While that notion excited me, I heeded my sister and best friend’s words.
“Yeah,” Carlene said, blowing out a breath. “You know, if you would’ve asked me three years ago, I would’ve had a different story. Then Jason came into my life and blew up my wholemen ain’t shittheory.”
She rolled her eyes, pretending to be disgusted. But there was that telltale sparkle in her eyes. It was there whenever she talked about him. That gleam only increased in appearance whenever she was in his presence. Carlene might joke about Jason being sprung, but she had it just as bad.
“I was there for all of that,” I reminded her.
She nodded, wiping her mouth. “And you were the one who encouraged me to give him a chance. Even when I swore up and down that he wouldn’t be shit just like so many men in my past.”
My past relationships might not have been perfect or worked out in the long term, but Carlene had encountered some doozies compared to mine. She truly deserved the happiness she’d found.
“I’m so happy for you two,” I told her, meaning it.
“I want the same happiness for you.” She held up her hands. “Now, I’m not one to believe a woman needs a husband and kids to fulfill them. But you,” she pointed at me, “I’ve known it’s what you secretly desired, even if you won’t say as much out loud.”
“Me too,” Sharise added. “You got your heart broken a few times in high school and college, and all of a sudden you became Ms. All About Her Work.”
“Really?” I cocked my head to the side. “Is that how you feel?” I looked between the two of them.
“Yeah.”
“Absolutely.”
“Don’t hold back,” I grumbled, staring down at the half-eaten pizza on my plate.
“Mia.” Sharise’s hand slid across the table, retaking mine. “You know we’re not saying this to upset you. And we know how much you did enjoy your career, but you used it to hide behind.”
Something in my chest shifted, and I squirmed in my chair. I wasn’t expecting my sister’s words to have such an impact on me.
“If you’re as hung up on this new guy as I suspect, don’t let your fears get in the way.” She squeezed my hand before releasing it.
“Ditto.” Carlene stood and placed a few bills on the table. She moved over to me, kissing my cheek. “I love you, Mia. We both do, and we trust you know what’s best for you.”
“That therapist is working a miracle on you,” I joked. But in all seriousness, Carlene of five years ago had a totally different outlook on relationships.
“You ain’t never lied,” she confirmed. “A good therapist and some good dick will have many women seeing things differently.” She cackled, and I tossed my head back and laughed as well. “I have to go. Bye. Good to see you, Sharise.”
I watched my friend go, and then turned to my sister.
“How are the kiddos?” I asked, referring to my nephew and two nieces.
“A pain in my butt.” She grunted. “Thank God you finally decided to come up for air from that man and come out to have lunch with us. I needed to drop those kids off somewhere to have time to myself.”
“Stop it.” I laughed. “Don’t talk about my babies like that.”
“Whatever.” She waved a dismissive hand. “You’re more than free to come get them whenever you want.”
“Maybe I’ll pick them up this weekend.” I glanced at my watch. “I have an appointment to head over to the café to speak with the foreman for my renovation.”
Sharise’s eyes lit up. “I’m so happy you’re finally opening this café. You’ve mentioned it for years. I wish I could come but babysitters aren’t cheap. And your parents just had to jaunt off on another one of their vacations.”
Our parents were on a cruise around the Mediterranean and weren’t slated to return until closer to the end of the month. Our mother typically watched Sharise’s kids whenever she had to run errands during the day or if she just needed a break for a few hours.
“Love you,” I told my sister as we hugged. “Thanks for having lunch with me.”
She pointed a finger at me. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten that you still haven’t given up much of the details on this man. And I want to meet him soon.”
“Slow down, sis. It’s only been two months since I’ve met him,” I reminded her.
