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“It’s my fault,” Pearline said after sitting down next to me. “My drug addiction messed me and my kids’ lives up. I should have come back for the oldest ones and made sure to make things right, but I didn’t. With the second set, I vowed to do right by them, so I raised them and left my oldest ones with my mother. I should have tried sooner to make things right with them. Morris is a lot like me. He loves hard. When that love is not returned, he shuts down. He’s built a wall to keep me out, but I am working on taking it down brick by brick.”
“Your family is probably much calmer than this, huh?” Karleen said.
“I was raised in the system, foster homes, so this is all fine with me. I love big families, disfunction, and all.”
Everyone laughed.
“I should probably find Morris and apologize. I wasn’t trying to accuse him of anything I really just wanted an answer,” Pearline said while wiping a stray tear from her eye.
“No, don’t. Let him calm down. He will be back when he is calm,” I said and squeezed her hand.
“You think so?” Pearline asked.
“I know so. He really is a compassionate man, and he knows when he’s gone too far. It’s not beneath him to apologize. He works hard at self-improvement to be a better father and friend. Just give him some space, for now, he will be back,” I assured her.
“So, is this new with you and Moe?” Karleen asked.
“Yes and no. Him calling me his girlfriend and me smiling from ear to ear every time he says it is new. But we’ve been friends and neighbors for a while.”
“Aww, so he’s your friend?” Pearline smiled.
“He’s my best friend.”
* * *
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Morris asked after returning to the pavilion. He and his brother had been gone for about thirty minutes.
I followed him out of the pavilion and out of earshot of everyone.
He grabbed my hands and looked me in the eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry for?”
“Getting angry and showing my ass.”
“You had every right to get angry and show your ass. He goaded you, and you fell for it. You don’t have to apologize for that.”
“I shouldn’t have yelled at you either,” he said.
“Baby, you are talking to the queen of brawling. I completely understand when you get mad. Anyone in the way will get it. That’s why I got out of the way,” I laughed.
“I shouldn’t let him get to me, but he does,” Morris admitted.
“That’s family, I guess.”
“Are the girls okay?” He asked.
“They ran over to the pavilion for something to drink and right back out with their cousins. They don’t even know anything happened.”
“I guess I need to find my mother and apologize to her. I shouldn’t have yelled at her. She didn’t know what was going on.”
“I think she understands, but an apology won’t hurt.”
“So, you’ve met my family. You still want to stick around?”
“I’m going to stay around as long as you want me to.”
