I gasp, but before I can say anything else he is already sliding it against his cheek.
Never having seen him without a beard, I don’t know what he will look like without it. They say a beard is make-up for a man. But how can I not find him attractive after all of this? I’m so touched that he would do this for me. Even if it will be back in, like, a month or two.
It only takes a few minutes for him to shave it down. Now he is taking a razor to get it to bare skin. I watch the whole time in awe of him. It’s not until he is finished that he looks at me.
His jawline is striking, square and sharp. Now I can see the way his cheeks pull when he gives me that smile of his. Without the beard, his lips look even bigger. I pull him down and kiss them.
He holds my face and kisses back even harder, backing me against the sink. His touch is hungry a reminder that he still wants me, even looking like this.
At some point I pull back to look again. Finally able to really take in my head. I can’t make myself like it, but the woman standing next to this man also doesn’t hate it.
Chapter 23
Thenextmorning,Irub my hand across my head feeling the smoothness of it all being gone. I keep my eyes closed, just touching it and accepting the way I feel about it. Not thinking too much about what it all means, I slowly try to come to terms with the loss while knowing I might never be able to.
Just as I start to get up to get going with the rest of my life, I hear the front door open. Callahan, seeing me up, walks all the way into the bedroom and turns on the lights. He has two big bags in his hands, and a manic grin on his face.
“Good, you’re up.” He starts dumping the contents of the bags onto the bed, and wigs come pouring out. He holds up two of them and looks at me.
“I wasn’t sure if you were a Tiana, or a Naomi, and then I wasn’t sure if you wanted to look like yourself at all.” He holds up a pink one and a gray one next, his eyes darting between the two. “So I got Boina and Carlie.” He drops all four and picks up two more and holds them up, showing that one is braided and the other has twists. “I also got a Marlie and Janet, not sure if you wanted to have a braided look instead.”
“Callahan—”
“Can I just say that I love that wigs have names? That’s so cool, it gives them a personality.”
“Callahan,” I hold up my hand.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart, they are all human hair. Kim made sure of it.”
“A wig?”
“No, the lady at the store. She also told me to get wig glue and this band thing to make it melt, whatever that means. Oh, and edge control.”
“Callahan.”
He finally stops talking and looks at me.
“What is all of this?”
“I called Farrah, and she told me about lace front wigs. She thought that might help until you get your hair back. She said you need a buss down.”
I laugh, throwing myself back into the pillows. I never imagined him saying those words, or looking like a back-alley salesman for hair.
“Did I say it wrong?” His cheeks flush pink as he lowers his arms.
“No, baby, you didn’t. You did amazing.” I crawl towards him and gesture for him to bend down towards me. Taking him in my arms, I give him a big hug.
“Okay, good. I thought we could put one on you, and then I can take you driving. Teach you, like you want.”
“Sure, but I don’t know how to lay a lace front without it looking busted.”
“Oh,” he says, looking down at everything he bought. “Well, let me try. I’m good with my hands.” His wink causes me to laugh again.
Soon, I find myself in his bathroom with glue on my head and a blow dryer being directed at it. I can feel the heat so much more now that there isn’t anything to block it.
“Okay, now she says to add a second layer,” he says.
I watch as his eyes dart between the laptop and my head. I would help, but it’s so adorable watching him try so hard. He has already cut the lace and plucked the edges. Now he is putting it on.
