AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Whipping out the envelope with the cash Pasha had given me for the car, I paid for the plot. I couldn’t think of a better way to return it to her. When I told Mr. Smart the story, he was generous enough to knock a substantial amount off the price. He told me that he would have just given it to us for free if he could have. I appreciated that.
“Thank you, Mr. Smart. You don’t know how much this means to my girlfriend.”
“I can only imagine. I pray that this brings her the peace she’s looking for.”
“Thank you.”
I stood and shook his hand, then left the building. I climbed in my car and headed to Pasha’s. For some odd reason, traffic was backed up for at least a mile. When I’d finally made it past all the hangups, I saw that there had been an accident. A car had slammed into the back of an eighteen-wheeler. It was a mangled mess. The streets were lined with fire trucks and police cars. The sight of the coroner van alerted me that someone hadn’t made it. I said a silent prayer as I drove past.
The ten-minute drive turned into at least forty-five. It was nearing twelve when I made it to Pasha’s. While she’d come home, she was still on a leave of absence from work until the following week. Pulling into the parking lot, I grabbed a spot and headed inside, up to her floor. Stepping off the elevator, I went to her door and lightly knocked. She opened it a few seconds later.
“Hey, come on in.”
She left the door open and hurried off. When I stepped in, she was at the stove cooking. The small space smelled terrific. After hanging up my keys, I headed to where she stood at the stove. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I kissed her temple. She tilted her head up and offered me her lips.
“I missed you,” she said softly.
“I missed you too. What are you cooking?”
“Pepper steak and rice. You hungry?”
“I’m starving. I didn’t eat breakfast.”
“Well, it’s almost ready. I just need the sauce to thicken up a little.”
She turned the eye down to simmer and covered the pot with a lid. Turning in my arms, she wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me tightly. Bending my knees a little, I stooped to pick her up. With her legs around my waist, I turned and placed her on the counter. She continued to hug me as I placed kisses on the side of her face.
“Where’s your mental today?” I asked, gliding my hands up and down her back.
“A seven.”
“That’s better than yesterday.”
“I had a good cry this morning. I journaled about it, and I felt a little better.” She pulled back, looking at me with sad eyes. “How did everything go?”
“Everything is paid for and set for Saturday. How are you feeling about it?”
She sighed. “It’s long overdue. He’ll be with my parents, and that’s how I want it.”
“I’m sure they are taking great care of him. He’s probably the most spoiled little boy running around the pearly gates.”
She smiled softly. “They would have spoiled him rotten, especially my father.”
I chuckled. “My parents would have loved Precious. Spoiled wouldn’t have been the word.”
“Like you don’t spoil her?”
“I’m guilty. She’s the closest thing I have to a kid of my own. She can get whatever she wants out of me, and she knows that.”
“The perks of being an uncle. My aunts and uncles were the same way when I was growing up. Mama and Daddy may say no, but TiTi and Unc always came through.”
“Have you given more thought to this family reunion?”
She sighed. “I’m gonna go. I logged into FlexSpace for the first time in years. We have this group where they drop all the information, so I know where it will be.” She smiled a little. “I went scrolling through my profile, and so many family members have tagged me in old memories or written on my wall expressing how much they missed me or my parents.”
“They never forgot about you. I think this will be good for you. A found family is great, but blood will always feel different.”
“Are you regretting cutting off yours?”
