“No matter how many times I tell you not to thank me you just can’t stop doing it, huh?”
“I sure can’t because you don’thaveto do anything. You’re not obligated to do anything for anybody, but you go above and beyond for all of us. I’ll never not say thank you.”
“You’re welcome, sis.” Her comment actually made a nigga smile because she was the minority when it came to people not acting entitled.
There were way too many people that felt like they were owed something from me when that couldn’t be the furthest thing from the truth. I had cousins that I hadn’t seen since I was in elementary school reach out to me asking for money. I expected it but that didn’t make it any less annoying. My mother was probably the only person that never really did anything for me, or I didn’t have a relationship with that I gave money to. I talked to Divine for a few more minutes. We got off the phone at the perfect time because as soon as we did my food was delivered. I was in the mood for hibachi, and my ass was about to go in. I found something good to watch on TV and was eating my food when the thought to call Brion entered my mind.
Shorty was beautiful for real, and her kids were adorable. Having three kids at once couldn’t be easy, but she obviously cracked the cheat code. Most single mothers didn’t have a lot of free time unless they had a good support system. That could be a good thing because I didn’t have a lot of free time either. At leastnot during the season. When I did have free time if the woman wasn’t available then we couldn’t link.
If a person asked me basic ass questions like if I wanted to get married, if I wanted kids and if so, how many, I wouldn’t be able to give them a for sure answer. I wasn’t against marriage, but I wasn’t anywhere near holding auditions for a wife. I would like at least one kid but if that didn’t happen, I wouldn’t be too upset about it. Having a kid was easy when you didn’t give a damn who the mother was. I refused to get the wrong woman pregnant. That shit would never happen. If I did find the woman that I wouldn’t mind procreating with, one child would be fine. Two would be cool. I wasn’t sure if I wanted more than that.
Once I was good and full, I chugged down a bottle of water and grabbed my phone. After finding her contact, I tapped it with my thumb.
“Hello?” shorty’s voice sounded slightly deeper over the phone versus in person, but it was sexy. Kind of raspy.
“Hey, is this Brion? It’s Hymn.”
“Hi, Hymn. Yes, this is Brion.”
“Did I catch you at a bad time?”
“No, I just got off work actually.”
“You do makeup, right?” I slouched down on the couch getting comfortable.
“I do, but I was mostly a stay-at-home mom. I didn’t have a lot of clients, so it was really like a little side hustle. I want to get more clients and do makeup full-time but until that happens, I work as a paralegal.”
“You sound like a busy person.”
“Very,” she chuckled. “The funny thing is, even though I have a lot on my plate, I get more rest and more time to myself now. Which is weird, but my ex wasn’t very hands on with the girls or the housework. I had to move back in with my parents andbetween them and my sister, I get help and breaks even when I don’t ask for it.”
“Did your ex work a lot, or he just wasn’t the type?”
“In his defense, he did work crazy hours because he’s a tattoo artist. There were times he’d be doing tattoos until midnight, so of course the girls would be asleep when he got in. Then he’d be asleep when they woke up. He was a good provider, so I couldn’t be mad that the man had a job. Everything was just on me though.”
“I get that.”
“So, you’re single? It sounds like an odd question but strangely enough, there are men that aren’t single that still try to pursue women.”
“I am very single,” I laughed. “In fact, I haven’t had a girlfriend since high school, and I’m thirty.”
“Wow. I’m trying to figure out if that’s a red flag.”
“Ummm I don’t think so. I don’t run from relationships because I’m a womanizing whore. When I first made it into the NFL, I was only focused on proving myself. That’s it that’s all. I lived, breathed, and slept football. And after that, I had to start being very selective because there are a lot of professional gold diggers out here. If I ever get married, damn right I will provide, but I don’t wish to marry someone that sought me out and made it her mission to get me because she saw dollar signs.”
“I definitely understand that. I’ve heard some stories, so I concur that there are some trifling women out here. But there are also some very trifling men.”
“I can’t act like I don’t know that’s a fact. How long have you been single?”
Brion chuckled. “Almost a month. I was with my ex for seven years. Seven years and three babies, and he never even proposed. Maybe that was the first clue that he wasn’t aboutshit. Or maybe it was on me for being naïve and satisfied with whatever.”
“Did you ever talk to him about marriage? I ask because some people don’t want to get married. They’re content with living together and being boyfriend and girlfriend for ten years. Shit, I know people that have been engaged for that long.”
“I never brought it up because he didn’t. I never wanted to be that woman that practically begged a man to marry me. I wanted it to be a surprise and for him to do it when he was ready not because I gave him an ultimatum. Maybe that was the wrong thing to do. In any case, it doesn’t matter now. I’m glad we didn’t get married because divorce isn’t something I want to go through.”
“Seven years and three kids, I definitely would have proposed maybe around year two or three, but that’s me. I can’t speak for other people and say what they should do.”
“Lesson learned.”
