“Nah, I think you’re cool, but there was kind of...” His voice trails off as he looks away, suddenly embarrassed.
“No spark?” I supply.
Relief fills his gaze. “Right.”
“Okay, you can take me home.”
Malachi grins and gestures with his arm which direction to walk. He falls into step next to me, and we chat nonsense until we’re in his car, headed to my condo.
When he pulls up into the driveway, I turn to him. “Thanks for this.”
“No problem. Hope you have a good evening.”
“You too. Drive safe.” I wave, then get out of the car.
Phew. I went on another date, survived, and now I’ll change intomy pjs.Twenty-seven-year-olds shouldn’t lovetheir pajamas as much as you do,Val.I turn my nose up at myself. There’s nothing more enjoyable than something cozy to wear, a good book, and plants reminding me of God’s good creation. I literally feel more at ease, more at peace.
The pink hippos on my pjs move with me as I grab a book and snuggle deep into my comforter. Fran wasn’t waiting for me when I walked in the house, so I don’t have to let her down yet. If she thinks I’m already asleep, hopefully she won’t ask for a play-by-play of my non-sparkling date with Malachi.
After a while my phone notification chimes, pulling me out of the story, and I remember I was supposed to tell Jabari about my date. I glance at my phone to see a voice text from him.
“You safe?” it asks.
I glance at the time, and my mouth drops in shock. Is it really midnight? I quickly compose a voice text to Jabari.
“Yes. I’m so sorry. I thought I’d only been reading for half an hour, but apparently I’ve been reading for close to two. I got home around ten but have been vegging out since.”
“No problem. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.”
“Thanks for checking. I’m fine. The date was okay, and we agreed we’re better as friends.”
“Hope I’m not the start of bad luck.”
I chuckle. Getting to know Jabari doesn’t feel like bad luck, even though I keep wondering what my sisters will think.
“You’re not. Don’t worry.”
“Night, Val. Talk to you tomorrow.”
I grin and place the phone back on my end table. Having Jabari to talk to every day has brightened my life in more ways than one. Though there are a couple of women I’ll hang out with from time to time, I’ve never really felt connected with them. But with Jabari, there’s just something about him that makes me happy. I can be me, and I didn’t realize how much I needed that in my life until now.
15
Jabari
Since my sight diminished, there have been many opportunities for me to comprehend how integral seeing is to my way of life. None of those moments eclipses this one. Not being able toseeif my mom has a worried frown on her face or note her body language eats at me. Is she okay? Really okay? I find myself leaning forward when she speaks, as if I can tell from the nuances in her voice that she’s all right.
“Jabari, why do you look so tense?” Mom asks.
I hold in a sigh and try to melt into my recliner. “I don’t know. I don’t feel tense.”Lies.I’ve got more knots in my stomach than a fisherman’s line.
“Is it because Val is coming to dinner?”
Not at all. I can’t wait for her to get here. Maybe she can be my second set of eyes.Huh. That’s actually agood idea.
“Tell me more about her.”
“What do you want to know?” And what more can I say?
