Before he can respond, Alijah’s phone rings, and he connects it with his eyes on me.
“Hello. Yes, Ms. Roslyn. We’re about to leave now. I know. Okay.”
My forehead wrinkles because I didn’t know that Mom and Alijah had exchanged numbers. We have been back and forth to Columbus since her accident. Alijah has been just as hands-on with her as I have been. Seeing him lift Mom into his truck the day she was discharged from the hospital made me fall even deeper in love with him. We’re currently at Mom’s house about to return to Kaigood for the week. I have been stalling around to see if LeKendric would bring Mom home before we left. He had come in an hour ago and whisked Mom out of her house without giving me a chance to tell her bye.
“Why is Mom calling you? I didn’t even know you had her number or vice versa.”
“It was Ms. Roslyn’s idea, and I didn’t see any harm in it. Are you ready to go?”
My nose twists, and I give him a blank stare because he didn’t answer my first question. I grunt when a couple of seconds pass with Alijah watching me without uttering a word.
“Yes, I’m ready. I didn’t get to tell Mom bye though.”
“We’re only going home, mama. You can call her on the way.” Alijah smirks before he leads me out of the house and to his truck.
I fold my arms over my chest and close my eyes as I prepare to ignore Alijah the entire drive back to Kaigood. Sure, I’m acting like a brat, but he’s been acting funny all day, and I don’t know what to make of it. Bratty behavior isn’t usual for me, but love can make a person act brand new. I don’t like the idea of my man hiding anything from me.
Alijah sings along with the song on the radio as he backs out of Mom’s driveway. I do my best to tune him out, but damn, his voice makes my juices flow like a weepy willow. I somehow drift off as my heart rate relaxes to the steady yet sexy baritone of Alijah’s singing voice. Time must have gotten away from me, but my eyes pop open when the truck comes to a stop and the engine is cut. I open my eyes and look around because I know it’s too soon for us to have made it home.
“Where are we?”
“I figured we could grab something to eat before we got on the road.” Alijah doesn’t give me a chance to respond as he exits and comes around to my side to help me out of the truck.
“How can you be hungry after that big breakfast I cooked for us this morning?”
“I’m a growing man, mama.”
“But I’m not hungry.”
“Okay. Well, indulge me because I am. You can order a drink or something while I eat.”
Alijah connects our hands and leads us to the front entrance of what looks like a mom-and-pop hole-in-the-wall place. I wasborn and raised in Columbus, but I’m not familiar with KR’s Kitchen. At the door, Alijah releases my hand and pulls the door open so I can enter first. My eyes balloon when I see the people gathering in the intimate yet cute restaurant. There’s a banner above the back wall that brings tears to my eyes.
Marry Me Mama
I turn to look at Alijah and cover my mouth when I see him down on one knee. “Bae.”
“I moved to Kaigood with the intention of starting over. Of avoiding women so I could repair the tear in my heart. But what I found was something that I couldn’t avoid. You were the unexpected torment I didn’t plan for. The day after your bat met my body, I knew there was something special about you outside of your mean ability to land your weapon.”
Laughter from the group around us makes Alijah pause for a moment. His family is with Mom, LeKendric, Korrena, and her husband as witnesses to this moment. When Alijah continues and produces a black box, I realize that this isn’t a dream.
“Finding the right person hasn’t been easy. But the moment you came into my life, everything felt complete. I know we haven’t been together long, but I don’t need months or years to know that you are the woman I want to spend forever with. Will you take a chance on loving me into our golden years and every day God gives us?”
“Yes.”
It’s risky, and we still have much to learn about one another, but my answer about this man feels right. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, and for the first time in my life, I’m taking this leap without hesitation or fear. Thunderous applause, cat calls, and ruckus sounds from behind us as I fall into Alijah and kiss himlike we’re alone in this room. To me, . . . we are. This love with this man fulfills me in the best way.
Epilogue
Alijah
AYear Later . . .
Life can’t be any better for me than it’s been in the last year. Deshona and I moved out of our apartment into a house that we purchased together. Thankfully, the timing of our closing and our temporary lease synced, so we didn’t have to delay our move or extend our lease. Our families are at our house for our first cookout, but I needed a minute to take it all in. Seeing Ms. Roslyn having a good time with Deshona and everyone has my brain going back to the private conversation she and I had.
“Can I talk to you, Mrs. Roslyn?”
My heart feels like it’s about to beat out of my chest as I stare into the older version of the woman I love. Even with the light bruises on her face, I can see Deshona in her mom. It gives me a candid glimpse of what my lady will look like when she’s older.
