“I tell him every day, but his head is as hard as yours. He just won’t admit it.”
I let my thoughts roll in. Neither of us said anything as they registered.
“He’s good to me.”
“He doesn’t have much of a choice, baby.”
I cringed as I nodded. The blood that soaked his white button down was fresh on my brain.
“He doesn’t.”
I chewed another piece of turkey as I waited for more words to appear. After swallowing, they finally materialized.
“How did it feel?”
I shifted my weight from one side to the other.
“With Dad?”
“Like a Sunday morning. Every morning, Royce.”
My mother and father had met early in adulthood and never spent another day without each other. Richie didn’t have to question anything when it came to my mother. She was the one thing in life he was certain of.
“What about a Friday night? When the world has been exhausting and there’s only one pair of arms you want to fall into? Or when you’re at the bottom of your bottle of wine and there’s only one person you care to call? Or when the noise has been so loud that you need them to quiet it all?”
“Friday night… Saturday morning… Sunday morning… Tuesday. Thursday. It doesn’t matter, Royce. As long as it doesn’t feel like the Monday blues. Or the hump you just need to get over Wednesday.”
“He doesn’t give me the blues. Neither does he feel like an obstacle.”
“Then the rest is manageable.”
“He’ll be the mayor of Berkeley in the next forty-eight hours.”
“And he found time to have you blushing on this line this morning?”
“He makes time for me. Always.”
“A man after your heart.”
“He has it.”
“And that makes me so happy, Royce. I’ve heard your change of tone over the last few months. I admire the peace his presence has brought you.”
“I’ve been wanting to tel–”
“I’m your mother, baby. I birthed six of your best friends. Catherine bore the first. I have come to terms with the fact that I’m the last one to get news and I’m okay with that. It’s working out exactly how I planned.”
“I haven’t seen much of the girls.” I sighed. “I’ve been so tied up with Ishmael and his campaign. I feel awful.”
“You spent your entire childhood with your sisters and most of your adulthood. You think those girls are worried about you not seeing much of them lately? They have so much going on in their worlds. I’m sure they haven’t noticed much.”
“You’re right.”
“If there’s nothing more I’ve taught you, it’s to always give yourself grace. Your sisters abide by the same rule.”
“Yeah.”
My heart was getting heavier.
