A sad smile drifted over Christian’s face. “Angel, please forgive me, baby.”
“That hurt so badly, Chris. All I could think about was how you promised you’d never hurt me.”
“And I didn’t intentionally hurt you. I cannot forget the impact you and Belle have on my life. I can never go back to the way life was before y’all came into it. I mean, yeah, I should’ve told you that he was in town. For that, I was wrong, and I apologize. But the rest of it was a misunderstanding. I’m sorry that it hurt you though.”
“I forgive you, baby. But what really happened between you and Erica? When Jeremiah left me, it seemed like you two were still in love.”
“We were living a lie. We broke up about a year after you and Jeremiah did. I couldn’t keep her happy for nothing. Erica left me because she said that she wasn’t happy anymore. I wasn’t trying to get her back, because I knew that with all I did for her, if she weren’t happy, I would never make her happy.”
“There just seems to be bad blood between you two now.”
“There was for a while, but I’m learning how to forgive and forget. Angel . . .” He looked into my eyes with a somber expression, and I knew something was on his heart.
“What, Chris? You can tell me anything.” I had already made up my mind to forgive him.
“Erica aborted my child and never even told me. I know she has a right and all, but she didn’t even have the decency to tell me that she had done that shit. My cousin had gone to pick upa female friend of his who was at the clinic. He saw his friend saying bye to Erica in the parking lot, and he asked her what that girl was doing there, since he knew who Erica was.
“His friend said that she and Erica had started chatting about their procedures while they were waiting. She told my cousin’s friend that she didn’t want to be a single baby mama, but someone’s wife and mother someday. She said that she had recently broken up with her boyfriend, so she saw no reason to keep the kid.”
I could hear the brokenness in his tone, and that hurt my heart. I took a step forward and grasped his face in my hands. “You are a good man, Chris. Don’t let that break you. Someday, you’ll be an excellent father to a lucky child.”
He glanced at Belle and then back at me. “I’m hoping that someday could start tonight.”
“Do you know what you’re asking for, Chris?” I asked just as Nicholas, Joshua, and Mr. Holly started chanting, “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”
I looked up and pointed at the mistletoe above us and laughed. “Sir, if you don’t want a week’s worth of dishes and washing Big Red, you’d better kiss me.”
“Hell yeah, I know what I’m asking for,” he replied, answering my previous question. “A lifetime of this,” he declared, and leaned down and kissed me to a squirming, babbling Belle’s delight.
Chapter 18
Christian
CHRISTMAS DAY
“Cheer up. You get out of here at eight tonight,” Timberson stated. “I’ll be on shift tomorrow too.”
“Yeah, at least you’re off for the next couple of days.” Kaden chimed in.
Earlier this year, I volunteered to cover the Christmas shift for one of my co-workers so he could spend the holiday with his girlfriend. At the time, I didn’t have anyone special to spend it with, so it didn’t bother me. Now all I could think about was Angel and Belle spending the holiday without me. After going by her mother’s place last night, I came straight to work.
“I heard you were out playing Romeo last night.” Silas Miller, another paramedic I was working with, teased me as he sat down at the dining table with me.
“Who told you that? I know it wasn’t that snitching brother of mine,” I stated with a chuckle. They hated having to go out and sing even more than I did. The only thing that lessened it for me was that it was for my benefit. And it worked too. I found myself thanking my mother before we left, not only for her great idea,but for making us join the choir and all those Christmases spent caroling.
“Your dad was bragging about his boys online,” Miller stated, shoving his phone at me.
I groaned and dragged my hand down my face when I saw my father’s Sociogram video. He recorded me serenading Angel, and he kept filming all the way until I kissed her underneath the mistletoe.
“I swear, someone needs to delete that man’s account and keep him off social media.” I groaned to the amusement of the other men.
“You’ve got a visitor, Chris,” Raven Cross, another paramedic, shouted when she stepped into the room.
“Why’re you always so loud?” Miller asked, eyeing her.
“Why’re you always worried about me?” Cross asked, rolling her eyes.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d think those two had a thing going. But I didn’t care. I hopped up to see who was visiting me, although I suspected I knew exactly who it was.
