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I sniffled hard and blinked the tears out of my eyes. I understood exactly what my mom was saying and hated how true every word she spoke.

“I can’t abort my baby. I already feel attached just knowing that God has blessed me with a new gift besides the blessings of my career. Soulful and I agreed to take things slow, no rushing. Just get to know each other, we not putting no labels on each other now just because we have a baby on the way together. Soulful is really different momma, I know I don’t have much proof, but I can just feel it.” I wiped the remaining tears and straightened my posture on the couch.

“I don’t want you getting an abortion baby, I just hear it in your voice. I know you, you seem to be falling fast for this guy. All I can say is take things slow and bring him over here for Sunday’s dinner next week.” My stomach did flips, now I had to see how I was gonna tell Soulful that my family wanted to meet him so soon. I heard my doorbell and perked up quickly. Rushing my mom off the phone, I ran into my bathroom to look at myself.

I got the jitters all inside of me, I just can’t help how Soulful makes me feel. I wish I would’ve put something different on when I got out the shower earlier. Right now, I only have on a purple sports bra and some mid-thigh short leggings and my Ugg Fluff sandals. My natural wavy hair is in a high ponytail, and I catch myself just staring long and hard at my reflection. Even how I look right now, I could see the glow.

The doorbell rings again making me jump. I lost track of how long I have been standing in this mirror. I love staring at myself, I try to imagine what others think when they stare back at me.

Finally making it to my front door, I open it and I’m hit with Soulful’s cologne that makes me just want to pull him close and snuggle his big bulky tall frame. Soulful has the kind of deep eyes that you could tell has seen and done a lot. His big hands are massive and manly. I bring my eyes up to his fresh haircut, then back down to the way his basketball shorts sag a little uneven from him probably having his heavy phone in the right pocket.

“Hey.” I timidly say as I step to the side rubbing my arm.

“What’s good beautiful.” His deep ass voice electrified me and had me immediately blushing hard. If I was light skin, I would have turned three different shades of red.

He closed the door behind him and now it was really just him and I alone again. Which was why I declined him when he first asked to come. I told him that I didn’t feel like fucking, but the truth was, when he was around I wanted to do just that. I wanted to be all over him, rubbing and touching on him. I didn’t want to appear like some sex hunger chick that just threw myself on men just because I thought they were cute.

It was bad enough, I got pregnant based upon having sex with him on the first day of us meeting.

“You heard what I said, Era?” he broke me out of my thoughts as I turned to look at him standing in the middle of my medium size living room.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t.” I was still standing closer to the door. I started scolding myself now, acting like a shy schoolgirl. Soulful was fine as hell, from his height to the curly eye lashes that I peeped out when we were close to each other.

“I asked if you wanted me to make some of this stuff, I brought you from Target. The rest of it, I need to put in the refrigerator.” I know the gesture was something small but it felt big to me that he went out of his way to go get me some stuff to make me feel better.

“I googled some shit, to see what a soon-to-be mommy with morning sickness could eat. I’ll try it with you. We can sit and talk while we eat and watch a movie.” I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but when I talk to Soulful, it sometimes feels like my voice is trapped in my chest. We make eye contact so much, like our eyes hold their own conversation before we even say a word to each other. The connection is really out of this world, and it scares the shit out of me.

After telling Soulful where the kitchen is, I get comfortable on my couch and turn the TV on feeling like I can really breathe again. When Soulful walked back in the living room he was holding one of my coffee cups. He sat a cup down that he wrapped tight with a towel indicating that the drink was hot.

“This is peppermint tea; it should help with the nausea a little.” He looked at me and gave me a small smile. He disappeared again for another twenty-five minutes are so. I wanted to get up and check on him but didn’t want it to seem like I didn’t trust him in my home, so I let him be. This was the first time a man even catered to me when I didn’t feel up to it.

I feel all giddy inside and all of a sudden, I feel better but I’m not going to expose that. I giggle a little to myself and pick up my tea to taste it. I take one sip then a couple of more than sit it back down on the table.

“Alright, I don’t know how to cook like that, so I read some shit on google that said you should eat bland ass food and salty shit. So here’s some bland ass chicken, I added some salt to it and some bland ass rice. I added some ready made salad and put enough on the plate for both of us. I kinda burnt your pot on the first batch of chicken but got the second batch right. Take this while I go get your fruit.” He handed me the plate and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing at his explanation.

Soulful looked nervous but it was so cute. Once I got the plate in my hand, he breathed out hard with a sigh and wiped at imaginary sweat.

“I see you relied hard on google.” We both laugh a little.

“Shit, I got too. I’m tryna learn the best I can since my pregnant girlfriend don’t feel good. I want to make it better.” He turned and headed back in the direction of his kitchen. Pregnant girlfriend! I won’t lie, that made me feel super good but I reminded myself that we were just taking things slow. I tasted the food, and it was okay. It wasn’t the best, but I was starving and for me, it was the thought that had counted majorly.

Soulful made a couple trips back and forth from the kitchen. He finally sat down and started eating with me.

“What kind of movies you like to watch?” I asked him as I went to my Prime Amazon app.

“I like all Mob movies, boring shit. Like Goodfellaz, Scarface, The Godfather. Shit like that.” I got excited because I really loved the Godfather, I could binge watch all of them.

“The Godfather is my favorite, so we can watch that I smiled at him.” He nodded his head and took a bite of his food making a funny face. I fell out laughing and coughed a little as he patted my back and smiled.

“This shit nasty as fuck man.” He put his plate down and picked up the plate of different fruits that he had bought. He picked up a piece of watermelon and it looked juicy as hell.

“It’s not that bad, I kind of like it.” I scooped up some more chicken and rice and placed it in my mouth. I dramatically closed my eyes and moaned like it was the best piece of food I had ever had. Soulful chewed on his watermelon and started laughing.

“Mannnn.” He drawled and shook his head while he took the time to swallow what was in his mouth.

“You know that shit nasty Era. My sisters used to hate my cooking, but they would eat that shit because it was all we had to eat.” He chuckled. “You don’t got to front for me and act like that shit taste like the food at Debo’s restaurant. I laughed at that and shook my head.

“It’s decent, I was starving but too scared to eat. Seems like all my favorite foods make me sick soon as I swallow it down. This hasn’t made me sick and now I feel a little better and full. Give me some watermelon please.” It looked so good, I put my plate down and took the watermelon from his fingers.