𝟎𝟐𝟔, 𝖺𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗒𝖾𝖺𝗋

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𝟎𝟐𝟔, 𝖺𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗒𝖾𝖺𝗋
𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐈𝐍: 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝖻𝗒 noah kahan

𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢'𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

most birthdays feel like another day but for some reason this birthday felt so special to me. i woke up with one of the biggest smiles on my face not caring about the crust in my eyes, the hotness of my breath or the millions of sleep lines of my face because today was my birthday.

i was a little thrown off when i realize ju wasn't in the bed but i didn't think much of it because she was most likely downstairs with my parents helping with breakfast.

with a rush of happiness, i brushed my teeth and washed my face before prancing down the stairs dressed in tube top, bluey pajama pants and glasses resting on my face with my hair secured in my bonnet.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAYYYY", they singed to me as i made into the kitchen. ju, my ma and pa dressed in party hats and blowing their party blowers loudly smiling at me with big smiles. the sight was so heart warming and cute to see.

not only was i spending my birthday with my parents but i was also spending it with ju, and that meant more than anything to me. "thank youuuuu", i smile at them as they wrapped me into a big group hug.

my pa places a "it's my birthday" hand band on the top of my bonnet and snugs a pink stash around my body before my ma tells us to come eat breakfast.

pancakes, eggs, grits, sausages and hashbrowns were scattered on the table like a buffet, the table was set in party decorations and at the head of the table sat my birthday plate with a cupcake and a candle on top.

"before we eat we gonna sing happy birthday and then you can make your wish", ma says lighting the candle as i take a seat. they all stand behind me and start singing happy birthday, my ma recording, "make your wish baby girl", she says when they finish singing.

i blow out the candles and make my wish removing ghe wrapper for the cupcake and taking a bite, "ow", i say as my teeth meets something hard. "the fuck", i mumble earning a popping on my shoulder most likely from my dad.

"it's some coal or sum in this cupcake, it's hard", i complain turning my eyes to my mama and then over at judea whom both had big grins on they face.

"yall laughing but im for real, huh take a bite", i hover the cupcake over judea mouth and she shakes her head. "what was it?", she asked pointing at the cupcake.

i shrug before moving it from her mouth and looking through the cupcake making my mess all over my fingers with the icing before i found what i bit into. an gold metal popped out and confusion ran through me, "whoever made this need to get sued immediately", i say still removing the pieces of the cupcake off the metal.

when i finally removed it, it was an gold ring decorated with small diamonds around the band and a diamond resting in the middle. "wait? what?", i say snapping my head back towards the three of them. "

"happy birthday mani lu", Ju says grabbing the ring from my hands cleaning it off before slipping it onto my finger. tears of joy filled my eyes and a bigger smile from this morning rose on my face.

"awwww", my mama says still recording and my daddy joins in with her. "this is bout' the most precious thing ever", ma says and ju laughs a bit.

my eyes were too blurry from my tears to see anything but ju wrapped pulled the chair back and swooped out of it giving me a tight hug and a kiss then she wipes my tears with the pad of her thumbs. "baby", the softness and warmth in my tone was all i could say.

"it's a commitment... not a promise ring because i'm promise you anything im already committed to but i thought it'll be special to have something to symbol my commitment towards you; so whenever you start getting in your head or feel like im not there.. i am always", ju says her voice firm but so gentle. "im committed to you Imani", she finishes off wooing me with another kiss.

at this point the tears were uncontrollable, but after breakfast was over i was able to handle them. i wasn't able to keep my eyes off the ring as i turn my hand around back forth examining it.

my parents cleaned up for breakfast while me and ju got ready for the day, "do you like it?", ju asks standing behind me in the bathroom mirror as i fix my hair. "yes of course, im in love with the ring", i say turning around meeting my front with hers; she hums as she looks down at me, "i knew your favorite was gold but i didn't know if i was doing too much with all the diamonds and stuff", ju tells me.

i smile at her, "it's perfect; it's beautiful. you could never do too much or too little because all i care about is that it came from you", assuring her. "so if it was a paper ring it would've been the same reaction?", she teases me and i laugh, "you tryna be funny but yes, if it held the same value and respect of this ring then yes", her smile grows at me.

"im so in love with youuuuuuu", she squeals into my neck scattering kiss on them making me giggle like a little as kid sliding my hand to the back of her neck humming at her kisses.

she stops in one spot moving her lips on my neck in a slowly sinful motion; the wetness of her lips seeking into my skin. "ju", i warn her but she only groans into my neck before swiping her lips over the spot and pulling away.

for my birthday, my parents threw a cookout with close friends and family here at home. which im sure was just another excuse of all of us to get together so they can have a good time drinking and slamming cards on the table.

"there ya go, there go the birthday girllll", my grandma smiles as she walks over to me holding a cup of ice cream and a rag seating in her hand which was collecting the sweat from her face.

my grandma was always close to me, she was damn near my best friend. when we moved back home after living in southern california she put everything back into perspective.

she was the one who helped me move on from the big move, ju and i friendship break up and put me all back together; though she used hard and stern ways to do it it worked.

"ouuuu my sweet pumpkin pie", she snuggles me into her; she had that familiar jasmine scent with a hint of wood that became an nostalgic sensation. "hi grandma, how'd you been?", i ask her as she pulls away from the hug.

"good suga, ya mama been stressing me a lot more since you done went off to college... i think she be lonely without cha ya but she good company her and yo bald headed ass daddy", grandma tells me and i laugh.

she tears her eyes away from me looking behind me, "well would ya look at here, juju", she said pushing me aside and pulling ju into a hug. "yew tha guh my granddaughter came home crying about?", she asks being messy which made me suck my teeth at her. "keep sucking ya teeth cause ya ain't gone have nun but gums if you keep doing it at me", she warned me.

juju rested her hands softly on my hips, "it's nice to meet you", she introduces herself. "oh? is this? this that stuff ya mama been telling about me?", my grandma points to ju hands on my hips.

"if you're asking if me and ju are together then yes grandma, don't be coming ova here being messy on my birthday.", i tell her and she raises her hands up in defeat. "grandma ain't tryna be messy guh, we just ain't never had this stuff back in my day", she tells me and i hum at her.

me and ju have a small little conversation with my grandma before she was pulled to the table of spades. ju and i decided to meet up with my cousins upstairs in the family room.

"AWWWWLLLL SHIT, maniiii back homeeee", my older cousin cameron said voice loud as always; he jumps from the couch and runs over at me hugging me. "the fuck you think we was here for? it's her party you dipshit", his twin brother carmen laughed his eyes focused on the game on the tv.

i laugh at them hugging them, "im either high as hell or juju watkins standing in front me", cameron said rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't tripping. "he need to stay off that dope, it's getting to his brain", junie said.

junie and i were the only girl cousins around, it was cameron, carmen, rin and then aaron but we all got along with each other.

juju spoke to my cousins fitting in with them well sharing conversations with them, "so did my lil cousin drag you all the way down here?", carmen asked her.

ju laughed a bit shaking her head, "nah, nun like that", she told him and carmen nodded his head. "that's wassup, you doing things out of the love from ya heart", he said and ju hummed.

as a kid carmen was always the sweetest, boys around here called him soft for it but that ain't never bother him because he still walked around untouched knowing he had cousins and a older brother there for him when needed. if we being honest carmen could easily fight his own battles but that was never his character.

"you look cute mani, did you take pictures?", junie asked chewing her on her spearmint gum applying a thick coat on gloss on her lips. "yeah, i did but imma post them later", i tell her and she nods her head.

we sit around the room talking, laughing and shit until we decided to play a card drinking game with the booze cameron had stolen from the party with the adults downstairs.

the party had ended with me, ju and my parents slumped in the living room on the couch munching on pieces of bread while a rerun of madea goes to jail play on the tv.

my head rest on my daddy chest as we shared his rocking chair which was too small for the both of us but we made it work. "happy birthday baby girl", he says placing a kiss onto my temple.

"im so happy that your happy with ya lil friend and that you're okay up there in Cali, that's all i ever want for ya", he tells me slurring his words here and there but i know he meant it.

he pats my back finishing his words and i sigh in comfort, i was never a daddy's girl or a mommy girl but it always felt nice to be in the arms of my parents. i was thankful for them; every birthday was special to me and i couldn't thank them more.

"alright get yo fat ass off me", he giggled drunk pushing me off him with a huff. i groan rolling my eyes as i slide down dramatically out of his chair and onto the floor.

"GET MY BABY OFF THE FLOOR", my mama yelled at my daddy and he waved her off making me laugh slightly; all of us was too drunk to even cooperate right now.

i crawled over to Ju resting my head on her lap still sitting on the floor, she drops her hand down to my hair rubbing her finger tips on my scalp. "come on, get up, let's go to bed", she says standing up from the couch and throwing me over her shoulder.