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“If she would marry me today, it would be a spring wedding. I’m that ready,” he says assuringly.
Out of sheer amazement, I blow a low whistle and lean forward. “Wow. Leslie showed me your pictures and told me it was your high school sweetheart. Sounded serious, but I didn’t know it was this deep for you.”
Terrance throws his head back, closes his eyes, and takes a long puff from his cigar. "Put it this way," he says, releasing plumes of cigar smoke into the air. "Clair wasn’t my first choice, but I had made my mind up to marry her because I believe in the power of marriage. But God knew what my heart needed because fate let me overhear something she said about me before our game, letting me know I couldn’t go through with it. I felt low after I told her it was over. Like I was low enough to marry a woman who never really had my heart. Like if I could just get the only girl I ever loved to admit that we belonged together, that was all I needed. So, when my high school classmates organized a celebration honoring me in my hometown, it was a no-brainer to return.”
“And you two connected at the party?”
“She didn’t come to the party, but I hoped to see her that weekend. And when I spotted her, I knew I had one shot. And as they say, I shot my shot."
"You have a real love story.”
He lifts his glass of sparkling water and smiles. “It wasn’t a story that was easy to write. She made it hard because she wanted to make sure this was what I wanted. But at the end of the day, we both have real love stories. Terrica and I are just trying to get like y’all with your fan page and everything.”
“I still can’t believe we have a fan page. But I’m glad there are people out there showing support. Leslie’s addicted to social media, so that support gives her a place to go to avoid the negativity whenever she needs a safe place on the net,” I admit.
He eyes me warily before replying, fingering the crease in his jeans. “That’s what’s up. Some good people are out there, but I understand you being protective of her. The entire city grieved when your family lost Alexandria, so I know you want to keep her away from that type of drama.”
My nose scrunches as the lighter's flame heats up the cigar's end. The stick begins to smoke, and the end crackles and flares. The faint scent of burning tobacco lingers before I take a long drag and breathe deeply through my nose, savoring the cigar's pungent tobacco smoke. “It was a tough decision,” I say, thinking of my dear sister-in-law. The earthy taste of tobacco and the rich coffee work their magic to keep me calm. “Alexandria was loved by so many for her genuine heart and caring spirit. And my brother, Eddie, was faithful to her dying day. The awful message gossipers spread ruined something special. It ended them. I lost more than a sister-in-law. I lost another line to my family because Alexandria allowed them to get to her.” I roll the cigar in my mouth before flicking the ashes off onto the ashtray on the side table.
“I shouldn’t have brought her up,” Terrance acknowledges.
“No. It’s fine. Alexandria’s death made being out in the open with the woman I loved hard. I didn’t want to share our love with anyone for fear it would be tainted or even broken. I didn’t want to, but it takes two people to have a relationship. So, we made the best decision for us—together, even with all things considered. We couldn’t hide forever.”
Terrance raises a hand to stop me from talking. "I didn’t mean to bring up a sore topic. I just said that to say I understand the pain of loss. In the past five years, I’ve lost my father. My mother passed years before then. And I became completely alienated by the girl that’s had my heart since I was in single digits. So, if there’s any wonder why I didn’t talk about my relationships, there wasn't much else to discuss."
My eyebrows rise in surprise at Terrance's announcement. I thought I’d seen his parents at one of the playoff games, but it must’ve been someone else there to support him. Surprisingly, Terrance’s past had been untold. Pain hidden and unreleased for media fodder. The bloggers fortunately hadn’t used his grief to create articles about the star NFL player whose backstory was pain and loss.
I take a long, hard look at Terrence and begin to understand the weight of his struggles for the first time. He had signed with the Washington Saints when he was just twenty-two. A few years later, he not only had to face his father's death, but he had already lost his mother and the woman he loved. Everyone has struggles, but it's hard to imagine a more difficult set of circumstances.
But something incredible has happened. Despite all odds, he found love again. And now here we are, both smitten by the women in our lives, and him here to support my upcoming wedding.
“You guys deserve all the happiness in the world,” I tell him, my voice heavy with emotion. But I can't help but wonder if he is still carrying around a deep pain inside him like an invisible chain around his heart.
Terrence points his cigar toward me and smiles weakly, saying, Today's not about me; it's about helping you get ready for your big day. So let's get to work on what needs to be done! What do you need us to do as groomsmen?” His eyes show conflicting emotions, and I make up my mind right then and there that no matter what happens, I'll always be here for him as a friend and a brother.
“Just show up in your suit, buddy. Everything else is taken care of,” I answer cheerfully before adding, “Oh, and don’t worry. We will celebrate when Rich and Jeremiah’s crazy asses get here. I invited my cousin Dilan too, so this place will be a wild house very soon.”
The tension finally leaves his face as he responds, “Dilan was wilding at the Superbowl Bash.”
I shake my head and take one final puff from my cigar before putting it out. “He was, but I still claim his crazy ass as family.”
Terrance laughs. “Can’t choose your family.”
I give him a sideways glance. “I don’t know, T. Sometimes we can.” Knowing how lonely Terrance must have been until he reconnected with Terrica, it feels like a given that I offer him a place in my family. Instead of telling him he’s welcome to come over for the holidays and that he has a forever brother in me, I intend to show him my deeds as time passes.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Wayne
Oh, Brother
The doorbell rings, and I prepare to stand as my godmother yells from the kitchen, “If you move, young man, I will come in there and beat you with a wet noodle.” Marjorie has always been like a second mother to me, so it’s not unusual for her to fuss about something.
As I’m about to say something to her over my shoulder, my mother adds to the threat, “And I will hold you down while she does it.”
Terrance laughs at the two women standing united in their threat to administer double trouble if I move.
The doorbell rings again, and I roll my eyes and say, “It’s a shame that I can get in trouble for answering my own door.”
