The sun came up shining on the three of us. We've been in Phuket for a week. The energy between Diri and I was much better. We had a conversation the next morning after my failed proposal. We came to a clear understanding.

Looking over at my two girls laying sleeping, I couldn't do anything but smile.

I stood up, went to the bathroom to handle my business. While I did so, I thought about that morning again after my proposal. Which turned into an amazing day.

Diri woke me up around five in the morning. She was up and already dressed. Had her hair and makeup done, and everything.

"How long have you been up?" I stretched peeking over at Julia. She was knocked out.

"Since about three o clock this morning." She ran her fingers through her ponytail she had in her hair.

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"I just wanted to stare at you —and prepare myself for this talk. I didn't like how I left you yesterday and came back with nothing to say to you. —As if we didn't just spend the last few months falling in love with each other." She smiled at me.

I made my way to the bathroom, and she trailed behind standing at the door. She could still see Julia from there.

She stared at me through the glass mirror. "I want to talk, open and clear. —I know sometimes we refrain from saying certain things to each other. It's like we tread lightly so we won't stress each other out. I want to have a vulnerable conversation with you. Will you give me a do-over? I didn't mean to come back and not have anything to say."

I was finishing up brushing my teeth. I rinsed my mouth then wiped my face.

"Come on." I grabbed her hand and took us back to the bedroom. We took seats on the floor in front of the mirrored closet. We sat directly in front of each other.

She took a deep breath before she spoke to me. "There's nothing I want more than to share my life with you. When you asked me to marry you, I thought about this year entirely. Hell the last few years of my life even. I've made some poor decisions. My decisions made things harder for myself and now harder for my daughter. I created dysfunction for her. —That breaks my heart every time I think about that." She started tearing up. I got up to get her some wipes for her face.

"Here, take that stuff off of your face." I handed the wipes to her while sitting back down.

She pulled her lashes off, handing them to me then began wiping at her face. "I don't trust myself to make decisions. It's not just me anymore. I don't want to ruin Julia's life."

I leaned over and placed her lashes on the nearby desk while I continued to listen.

"I also want tradition, that's important to me. Even though it doesn't seem like it. —I don't want to sound ungrateful, but I don't want some spur of the moment proposal. I do love you, and I do want to marry you someday. I need time. I want to enjoy being with you. I want us to enjoy that little girl laying over there." She took a breath, "I'm sorry."

"No, don't apologize. This conversation is necessary." I assured her.

"I want to marry you just not now. I also don't want to marry you just to give Julia a legal father. —You're already hers. So that's not a question anymore. You know that, and I know that." She continued wiping the makeup from her face.

"I want to be able to protect both of you," I confessed, rubbing on her legs.

"You do." She confirmed.

"I don't want to feel like Nelson could keep me away from Julia. I feel powerless." I said to her.

"I'm not dealing with him anymore, and we'll always fight for her. You and I are her parents." Her saying that made me smile. Maybe this is what I wanted, her to let me know and hear her say that Julias my child too.

"So she'll refer to me as her dad, and you're ok with that?" My brows raised while a smile eased its way in, making my whole light up.

She giggled proudly. "Yes, you are her dad, because it takes more than blood to be a dad. If anyone asks, that's what I will say. As for us, marriage will come for the right reasons. So the next time you ask me, I won't even have to hesitate."

"Ok." I pulled her up on my lap. "I can work with that. Besides I know you're dad would've kicked my ass if I didn't ask for his blessing first."

"You're speaking all facts. He probably wouldn't let you ever live that down either." She laughed a little.

"I love you."

"I love you too." She smiled.

I leaned back on the floor, laying on my back, she was on top of me. She began kissing on my lips, trailing down to my bare chest.

She leaned up to pull her top off. I quickly unhooked her bra leaning up to get a mouth full. The moment I sucked on her nipples, they began leaking out.

I sucked on it harder, devouring whatever came out. She moaned out, unbuttoning her pants.

She pulled away from me to stand. With quick motions, she pulled her pants and panties off. She peeked over at Julia. She was sleeping. I stood up, pulling Diri to the next room over. I laid her down on the bed. Her breast was now leaking uncontrollably. I leaned in to suck on the other one. She smiled down at me.

I trailed kisses down to her belly button. She held on to her breast, stopping the milk from pouring out further. We were moving so swiftly. I roughly pulled her to the edge of the bed diving my tongue deep into her throbbing—

My thoughts were interrupted by Diri joining me in the bathroom.

"What are you in here daydreaming about?" She asked, picking up her toothbrush.

"Just thinking about the morning, we had that talk. Our conversation that led to something else."

"You're talking about when you flipped me over and sat me on your face." She smiled at me through the mirror.

"Nah, I'm talking about the part when I had your ass bent over like this." I joked, quickly demonstrating making her squeal. She was bent over in front of me as I gripped a fist full of her hair.

"Stop, you almost made me choke on my toothbrush." She coughed laughing.

"Now hurry up so you can pump us some milk." I released her hair.

"Zo, I told you yesterday you were cut off. Stop drinking the babies milk." She whined.

I Ignored her, leaving out of the bathroom.

"I'm not playing." She peeped her head out.

I went over to get Julia up so she could get ready. We've been out none stop all week, and Rose has been keeping her for a few hours here and there. To give Diri and I some alone time. I'm happy about that because I can't keep my hands off of her.

Every chance we've gotten this week we took it. I'm talking down at the private pool, late night on the beach.

We even got a little reckless yesterday on the boat. Bo and his wife were with us. He found us inside the boat getting in. He caught Diri on top straddling me butt ass naked. We were killing it too. I was gripping her ass while she rocked back in forth thrusting me. As soon as the door opened, we froze. He immediately shut the door, excusing himself. It was feeling too good. So I begged her to keep going, and we did.

I don't think they trust going out with us anymore.

A knock appeared at the door. It was Bo, his wife, and son. We planned to do something fun with the kids today to give Rose a break. We planned to go to the shopping mall and the walking street. Also, do some other outdoor fun activities.

"What up?" I opened the door for them.

"Is it safe?" Bo looked around.

"Chill." I laughed.

"I have to check, never know what I'm walking in to." He laughed, eyeing us both.

"Hey Dreya, —what's up little man."

They spoke, then went over to the couch.

"I want to hold the baby." Bo son Brent looked back at me.

I nodded. "Dreya can you help him hold her?"

"Brent come wash your hands first." They went over to the sink and came back.

"Here you go, little man." I placed Julia in his arms. He was seated on the couch next to his mom.

"Ima' go grab her clothes and get her bag organized." I went back in the room, Diri was putting her hair in a ponytail and pumping milk at the same time.

My phone started ringing.

"Hello," I answered my sister Mai.

"Hey, I was calling because mom is trying to get everyone together for a family dinner. I'm trying to schedule it for when you return. I'll be in town for a while." She said all together. I knew this was moms way of getting the family on track. Well, Mai and I on track.

"That's fine, go ahead and set the date I'll work it in."

"Ok." She replied, then silence found us.

"Mai, what's wrong?" I asked her because it was awkwardly quiet.

"Nothing, I'll let mom know." She tried being convincing.

"Aight then."

She hung up after that. I shook my head and went on to get things ready to go.

* * *

The walking street was packed out. People were walking around everywhere. Of course a lot of people noticed me, but for the most part, they were respectful.

"I want to try all the food, and I mean everything." Diri cheered, eyeing everything we walked passed.

"I want to get some cute little skirts and handmade scarfs to take home." Bo wife Dreya added, Diri agreed.

"Didn't you two already come out here?" I asked them while checking out some of the souvenirs we passed.

"So what?" Diri smiled at me. They were out here that day they went out on their own.

"We were here after four o clock, which is a different experience. That's why we left early. They get turnt' out here." Dreya high five Diri. She's a little older than us, and so is Bo, but they know how to have a good time. She and Diri have been cracking up this entire trip.

"I heard the nightlife is totally different. This is my first time here in the walking street." I stated carrying Julia in the strap on carrier. She was asleep resting her head on my chest.

"Bo, your wife, was showing some of the women out here up." Diri peeked over at her, Dreya stuck her tongue. I can only imagine what these two have been up to.

"Di don't try to play like you weren't dancing alongside me." She blurted out making Diri gasp dramatically acting fake shocked.

"Dancing with who?" I quickly asked, stopping in my track. Bo stopped as well holding his son's hand. They didn't even realize we stopped.

"Adira, you were dancing with someone?" I asked, she looked back searching for something, and so did Dreya. Bo and I were lost and still waiting on her to answer the question.

"You see all these empty bar tops." She pointed around, we looked. "Its a totally different experience at night.

"We were dancing on them with the other women. They weren't really moving, just swaying from side to side. So Dreya and I got up there to show them a few things. Although I'm not the best twerker, Dreya, on the other hand, showed them how a true stallion would do it."

"There I was back at the hotel, thinking you were sulking and crying over me. But you two were out here twerking and shopping." I shook my head.

"I was thinking of you the entire time baby I promise." She snaked her arm around me from behind, giggling.

"Zo we're going out tonight, leaving their ass at the hotel." Bo proposed I nodded agreeing. Sounds like a plan to me.

"Please, you two would be miserable. Wouldn't even know where to go." Dreya laughed, acting like she know us like that.

"Aight bet." I nodded. "Say no more, and don't be blowing up our phones either."

"Yeah ok, Zo sure," Diri said sarcastically not believing I could be away from her and have a good time.

"Anyway, Brent what do you want to eat?" I asked Bo, son. He was getting bored.

"Some of that stuff on the stick."

"Ok, lets hurry and get some food so we can take him to the water park. Then we can feed the elephants and maybe ride horses on the beach."

"Oooo can we ride ATVs in the Mangrove?" He asked, excited.

"Sure if we have time, we might have to do that tomorrow after we go to the aquarium and the Trickeye Museum." I roughed his hair up a little.

We moved around from place to place until we couldn't take anymore. I got some beautiful pics of my girl riding a horse. She had on a black bikini with some ripped blue jean shorts on to cover.

We even chilled at the pool for a little. I got some pictures from there as well.

The sun was down, and it was getting late. We made our way back to the hotel after we had dinner at some fancy spot. Adiras been fussing about it since we left.

"I can't believe we ate there, with those ridiculous prices. The pork was seven hundred, and the damn steak fries were three hundred and twenty dollars. I wish I had thought to ask about the price beforehand. —The waiter was offering out everything like it was nothing." She continued to fuss.

I laughed. "Babe it's cool. —But you're right it wasn't worth it. Everyone said that's where all the Americans go to eat at. I should've called Marcel and asked him for some good places."

"Shit, I'm still hungry," Bo added. "Ima' get some wings or something when we go out tonight."

"Next time, leave the plans to Dreya and me. We'll figure out the dinner plans from now on." Diri said, and Dreya agreed.

"Ok that was a loss, we all agree on that." I kissed the top of Julia's head.

Bo carried his sleeping son. I held Julia walking beside him. Adira and Dreya were walking a few steps ahead of us. We were entering the hotel. A few people spoke to me, I waved.

"Where are we going, tonight, man?" Bo asked talking low, with his big tall ass.

"I don't have a clue, and I'm a little tired. We going somewhere because they're not gon' try to play us. Talking about we wouldn't know where to go." I replied to him in the same low tone so the ladies couldn't hear.

" I say we hit up one of the little bars, have a few drinks then call it a night." He suggested.

"Man no, let me make a few calls first," I whispered yelled before we caught up to the ladies to get to the elevator.

I heard them giggling while we were now waiting for it to open. "What's funny?"

The elevator opened, they hurried on not saying a word.

"Alright, that's cool." I hunched my shoulders.

Julia started making little noises staring up at my chin.

"I know you got my back, that's all that matters. Yo' momma trippin'." I watched her eyes fascinated with my chin. She made a louder noise ending in what sounded like a laugh.

"That's right, say all of that to her." We laughed at her, Julia gets so serious with her conversations.

"You and your daddy better stop talking about me." Adira leaned in, kissing her forehead. That was the first time she said that out loud around other people. She got me in this elevator blushing.

"Aww, I heard that." Bo cooed making googly noises, nudging me. Both he and Dreya were smiling hard at me. I couldn't help but laugh as my cheeks burned.

"Come here, baby." I bent down a little connecting my lips to hers, which was hard to do with me smiling so damn hard. That melted my heart, her acknowledging me as Julia's dad. It made everything we discussed real. I'm a father.

"Aight that's enough, save some for the room. We don't need to see any more action between you two." Dreya added. The elevator opened up.

"You didn't see, I did. I'm the one who's scarred for life. —Come on, let's leave them in here." Bo grabbed his wife's hand, walking out of the elevator. Our lips were still locked. If it weren't for our little one, we would've stayed in there.

I laughed a little before I guided us out of the elevator catching up to Bo, Dreya, and Brent.

"I can't wait to put one in you, Julia can have a brother or sister," I whispered in her ear.

"Um, oh no, not anytime soon. It's grind season, but you'll get the rest of your babies. Just not now." She poked my nose.

"Ok, I'll be patient." We caught up to them and stood in front of the door.

Bo laughed to himself. "I'll call to see if you still want to go out in about an hour."