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She walked away, and I headed back to my car.
“Who was that?” Precious asked immediately. She was just as nosy as her mama.
“A friend.”
“Is she your girlfriend?”
“No, baby.”
“Ms. Gaines wants to be your girlfriend, Uncle Cay. She told Ms. Mary you were so fine.”
I snorted. Ms. Gaines was out of line and out of her lane.
“You ready to go to the park?”
“I’m ready!”
I backed out of the parking space and headed toward Greenbriar Park. My thoughts drifted back to Pasha. I hoped she was having a decent day.
Chapter Seven
Pasha
I hadn’t left Avyn’s apartment since moving two weeks ago.
She’d been trying to get me out for some fresh air, but I got plenty of that on her balcony. Most days, I sat out there just looking up at the sky. I talked to my parents as though they could hear me. I prayed. I contemplated life thus far and how I would pull myself out of this slump. Two days ago, while Avyn was at work, Raymond’s lawyer officially served me with divorce papers. I guessed that Avyn told him I would be with her.
When the carrier left, I locked myself in my new bedroom and lay in bed, crying my eyes out for an hour. When I finished, I looked over the documents. I knew Raymond wanted to give me practically nothing. I was sure it was at the encouragement of his lawyer that he offered anything at all. He was willing to pay for my lawyer and offered a lump sum alimony payment. It was nothing like I deserved, but it was more than I had. I knew this tactic was to get rid of me as soon as possible.
Somehow... in between the crying, the feeling of despair, and the cloud of hopelessness... I found peace because signing these papers meant I was free from him. I was free of the hatred in his stares. Free of the coldness of his words. Free of the impossible expectations to be perfect at all times. I’d lived in turmoil for so long that freedom that granted me peace of mind was worth more to me than any monetary supplement from him.
The sound of the front door opening broke me from my thoughts. I stood from the patio and walked back inside. Avyn greeted me with a smile.
“Hey! You’re up!”
“Yeah, just soaking up some sun. It feels good out.”
“It’s been a beautiful day.”
I noticed the gift bag in her hand. “What’s that?”
She looked down. “Oh! I got you something. Nothing big, but I hope it can serve its purpose.”
She handed me the bag, and I slowly took it. After sitting on the couch, I opened the bag to find a medium-sized box with a beautiful pink bow on top. When I pulled off the top, there sat a beautiful, black, leather-bound notebook. Gorgeous embroidery spelled my name across the front.
Avyn grabbed my hand. “I know you don’t want to talk about things, but I don’t want you to keep your feelings inside. I need you to be okay. This is a self-reflection journal. I had it specially made just for you. You can write your feelings, make a goal list, and do daily affirmations in it. It doubles as a planner also. I literally have my entire life in mine. I would lose my head if I lost it.”
I smiled softly. “Thank you, Avyn. This was a very thoughtful gift. I promise I’ll put it to good use.”
I pulled her in for a hug, and she released the biggest breath of relief. I knew she was worried about me, but she never forced me to talk. There’d been a lot of silence here the last two weeks. I was trying my best to stay out of her way and not be a bother. I made sure I cleaned up after myself and kept the place spotless.
“Have you had a good day?” she asked me.
“It’s been a better day compared to others.” I hung my head for a moment. “I, um... I got served two days ago. This is really happening, Avyn.”
She gently rubbed my shoulder. “It is.”
“This is the first time I’ve ever been on my own. I don’t know what to do with myself. I can’t continue to live like a housewife, and I will never have anybody else take care of me again. If I don’t take anything else away from this, I’ll take away the idea of always being self-sufficient.”
