He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Ma, this is the first time I’m making something for you to wear, and I want it to be perfect so everyone can see you the way I do. Like a goddess.”
The way her heart stretched inside her chest, thundering against her rib cage, she should’ve been concerned about having a cardiac event. But this wasn’t her body failing. No, this was the love she felt for this child of hers taking up even more space in her soul than she’d ever thought possible.
“Boy,” she cooed, trying to get her runaway emotions under control. “Are you trying to get extra allowance money outta me?”
“Always.” He winked at her and gave her his signature grin. “But I’m also being truthful. You work so hard, Ma, put so much into me. I just want you to feel spectacular for one night.”
She instinctively opened up her arms, and he did the same. When he was a boy, she would grab him up and cuddle his whole body. Now he was the one opening up his arms, cuddling her.
“It’s my job to work hard and pour everything into you. You don’t have to reward me for that.”
He kissed the top of her head and gave her a generous squeeze. “I’m not trying to reward you. I’m trying to show you my gratitude. I want you to be the best-looking thing on that runway.”
When she stepped back to look up into his eyes, she could see the genuine happiness there and it made her heart soar. For so long she’d questioned if ending her marriage was the right thing to do.
Marq had always been a good provider who loved his son and his wife. But he’d grown up filled with so many preconceived notions about what a man should be that from the time they discovered she was pregnant, he was already deciding who and what his son would be.
When James showed no interest in most sports and wanted to dance instead, it enraged Marq. Every time James displayed interest in anything that Marq considered remotely feminine, including James’ growing interest in clothing design, a huge fight would ensue. She was always able to overlook it until the fateful night James came to them looking more terrified than any ten-year-old should ever be as he asked them to sign his permission slip for sewing classes.
The memory of Marq barking and stomping around the room as he lost his entire mind still made her tremble. He was livid. It absolutely gutted him that James didn’t want to take something Marq considered masculine, such as shop or auto mechanics. But worst of all, even more so than his anger, was the disappointment Janae saw in Marq’s eyes for their son. And when he’d uttered the words, “Real men don’t take sewing classes, and I’ll be damned if my son does,” something had finally broken in Janae.
She’d known then that if she didn’t remove Marq from their home, where he could have so much more influence over James, her son might never blossom into the human being he was supposed to be.
Ending their marriage and becoming James’ custodial parent had been the best thing for all of them. It was the hardest decision she’d ever had to make, and it was the most difficult time they’d ever experienced as a family. But it had also forced Marq to seek help.
Shortly after their divorce, he began therapy, something he’d outright refused to do when they were married. The shock of losing his family had forced him to make changes in his thinking. Going to therapy was the first step on his journey to accepting that there was nothing wrong with James and everything wrong with the way he saw James and by extension, himself.
“You are the best son in the world, James.” She raised her hands to her face and cupped both his cheeks. “And I can’t wait to wear this gorgeous dress of yours.”
“Good,” he replied. “Now get back on that block so I can finish pinning it.”
Just as she climbed back up, the doorbell rang. She turned to step down again, but James stopped her with a sharp look.
“Nope, you stay right there. I’ll get it.”
When he reappeared back in her bedroom, Cree and Vanessa were on his heels.
“Girl!” Cree squealed. “I can already tell that dress is going to be amazing on you.”
Janae turned to the mirror, swaying this way and that as a proud smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “My baby is so talented.”
“He sure is,” Cree agreed. “Hey, James, you think you could use your magic to make me look that amazing in a dress? I’ll pay you market value for the work.”
Janae watched as James’ eyes lit up wide with surprise as he stared at Cree then snapped his attention back to Janae as if he needed confirmation he’d heard what he’d thought he’d heard.
“If your mom’s okay with it, I’d really love to work with you.”
Janae could see James’ face break into a broad smile and her heart continued to melt right there in her chest.
“Mom, can I?”
“If you want to.” She smiled at her son before lifting an amused look to her friend. “If Ms. Cree comes correct with your paper, I don’t see a problem with it.”
“I said I’d pay the young man market value, didn’t I?”
“You better,” Janae replied before turning toward the full-length mirror to get another glimpse of herself. “Because this isn’t just talent, it’s vision and skill too. Don’t be out here trying to get the family hook up.”
Cree placed one hand against her heart as if they were back in elementary school and she were getting ready to cite the Pledge of Allegiance. “I swear I will.”
