I nodded. "Okay. I don't have to work tonight, so I'll be there. You know you'll have to send me the address."
Before he could say anything, his little brother, Zach, ran up to him. Jamari reached down and retrieved a water bottle. Zach gulped it down fast, looking toward the sky. Once he was done, he gave Jamari back the bottle and took off running to the playground.
"How's his asthma doing?" I inquired, watching him.
Jamari glanced over at me. "It's doing okay. Today he wants to run around, but he has to be careful. Thanks for asking."
I waved that off. "You don't have to thank me for that. Tell me about them?"
"Man, they are a handful at times, but I wouldn't trade taking care of them for anything in the world. They're my life. Rylie can be more than a handful now that she's a teenager. Her lil' ass thinks she's grown. Every now and then, I gotta let her know she's not there yet. As for Zach, I've got to stop letting him call me Dad. Whenever he does, I tell him, I'm not his father, but hisbig brother. He'll slip up sometimes, but it's all good. They love coming to the park. When they're not at the park, they'll sit in front of the TV all day." He chuckled.
When Jamari talked about his siblings, I could hear the love in his voice. I didn't have any siblings and always wanted some. I wondered why my father never had any other kids with the women he married or was with. In a way, I was happy he didn't. Then he probably would've forgotten about me altogether.
"You're a great big brother," I commented. Even though we had just gotten to know each other, I could see and feel the love he had for them.
Jamari shrugged, leaning back against the bench. His legs swung in and out. "I try to be. It can sometimes get hard when I don't have any help."
I nibbled on my bottom lip, wondering if I should ask this question. "If you don't mind me asking, where are your parents?"
Jamari tensed up, and I almost took back what I had asked. "I don't know my father or the siblings' father. Our mother died giving birth to Zach."
I gasped, covering my mouth. "Oh no, Mari. I'm so sorry."
He shrugged. "It's all good. She wouldn't have been around anyway. She was in the streets more than she was at home. My mother never paid attention to my sister or me. I'm glad my brother didn't have to witness that. I got over it."
I knew a lie when I heard one. Jamari hadn't gotten over it, no matter what he tried to tell himself. He was standoffish, and it took a lot for him to talk, but I was glad he had opened up to me. To have a parent who wasn't there for you had to hurt a lot. I had to go through it even when I had my mother in my life. Meanwhile, Jamari didn't have anybody there for him. I hurt for that little boy he once was. If only I could hug him and tell himI was there now, I held myself back. If I did it, it would be in private. I didn't know how he'd take it, telling him now.
We fell silent as we watched the kids play around and giggled at each other. It felt peaceful being there with him.
Twenty minutes later, Jamari told Zach it was time to go. I stood up when he did. We walked to our cars and listened as Zach told us about the new friend he had made. While we watched the kids play, I found out that we were the same age. Jamari was older than me by a couple of months. He also shared details with me about one of the houses he had remodeled. It was a job that he did on his own. He said he didn't mind doing it, but he'd rather have help.
"I'll come by as soon as I get a change of clothes," I informed him when we reached my car.
Jamari nodded. "I'll send my address as soon as I get them in the car. Be safe." He lowered his head to kiss my lips. Every time he kissed me, he loved to hold on to my waist. I loved that a lot, and I loved the tenderness I felt in his touch.
Two hours later, I knocked on his door. Jamari greeted, shirtless, causing my mouth to water as I raked my eyes up and down his exposed, tattooed, muscular body.
He smirked. "Come in."
When I stepped in, he closed the door. I dropped my bag on the floor when he pulled me into his arms for a kiss that rocked my world. His tongue glided across mine, causing moans to slip from my mouth. Then he embraced me like he never wanted to let me go. I had never felt as at home as I did right now.
"You give the best hugs," I mumbled against his chest.
"I'll make sure I give you lots of them. Are you hungry? I stopped by Dunk's Wings and got some wings. I then went to The Subs Inn and picked up a few sandwiches. You can help yourself to anything you want." He retrieved my bag from the floor.
"Sure, I'll get something."
Jamari nodded. "Let's put your bag up first, and then I'll fix you something."
We strolled to his bedroom in silence. It was quiet in here, which had me wondering where his siblings were. Were they asleep already?
“I might as well give you the tour of the house while you’re here,” he stated.
We dropped the bag off in his bedroom, and he gave me the tour of the rest of his house. The kids were in their bedroom when we passed by. I hoped to get the chance to get to know them before the night was over with.
Jamari was everything. His calmness kept me humble. He made me want to change the way I handled things. He never seems to act up, and I love that about him. I had never come across a man like him before. I was glad I had taken that step of approaching him at the bar. It has changed my life.
Later that night the kids, Jamari, and I sat down to eat. This was my chance to get to know them a little better. Since they sat down, they’d given me small looks, and I didn’t know what to think of it. Rylie did speak to me at the park. Would they be open to talking to me now?
