Everything was exactly the way it was supposed to be, but I couldn’t shake the weird feeling sitting in the pit of my stomach. It was like my body knew I was home, but my mind was still trying to catch up.
Love sat our bags by the stairs while I slowly walked through the living room, letting my eyes drift from one side of the house to the other.
Then I noticed it.
A fake rose sitting on the living room table.
I frowned before walking a lil’ farther into the house and saw another one sitting on the kitchen island, then another one by the bar.
I looked over my shoulder at Love.
“What are all these roses?”
“I bought one while you was gone…”
My forehead wrinkled.
“Every day?”
“Yeahh…” he said it like it was some corny shit. “I didn’t know how long it would take me to get you because I was coming up short, so I didn’t want you to miss the flowers you got daily.”
I swallowed hard.
“Did you know I was coming home?”
“Is the sky blue?” he asked.
We both laughed, and Love walked over to me slowly.
“You thought I would let you go?”
“You didn’t sign up for all that,” I responded.
“When I decided I wanted you, that meant I signed up for whatever came with you with no issues. You know why? Because I’m HIM and losing you was never in my plans for us.”
Love leaned down and kissed me.
“I’ma take the bags upstairs.”
I nodded and watched him walk off, then looked around at all the fake roses. Every single one of them represented him going out looking for me, refusing to give up.
When I walked upstairs and saw him close his eyes, inhale, and exhale hard, I walked over to him and hugged him.
“I am so sorry,” I whispered.
“You have nothing to be sorry about, mamas.”
“I do. I know this hurt you just like it hurt me. I know you were worried.”
“Worried?” he said, pulling away from me. “I was losing my mind low-key, but I don’t bend, I don’t fold…”
Love shook his head. I could tell that he didn’t want to talk about it.
So I didn’t push him.
Instead, I slid my arms back around his waist and rested my head against his chest. For a second, neither one of us said anything. The silence wasn’t awkward. It was just heavy.
“You’re home now,” he said quietly.
