Page 108 of Give Me Honesty

Jah nodded and sat up in his chair. “I think that may be a great start, but I also think you need to sit down and have a talk with her about where her head is at. A vacation is cool, but you don’t want to sweep the real issues under the rug. Let her know that you’ve got her back and that it’s the two of you against the world.”

I received his advice and planned to have a talk with her as soon as I got home.

“This relationship is way more complicated than I thought, but I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else. I love her more than anything, and this situation only makes me love her more because I’ve witnessed her strength on a different level.” I expressed.

“Yeah, I know what you mean. When Benet and I were reunited, she was battling grief and addiction. A part of me wanted to walk away because I wasn’t sure I wanted to deal with the baggage she came with, but then I remembered who she had been to me. Baby girl had been a guardian angel to me when I was at my lowest point, and I knew there was no way I could leave her hanging when she needed me the most.”

His words hit home, and I felt the same way about Honesty. When she met me, I had been sleeping on park benches, and my sister brought me home to live with her and her man. Honesty never judged me or made me feel like less of a man or a human. She treated me with love and compassion even though there were times I wasn’t sure I deserved it.

“Thank you, bro. You’ve confirmed some things I already knew. I’m gonna take your advice and take her somewhere special and lay everything on the table. Thank you for listening to me. I appreciate you.” I stood up and dapped him up.

“It’s always love on this side, bro. If you ever need me, I’m here. Love isn’t always easy, but when you find the right person, it’s worth it. I’ve seen the way the two of you interact and the way you’ve shown up for one another over the years. There is no doubt in my mind that she’s your person. The two of you were made for each other, and it doesn’t matter what the world has to say about it. The only people who matter in this situation are you and her.”

“No doubt. At this point, I’m damn near obsessed with her. The only thing that could make me leave her alone is death, and even then I would try to find some type of loophole because can’t nobody love her the way I do.” I declared.

“That’s what I’m talking about. Benet loved to ask the stupid ass hypothetical questions about our relationship ending. Last year, she asked me what I would do if she cheated and got pregnant by another man. She had the nerve to catch an attitude when I told her that I was going to dress her in a dope ass dress for her funeral. I don’t know what other answer she could have possibly been looking for.” Jah shrugged with a serious expression on his face.

“Honesty does that shit to me all of the time, but she always asks me weird shit like “Would you still love me if I didn’t have any legs?”. Hell, as long the pussy is still attached I wouldn’t give a damn if she lost her legs and arms. I would strap her ass to my back and carry her for the rest of our lives.”

“True shit.” Jah laughed as he stood up as well.

“Aye, listen, if you ever need me, don’t hesitate to stop by. I’ll always consider you family. Hell, as much as I miss you around here, I’m glad you recommended Draike. His young ass is talented as hell, and his clientele has taken off the same as yours. I’ve hired more tattoo artists for the second shop, but we’ve been holding shit down over here.”

Hearing his name came with mixed feelings, and it bothered me. Draike and I had always been close like brothers, but we hadn’t talked since the incident at D-Lo’s house. He reached out to me when everything first went down, but I wasn’t in the right headspace to deal with him or anyone connected to her. As a son, I understood he felt an obligation to stand with his mother, but I would never be able to have a relationship with someone who upheld her wrongdoings. It was easier for me to cut everyone off.

“It’s no problem. I’m happy everything worked out. I’ll always be thankful to you for giving me this opportunity. It helped shape me into the man I am today and allowed me the chance to live out my dreams. Thank you, bro.”

“Always. You take care of yourself. And don’t be a stranger either. Jenesis still asks about you, and I’ma tell her you came to visit. Her little ass still insists that you’re her boyfriend. Benet thinks the shit is cute, but I can already tell her little ass is about to give me hell. She already wants to wear make-up and heels.” Jah grumbled.

“Make sure you tell my favorite girl I said hi. I’ll have to stop by for dinner so I can kick it with y’all and the kids. Lord knows, I miss Benet’s cooking and those cupcakes. I’m tempted to put in a personal order for those red velvet brownie cupcakes. I dream about those mothafuckas from time to time.”

“Man, who are you telling? I practically live in the gym because she has deemed me her personal taste tester. She’s getting ready to have a pop-up show her soon, and she’s been coming up with all kinds of recipes. A nigga gone end up diabetes fucking around with her, but she’s so damn fine I can’t tell her no. Jah added.

“Well, if she ever needs another taster, tell her she can always call me. I need to put on a few extra pounds anyway.” I told him.

“Yeah, I’ll definitely let her know. She asked how you were doing, and I told her your ass was about to be getting married soon. She said we'd better have VIP invitations in the mail when the time comes.” He said with a chuckle.

“Hell yeah. I can see marriage in our future, and you don’t have to ask for an invitation because you would definitely be included. I don’t have any biological brothers, but I definitely consider you family.”