Ameer (The Brothers Ali Book 5) Read online

  “Oh, Ameer, so good to see you,” Paulina greeted.

  “How are you, Ms. Paulina?” Ameer asked, giving her a hug.

  “And who is the handsome young man you have with you,” Paulina asked, focusing her attention on Messiah.

  Ameer introduced the youngster and his mother.

  “Well, welcome, both of you,” Paulina said to them both, as she took a step back and extended her arm in an inviting gesture.

  Ameer also stepped aside, allowing Siobhan and Messiah to cross the threshold in front of him.

  “Wow,” Messiah uttered, his eyes growing larger as his head moved on a swivel, taking in the expanse of the house.

  “It is beautiful, isn’t it,” Siobhan agreed, equally observant. She was comforted by Ameer’s gentle hand to the center of her back.

  “And big,” Messiah commented, his eyes wide with excitement.

  “I’ll take you around after dinner,” Ameer suggested. “You good with that?”

  “Yeah,” Messiah smiled, looking up. “I’m good with that.”

  “Yes,” Siobhan corrected.

  “Yes,” Messiah echoed.

  Ameer winked at Messiah when his mom wasn’t looking. That put a smile on Messiah’s face. They walked together down the marble hallway to the grand dining room. Ameer’s entire family was gathered there.

  “You good, babe,” Ameer leaned over, whispering in Siobhan’s ear.

  “I think so,” she smiled, her eyes taken in the space and the faces.

  “Everything will be fine. They’re going to love you, both of you,” Ameer said, placing a gently protective hand on Messiah’s shoulder. He was always careful with Siobhan’s son. He didn’t want to push him too fast while at the same time, making sure Messiah felt included. It was a delicate balance; one Ameer willingly undertook.

  “Family,” Ameer said as the trio made their entrance.

  “Son,” Omar greeted, his arm securely locked around Aziza’s waist. His parents walked collectively in Ameer’s direction.

  “You must be Messiah,” Omar smiled, extending his hand to the young man.

  “It’s nice to meet you, sir,” Messiah replied, shaking Omar’s hand.

  “It’s my pleasure to meet you, young sir,” Omar said.

  “Siobhan, it’s a pleasure having you and your son in our home,” Omar greeted. “Thank you, Mr. Ali.”

  Aziza stepped forward.

  “Messiah, it’s nice to meet you,” Aziza smiled. “I’m a hugger. Is that okay with you?”

  His eyes lifted to his mother, seeking her guidance and permission before responding. When Siobhan nodded, Messiah opened his arms. Aziza bent down and hugged him warmly.

  “Oh, that’s a good hug,” she smiled. “I may need another one before you go, okay?”

  Messiah nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Siobhan, we’re so glad you’re here,” Aziza said, returning to her full height.

  “Thanks for having us,” Siobhan smiled, hugging Aziza in return. The way his parents greeted her, and Messiah helped Siobhan to relax and feel more comfortable. By the time they were introduced to the rest of the Ali family, most of Siobhan’s feelings of nervousness and angst had subsided. She was still a bit wary, but everyone was extremely welcoming. It was interesting to see Messiah with Ameer as the men talked. Ameer stood behind her son, gentle hands on his shoulders as his brothers greeted Messiah. Even from across the room, Siobhan could tell Messiah was included and seemed to be having a good time. He was smiling.

  “Siobhan, we are so glad you and Messiah are here. I’m Charity, O’Shea’s wife.”

  “Good to meet you, Charity,” Siobhan smiled.

  “I’m a hugger, too, so I hope it’s okay,” Charity said.

  “Me, too,” Siobhan laughed.

  “Then you will fit in just fine,” Charity grinned as the two ladies embraced. “I think we all are.”

  Aya, Naomi, and Racquel were just as warm and welcoming as Charity had been.

  “Last but certainly not least in our sister circle is Cairo,” Charity explained.

  Their collective attention turned to a woman with babies in both arms.

  “And, of course, our beautiful nieces, Egypt, and Isis,” Charity continued.

  “Let me help, babe,” Israel said, meeting his wife as she entered the room.

  “Twins,” Siobhan beamed as she watched Israel take one of the girls and cradle her lovingly in his arm. Before Israel returned to the men’s circle, he leaned in, kissed the remaining twin, and then kissed Cairo on the cheek.

  “I’m coming. I’m coming,” Cairo beamed as she padded toward the gathering of women.

  “Egypt has been fussing, honey. She was hungry. And when one eats, they both eat,” Cairo sighed, shaking her head.

  “They are beautiful,” Siobhan observed.

  “Thanks, girl,” Cairo smiled. “They are beautiful and wearing a sista’ out,” she laughed. “But enough about me. It’s nice to meet you, Siobhan.”

  “Likewise,” Siobhan replied, accepting the one arm hug Cairo offered. Siobhan couldn’t resist greeting the baby, who cooed sweetly in her mother’s arm.

  “Now, Siobhan, I understand you’re a dance instructor,” Aya asked.

  “I am,” she replied.

  “Well, Sunday dinner at the Ali house is a whole feast,” Aya continued. “I don’t know about ya’ll but honey, I need some cardio during the week, so I can eat like I want to on the weekend.”

  “You are not by yourself,” Naomi smiled. “Dancing would be fun, especially since I hate all things treadmill and stair master related.”

  The ladies joined in, laughing with Naomi.

  “Well, if you all want to take a class, you are more than welcome to come by.”

  “Do you teach all styles of dance, Siobhan?” Racquel asked. “The workout and calorie burn is fine, but I wasn’t thinking about it for Sunday dinner.”

  “I won’t even ask why you were thinking about it,” Naomi quipped.

  “’ Cause you already know,” Racquel sassed, cutting her eyes across the room to where the men stood.

  “A mess,” Charity guffawed.

  “A whole mess,” Aya added.

  “Racquel, I’ve got you, okay,” Siobhan smiled. “A little tango, a little salsa, rumba, kizomba.”

  “Oh, the kizomba,” Rocky smiled. “I’ve seen a couple of videos on Facebook.”

  She leaned into the circle. “That dance is all kinds of hot and sexy, hunty.”

  “And dangerous,” Siobhan agreed.

  “Well, if that’s the case, we all might need to take a kizomba class,” Naomi grinned.

  “Don’t be including me in that,” Cairo protested. “I’ve got my hands full already,” she added, bouncing baby Isis in her arms.

  “I hear you, girl,” Rocky laughed.

  When Aziza approached the group, the ladies’ raunchy conversation faded.

  “Don’t stop on my behalf,” Aziza chimed. “I might want to take a dance class, too.”

  Their laughter reignited when Aziza did a little shimmy, shaking her hips.

  “Oh, Mama Ali,” Aya squealed. “Get it, lady!”

  The other women joined in, encircling Aziza and dancing with her.

  “I can’t wait for you all to come to class,” Siobhan smiled.

  “We can’t wait either,” Naomi replied.

  As the laughter died down, Aziza moved closer to Siobhan. “Will you walk with me for a moment?”

  “Absolutely,” Siobhan smiled.

  Aziza took her by the arm, and the ladies strolled out of the dining room into the hallway. The smile that was on Siobhan’s face remained but became a nervous smile. She wasn’t sure what Ameer’s mom wanted to talk about. The concerns she had when they first arrived at the house resurfaced as they walked to a quiet place near the front of the house.

  “There’s no reason to be nervous, beloved,” Aziza observed as their collective paces slowed.

  “You
can tell,” Siobhan iterated.

  “Yes,” Aziza smiled. “But there is no need,” she said reassuringly. “I just wanted to spend a moment with you. Siobhan, you are, and your son is important to my son. I can tell how much he cares for you. And I can also tell that you are good for him. Ameer is happy, content, and that’s all any mother ever really wants for their child is for them to be happy, you know?”

  “I do,” Siobhan agreed.

  Aziza turned to face Siobhan. “Ameer loves you and Messiah. We love you, too. My son loves carefully and genuinely. And I trust that. I trust his choice, and he has chosen you and that handsome son of yours. That’s why I can say with no reservation that we love you and will grow to love you and Messiah even more. I just want to say to you, Siobhan, that you and your son are truly welcome, and we welcome you both with open arms. I mean that sincerely and I hope you feel my spirit when I say that to you.”

  “I appreciate that more than you know, Mrs. Ali.” Siobhan could literally feel some of the apprehension she felt lifting from her. And she felt Aziza’s spirit, that Aziza spoke as a woman first and a mother second, one who understood what Siobhan might be thinking and allying her of those concerns with her kind words. Aziza could see Siobhan’s shoulders lower. She felt some of the tension, leaving Siobhan’s body as they shared another hug.

  Their cheerful conversation was interrupted by a bell ringing.

  “Dinner is served,” Paulina announced. Siobhan watched as several servers entered the room, each holding covered silver platters and trays. The servers placed the trays on a long buffet table, uncovering their dishes. Wonderful smells wafted into the air.

  “Seafood Sunday,” Omar smiled. “My favorite.”

  “Husband, they are all your favorites,” Aziza lovingly teased.

  “True, true,” Omar chortled.

  “Family, if we could take a moment to say grace,” Aziza suggested.

  The family converged around the dining table, positioning themselves near their partner.

  “Let’s join hands,” Omar said. “And bow our heads.”

  Ameer’s fingers closed around Siobhan’s and hers around Messiah’s.

  “Mighty God,” Omar began. “We just want to take a moment, grateful for how you’ve kept us, grateful for how you’ve blessed us, grateful for our ever-growing family. God, please bless the food we are now about to receive, bless the hands that prepared it and bless it to be nourishing to our bodies. In your name, we pray, amen.”

  “Amen,” the family chorused in agreement.

  Opening his eyes, Ameer turned to Siobhan, visually checking in with her.

  “Amen?”

  “Amen,” she smiled.

  Siobhan was glad dinner was being served buffet style. It was more comfortable, not fussy, where one would have to be concerned with using the right fork. Dinner was still exquisite, elegant, sophisticated, but it wasn’t pretentious.

  “Messiah, do you like seafood,” Ameer asked as the trio moved along together, deciding on their food choices.

  “I don’t like scallops and stuff like that, but I like fish and fries and shrimp,” he replied.

  “I think Ms. Paulina’s got you covered then,” Ameer smiled.

  Paulina had more than Messiah’s choices covered. She also made sure that there were a plethora of options for the entire family, including stuffed crab, red snapper, lobster mussels, oysters on the half shell, individually plated crab boils, salmon, seafood pasta, coleslaw, a variety of salads with all the fixings, hush puppies and freshly baked bread. The conversation quieted but didn’t end as everyone enjoyed the food.

  “Charity, babe, are you okay,” O’Shea leaned over and asked.

  Even though he spoke softly, his question did draw the attention of the family members sitting closest to them. When Siobhan looked in that direction, she saw Charity’s eyes narrowed, and her forehead wrinkled. She didn’t respond to her husband’s question; instead, Charity lifted her hand to cover her mouth and pushed her chair away from the table, walking quickly out of the dining room. O’Shea moved with her. By the time Charity pushed back on the chair, he already had his hand on the back of it, lifting to his feet. And when Charity moved to leave the room, he strolled right behind her, then caught up with her, escorting Charity the remainder of the way.

  “I hope she’s okay,” Siobhan whispered to Ameer.

  “Hopefully,” Ameer replied.

  Feeling a small hand on her arm, Siobhan turned to Messiah. “May I have seconds?”

  She was surprised. Messiah could be a picky eater, but he had cleaned his plate. Siobhan turned to Ameer, who also heard Messiah’s question.

  “If it’s okay with you, Siobhan, I’ll take him for more.”

  “It’s fine with me,” Siobhan smiled.

  “You want anything, babe?” Ameer asked.

  “No, I’m fine,” Siobhan replied. “Getting full,” she added.

  “Make sure to leave some room for dessert,” Ameer smiled. “That’s dad’s favorite part.”

  Siobhan knew that was in response to his mother’s earlier commentary.

  Ameer lifted the linen napkin from his lap, dabbed the corners of his mouth, and stood from his seat. Messiah did what Ameer did.

  “We’ll get a clean plate over there. Alright, young king?” Ameer suggested.

  Messiah fell in step with Ameer, and the two returned to the buffet. Siobhan smiled as she watched them navigating Messiah’s food choices. Ameer was good with Messiah, patient with him. She’d been concerned about how Messiah would respond to mommy having a boyfriend, but thus far, things were going well. By the time Messiah and Ameer returned to the table, Charity and O’Shea also returned.

  “Are you okay, Charity?” Aya asked as the couple sat back down.

  O’Shea placed his arm around Charity’s shoulders claimingly.

  “I am,” Charity smiled. Siobhan noticed that Charity looked a bit flushed.

  “Are you sure,” Cairo seconded.

  “Just a little queasy,” Charity replied. She was smiling. O’Shea was smiling mischievously. They both had that look like they had a secret they couldn’t wait to share.

  “Queasy?” Racquel questioned.

  By this point, the conversation drew the attention of everyone at the table, including Omar and Aziza, who sat at the head.

  “Well,” Charity sighed. “We had planned to wait,” she grinned, placing an upturned hand on the table. O’Shea’s hand closed around hers. His gaze found Charity’s eyes, and they smiled together. Something about the way they looked at each other warmed Siobhan’s heart. She could see just how much Charity and O’Shea loved each other. It was written all over their faces. As she looked around the table, she could see the anticipation of what Charity would say next.

  “But this little one won’t let us wait any longer,” Charity continued, placing a covetous hand on her belly.

  “You’re pregnant?” Aziza asked cautiously. Mrs. Ali could barely contain her excitement of just such a possibility.

  “Yes, mom,” O’Shea said, placing his hand over hers on her belly. “We’re pregnant.”

  “Oh, my,” Aziza sighed, her delicate hands lifting to cover her mouth. Omar wore a proud smile. The family celebrated, hugging and kissing Charity and congratulating O’Shea with brotherly dap and pats on the back. There was so much love willingly shared that it was infectious. As Siobhan looked around the room, she felt that love, too.

  On the drive home, Messiah slept in the backseat.

  “He had a good time,” Siobhan said as she and Ameer held hands.

  “I’m glad he did,” Ameer replied. “He really liked the game room and Pop’s mini-golf course.”

  Ameer navigated the SUV onto the interstate.

  “Did you enjoy yourself?”

  “I did,” Siobhan answered. “I was nervous at first, but your family made me feel welcomed.”

  “Good,” Ameer commented. “Because you and Messiah are welcome,” he added. The
next time we go to my parents, Messiah should bring his swim trunks.”

  “Next time?” Siobhan asked.

  “Yes, next time, beloved,” Ameer affirmed. “Sunday dinner is a family tradition and I want you both there with me.”

  Siobhan’s smile and squeeze of his hand was all the confirmation Ameer needed.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Three Months Later

  Spending time with family was important to Siobhan and Ameer. That’s one of the things she loved most about Ameer was how family oriented he was. Although Sunday dinner was a standing engagement at the Ali family home, Saturday brunch at the Greer home was becoming a tradition. Catherine enjoyed having her daughter in the kitchen with her, preparing breakfast. Even though both Daniel and Ameer tried to come in and offer a hand in preparing the meal, they were collectively shooed out by Catherine and Siobhan. That was their time to bond and to be together doing something they both loved. Of course, Daniel and Ameer protested, not being able to contribute. Neither of them wanted to be considered chauvinistic, which of course they weren’t. Yet, once relieved of responsibility for meal preparation, the men enjoyed spending time together, especially Daniel.

  Not having a son of his own, Daniel’s daughters joined in watching games, no matter the sport, and cheering alongside their father. Both Safiya and Siobhan were well versed and could speak accurately and intellectually on just about any sport, from golf to football. Some men could handle a woman being well versed in what some consider male-dominated activities, while other men clearly could not. They wanted to be able to educate their woman when it came to sports. When it came to the Greer girls, however, they grew up on sports, so there wasn’t much a man could teach them. Daniel took great pride in his daughters' understanding of the art of athleticism and sportsmanship. It was refreshing, though, having Ameer and Messiah at the house, watching college football together in the man cave, cheering for the home team and booing the opposition. Messiah seemed to enjoy the booing part the most.