Marcus: The M Series, Book Three (23 page)

“Really, children? This is getting old.”

“At least it's three in one, Mother,” I reasoned.

Joshua and I stood with Matthew. Evelyn rolled her eyes.

“Still so dramatic,” Evelyn snapped as she stood in a huff. “We could just tell them and not go through all the childish riggamarow. We’re all adults, aren’t we?”

Russell laughed when she stood between Matthew and Joshua.

“What’s happening?” Mariah asked.

“Shh! No talking, baby! Alissa, Rob... please sit by Mariah,” I directed.

They frowned and looked around the room then sat next to an equally frowning Mariah.

“I'm so sorry,” Mother sighed. “They came up with this over twenty years ago—”

“Quiet, Mother! You're disrupting. You know the rules,” Matthew admonished as he walked to our mother. He bowed to her and she smacked his head.

“Love you, Mommy.” Matthew quickly kissed her cheek then returned to stand with us. “Yeah, I had that one coming,” he laughed. “We waited with Cookie and she disappeared, so from now on, it's right away. Now, no talking. Marcus has the floor.”

“Dad? You may begin,” I said.

“Alissa, Mariah, Rob... as you may already know, due my indiscretion, our family experienced a severing, which gained us a daughter but almost ruined us as a whole. During the time my wife and I were separated, my beloved mother passed away. Katherine?”

“Loves, I was still livid with Stephen over his indiscretion, and refused all communication with him. Because I couldn't get past my anger and talk to Stephen, my sons almost missed their grandmother's funeral. Fortunately, my father-in-law came to me, no nonsense, and told me what happened, the morning of her services. Matthew?”

“A few days after the services, the four of us came up with a way to avoid this ever happening again. There is a code word that we say to another that means ‘no bullshitting, this is serious, drop everything.’” Matthew opened the bag and pulled out two picture frames. “These are our paternal grandparents, Lila Elise Bostick and Philip Stephen Rockford-Cannon, photographed on their wedding day and at their last anniversary together, their forty-seventh. Evelyn?”

She frowned.

“Evelyn, the sooner you finish, the sooner it'll be over.”

“Seriously, Marcus, aren't we too old for this now,” Evelyn whined.

I smirked at my sister. “You sound like you’re not, Evelyn. Finish.”

Evelyn released an exasperated sigh then blandly stated, “There will be several pop quizzes to ensure you retain this information.”

“Pop quiz,” Rob chuckled. “It’s fifth grade, again!”

Mariah, Rob and Alissa snickered. Everyone in the room looked at them sternly. Mariah bit her lip, trying to control a laugh.

“Any questions,” I asked, smiling at my charming fiancée.

“I have one,” Russell said.

Still staring at the beautiful woman with whom I'm going to spend my life, I nodded, “Go ahead, Russ.”

“Cookie's pregnant; what are you going to do about the next phase?”

“We figured it out already. We're going to do what we did as children,” I confirmed and smiled mischievously.

Mariah scowled. “What? Figured what out? What things are you doing?”

“Shh, Mariah.You have not been acknowledged!”

She rolled her eyes at me. God, she’s cute. I placed shot glasses, vodka and a glass of water on a tray and said, “Go, Joshua.”

Joshua looked at the three of them with a severe expression. “Since you are now family, we are giving you the word that was voted on. It has not changed since Grandmother died. Since Grandfather was the one who got serious and/or ignored all the bullshit to come and see our mother, we chose one of his names. The word is…”

“Rockford,” the entire room said together.

I grabbed the tray and sat in front of Alissa. “State your full name.”

“You know my—”

I flicked water in her face. She frowned at me.

“What the ever-loving…”

“State your name,” I repeated sternly.

She looked around, then behind me.

“We all had to do this, Alissa,” Tom sighed. “Just get it over with.”

She frowned again. “Fine. Alissa Graciela García de Juárez.”

“Ooh, 'Graciela'... I like that,” Mariah cooed.

“Shh,” Matthew commanded.

Mariah narrowed her eyes then crooked her finger at him. Foolishly, Matthew walked over and squatted in front of her. She smacked him on the forehead.

“Love you, Cookie,” Matthew chuckled. We laughed as he kissed her forehead.

I looked back to Alissa. “What's the code word?”

I flicked water in her face when she wouldn’t answer; she exclaimed something in Spanish. Mariah snickered.

I smiled at her. “You're next, baby.”

“You wouldn't dare,” she gasped.

I lifted an eyebrow at her then my attention was back on Alissa. “Code word, Ms. Juárez.”

“Rockford! Shit!”

Ethan groaned.

I flicked her again. “Nope... try again.”

“Damn it, Marcus,” Alissa shrieked.

I flicked her again. “Try again.”

“Rockford!”

“Judges?”

“Four,” Matthew, Evelyn and Joshua chanted together.

I filled four shot glasses with vodka. Joshua sat next to me and took a glass.

“Chug it,” Joshua ordered Alissa handing her the glass. She frowned but does it. I heard snickers behind me when he gave her the second shot.

“Again,” Joshua says, giving her another.

“Why? Isn’t two enough?”

“Again,” Joshua said sternly. Alissa groaned then downed the drink.

Alissa muttered in Spanish again and Mariah laughed hard and loud, causing her enormous belly to jump up and down. The sight gave everyone a hearty laugh.

“Last one,” Joshua chuckled.

“Damn it,” Alissa yelled as she took the last glass and necked it.

“What's the code word,” I asked her, flicking water in her face.

She jumped. “Rockford,” she murmured.

“When do you use it,” Joshua asked.

“If I or someone in the family is in trouble,” she slurred, fanning herself.

I slid down to Mariah. She raised an eyebrow at me.

“State your name.”

She stayed silent, glaring at me. I flicked water in her face. She gasped and snapped, “MARCUS ALEXANDER CANNON!”

“Nope; that's my name.” I flicked her again. “Try again.”

“Will you stop that?”

Flick. “Really? You don't know your own name?”

“Jesus!”

“Are you going for a shower in front of everybody?” I flicked her again. “Name.”

She folded her arms over her belly. “MARIAH. NICOLE. HOLLANDER,” she snarled.

“What's the code word?”

“Asshole,” she mumbled. I heard more snickers behind me.

Flick. “Nope. Try again.”

“Damn it! Will you stop that?”

Flick. “Sure, baby... What's the code word?”

“ROCKFORD!”

“Judges?”

“Seven!”

“Hey, I am NOT having seven shots!”

“Not even one, baby,” I assured, taking her bowl away. “No watermelon for seven minutes. Time.”

“The hell you say,” she shrieked, reaching for the bowl.

“This is for your own good, baby.”

I looked back at Alissa, then nod at Matthew.

“Alissa,” Matthew called. “If you were stranded on a dark road in the middle of the night and you called me, what would you say?”

“'Where the hell is Ethan,'” she mumbled. I flicked her face. Joshua poured her another shot. She necked it then griped, “Why would I be on a dark road in the middle of the night, anyway?”

“Answer the question. If you were on a dark road, stranded in the middle of the night, what would you say when you called,” Matthew asks again.

“Rockford.”

“Then?”

“Location... problem...” Alissa slurred. “Is the air on? Es jodida caliente ahora.”

“It’s the five shots that’s got you fucking hot,” Mariah giggled.

“Time,” Joshua shouted.

“Two minutes,” Evelyn murmured. Mariah gives her a 'you traitor' glare.

I slid down to Rob. “Name?”

“Robert Thomas Brand II.”

“What's the code word?”

“Rockford.”

“When should you use it?”

“If someone in your family needs help right away.”

“Kiss up,” Mariah murmured.

Rob chuckled. “I have to work tonight, Mariah. I can’t be intoxicated!”

“Still,” she bit out, crossing her arms tighter, glaring at her bowl.

I flicked her again. “No talking, baby.”

“That's not all there will be 'no' to,” she hissed. She says something in Spanish that throws Alissa into a fit of giggles. I looked at Harriet, who turned her head, trying to control a laugh.

“I'd pay to see that,” Alissa snorted. “You’d look funny running from her when she tried to shove that glass up your ass, Marcus!”

The whole room burst into a loud laugh with me. I missed my baby so much.

When we quieted, Joshua says quietly, looking at the floor. “Rob, you are family. You have been for a while now. Not including you in this before now was an oversight and we apologize for that.”

Rob nodded and anger flashed across his face, no doubt thinking of the time when Joshua believed Rob joined our family. Joshua sighed and looked up at Rob.

“If you were late and your car wouldn't start, what would you say to me when you called?”

Rob frowned. “I'd first ask for the number to a cab company, if google didn’t get me one.”

We studied at him; I thought that was a good answer.

“Huddle,” Matthew shouted. He, Joshua and Evelyn gathered to the side of the room while Mariah and I stared at each other. ‘I love you,’ I mouthed, smiling. ‘I’m forgetting English again,’ she mouthed back and rolled her eyes. I chuckled.

“Okay, either is acceptable,” Joshua said as he sat next to me again. “Alissa? You all right over there,” he asked, patting her shoulder.

“Fine, Twerp,” she mumbled, making us laugh.

“Time,” Evelyn murmured.

Joshua looked at Mariah and smiled. “Cookie, if you were to go into labor and had to call me, what would you say?”

“I'd ask for the number to a cab company,” she deadpanned.

“Alissa! Code word,” Matthew yelled.

“Call a cab,” she yelled back. I flicked her as we laughed. “What,” she moaned. “I said it!”

I looked at Mariah. “You want the watermelon?”

She rubbed her eyes, getting control of her giggles. “Of course.”

“What's the code word?”

“I could just get up and get more, you know.”

“Try it,” several people said behind me.

“Stop being so stubborn, honey,” Rachel sighed. “Chances are you’ll need to use this before either of us will.”

Mariah gave her mother a long, frowning gaze then looked down at her belly. Sighing, she finally conceded. “Okay,” she said softly. “I get it.”

“Are you sure,” Joshua questioned.

“Yes.”

“And,” I asked, taking her hand.

“Rockford. In times of emergencies, when I or someone in the family is in trouble. I need to make my location and problem clear.”

I smiled and gave her the watermelon.

Mariah shook her head, her eyes watering. “I don't want it,” she murmured and made attempts to stand.

“Where are you going, Cookie,” Lil asked.

“Bathroom,” she whispered.

I gave Joshua the water glass and helped her up. I put my arm around her, holding her close.

“Are you okay,” I asked when we left the room.

She sniffed and wrapped her arms around me. “You... After what I did, they still care about me. Our babies, too.”

I stopped and looked down at her. “You doubted it?”

She shrugged, looking at the wall. “I really thought they’d all hate me for leaving. You, too.”

“Mariah,” I started but she shook her head.

“I know, boo... I won't doubt it again, ever.”

I smiled. “Good. And remember that code word, especially with Matthew. He snaps to attention in an instant when it's used. He chose the word.”

“Okay,” she smiled and I wiped her tears. “What's with the water and the shots, Marcus?”

“The flicking is to get you to pay attention, to get angry enough to burn it into your brain and chances are, it will stick. The shots are like a test aid. If you can remember while you're drunk, you can remember in a crisis.”

“I get it. And Marcus?”

“What, baby?”

“You ever take my watermelon again, you’ll be yelling Rockford up and down the street.”