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“I hear you, woman. Go on.”
She rolled her eyes as she walked out the door.
“I swear she gives me hell sometimes, man. Women.”
He shook his head as he led me down the hallway to the guest room. Upon entering, I was surprised to see it so clean since someone was moving out.
“So, how long have you been seeing this friend?” he asked.
“Oh, um, technically, we aren’t seeing each other like that. I helped her out a few months back. I saw them at the store yesterday and offered my assistance with moving.”
He smirked. “Sounds like somebody is trying to get in where he fits in. I ain’t mad at you. Pasha is a beautiful woman; after all she’s been through, she could use a good man.”
“I’m not—”
“Callum, I know you well enough to know you don’t do hookups. You saw something in her. Just know you’re gonna need a lot of patience with that one. She’s closed off and doesn’t say too much. Avyn loves her to death, though. She won’t admit it, but she’s sad she’s moving out. However, she’s determined to be a supportive friend. She’ll cry about it later.”
“How long have you two been seeing each other.”
“About a year. Nothing is official... but that’s my lil’ baby. Maybe one of these days, I’ll get her to commit to me.”
He sighed, and I could tell that was probably an ongoing battle he’d clearly been losing. We made small talk as we followed each other’s lead in maneuvering the bedroom furniture out into the living room. We decided it was best to get everything out first to save time. I compared the elevator’s size with the furniture’s size and figured we could get it all in two trips.
After moving the first load down the hall, we packed it in the elevator and headed down. When we got to Pasha’s apartment, the door was slightly ajar.
“Knock, knock!” Malcolm yelled, pushing it open with his foot.
Avyn and Pasha appeared from around the corner. Our eyes briefly met as we maneuvered the heavy dresser through the space to the area designated for the bedroom. It sat behind a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf that served as the partition that separated the living and sleeping quarters. I was just about to ask where she wanted it, but then I noticed the Post-it Notes on the wall labeling the designated furniture spots.
I pointed it out to Malcolm, and we put the dresser in place.
“Good morning,” I said, offering her a warm smile.
“Good morning. Thank you again for coming to help. I’m sure you had better things to do today.”
“On the contrary, I didn’t have any plans. I’m all yours today.”
“Well, I’ll try not to keep you too long.”
I didn’t mind. She could keep me all day. She looked cute in her track pants, plain white tee, and a baseball cap with her curls sticking out from under it. In seeing her yesterday, her spirit felt lighter. There wasn’t that dark cloud of sadness cast over her. Her eyes weren’t red from crying. She had a faint air of happiness.
“It’s no problem. How are you feeling about all this?”
She smiled softly. “I’m happy I’m in a position to do better for myself. I’ve never lived alone, so it’ll take some getting used to. But it’s mine, and nobody can put me out when they feel like it.”
“Amen to that. For what it’s worth, I’m proud of you. I don’t know you, but you were heavy on my spirit for a long time, Pasha. I don’t think I’ve ever prayed so hard for someone I didn’t know.”
Again, she smiled. “Well, I’ve never thanked God so much for a stranger. You blessed me that night. I had no idea where I was going or what I would do. You provided me with a place to rest my head and your kindness...”
She paused momentarily to swipe the tear in the corner of her eye. She closed them and took a deep breath before continuing.
“Because of you, I’ve reconnected with some of the only people who truly love me. I needed them more than I realized.”
“I love that for you.”
“I know Avyn said the room was partially refunded, but I’d like to pay you back the rest—”
I held up a hand to stop her. “You’ll do no such thing. I told you, I’m not worried about the money.”
