Chapter 15
"Are you excited about going back to work?" Carsyn asked as we lay in bed.
I pulled her close to me and inhaled the fruity scent of her hair. Nia was still asleep, but I knew she wouldn't be for much longer, so I wanted to enjoy a little bit of peace with Carsyn.
"Yes. I kinda don't want to leave you two, but I know it's something I need to do."
I wasn't worried about Carsyn and Nia being home without me, but this would be the first time I would be gone from them for an extended time. I knew I would miss them, but it would be good for me to return to what I loved. We weren't hurting for money, but it would help to have a steady income.
It had been a few weeks since I taught Carsyn how to drive again, and she'd been doing well. She remembered how to get to most of the places she needed, like her parents and sister's houses, as well as the grocery store. She still chose to walk to the park since it wasn't that far. She hadn't gained any of her memories back, but things were working out well.
"I think it will be good for you. Nia and I will be fine. We have a whole day full of stuff to do."
I kissed Carsyn's exposed shoulder since the sheet had fallen a little. I loved that she slept naked now. It was easier for us to have late-night sex since we had to sneak and do it sometimes. Whenever Nia was awake, she held all of our attention until it was time for bed.
"I don't doubt that y'all will be okay. Do you want me to pick up dinner on my way home?"
Carsyn turned over in my arms. I looked into her pretty face. She had that fresh-woken-up face, but to me, it was when she looked the prettiest. It was when she was in her most natural state. Her face had completely healed, and if it weren't for the memory loss, no one would have ever known she was injured.
"Nope. Dinner is already covered."
I squinted my eyes at her because the look in her eyes seemed as though she had a trick up her sleeve. She probably didn’t remember, but I always knew when she kept secrets from me. I would find out at some point, so I didn't question her.
"Oh, okay. I can't wait to see what you have planned." I leaned down and pecked her lips. "I probably should get ready. I have an early client." I kissed her again and got out of bed.
As soon as people found out I was returning to work, they started signing up to train with me, and I was grateful for their eagerness. I could have had a career in boxing if I wanted to, but that was Carsyn's thing. I was okay with playing the background and training.
While in the shower, I thought about how well things had been going for us. I really thought this journey would have been a lot harder, but Carsyn and I were determined to make things work, and that's what we've been doing. There were a few times I caught her looking at photos, and she would quickly try to wipe her tears away.
From the day we started dating, it was my job to keep her happy, so it broke my heart when I couldn't stop her sadness. Therapy had been helpful for both of us. I knew there was nothing more I could do, so I just continued doing the best I could.
By the time I got out of the shower, Nia was in bed cuddling with Carsyn.
"Daddy!" she squealed and wiggled out of Carsyn's arms.
Carsyn had her nightshirt on since Nia was in there.
"Good morning, Nia Pia." I picked her up, kissed her cheeks, and hugged her. "You gonna do some fun stuff with mommy today?"
"Yup!" She excitedly nodded.
I placed her back on the bed, and she reclaimed her spot next to Carsyn.
"I'm sure you will have a good time."
Since Nia was in the room, I grabbed my boxers and went into the closet to put them and my pants on.
"I made you a smoothie and a breakfast sandwich while you were in the shower," Carsyn said when I exited the closet.
I walked over to her side of the bed, leaned down, and kissed her. "Thank you, Care Bear."
Nia giggled when I ruffled her hair. My baby's hair was all over the place. I was sure Carsyn would do something with it before the day was over. Nia loved to wear her hair in multiple ponytails.
"You're welcome. Be safe, and we'll see you later."
"See you later, baby. Love you."
Carsyn snuggled back under the covers. "Love you too."
More than likely, the two of them would go back to sleep for a little while since it was still early.
I partially closed the room door then headed downstairs. As Carsyn said, there was a breakfast sandwich in the microwave and a smoothie in the fridge. I grabbed both items, my gym bag, and keys before leaving the house.
I ate my sandwich on the way to the gym. I would save my smoothie for a little later. The sandwich wasn't too heavy, so I didn't worry about it affecting my stomach. Plus, I wasn't going to do too much, anyway.
When I entered the gym, music blasted through the speakers. It was always something to get people pumped up. Most of the time, it was hip-hop, but we switched up from time to time. As long as it was something fast, we played it.
"Oh, shit. Noah Ross is back!" one of the regulars excitedly announced as I walked past.
I chuckled and fist-bumped him. "What's up, Crux? How's business?"
"Business is good."
Crux owned a security firm that installed cameras and other security equipment. His company did the cameras for my home and the gym. He had a couple of different locations.
"That's what's up."
More people spoke to me as I walked further toward the back. The front of the gym had weights and basic workout equipment, but the back had a couple of rings and more weights. The color scheme was black and gold. When I made it to the back, Evander was there sparring with someone, but they stopped when they spotted me.
"Cuzzo!" Evander stepped out of the ring and hugged me. "I'm glad you are back. How's Carsyn and Nia?"
"They are good."
Evander had kept his distance to give Carsyn some time to get acclimated to life again, but he asked about her and Nia every time we talked.
"That's what's up. I think your client should be here any minute."
"It's Tre , right?"
"Sure is." I heard from behind me.
I turned around and dapped Tre up. I hadn't seen him in a while.
"What's good, man?" I asked.
"I should be asking you that. How's wifey? That shit was crazy."
"She's good. Better than I thought she would be. How's your family?"
Tre went on to tell me about his family and that he and his wife were expecting their third baby. I was happy for them, and it made me wonder if Carsyn and I would have another baby. I wouldn't mind having at least one more, but I would be okay if she didn't want anymore.
"Congratulations! You ready to get to work?" He nodded, and we got to work.
For over an hour, Tre and I worked on different moves and techniques. He wasn't a fighter, but he enjoyed boxing to stay in shape. It was a good workout, and it was how I stayed in shape as well.
When we were done, I had two more clients until I took a break. My father had come in at some point, so he, Evander, and I were in my office chilling.
"How does it feel to be back?" my father asked.
"It feels great. I miss my girls, but I needed this."
I wasn't sure how often I would be at the gym, but I definitely wanted to do it a few times a week. I fought the urge to call Carsyn while I was there because I didn't want her to feel like I was worried about her being alone with Nia. She had sent me a picture of the two of them at the park. I responded, then changed it to my new screensaver. The two of them looked so happy, and that was all I could ever ask for.
Carsyn was a trooper, and I admired her every day for pushing through whatever went on in her head and showing up for Nia and me every single day.
"That's good. I can see the joy in your face. How's my daughter doing? And my little Nia?"
"They are good." I showed them the picture Carsyn sent, and they both smiled at it.
"You're doing good, son." My dad patted me on the back, and my eyes watered.
Sometimes, having that praise from my father, or really anyone, gave me a boost of confidence. It felt good to know that others saw the effort you put in.
"Thanks. Sometimes I feel like I'm not doing enough, but therapy has helped me sort through those feelings."
"That's good. I wish more of us went to therapy. It really works wonders, and there is nothing wrong with getting a little assistance. I'm glad it's becoming more acceptable for black people to go because, for the longest time, it was frowned upon, especially when I was coming up. And just know you are doing the best you can. I can tell that Carsyn is happy with you, regardless of what happened. She loves you dearly. Just continue treating her good, and you guys will be fine. Your mother would be proud of the husband and father you've become."
I never fully felt the loss of not having a mother since I never met her. My father told me a lot about her and how good of a mother she would have been. He told me she was so excited when they found out she was pregnant with me. I'm sure she would have loved Carsyn, but that was because Carsyn was easy to love, anyway.
A few silent minutes passed until Evander spoke up. "Aye, what does your therapist look like?" He sat up and leaned forward.
"For what? Don't you have a girlfriend?" I asked.
My dad laughed and shook his head.
Evander waved me off. "Man, she's been tripping lately. So, what does she look like?"
"I'm telling you now, I'm not playing matchmaker, so you will have to figure that out on your own. I will say she's beautiful and a BBW."
Evander rubbed his hands together. "You know that's my type."
"Take care of what you have going on first," my father advised.
"I got this, Unc," Evander insisted as he smirked.
"She has two sons. Teenagers at that." I had to let him know because Evander had never dealt with a woman who had kids.
He stroked his beard and mischievously smiled. "And I might just be the father they need."
"I'm staying out of this. Good luck." I laughed.
My last client for the day ended up rescheduling, so my father, Evander, and I stayed in my office until I headed home to my girls.
Carsyn texted me and told me not to come home until a specific time, so that's what I did.
When I left, I was excited to get home to see what she had planned. Carsyn would plan surprises for me often, so to know she planned something for me made me happy as hell. I was grateful that we were able to fall back into the things we did before the incident. The day turned out great, and it would get even better when I got home. I had a good feeling about our future.