ONE MONTH LATER

Sam's G Wagon is parked inside of the airport's parking structure. In the backseat, behind the tinted windows, is Yemi riding on Sam, trying to hold in her moans while Sam kisses and sucks on her neck.

Yemi's grinding becomes sloppy and Sam's hands are underneath her shirt, massaging her body as if he can't get enough of her.

"Fuck Sam," she yells out before grabbing his face and kissing it.

Sam bites his lip, loving every moment inside of her.

He grabs her ass and presses her body down harder to guide her until they eventually climax at the same time. Yemi throws her head back as her body trembles.

Sam sits back and breathes out as he watches her body relax. Yemi opens her eyes, and then smiles, admiring the way he's looking at her. He kisses her lips, and Yemi deepens it for a moment.

"What time is it? I don't wanna miss my flight."

"If you miss your flight, you can't just come back home."

She chuckles and then looks at Sam's watch. "Okay, I'm good." She grabs her carry-on bag. "I'm glad you put the wipes in here."

Sam smirks as he pulls up his sweat pants. Yemi notices his facial expression

"You planned this, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he says, playfully, watching Yemi dig into her bag.

She shakes her head, smiling at Sam trying to be slick. She pulls out a case, and yanks some wipes out from it. "So what are you gonna do once you leave from here?"

Sam takes the wipes from her, spins her body towards him, using her leg, and then begins to clean her up. "Go to the gym. Jamie said the guys are on their shit, now. But I gotta see that for myself."

"I'm glad you two made up. That's very cool of him to help you."

He nods in agreement as he finishes wiping her down. "Alright, you're good," he says, referring to her kitty.

Yemi closes her legs before grabbing her panties and jeans from the seat. "Thank you, my love."

"Mamas..."

"Yes?"

"If you ever need to talk, call me, alright? I know you've been feeling better, but I'm not sure how you'll be with us not being around each other for two weeks. I don't want you to start doubting again."

"I'll be good, babe. Don't worry."

"Alright."

"I should be worried about you. I got you sprung, so I don't how you're going to survive without me," she teases him.

He sucks his teeth and smiles. "Stop it."

"...Okay, I'm ready."

They get out of the truck, and Sam helps her with her bags.

___

Sam walks into the gym and immediately stops in his tracks at the sight of his employees. The front desk attendant is organizing some paperwork. One guy is training a member at a distance. Another guy walks past a woman without even looking at her. Another is wiping down all the equipment, nodding professionally as he greets everyone he walks by.

Even the music playing through the speakers is different. Almost like elevator music. Sam chuckles to himself before approaching the front desk.

"Yo, I'm gonna lose business with this boring music y'all got playing in here."

The attendant looks up from his paperwork and grins. "Welcome back, boss."

"'Preciate it. How's everything?"

"Honestly, that contract and them cameras got everyone shook," he responds, and with a chuckle. "Then when you threw Jamie up in here, that really sealed the deal."

"Has he been by, yet?"

"He's in your office."

Sam nods and then goes to see Jamie.

He opens the door and Jamie looks up from the desk with his eyebrows furrowed.

"Why're you muggin'?" Sam asks him.

Jamie smiles. "Bro, I thought you were an employee busting in without knocking."

"You sound like me."

"So you're back for good?"

"Yeah. I appreciate you for holding it down."

"Anytime, man. You actually came at a good time. I'm about to head out to have lunch with Pastor Harold. You should come. There's something I wanna show you that I've been working on at the church."

"Alright, I'm down."

___

Sam, Jamie, and Pastor Harold are sitting around the desk eating.

"So are you going through withdrawals, yet?" The pastor asks Sam.

Sam chuckles. "Y'all act like I'm addicted to her."

"You are!" Both Pastor and Jamie respond in unison.

Sam shakes his head, smirking at the thought.

"I bet you thought about how you can crash their girls trip, huh?" Jamie jokes.

Sam drinks his water, avoiding the question, causing Jamie and the pastor to burst out in laughter.

"Can you believe this is the same guy who was trying to push Yemi away when they first met? The same guy who doesn't like hugs? The same guy who hates to smile? The same guy who doesn't care whose feelings he hurts?"

"Alright, alright," Sam interrupts, shaking his head at Pastor Harold's words.

"I'm just saying... you got it bad for her, man."

"Y'all putting extras on it," Sam responds, still smirking.

"But seriously... I'm very proud of you, Sam. You're now the man I knew you would always be. I'm very happy for you and Yemi."

Sam nods, briefly thinking back to the day he first laid eyes on Yemi.

"So what do you see in the future for you and her?" Jamie asks.

"...Marriage. I'm trying to come up with a way to propose to her when we meet up in the Bahamas."

"That's what's up."

"I'm sure you'll come up something," the pastor adds.

"Yeah, I have a couple of weeks to figure it out."

"Let us know how it went, when you come back."

"Man, I might mess around and not even come back. Start a whole new life out there with her."

Pastor Harold and Jamie briefly look at each other, "Yeah! He got it bad."

Sam smiles. "So what did you want to show me, Jamie?"

"Oh yeah." Jamie dusts off his pants and stands up. "Be right back." He walks out of the office with some pep in his step.

Sam glances at the pastor, noticing the way he's looking at him. "What?"

"I'm just proud of you, Youngblood. That's all. And it's good to see you finally happy."

"'Preciate it. You've always been solid with me, P. That's helped more than you know."

They fist pound, and a moment later Jamie re-enters with Terry following him in.

Sam does a double take, and then shakes his head. "Here you go with the bullshit again," he says to Jamie.

"Sam," the pastor scolds him.

"My bad, P."

"Hear me out, Sam," Jamie appeals.

"Nah. First Jasmine, now the employee I had to fire?" He asks rhetorically.

"I just wanted to come and apologize to you for our last encounter," Terry adds.

"Let me guess... Jamie fell for whatever BS you told him, so now you think your apology will get you your job back?"

"Actually, he already has a job," Jamie interjects.

"So what do you have going on then, Jamie?"

Jamie looks at Terry to continue the conversation.

"Boss-"

"I'm not your employer."

"Alright... Mr. Sam. I went to the gym one morning and met Jamie. He asked me what I did to get fired, and I told him. We had a long conversation about my past and what I wanna do with my life. So he took me to the men's group that week and it got me to realize that you were just trying to teach me to be a better man. The men's group at this church is exactly what I needed to figure that out. So thank you for the chance you did give me, even though I messed that shit-"

He cuts himself off and then looks over at the pastor. "Sorry, Pastor Harold. I meant to say... I messed everything up. I apologize for disrespecting you and any woman that came into that gym."

Sam looks at him, searching for any signs of him being disingenuous.

od works in mysterious ways, bro. Our old driver had to quit, so Terry now drives the volunteers to the prisons and the other volunteer sites. And he does small jobs here and there, cleaning and fixing things for Pastor Harold," Jamie adds.

Terry nods, hopeful Sam will forgive him.

"So you were keeping this from me too, huh?" Sam asks the pastor.

"I wouldn't call it that, Sam. Jamie told me his plan to help get Terry right. Terry wanted to make sure he had himself together before he apologized to you. But trust me when I say, I watched his every move. I wanted to make sure he was sincere, as well."

Sam contemplates for a moment.

"Do you accept my apology?" Terry asks him.

Sam considers it before responding. "... How long you plan to drive for the church?"

"Until I find something that pays more, to help me start my own business. But right now, this helps with paying child support."

Sam takes a deep breath. "Depending on where your mind is in the next 6 months... maybe I can train you to start your own business."

Terry grins from ear to ear. "Awe man... that would be great. I appreciate you for even saying that."

Sam nods, and then stands up to leave. "Imma head back to work."

Jamie squints, observing his vibes. "We good?"

"Yeah, we're good. I can see where your heart was, this time."

"Cool." Jamie looks relieved.

They fist bump, and Sam nods at Terry before giving the pastor a bro hug. Everyone looks surprised.

"Y'all be easy," Sam calls out before leaving them there still in shock.

——

TWO WEEKS LATER

An SUV pulls up to the curb at the departure terminal. Sam hops out of the backseat and the driver comes out to get Sam's luggage. A car almost hits the driver, and the driver looks over at the car to see a woman too busy staring at Sam to pay attention to the road. "Pay attention, lady," he yells at her. Sam turns around to see who the driver is talking to, and catches the side view of the woman who looks to be Jasmine. Sam does a double take before examining the car that is now speeding off.

"Nah, that's not her. It better not be her," he says under his breath. He shakes his head, and then takes his luggage from the driver.

Sam pulls out his wallet and tips the driver.

"Thank you. Have a safe flight, sir."

"Thanks." He looks back one more time at the traffic before making his way into the airport.

___

HOURS LATER

Sam arrives to the Bahamas and waits for Yemi at the baggage claim.

20 minutes later, Yemi appears and runs to him, smiling. She jumps into his arms, and they hug for a while. "I missed you so much."

"And I missed you more than you know," Sam admits.

*

They exit the terminal with their luggage in tow, eyes glued to each other. Sam locates the hotel shuttle, and he helps Yemi board before placing their luggage onto the designated area.

"How was your trip?" He asks her.

"Oh my gosh, Sam, Veronica's cousins are so much like her. We had so much fun, partied all day and night. We went jet skiing and surfing. We visited different cities. And I ate sooo much food," she says all in one breath. Sam stares at her face, admiringly, and then looks down at her thighs, noticing how much thicker they've gotten.

"Veronica and I were inseparable. She even opened up to me more, and told me about the boyfriend she had before she moved to Cali. It was a deep story, babe. But anyway, I got you some postcards and wrote on them telling you what I did each day. I'll give them to you when we get to the hotel," she concludes before doing a double take at Sam, catching his gaze.

She cups his face and gives him a long passionate kiss. "I missed this face. You are sooo fine."

He blushes. "You've never said that to me before. You must be feeling real good, right now." He rubs on her thigh.

Yemi smiles at both his touch and his words. "I don't think I ever thanked you for helping me with this whole healing process."

"It's cool, ma. As long as you're good, that's all that matters."

She kisses his cheek before getting distracted by the view from the windows. "Oh wow, baby, look at the water. It's so beautiful."

Sam follows her gaze. "...Do you know what you wanna do first?"

"Sex on the beach."

Sam snaps his neck at her in shock. "Damn, ma. You definitely on something else, right now." He briefly nibbles on her neck.

She giggles. "Sam, I love you so much- it's crazy."

"There's nothing crazy about that."

"... I'm glad I threw away that thought I had of you when we first met, when I thought you were loveless."

"I'm glad you did, too."

She caresses his face. "You taught me how to love... and how to accept love."

"Ma, it was you that brought the love out of me. You literally brought me back to fuckin' life. That's why I'm in love with you."

"Awe Sammie," she coos, kissing him before looking deep into his eyes. "I'm so excited for us- for our future. We've been through so much to get where we are now. But I wouldn't change it if I could, because I know our foundation is just as strong as you described your parents'."

He smiles. "And it'll get even stronger." He kisses her with so much passion.

Moments later, they pull up to their hotel. Sam grabs their luggage as Yemi disembarks the shuttle, both smiling in anticipation of a vacation that will change their lives forever.