Our game lasted a few hours before the sun began to set. We were full of laughter and out of breath but managed to get enough touchdowns to win the game. I’d like to think we got them honestly, but we had to use some of our womanly assets to throw the men off their game. It was more than fair to us since there was no real chance of us winning fair and square.

As the night set in, the backyard came to life with tall lamp stands decorating the walk ways and a bonfire waving over a makeshift campsite. I stood next to Josiah with an arm clung to his waist, watching the flames rise. Lounging around, everyone was coupled up, and it was interesting to see Carla and Jacob having a friendly conversation. She didn’t need either me or Josiah to introduce her. Samiyah sat with Jonas who lay on his back with his head in her lap. They laughed then kissed about something before my gaze moved on. Claudia and Jaden were dancing to some pop music, with Claudia bent over doing her best rendition of a twerk. Jaden meanwhile smacked her bottom with one hand and ground against her simultaneously. I laughed and shook my head.

Julian and Desiree, Selena and Jordan, Phoebe and Q, who I found out later was Quentin stood at a makeshift station, preparing s’mores for the fire. The couple that intrigued me the most was Octavia and Jonathon. I watched them closely feed each other strawberries and sip out of each other’s drinks. They were clearly a twosome, and I wondered what it would take for them both to see it.

Before the game, I’d been formally introduced to a few new faces that were absent from Claudia and Desiree’s wedding. Luke Steele, Derek James Clark, and Quentin Davidson were close friends and fraternity brothers of Jonathon and Jacob. Xavier, Kyle, and twins Isaac and Isaiah Rose were cousins. Their father Antonio Rose and Christopher Lee Rose were brothers. I took an eye over to Christopher and found Martha Jean sitting close on one side and Adeline trying to stay awake on his other. It was pretty obvious the two older ladies were catty and fawning over Christopher, and it was quite amusing.

Looking back at the fire, I sighed and leaned into Josiah. It was amazing how comfortable I felt with his family. Like I belonged. When Carla and I had first arrived, she’d asked me was I nervous. It was refreshing not to be. Then, I couldn’t explain why, but now I knew this was home, and it made me wonder about how the stars aligned in the sky. In perfect order, the way things should be. I thought back to my parents and realized with glee that I did want to introduce them to Josiah. If it was up to me, our relationship would grow into something beautiful and how odd that it stemmed from what I declared was fictional.

“What are you thinking?” Josiah asked.

I pulled my eyes away from the fire to him.

“Introducing you to my parents.”

Josiah turned fully to me and examined my face. Surely, he was looking for the same horrific expression he’d found the first time the mention of introducing him to my parents came up. I smiled to give him a calming reassurance.

“I’d love to meet them, but I want you to be certain. If you’re not, I don’t mind waiting.”

I kissed his jaw and trailed my lips down his neck. A dark sound rumbled from his throat.

“Be careful,” he said, “being in the presence of my father will not stop me from taking you right here in front of everybody.”

I gasped with wide eyes and searched his face for seriousness. He winked down at me. “Yeah, girl. I’m about that life.”

His grin was naughty by nature, and I blushed and sank my face into his chest. When I pulled back, I kissed his chin again.

“Do you mind showing me to the bathroom?”

Without answering, Josiah turned me into his side, keeping his arm traipsed across my shoulder, and we walked step by step through the back door. Hardwood floors greeted us and the deeper inside we went the more attention Pictures on the wall caught my attention and gave me pause. Holding three tiny newborns in a hospital bed with an elated smile was a woman I assumed was Janet, Josiah’s mother.

I glanced at him, “Mom?” I said.

He nodded. “And Eden, Jasmine, and Phoebe.”

I decided not to go into further conversation about the picture and just smiled up at it. “She’s beautiful. You look just like her.”

“It’s what I keep hearing,” Josiah commented.

We moved forward and came across a wall of plaques that caught my attention. Getting a closer look, I leaned in and smiled. A different award was held by each one of Josiah’s brothers, him included. While Jonas received an undisputed heavyweight champion award, Josiah’s was for excellence in his doctoral in Business Economics from Harvard University. My smile grew as I felt a sense of pride at his achievement. Turning in his arms, I nuzzled my nose under his jaw and placed a soft kiss on his neck.

“I have some other awards just around the corner if that’ll make you hornier,” he said.

I fell out laughing, and his husky laugh chimed in.

“Why am I not surprised you said that?” I laughed.

He wiggled his brows. “Because you know better.”

We strolled to the bathroom tied to each other and like a gentleman he waited for me outside the door. Afterwards there we were again linked like one person sitting around the fire listening to Christopher tell us stories about his camping and fishing trips with his friends Fred and Sampson. The three of them had grown up together from grade school, and three times a year they set a place to have their men time.

“And still till this day, we have yet to meet the infamous Fred and Sampson,” Eden said.

“But we always hear about them when we get together,” Phoebe added.

“What?” I said. Everyone turned to me. “Fred and Sampson are your father’s best friends, and you’ve never met them?”

Jasmine, Phoebe, and Eden responded at once, “No.”

I turned to Mr. Rose, “Do you mind if I ask why not?”

Christopher Lee Rose squinted his eyes at me. “Because they’re some horny old bastards,” he said.

That got a few laughs out of us all, but my shock was still on high.

“So, you’ve kept them away from family functions all your life?”

“Not all my life,” Christopher said. “Only when the girls were of age. I can’t have my friends gawking at my babies. I’d kill ‘em.”

I glanced around, and everyone seemed to be in agreement.

“Wow.”

“I still love ‘em all the same,” Christopher assured.

Josiah leaned into me and whispered, “I’ll be back.”

He stood and left through the back door followed by Jonathon, Jacob, and Jordan.

“Well, I don’t blame you,” Martha chimed. “If it were my Samiyah, I’d do the same thing.”

“As would you all,” Christopher stated.

He went into detail about some of the escapades Fred and Sampson had been on, too much that made me slightly cringe. It’s true we can’t help who our friends are, but Fred and Sampson needed wives. That I was sure of.

When Josiah reappeared, there was a thin long rectangular box in his hands and my interest was certainly piqued.

“What do you have there, son?” Christopher asked.

Josiah smiled down at me with a sexy grin. “Santana just landed a position as investigative reporter at the Chicago Chronicle.”

Somebody gasped, and Desiree shouted, “You go, girl!”

I blushed and did a little happy dance in my seat.

“It was not without the help of Josiah,” I assured.

Josiah wagged his finger. “Don’t try and downplay your success.” My smile stretched. “So, I have a little something for you, babe.”

Josiah sat down next to me, and all attention was focused on us. With pleasure, I accepted the outstretched box and opened it to find a diamond incrusted necklace. A gasp left my throat, and I covered my mouth as my eyes watered.

“Josiah!” I said.

“Let me help you,” he offered, lifting the necklace so I could get a full look at the masterpiece. Even in the moonlight its sparkles ran up and down the exquisite jewelry, but hanging from the middle was a diamond ring, the biggest one I’d ever seen in my life.

“Oh, my damn,” Carla said, and everyone laughed.

I, on the other hand, couldn’t find the words to express what this moment was like.

“Baby,” Josiah’s smooth voice crooned, “I want you to marry me, girl.”

I gasped, flabbergasted, and tears sprang from my eyes. Shocked whispers of Oh my God, and questions of did you know about this from others looking on sailed around. But for me I wept like a child, completely taken aback by his proposal. Josiah pulled the ring off the necklace and locked the diamonds around my neck while he waited for me to answer.

Was this real? I wondered. Is he really waiting for a reply? With others looking on, and Josiah’s beautiful eyes boring into me, I spoke from my heart. “Yes.”