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A couple of minutes later, there was a knock on the door. I looked through the peephole and let her in.
“Hello,” she greeted, stepping inside.
“Hey, I’m so sorry you’ve been sitting out there. Hopefully, you weren’t out there for too long.”
“Just a couple of hours. Bay told me you’d call if you needed me, but I was too worried to wait.”
I wasn't sure why, but her concern warmed me and made me reach for a hug. Maybe it was because I hadn’t had a nurturing, motherly figure in so many years. Either way, I appreciated her concern.
She gave me a warm, lingering hug that brought tears to my eyes, but I was able to compose myself.
“Thank you for coming,” I muttered as I released her.
“You’re welcome, and I’m like Disney. I’ll never end a hug until you do.”
“Good to know,” I said through my laugh.
We went into the kitchen, where I fixed us both a cup of tea. I’d baked a sweet potato pie for dessert two nights ago, so I cut us both a piece of that as well. Lisa kind of looked like Beethoven, but he definitely looked more like his daddy. He got his eye color and lip shape from her, but everything else about his features came from Tim.
“How have things been with you and my Bay?” she broke the silence to ask while we sat at the island.
“Great,” I cooed with a smile that made her giggle like a schoolgirl. “I never thought being betrayed and forced into an arranged marriage could lead to me meeting such an amazing man, but it has. I really, really like him.”
“Did he tell you his father and I had an arranged marriage too? Only I wasn’t so lucky.”
“He told me briefly. It seemed to be a difficult subject for him to talk about, so he didn’t share much.”
“I’m not surprised. I didn’t tell him about it until he told me about you.”
“Oh, wow. Is there a reason you kept it a secret?”
She thought about it briefly, wrapping her hands around her mug. “I didn’t want it to change the way he viewed either of us. It was my plan to tell him when he was an adult and capable of understanding. But when he turned eighteen, I decided to leave Tim and it didn’t matter anymore.”
“Well, at least you’re free now. I haven’t been around Tim a lot, but I definitely don’t see him winning any father-in-law of the year awards with me.”
That good a hearty laugh out of her, which made me smile. We continued to talk and drink and eat… well into the morning. From relationships to spirituality to womanhood and needless gossip, we talked about it all. I didn’t think we started to get tired until after two in the morning. At that point, I showed her where the empty guest bedroom was so she could rest. When I made it to my room, I brushed my teeth and washed my face then texted my man.
Thank you baby. Your mom is great. I love her.
Mr. Smith: Y’all funny. She just texted me that you’re the best and she loves you ??
I hearted the message and yawned before drifting off into a peaceful sleep, grateful not just for Beethoven but for Lisa too.
Some Hours Later…
At the feel of the bed denting, I shifted. With a shriek, I was about to hop out of bed until Beethoven said, “Shh… it’s just me.”
Relaxing in his arms, I settled onto his chest. “What time is it?”
“A little after five. I would’ve gotten here sooner but Ike invited some of his associates over and that shit turned into a whole party. Any other time that would have been cool, but I was anxious to get back to you.”
Tossing my leg over him, I kissed his chest. “I’m good, baby. You didn’t have to rush back home for me. I did have a low moment, but your mom texted me at the perfect time. I didn’t even know she was sitting out there.”
“Yeah, I told her she didn’t have to, but she never listens to me.”
Chuckling softly, I looked up at him, though I could barely see him in the darkness. The only light I had was the moonlight shining through the windows.
“You really care about me… don’t you?”
