Ruby smiled and squeezed me so hard, I wondered where her strength came from.
“Thank you for hearing from a power higher than either one of us. I know you were sent by the Creator. No one has looked beneath my surface and given me grace like you.”
“I just want to be obedient and sow into your good ground.”
Chapter
Twelve
RUBY
GREEN LIGHT
Ilay in the bed holding Amari’s hand under the covers like we were teenage lovers. When I closed my eyes, I inhaled his freshness and listened to our syncopated breathing. After about five minutes, I opened my eyes and whispered into the darkness.
“Are you awake?”
Amari squeezed my hand and intertwined his fingers with mine.
“I am.”
“Do you want to get married again?”
The question came to me as I wondered what his relationship must have been like with his ex-wife.
I felt his body shift toward me.“I wouldn’t mind.”
“What did you learn about yourself in your marriage?”
“Therapy taught me that I was an avoider and was as much at fault as Lise.”
“What were you avoiding?”
“I saw the cracks when Lise and I talked at each other more than to each other, but I was too stubborn to call it quits. I tried to hold on to the image that we were a power couple since we were great at stacking paper to get the home, cars, and businesses that showcased our success.”
“When did you realize y’all weren’t compatible?”
“I always knew.”
I jerked my head Amari’s way. “And you still married her?”
“She was familiar and I thought faithful. The closer we got to our wedding date, the more I realized how callous Lise was. She was more obsessed with the wedding than establishing a solid foundation for our marriage. I almost backed out but didn’t want her to be embarrassed. I did everything in my power to make it work.”
“But it didn’t. Are you scared?”
“Of what?” he asked.
“That things will go wrong again.”
I heard Amari suck in his breath, then exhale. “I’m not.”
“Why?”
“Because everything happens the way it’s supposed to. Life isn’t one accident after another. Closed doors close for a reason, and open doors do the same. I’ve also learned from my mistakes, so I won’t repeat them.”
I smiled as Amari’s wise words filled my spirit.
“I like that.”
