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“Oh, I don’t doubt it. I know you have an almost photographic memory, but I also know that you weren’t here. Are you not ready to share her name?”
“Cambria,” I responded.
It was true. I was aware of the meeting and planned on replaying some of it later in my mind to jot down some notes, but Cam was on my mind. Her date was scheduled for later in the evening and I couldn’t shake the jealously that I felt. I thought I was nodding and agreeing when necessary. I guess I hadn’t played it off as well as I thought I had.
“What’s going on? Looks like you need to get some things out of your head,” Samuel said.
“She’s invading my thoughts. Everything reminds me of her. Skye called her and asked her to come to their school forMuffins with Moms.”
“Where was their mother?”
“That’s a whole other story. Short version, she moved to Atlanta and hasn’t been back. So, Beatrice wasn’t going to be there and Skye called Cam. She dropped what she was doing and went to the school to be with the girls.”
“Wow. Did you know Skye had called her?”
“No, I was in a meeting and didn’t know she was there until I got there. The girls were smiling from ear to ear, laughing and posing for pictures. She really cares about my girls, and they obviously feel it because she was the first call they made after they knew their mother wasn’t going to show up. Then when I was sick last week, she commandeered my house and took care of everything. She got the girls to and from school, nursed me back to health, and did it all without me asking for anything. I felt a level of peace while she was there every day that I’ve never felt before. I looked forward to her and the girls coming home and telling me about their day. I’ve tried to just be her friend for a while now, but I don’t know how much longer I can pretend like I don’t want her.”
“To smash or to wife?”
“To both! I don’t know if I’ve ever said this out loud, but I’m in love with her. I don’t know when it happened, but it did. Now I’m stuck trying to figure out how to tell my friend that I want to be more than friends.”
“I’ve heard the strongest relationships start out as friendships,” Samuel said.
“Yeah, but this friend role isn’t getting me anywhere. She is going out on a date tonight with some clown she met at the grocery store.”
“How do you know?”
“She told me. She postponed the date because I was sick but then agreed to go after I got better.”
“Do you know where they are going?”
“No, I didn’t ask, and she didn’t volunteer the information.”
“I remember I was in the same situation and saw Averie on a date. I broke that crap up,” he tsked.
“Believe me, I’ve considered it,” I ran my hand down my face. “Cam and I were together once and it was phenomenal, but then something happened and she distanced herself from me. I can’t figure out what that was or what I did, but now she’s back, and I don’t want her to leave again, so I’ve been following her lead. I’m not a natural follower, so this is hard for me.”
“You have to show her how you feel. Women are used to men doing a lot of talking with no action. You have to let your actions speak. Show her how much she means to you with the way you treat her. I don’t mean huge gestures, not saying that you shouldn’t do things on a large scale, but the things they really remember are the small things. Like when you think of her at the convenience store and pick up her favorite candy bar or grab her favorite perfume because you saw she was running low. They like for us to pay attention to the small things. I’ve purchased Averie a jet, three houses, two cars, and a baseball team. Do you know what she tells people I got her? Her favorite lavender oil that she puts on before she goes to sleep,” Samuel finished.
“That sounds like Vee,” I chuckled.
“Yeah, but look, when you find the woman that you plan on spending your life with? Study her, memorize her, but don’t ever think that the version you know won’t change. Always study her; always memorize her. That’s what she will notice.”
“Thanks, El.”
“No problem. I’m still learning, but once the hunt is over and you’ve found your rib, treat her as such. Treat her like she is a part of you and belongs at your side because she does.”
Cam
“I will take the filet mignon and the lady will take the leg of lamb with olive oil potatoes,” Miles said and passed the menu to the waitress.
Miles and I met atMcIntyre’sin the pasta aisle. After striking up a conversation about homemade pasta sauce versus store brought sauce, he’d asked for my number. I thought he was cute in a guy-around-the-corner sorta way. His thick hair was cut low with a side part. I loved Morris’ side part. Miles’ goatee and mustache were thin and neat. I was more of a full beard woman, but his goatee was nice and groomed. We had a few phone conversations before he asked me out on a date. We set a date, but then I had to cancel because Morris got sick. Miles understood when I told him that I needed to push our date back to the following week due to my friend being sick.
Spending that time with Morris and the girls made my longing for a family of my own come alive again. I’d pushed the thought of having someone call me their family to the back of my mind to focus on other things like expanding my business. Growing up, I dreamt of someone calling me mother, sister, or wife. As I got older, I learned that life was something that you couldn’t plan. Life just happened. I learned to be content where I was before I could move forward. So, the family dream was pushed to the back of my mind. After spending time with Moe and the girls, my desire moved back to the front.
Putting myself back on the market had to be the first step in finally meeting someone with some substance, so I decided to go out with Miles. I was confident in the decision to go out with him, but then something felt weird. I had the feeling that I was cheating on Morris, although we weren’t a couple. I told him about the date to see if maybe he would ask me not to go, but his lack of reaction to the news made me decide to move forward with it.
“Is your friend feeling better?” Miles asked after the waitress left the table.
