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Harmony
Harmony senta group text to her siblings to see what they had going for the night. Things between her and Keith had returned to their version of normal with him upstairs and her bored, downstairs, alone. Since he was in good spirits that weekend, he’d already let her know he was going to the bar that evening with his brothers, a party the following night, and church and brunch with his parents Sunday.
On one hand, Harmony was happy he was feeling well enough physically and emotionally enough to go out. On the other hand, Harmony was tired of Keith spending his good days with everyone except her. Though she tried not to take it personally, it was hard not to. His words may not have said it, but his actions made her believe he didn’t enjoy her company outside of their home. She’d been trying not to turn his issue into hers, but the more frequently it happened, the harder it was to deny.
Biggest Big Brother: I’ll be at you in thirty.
Little Big Brother: Headed that way. I got the liquor.
Baby Big Sister: On my way. I’ll stop and get the wings.
A smile spread Harmony’s lips at the sight of their replies. If she couldn’t count on anyone else, she could always count on her siblings. Setting her phone on the counter in the bathroom, she cut the shower on to take a quick shower. Harmony was sure when her family left all she’d want to do was crawl in bed and go to sleep.
As Keith made his way into the bathroom, he eyed her before looking at the shower.
“Would you like to join me?” she asked.
“Hell yeah.”
With a chuckle, Harmony lifted her hands and allowed Keith to remove her matching blush colored pajama set. She hadn’t bothered to get dressed because she was sure she’d spend the day lounging around. When Keith let her know he made plans, Harmony decided to get up and do something as well. Before Keith got sick, Harmony used to go out every weekend. With him, she’d gotten into a habit of not doing much of anything outside of work.
As they stepped into the shower, Harmony released a content sigh. Her eyes took in every inch of Keith’s frame. Not a day passed that she didn’t find her fiancé attractive. His tall frame, smooth brown skin, and hazel eyes had her experiencing lust at first sight. Harmony never denied the fact that it was Keith’s appearance that first interested her, but when they began to talk, his personality sealed her fate—Harmony was his.
She wanted to tell him that she missed this… missed him… missed the intimacy. But she didn’t want to ruin the mood. She also wanted to ask him if he genuinely liked her as a person. But that would have ruined the mood too. Instead of saying anything, Harmony remained silent as they washed each other’s bodies. When they were done, they dried off and went to their respective sinks.
“What do you have planned for the evening?” Keith asked, rubbing some of the shea butter she’d purchased onto his frame. He’d dropped maybe twenty pounds because of his sickness, but he was still toned and muscular.
“I invited my brothers and sister over.”
“Oh, I wish I would have known they’d be coming over. I would’ve stayed behind.”
“Well, I only invited them because you were leaving, and I didn’t want to be here by myself.”
Keith nodded as he walked into the closet. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy yourself with them. If they’re still here when I get back, we can have a few drinks. Since I didn’t go to chemo this week it won’t mess my stomach up.”
“I’m sure they would like that. They ask about you all the time, and you know my parents do too.” Harmony smiled as she stepped into the closet as well and grabbed her robe. “You know Mama prays for you every day with her prayer circle.”
Keith chuckled. “And I appreciate that. Your dad texts me every morning, too. They’ve really made me feel like a part of the family, and that means a lot to me.”
Scratching her ear, Harmony bit her tongue. If her mother could see her, she’d chew her out for not saying what was on her mind. This had become the routine, though, and not speaking up for herself had Harmony more anxious than she’d been all her life. It was less about Keith’s actions and more about how they made her feel. And the fact that she didn’t feel safe enough to speak to him about it only made it worse. The last thing she wanted was for a conversation about her feelings to turn into one about him and his depression—his sickness. Things were always,always, about him.
Harmony left the closet as her eyes watered. She planned to go upstairs until he left and then finish getting dressed, but that plan failed when Keith asked, “Are you good?”
She nodded, wiping a tear before it could fall. “Yes,” she almost whispered, heading for the door.
Keith grabbed her wrist and turned her in his direction. “What’s wrong, bae?”
“Everyone’s asking about the wedding, and I don’t know what to say,” she admitted. “I told my mom we were pausing that until you were healthy, but I don’t feel as secure as I used to since our last conversation.”
With a nod, Keith’s expression grew solemn. His tone was warm and cautious as he admitted, “That’s my doing. I’m uncertain about a lot of things and put that on you. On us.”
“It’s fine because I know what’s going on. It’s just difficult expressing that to people without putting them in our business.”
“Well… Just tell them we’re taking our time to make sure everything is perfect. That’s all they need to know.” Harmony nodded but remained silent as she headed over to the dresser to grab a bra and panty set. “Is there… something else?”
Twisting her mouth to the side, Harmony considered if she wanted to answer truthfully. She sat down on the black, rectangular ottoman across from the dresser.
Instead of addressing the problem, Harmony decided to offer a solution. “Since you’re feeling good this weekend, can we go out?”
