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I fell to my knees sobbing uncontrollably. Nothing like this had ever happened to me. I’ve been praying since I was a little girl and was never sure if God ever heard me. I needed the encouragement today because it started feeling like this was never going to be over.
Roman prayed while Zanetta consoled me on the ground.
* * *
After Zanettaand Roman’s visit, I had a renewed hope. I woke up looking forward to the day that I would walk into the hospital, and El would be awake.
Today was not that day. I walked into El’s room and found Torrey sitting in the chair next to his bed.
“Hey, Torrey.”
We embraced.
“How is he today?” I asked while kissing El on his lips and checking his hands to see if they were cold. He felt fine.
“The same. I was just telling him about my plans to redo the deck on the back of my house. I feel like I need to change somethings around. I can hear him asking me which contractor I am going to use and if I’d gotten recommendations from some of their former clients. He thinks he is my big brother instead of the other way around.”
We laughed.
“But did you get those recommendations?”
“I’m still in the planning stages, but I will make sure I do that! I miss hearing his voice. This is the longest I’ve ever gone without some sort of communication with him. When he was locked up, mom and I visited him at least once a month. He called when he could, and we wrote each other a lot.”
“I miss his voice too. I didn’t think I would fall in love. I thought love was for people who weren’t as busy or driven as I am, but all it took was meeting the person who matched my busyness and my drive. He’s everything I wanted in a man but didn’t know it until I met him.”
“He told me about you the first day he met you in his office. He said that you were bullheaded and had a slick mouth. I laughed because he was describing himself. I wasn’t positive at first, but when he changed his whole day to come to theWe Love the Communityevent, I knew you would be my family.”
“He told me he some free time that day!”
“He did after he volun-told Raymond and me to come with him and made Ulysses push back the time of his chef tasting.”
“I didn’t know that,” I smiled.
“Then it felt like it took you both forever to finally admit that there was something between you but I’m glad you did. You are great for him.”
“Thank you, Torrey. I love him so much.”
“I know you do. If I didn’t know it before this, I definitely know it now.”
We sat silently and watched Samuel sleep before I asked, “Why are you single?”
In the time that I’d known her, I’d never seen her date or even mention a guy’s name.
“I’m like you in a sense. I married my career. I have a Master of Public Administration degree that I received while Samuel was locked up. I wanted to create programs to help the community which segued into my philanthropy work. I love what I do and don’t want anyone coming into my life trying to change or interfere with that. So, I’m single. For years, Mom asked me when I was going to marry or at least give her a grandchild. After I turned forty, she stopped. I never wanted children even though Samuel always felt like he was mine. It was like I and Mom raised him together.”
“Maybe you will be blessed like me and find a guy that you fit with perfectly.”
“Maybe but I’m fine with me.”
* * *
Bzzzz…bzzzz.
The sounds of muffled vibration coming from my nightstand alerted me to the incoming phone call. Seeing the clock read two forty-five in the morning, my mind quickly filled with the absolute worse scenarios. Was Samuel okay? Are my parents okay? Did something happen to one of my sisters? Did one of my clients get locked up? No one ever called this late unless something was terribly wrong. I quickly grabbed the phone and saw a local number that was not programmed in. I shakily swiped the phone icon to connect the call.
“Hello?”
“Vee?”
