“Men are peculiar creatures,” she says. “They’d rather take a bullet for you than share their emotions.”
I had to laugh at that assumption. Nico has mentioned multiple times that he would die for me and Noah but can’t even tell me his favorite teacher’s name.
“How long were you married? If you don’t mind me asking.”
She grins and shrugs. “I don’t mind you asking at all. I was married for thirty-six years to one of the most loving and kindest men I’d ever met. A man who had no problem pouring into me every day if I needed it. Marrying him was my smartest decision ever.”
I don’t miss the use of the past tense in her descriptions.
“What happened to him?”
Her smile wavers. “He died three years ago. Stomach cancer.”
“Ms. Rose, I am so sorry.”
She waves me away. “Thank you, but don’t be sorry for me. I’m blessed. Blessed to have known him for as long as I did. Blessed to have him love me as much as he did. And blessed to have raised two amazing boys with him.”
Hearing her love story makes my heart hurt. That is the type of love I want. The kind that I can say I was blessed just to have known him.
“You’re lucky.” I wipe the unshed tears from my eyes. “Not everyone gets that type of love.”
She hands me a Kleenex out of her magic bag that seems to have everything I need in it. I dab at my cheeks. Although I don’t have on makeup, I didn’t want dried tear tracks on my face.
“Love doesn’t come perfect.” She goes back to mashing the peeled banana in a bowl. “Hard work, commitment, and dedication make a love perfect. Also, knowing what is fixable and what isn’t.”
She looks at me pointedly at that last part.
“I’ve lived a long life. I’ve traveled the world and met many people through the Daughters of Egypt organization. So believe me when I say this, I’m good at reading people. And what I read from Mr. Basille the moment I met him, is a man who is in pain. Unhealed pain. But most importantly, a man who truly loves you and his son.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know if he does.”
She cocks her head to the side, giving me that don’t be foolish look again
“You can doubt many things about him, sweet girl. But you know in your heart you don’t doubt that.”
Damn, this woman is good. She wasn’t lying about being able to read people. As much as I want to say that Nico not telling me about his past means he doesn’t care, I know it’s untrue.
As much as I hate what he did to win me over, he is right about one thing. All the extremes he went through just to have me tells me he cares. Not only that, but he has shown it in the way he’s supported me, even when he doesn’t always agree, like when I said I wanted to go back to work.
He protected me when I did not know I needed protection. And I’m not talking about keeping me safe from Saint. I’m talking about how he stepped in when Marcus would’ve sold me off again.
No, I don’t agree with him killing Marcus, but he kept me safe the best way he knew how. I honestly can’t say the man doesn’tlove me. He has proven that much. The real question is whether I can trust myself in loving him. Because at this moment, I’m not sure who I fell I love with.
“He won’t let me in,” I finally say with a sniffle.
Rose places a hand on my arm, giving me even more comfort. “Not every secret can be told easily. Give him time.”
I won’t say Ms. Rose’s words fixed everything, but they gave me a better understanding. It’s obvious there is something in Nico’s past that traumatized him. I know that from the day in his office and how he reacted when I tried to pick up that letter on his desk. Whatever it is, he doesn’t want me to know. However, that’s not how relationships work. Knowing his past will allow me to love him correctly.
The baby monitor goes off, letting me know my son is up.
“I’ll go get him,” I tell Ms. Rose before she can stop what she’s doing. “And thanks for the talk.”
She winks at me. “Anytime, sweet pea.”
Talking to Ms. Rose reminds me of exactly what I missed out on growing up. My father did the best he could to show me love and raise me, but a girl needs a mother just as much as a boy needs a father. There are just some things only a woman can give her daughter.
After spending a little time with Noah and Ms. Rose, I made it to work at a decent time. I stopped by Mira’s office to discuss my budget for the new project I was working on before heading to my office.
