Page 82 of Certified to Handle You
I picked my glass up and took a sip, lettin’ the moment pass, but it stayed in the back of my mind longer than I cared to admit.
The conversation kept flowin’ from there, though. She asked about my parents, about how I grew up and about what made me get into what I do. And for some reason, I didn’t feel guarded while talkin’ to her. My answers came easy. My laughs came easy too, and I caught myself leanin’ into the conversation more than I usually would with people I wasn’t that close to.
Around us, everybody else had their own conversations goin’. I glanced over at the other end of the table, takin’ in the rest of the family in a way I hadn’t really done before.
Abeni sat near the center, and even without sayin’ much, it was clear she held weight. The way she carried herself was different. Her voice stayed soft whenever she spoke, but it was that softness that made people listen closer instead of talkin’ over her. There was somethin’ in her eyes too. It seemed calm but experienced, like she had been through more than anyone ever knew.
People spoke to her with respect without even thinkin’ about it, and the more I watched her, the more I understood why.
Kojo sat beside her, quiet but present in a way that didn’t need attention. He didn’t say much, but when he did, people listened. His focus stayed on Abeni more than anything else. The way he looked at her, the way he made sure her glass stayed filled and the way he leaned in just enough when she spoke… it was all intentional without bein’ showy.
I could see where Pressure got it from and why he loved Pluto the way he did.
On the other side, Kay’Lo’s parents sat together, and their dynamic was different but just as strong. Treasure had this softness to her that reached everybody around her. She checked on people without makin’ it obvious, asked if folks needed anything and made sure everybody felt included, even me.
She had that motherly presence that didn’t feel forced. It just came natural to her.
Kwame sat beside her, more reserved with his posture straight and his presence calm. He didn’t jump into conversations the way everybody else did, but every now and then he’d laugh at somethin’, and when he did, it felt genuine.
I sat there takin’ all of it in, and the more I watched them, the more I understood what kind of family this really was. It wasn’t just about money or what they had, it was how they moved with each other, and how everything felt set in place without nobody havin’ to explain it.
There was structure in it. There was tradition in it, and it showed in the way they carried themselves, especially when it came to their relationships.
The way the men moved with their women, the way they stayed close and the way they listened when they spoke and moved when they needed to… it all meant somethin’.
I sat here watchin’ them, and the more I paid attention, the more it started standin’ out to me that every last one of them was married. Not just in name either, but settled into it in a way that looked real. It wasn’t forced or performative, and it didn’t look like somethin’ they were still tryin’ to figure out. It looked built already, like they had put time into it and stood on it.
That part stayed on my mind longer than I expected, and it had me glancin’ over at Renza without even meanin’ to.
He was talkin’ to his dad and Kwame, sayin’ somethin’ that made both of them laugh, and for a second I just watched him. I watched how easy he fit into all of this without even tryin’.
And as I sat here watchin’ them, my mind started wanderin’ because I couldn’t ignore how all of it looked when I really paid attention. His cousins were around his age, and they weren’t just in relationships; they had wives, kids, and whole lives that looked solid and already put together.
It made me think about Renza because even though I knew how he moved, bein’ around all of this made it stand out more. He was still doin’ things his own way, movin’ at his own pace and I couldn’t help but wonder what was really keepin’ him from fallin’ in line with what he clearly came from.
I leaned back in my seat just a little, lettin’ that thought sit with me while I wrapped my fingers around my glass. I didn’t let it show on my face, but it was there.
Now that I was here, and around all the Mensah’s at once, I could see it clear.
They stood on legacy without even sayin’ it.
It was in the way they moved, way they spoke and the way they built their lives around each other.
I couldn’t help but wonder where Renza saw himself in all of this because everything around me made it clear what his world was built on and what it expected in return.
Bein’ here, watchin’ how they moved and how they stood on what they had, made me think about where I fit into it too, and whether Renza saw me as somethin’ that was meant to last or just somethin’ that felt good right now.
As the day turned into night, I started to really feel that buzz settlin’ deeper into my body. It wasn’t just the liquor anymore, but everything around me. The music was playin’ with the water movin’ under us, and the lights from the yacht reflected off the ocean in a way that slowed everything down just enough for me to see how deep the moment was.
The more I drank, the more I leaned into Renza without even thinkin’ about it, my body finding him like that’s exactly where it wanted to be. And he felt it, because his energy shifted right along with mine. His hand slid from my thigh up to my waist, pullin’ me closer while his lips started workin’ their way along my neck.
His beard brushed against my skin while he kissed on me slow, and that shit had my eyes closin’ for a second while I took it in.
“Baby…” I moaned softly in his ear, my arms slidin’ up around his neck while I held on to him.
Renza tightened his grip on me like he liked hearin’ me call him that, his hands dropped to my ass before he squeezed it hard and smacked it, not carin’ who was sittin’ around us.
“Wussup, baby?” he whispered low in my ear, his voice sittin’ right on me while his lips went back to my neck, kissin’ and suckin’ on my skin like he was on whatever I was on.
