She grabbed my arm with surprising strength before her tears engulfed her. I sat on the floor facing her. Then I bowed my head and prayed. I felt Niya settle next to me and cherished her encouraging, “Amens” while I talked to God.
When I finished, Ms. Maizie thanked me. Then she asked in a tortured tone. “How am I going to bury my son? This isn’t how it is supposed to be. Troy should be burying me. Not the other way around.”
“I know, Ms. Maizie. But this is what God chose to do. At least we know Simmonds is in heaven.”
Hope radiated in her eyes. “Yes. Thanks to you.”
I bowed my head. “Thanks to God.”
“I know what you mean, Ms. Maizie,” Niya spoke up. “Sean’s being humble. He’s been talking to me about God and stuff, too. Because of him, my life is changing.”
Ms. Maizie’s eyes held curiosity. It appeared she was just now registering I had a woman with me.
“This is my girlfriend,” I explained, aching to use another terminology. Fiancé was better suited and I intended to make that happen soon. But first I had to tell Niya I loved her.
“I can tell that you love him,” Ms. Maizie said to Niya, who gasped and sat back on her heels. “I can see love all over your face. I know that look because that’s how I felt about Harold. I never loved anyone else. He was my life mate.” That proclamation led to another bout of tears.
Niya froze.
I knew the expression on my face could best be described as caught red-handed-holding-the-cookie-jar but I couldn’t hold my shock. I don’t know why Ms. Maizie put Niya on the spot like that. “She doesn’t know what she’s saying, Niya.”
But Niya shook her head. “I disagree. She does know what she’s saying.” She bit her lower lip before looking me in my eyes. “And she’s right.”
Dang.Niya beat me to it. Kind of. Sort of.
My heart caught up. Wait.Did Niya just say she loved me?
I wanted to say,I love you, too, Niya,because my heart already knew it, but the words wouldn’t come out. To this day, I have no clue why I sat there speechless when the woman I loved professed her love...kind of...in front of my deceased friend’s mother.
