Epilogue
. . .
Quameer
Tears burned my eyes as I held Rayce in my arms and Peach held my free hand. I stood beside Quasim, Gams, and Pops, watching Capri stand up there in the courtroom. Rayce was only three months old, and Capri was still insecure about the baby weight she'd put on. I watched as she scanned the crowd until her eyes finally landed on me.
Capone, Capella, Cappadonna, and Corleon remained in the back with us, while Jean was right in the front. Blair and Zoya stood in the front with Jean, along with Alaia, Skyler, Aimee, and Erin. I was so fucking proud of my wife.
Capri Shelly-Ann Inferno was being sworn in as the District Attorney of New York City. I watched as she nervously fixed her hair. I let out a low whistle—one that only Sim and I used to share, but I'd taught Suga the trick.
She looked up, and I winked, mouthing, "Pressure," before kissing my two fingers. When I glanced to the other side of the courtroom, I saw Forty in the background. He saluted and winked. Nobody was going to miss this day for anything in the world. One of our own was being sworn in to become something great.
My wife was becoming a District Attorney. She stood there in heels, wide-leg pants, and a blazer. Her hair was straight as she stood when Devon introduced her. Capri walked over to where he and a few others were standing.
She shook his hand as he read from a piece of paper. Capri stood there looking straight ahead at Peach and winked at her. Peach kissed her two fingers, which made Capri smile. She held her hand up and took her oath as our entire family watched. I stood there with our daughters, witnessing my wife being sworn in. She was the blueprint, the example, the woman our girls would look up to.
Rayce was too young to realize the power her mama possessed, but the minute she did, that shit was going to be beautiful. Devon and the others moved aside so she could speak, and Capri cleared her throat.
Not a tear in her eye, she looked straight ahead at the cameras. "Today, I am deeply honored to take this oath and assume the responsibility of serving as your District Attorney. This is not a position that I take lightly. One I will uphold with integrity, fairness, and a relentless commitment to justice. I am showing my daughters, and little Black girls, what is possible. That we can be in these positions and we will… My name is Capri Inferno, your District Attorney that will work for you."
I damn near gave my baby shaken baby syndrome by how hard I was trying to clap. Sim took Rayce from me as I clapped and whistled at my fucking wife. That was mine, my Suga. I wished I could have showed that broken woman who sat on her bike, second-guessing what life meant, all of this. All the times she cried with me on the phone, not knowing her purpose—I wished I could show her this.
This was my wife—Capri Shelly-Ann Inferno.