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That was true. “I’on know. Malaysia… she’s the only woman that’s ever made me feel… less confident. If it was anyone else, I’d know they wouldn’t want to let me go. I wouldn’t have to tell them I didn’t want them to go because they wouldn’t want to. But Malay… it’s hard for me to read her. I know she wants me but…”
“She doesn’t need you,” he said, supplying the words I was struggling to find. “She’s not with you for any reason other than she wants you.” Dejvi chuckled as he sat next to me in our parents’ living room. “They come from healthy parents, a healthy home. They speak up for themselves and demand what they deserve. Love ain’t a feeling you can sway them with. They need actions. And if those actions aren’t aligned with your words, they leave. It might have taken her some time to leave Peyton, but you know what kind of woman she is and that she’s not going to do anything other than what the hell she wants. That’s why you’re worried. You ain’t never been with a woman that is going to do literally whatever she wants, whether you like it or not.”
“So what the fuck am I supposed to do with that?” I asked, looking into my palms. “How do I keep her? I don’t want to fuck this up.”
“Just be her partner and keep increasing her peace and happiness. Whatever you’ve been doing is working, so just… don’t overthink it. Keep doing that.”
“I can do that,” I agreed, feeling my confidence surge. “Now this list…”
He chuckled as he stood. “You ain’t gon’ know how many things you do on the list until y’all get married. Trust me, I tried.”
“Well, I must be enough of them hos for him to ask to go to a bar and watch the game with me.”
“Don’t feel too special, now. I’ll be there too. He might not have asked you as Malaysia’s man but as my brother.”
I laughed right along with him as I stood.
“Fuck outta here. You know he did that ’cause he finna be my second pops... Especially when I tell him about this trip to Denver I want us all to take.”
“Aw yeah, he gon’ eat that right up. Pops too. Now I don’t know how they will feel when we get there and get in that snow.”
“All I know is I’ma have my camera out at all times. Them old niggas skiing and shit? I’ma be high and laughing the whole damn time.”
My heart skipped a beat at the sight of my woman. I’d never seen her look more beautiful than she did right now. She was dressed in one of my white tees and panties. Her long, flowing hair blew in the wind as she walked toward me. There was a smile on her face and in her eyes. The bouquet that she was carrying over to me was unlike anything I’d ever seen. It had purple and yellow sunflowers and two other kinds of flowers I wouldn’t even try to guess the name of.
“These are for you.”
I didn’t accept the flowers right away. I was surprised by the gesture. No woman had ever given me flowers before, let alone made me a bouquet. We’d spent the evening going to a flea market, farmers market, and then a wholesale floral warehouse. I wanted her to be stocked up to go along with my surprise for her. It was a tiny greenhouse that I had delivered and put next to my pottery studio in the backyard. I also had the empty room in my home set up for her. She’d already named it and shown me fifty million ways she wanted to design it.
“Thank you, bae. These are beautiful.”
I lifted them to my nose as I blushed.
A nigga was actually blushing.
“Aww,” she cooed with a smile before kissing my lips. “Look at you.”
“Gone on now,” was what I said, but I wrapped my arm around her and set her on my lap.
“I’ve made up my mind,” she said, running her nose against my cheek. She placed a kiss there. I didn’t want to seem too anxious and ask her what she’d decided.
When we made it back to the house and I showed her what I’d done, I made it clear to her that she didn’t have to stay to utilize the spaces… though I wanted her to. I was honest about my intentions and let her know I did what I did because I want her comfortable here—permanently. If she did want to leave, I told her I’d buy her a home that was close to mine because I needed her close.
“But I have a question,” Malay continued.
“Ask me anything.”
While she pinched my chin, I gripped her hip and ass.
“Am I your girlfriend?”
The question was simple enough. The innocence within her voice made me smile.
“You’re my wife.”
“Aspen…”
“You’re my life partner. You’re my soul mate. You’re becoming one of my closest friends.”
