Another long pause.
“Does she know you’re doing this?” he asked.
“No, sir. I’ll deal with her wrath or praise later. But I know she needs this, and before I ask for her hand, I need her to understand come hell or high water, she’ll have all her heart’s desires.”
He agreed eventually. And I didn’t care what ghosts he had to wrestle to get here—he had seventy hours. She needed this. And truthfully? I needed it too. Halo was it for me. She was home. She would be my wife. But she couldn’t give me everything until she made peace with the parts of herself that she kept locked away. The girl who missed her dad. The woman who hated that she missed him. The daughter who felt abandoned and guilty for still loving him.
I didn’t need perfect. I just wanted her whole.
“Bae, you are doing too much again.”
“How?” I asked, kissing the back of her hand. We were a few hours from heading to the game, and I just wanted to show her some appreciation. She’d been resting and listening since the hospital. The light in her eyes was back, and I wanted it to stay that way.
I had her eyes covered as I led her into the garage. Yeah… our garage. All her shit had been moved within twenty-four hours of her release, with her permission.
“Because why is my face covered? It’s a surprise, and I don’t need anything else. You spoil me too much already.”
I turned her around, removed my hands, so she was facing me instead of the surprise behind her.
“Halo, I love you. And I don’t know how many times I gotta tell you to let me spoil you, but you gotta take heed, baby.”
“DaVinci, I have everything I want right here,” she said, wrapping her arms around me and kissing my lips. I closed my eyes—then she pushed off me with force and turned around to see her surprise.
Her scream made me laugh.
“You tricky as fuck, boo.” She jumped into my arms.
“You are still enough,” she said, “but I love my HUMMER!” she hollered, slipping out of my arms to walk around it. She’d mentioned wanting a crawling Hummer, and I wasn’t gonna miss with this. It was burnt orange with candy paint. Black 24s. Peanut butter and black leather interior. Halos stitched in the headrests. I’d been working on it quietly since her one-fact-a-day check-ins.
“I’m glad you like it, baby. Get in. Let me see you in it.”
She climbed and screamed again when she saw the roses and gifts filling the seats. Omni and my mom had helped, and I owed them for securing these extra points.
She jumped back out and into my arms again.
“I love you… Like for real,” she whispered. “I love you so much.”
“Yeah? How much, though?”
I had her pinned to her new car, her legs locked around me. I wasn’t even trying to take it there, but the look in her eyes said she was ready to clock in for her shift at Soak City.
She licked my top lip before sliding her tongue into my mouth. I pressed her harder into the door, chasing her lips, my dick swelling in my basketball shorts.
“What you on, Lo?” I asked, pulling back.
She leaned back just enough to meet my eyes. Lips swollen. Eyes heavy. Her arms locked around my neck, pulling me in with a clear message about what she wanted next.
“You tell me,” she whispered. “You out here giving very much husband.”
“I’m ready to be that,” I said, dead serious.
She smiled slowly, satisfied, feeling the shift. Leaned her forehead against mine, fingers gripping the back of my head.
“I’m just happy,” she murmured. “Thank you. And even that doesn’t feel like enough. DaVinci, you do so much for me. So much and I’m blessed.”
“Damn, your mean ass done turned into a cupcake. Soft, sweet, and gushy. I need a medal.”
“Shut up,” she said, sucking her teeth and pushing me back.
