sat on the couch. Athena was cuddled up to me. We'd gotten through a good bit of the movie and she was already dozing off. I expected it though.

"Look how she lights up the sky." The little bug sang.

This was my first time watching this movie, I can admit that it was pretty good. Athena knew the words from the back of her hand. Dialogue and song.

"That someone as beautiful as she."

I looked down at Athena. She was asleep with powdered sugar around her mouth. She looked beautiful.

Her eyes fluttered open before looking at me.

"I'm sorry. I fell asleep." She giggled. "Ah, my fav song."

She started humming along.

"I love you, Evangeline!" She finished before laying her head on my shoulders.

"You love that song?"

"I love it. When I was younger, id always dream of having a wedding based on this movie. The lights of the fireflies. You can just feel the love of everything and everyone in this movie."

She grabbed my hand.

"I'd walk down the aisle and everyone would be holding these lights that looked like the fireflies." She shook her head. "I was a dreamer."

"It sounds beautiful."

"Thank you." She kissed my hand.

We finished up the movie. Of course, Athena was fast asleep. I carried her upstairs and laid her in bed before jointing next to her.

~

"Have you reviewed the samples?"

I nodded while tapping my pen.

"Have you chosen one?"

I nodded again.

"Did you like it?"

I nodded.

"Use your words." My mother whispered to me.

"I forgot them," I whispered back.

"What?" She questioned.

"I left the samples at home."

"How could you have managed to do that?" She tapped my leg. "Do you know how hard it was for me to get you this appointment?"

"I know. Athena and I, we were up late and my mind is fogged."

"So you left the samples for then cologne design that you wanted." She huffed. "You've never slacked on business like this."

"Excuse me." The man cleared his throat.

"If you two would excuse us, we're going to have a brief talk outside." My mother stood up. I followed afterward.

We walked out of the conference room.

"You left the samples!" She exclaimed.

"I know." I looked down. "Look, we can just ask to reschedule."

"We can't reschedule! Don't you get it? This company has been the mastermind behind many top
Designer fragrances and they gave you a chance and you blew it! I love Athena, dearly, but if she's going to become a distraction-"

"She's my fiancé mom and a part of my life. She'll never be a distraction." I interrupted. "It was my fault why we stayed up late."

"Then get it together." She walked back into the room.

I sighed.

"Tobias!" I heard the familiar voice. "Tobi!"

Athena panted while holding up the black-carry bag.

"Athena?"

"You left these and I saw them and hurried to bring them." She gulped. "Sorry, here you go! Get back to your meeting."

She quickly handed me the bag. She began to walk off but I grabbed her hand. I kissed her slowly before heading towards the door.

"I love you." I smiled.

She softly smiled. "I love you too, loverboy."

God, I loved when she called me that.

"Go in!" She exclaimed.

I walked back into the conference room. My mom nervously rambled.

"We dropped the samples outside on the way in. My deepest apologies. As for the one I like the most, this one."

~

"I like to think of it as, the Oli way," Oliver said while staring at the glass case.

"Dude. Peanut butter sandwiches were made way before you. You didn't invent them." Eros rolled his eyes.

"I know that, but have you ever toasted one with marshmallow fluff?"

"No. That's just weird." Eros said.

"Don't knock it until you try it."

"Yo. Why the fuck is there an article about you and my sister kissing in Central Park? Ever heard of PDA?" Anteros scrunched his face.

"Because Tobias is in love." Jacob made kissy faces. I pushed him away.

"Don't be weird." I shook my head. "And we were talking."

"About the argument?" Eros questioned.

"What argument?" Oliver furrowed his eyebrows.

"Way to go, big mouth." I rolled my eyes.

"My bad bro," Eros said. "So, you're in love with her?"

"Madly."

"Whipped." Oliver laughed.

"Haha. So funny." I playfully rolled my eyes.

"So you getting married is the real deal?" Jacob questioned.

"Yeah. To me it is."

"You don't think she feels the same way?" Oliver questioned.

"She does, trust me. I took her and Bia out the other day, she couldn't stop talking about you." Anteros shook his head.

"Really?" I smiled.

"Look at him cheesing!" Eros pointed at me.

"He's in love! Our boys' in love!" Oliver ruffled my hair. I pushed him away.

"I swear Oli, you're stuck in senior year." I chuckled.

"I'm the best man right?" Oliver questioned.

"No, it's me." Jacob nudged him.

"It's Eros," I said.

"It's always him!"Jacob huffed.

"Oh, that's cute! Since Valeria is her best woman, or whatever you call it, you're going to be the best man." Oliver nodded.

"I thought Kelsey was?"Jacob questioned.

"Have you been living under a rock? They're not friends."

"Oli, you're the only one who keeps up with People's magazines." Jacob rolled his eyes.

"I don't read Peoples magazine." He said. " I watch TMZ every night."

"Just so you can see yourself," Eros smirked.

"Exactly. Wanna know how many dating rumors are surrounding me and Skylar? A lot."

"Rumors?" I questioned.

"Oh shut up." He shook his head. "Skylars' cool and all but she's not my type."

"What is your type?" I questioned.

"Don't get me wrong. I love all women, but in the words of Tupac: the darker the berry, the sweeter the juice." Oliver smiled.

"There's a line with that." Anteros started.

"A line with what?" Oliver questioned.

"As a protector of my black queens, I gotta look out for them. Sometimes, not saying you, white boys love fetishizing them." Anteros crossed his arms.

"I don't!"

"So why do you like them? If you give me good reasons, I won't pester you." Anteros tested.

"They're a different type of beauty man." He shook his head. "And creative. It's like their brains think on an entirely different level."

Anteros nodded.

"And the way they fight for what and who they love. Who wouldn't want someone that determined in their life."

Anteros remained quiet.

"I mean, Tobias knows."

"What?" I questioned.

"Why do you only date black women?" Anteros questioned.

"That's not true." I shook my head.

"Lauren, my sister." Eros pointed at his fingers.

"I dated Amber." I shrugged. "I don't have a type."

"True. You do have a diverse dating pool." Anteros nodded. "But now that I'm thinking of it, Oli, you've only gone after black women."

Oliver winked.

"But it's more than physicality for me." He sat down. "My family had a helper around the house, who was black, and she was just so loving and comforting."

"Ew, you were crushing on Hattie? She was like sixty" Anteros scrunched up his face.

"Listen!" He huffed. "She took care of me more than my parents did. She genuinely loved me as if I was her child. I know not all white people are the same, but I never had one bad experience with a black person. They always make me feel included."

"Awe, it's so nice that you think of me that way." Eros held his heart.

"He's being serious for once, Eros." Anteros nudged him.

"I am too!"

My phone ringed and I stood up.

"It's Athena, one second."

"Whipped!" Oliver said.

I smiled before walking out the room.

"Hi, love."

"Hi." She said.

"Everything okay?"

"Uh yeah. I just miss you." She softly said.

"Want me to come home?"

"If you want, don't feel obliged to!"

"I'd never feel obliged to spend time with you. I'm on my way."

"See you then."

I hung up the phone.

"Tobias." I heard the London accent.

"Mrs. Solana, what are you doing here?"

"Its my sons house, I like to visit him, but I'm so glad that I ran into you." She smiled while flipping her hair.

"Why?"

"Because I wasn't to personally tell you something."

"What is it?"

"You and my daughter can no longer be together."

"Respectfully, who are you tell me?" I crossed my arms.

"I'm doing what's best for her."

"And what's best for her? You wouldn't know."

"Oh, but I would. I made a deal with your mother with this marriage thing, but only one thing could break it. And it's been broken."

"What?"

"I can't reveal that to you, Tobi. But just know that mama isn't here for no reason."