HOPE

8.

Milo.

Today is the day of the cookout and according to a little birdie, who went from being my make up artist, stylist to my number one fan and new best friend Amir, Mr. Melroe was going to be here, and I was nervous and giddy because he was going to be here in person.

"It still early morning, the kids are asleep why are you grinning." Mia asks as she walks into the kitchen half asleep to the coffee maker.

The girl was just like my sons, lazy. "Nothing at all just loving the morning." I hide my blush sipping my coffee. "Are you sure because I definitely know you're worse than me when it comes to mornings, so out with it, spit out." She demands and I wonder why I even try to hide things from her.

Ever since we met, Mia has become so close to me, she is my confidante and my best friend, I know I can trust her with my sons and business.

Emmy had checked her background the day we met and she was squeaky, but I will never tell her she was checked, Emmy always does it even with the families of the kids, the twins play with anyway.

"Fine miss boss,  don't get your panties twisted, Yes I'm excited because Ken is going to be here I hope, Amir did say he would be, he made sure of it." I replied Mia and she smiles, which means she knows something I don't.

"Child what did you do, it's too early for me to have to drag shit out of you." She only smiles even more. "If you must know I invited the boys early to set up the grill, by boys I mean Emmy, Caleb and your crush." I grin as she mentions the names, I cant wait to have them here.

"He is not just a crush, I think I might really like the man." I sigh and she squeals.

"Then get ready and we can start making the salads, bake that famous cheesecake of yours, the boys love and I it, I bet your crush will fall in love with your food." I run  towards the stairs to get ready.

I was  eager to please Ken, yet I had no reason to, but I wanted yo badly, I step into the shower for a much needed scrub.

After the shower I wear a black v-neck tee and whitewash jeans, I style my hair to perfection and look myself over in the mirror, I was casually perfect.

I wear my flops and walk downstairs to make breakfast, the boys walk downstairs half asleep like Mia. They come to my sides. "Morning dad, we want pancakes." They yawn clinging to my legs.

"Morning babies, go sit on your chairs and I will give you your pancakes." Moments like these were always the best part of my life, when the boys started crawling and walking to me calling me dada.

It motivated me to work harder for them, so that they will never have to feel the loss of anything.

After  Mia and my sons ate like piggies, we made the salads, food and the cake was missing only one ingredient and it would be done.

The doorbell chimed. "I'll get it!" Mia yells going to the door, the deafening screams told me it was Amir who just arrived. He walks over to me and hugs me.

"Hey queen bee." I greet him. "Don't you look runway-ready, I bet he is going to get a hardon just looking at you." My jaw drops because of that and I clamp my mouth shut because of the blush.

"Language!"

I yell  trying to get the attention off me and steer this conversation elsewhere. "Look at you blushing like Ken, oops, forget I said anything." He says and began looking at the salads.

"You are not eating my food, if you don't tell me why Ken was blushing!" I whisper shout at Amir with tinted cheeks.

"Ok fine, yesterday at the office I mentioned your cook out to Ken when I needed documents signed, when I mentioned you his neck was flaming." Amir whispers to me and I grinned widely.

"I don't believe you, what if it was something else Amir." I whisper back and he only rolls his eyes "Hun just wait and see, I think he likes you." He pops a grape in his mouth and catwalks away like the diva he is.

The doorbell rang again and I went to answer it with Haden behind me. "Hi uncle Emmy." He rushes to hug Emmy, I chuckle watching the two, ever since they met Emmy when they were four as their bodyguard, they have always loved him.

"Don't stand there come in." He walks in with a smirk on his lips.  "You look hot, he's going to love it." Emmy yet again reminding me I just dressed up for Ken. "Just get in." I drag him in by his ear.

"Hello there beautiful." Emmy greets Amir and now I have leverage over all his teasing. "Hi." He replies with a heavy blush on his caramel skin.

"Emmy this is Amir my friend and stylist at Roe inc and Amir this is Emmy the twin's bodyguard." Emmy takes Amir's hand and kisses it whilst saying his niceties.

I walk to the door to check again, I assumed it was Ken because Caleb just walks in.

And there he was standing at the door with roses. "Hi." He spoke with a timid smile "Hi Ken I'm so glad you came." I reply trying not to jump and squeal.

"These are for you." He hands me the roses. "They are perfect thank you." I reply him with red cheeks. "You look gorgeous today Milo." I smile. "Not to say you don't look gorgeous every day, I just mean you're really breathtaking today, not that you're not always like that and I'm rambling."

I chuckle and hug him for more than I should have. "Thank you." I gesture for him to come in."Let me put these in a vase, everyone is in the back."

I put the flowers in a vase and take a few pictures with them, I turn to see Mia by the door chuckling. "I take it those are from the future Mr. LaNoir." She surprises me with her statement.

"No they came from Ken, I highly doubt he would choose my surname, not his." I reply Mia with a bit of excitement at the hint of marriage.

We make our way outside to tell the boys to start the grill since Caleb was coming a little later, we find Ken by the door with an amused smile.

I look to where he is looking, I see Emmy and Amir making out, they don't even realize we are there, as Emmy gropes Amir.

"Okay that's enough we don't want to be scarred by seeing you two doing it in Milo's back yard, plus my boys are too innocent for that, don't scar them." Ken stops the two kissing as Amir hides in Emmy's chest, he also baffles me when he says my boys, does that mean he likes me if he considers the boys his.

"I will have to find out today."

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LMJ