Page 64 of A Don & His Doll

"Yes, I'm ready."

"Do you know how to swim?" He asked, needing to be sure.

"Yes. Me and Mom swim all the time in Morocco." Monae revealed.

"You miss being there?" Monroe asked.

"Sometimes, but I like it here too," Monae answered, following Monroe's lead to the backyard.

"On the count of three, we gone jump in, a'ight?" Monroe offered.

"One," Monae started counting. "Two, three," they said in unison, jumping in on three.

"Let me see what you can do. Swim to that side," Monroe pointed. "Then come back."

"Okay," Monae agreed, immediately doing as told.

Monroe watched in awe, silently thanking God for an amazing daughter. She had beauty and wit. She was intelligent and sweet. She was just all the things a father could pray for in a daughter, and it almost felt like he didn't deserve her. Real love in a relationship is earned, but it always flows freely...and in most cases before it's acknowledged. Monroe thought of the words Promise said to him a little over a year ago when they were visiting Africa.

"Wheww! How'd I do?" Monae asked, jarring Monroe from his thoughts. "I'm impressed," Monroe stated honestly.

"You wanna race?" Monroe challenged.

"Let's go on the count of five. Last one back has to buy ice cream," Monae said, looking straight ahead.

"Now you know I can't let you buy no ice cream," Monroe told her.

"If I lose, I pay," Monae was serious, and Monroe was seeing more of his personality coming out of her. It was refreshing.

"A'ight," Monroe agreed, counting to three. He gave Monae a thirty-second head start before getting started. Less than two minutes later, Monroe had made it back, and twenty seconds later Monae met him.

"How'd you get back so fast?!" Monae asked out of breath.

"Years of practice, Muffin."

"Can I get a cold bottle of water?" Monae asked, noticing the cooler.

"Yea, you can have whatever you want," Monroe told her, meaning every word.

Monae walked over to the cooler and grabbed two bottles of water, then sat poolside with Monroe. A comfortable silence followed for a few minutes as they both enjoyed the water view.

"Can I trust you?" Monae asked, desperately needing him to say yes.

"With your life," Monroe answered, looking straight in her eyes. “I’on care what time it is, where I’m at in this world, or what I’m doing,” he reached for her hand, gently covering it with his. “I’ma always show up for you. It ain’t never gon’ be a time you won’t be protected.”

"I'm scared," Monae revealed with tears brimming her eyelids.

"Scared of what? Who I gotta go see?" Monroe asked.

"Mama Macie," Monae answered without blinking.

“Who?” Monroe asked, unfamiliar with the phrase.

“Your mom,” Monae said, wondering why her father was confused.

It was another moment that solidified what he already knew, and that reality was disheartening. He hated to see his mother in this light, but the writing was on the wall.

"She came to our house, and I heard her threaten to kill Mom and my grandma Symie,” Monae continued. “I was supposed to be sleeping, but I had to use the bathroom. When I saw the lights on, I peeped downstairs and saw them at the bottom of the stairs. I know I was wrong, but I started eavesdropping, and I heard her. I know mom is scared too because later on when she thought I was sleep, she cried."