“She asked someone to FaceTime us every day, multiple times a day, while we were gone. I think that means she missed us.”
“I was hesitant to leave her so soon because it took her a little while to adjust. I hope staying with Bliss for the week doesn’t cause a setback.”
“Baby, did you see her face when she called? Every time, she was excited to see and talk to us and kept asking when we were coming back. Plus, shelovesher room.”
We’d had her room redecorated with the Princess and the Frog theme, and she went absolutely crazy with excitement.
“I guess you’re right. I can’t wait to see her.”
I could hear the excitement in her voice, and it caused me to smile. A lot had happened over the last six months, and our lives had changed quite a bit. The night things ended between Rose and me, I was in a state of disbelief for weeks.
My disbelief eventually turned to anger, then to hurt, and when she called herself dating other people, I catapulted to being pissed the fuck off. Week after week, I saw nothing but red, and it was a miracle nobody died at my hands during that time.
During the year we were apart, I questioned every aspect of our relationship and almost came to accept that we weren’t meant to be. I even went on a few dates myself, hoping that being with another woman would help me erase thoughts of Rose from my mind.
That shit didn’t work, and if anything, it made it worse. I compared each woman to Rose, and since nobody could compare to my baby, they all fell short, which frustrated me even more.
When she had the audacity to walk into the gala with that weak ass nigga on her arm, playtime was officially over. It was time to get my woman back by any means necessary.
“Why are all these cars here?” Rose asked.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I hadn’t noticed all the cars when we pulled up to the gate.
“No one mentioned anything about having a party.”
“Something is definitely happening. Hurry up so we can find out.”
“Hurry up where, baby? There’s barely anywhere to park.”
“Park here, and we’ll walk the rest of the way.”
I got as close to the main house as I could, and we got out, leaving our luggage in my truck. It was mid-afternoon on a Saturday in July, and the sun was hot.
It wasn’t unheard of for me, Rocky, or Papa Rush to throw some food on the grill, ask the ladies to make some sides, and invite a few people over, but by the number of cars, it looked like more than a few people.
Before we reached the backyard, we could see that a tent had been set up. Rose and I exchanged a confused expression and continued to the tent. As soon as we peeked inside, we heard, “Surprise!”
Our gut reaction and shock caused us to step back. Rose’s hand was on her heart, and if I’d had my gun on me, somebody might have lost their life.
“What the hell is going on?” Rose questioned, as if I had the answer.
“I missed you,” we heard Oaklyn’s little voice say.
We looked down, and she had her arms stretched toward me. I picked her up and kissed her cheek as she hugged my neck. She released me, then reached for Rose.
“Hey, princess. We missed you too.”
“Are y’all coming back in or not? This is your reception,” Daisy announced.
“Our what?”
“Our reception?”
Rose and I spoke at the same time, both of us confused.
“Surprise. Everyone’s been waiting. Let’s get this party started,” she said.
We followed her into the air-conditioned tent, and this time, we received a round of applause. Everyone present was connected to us through Mayhem, Bloom, the youth center, or the church my grandparents attended.
