Chapter 13
“Whatever Essence and I decide is between us,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady, even though I was already on edge.
Kelly rolled her eyes like she’d heard it all before. “Sure, it is. Just like your decision to leave for two years and pretend like she no longer existed.”
I didn’t even bother responding to that. Instead, I got up from the green mid-century modern sofa, feeling my frustration boiling over. I was running out of options and time. “She said no,” I said, hating how those words tasted.
Kelly kissed Tyler before lowering him to the living room floor. “Then make her say yes,” she shot back, her voice laced with concern.
I sighed, closing my eyes for a second, trying to think. “And how do you expect me to do that?”
I moved to the window, staring out at the snow-covered streets. The whole neighborhood looked like a damn winter postcard, all peaceful and calm, while I felt like I was drowning in this mess.
"I don’t know, but you better figure it out before Malcolm knocks you out of the race,” Kelly said, her voice all serious like she was delivering some hard truth I wasn’t ready to hear.
I swung around, my face tightening up as I thought about Malcolm. Just thinking about him was enough to set me off. This afternoon, I’d dropped Tyler off with Kelly before heading to the school to catch the assembly. I was ready to see Essence in her element, doing her thing with those kids. I could see the pride all over her face from where I was sitting, and for a moment, all I wanted was to be the one to walk over and tell her how amazing she was.
But then I saw him—Malcolm. Right there by her side, like he belonged there. The sight of his arm around Essence was like a punch to the gut, making my blood boil. It was a different kind of rage, something I hadn’t even felt when I caught Carmen cheating on me. This was deeper, more personal. Essence wasn’t just some woman. She was the mother of my child, and seeing Malcolm in my spot felt like an insult I wasn’t willing to take.
I was ready to storm over there and remind Malcolm exactly who she belonged to, but something stopped me. Maybe it was the children or knowing I’d make a scene on school property, but I turned and walked out of that gymnasium instead. But the anger didn’t leave me. If anything, it was simmering just beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to explode.
Kelly was still watching me, waiting for me to say something, but what was there to say? She and I knew it—I couldn’t let this slide. Essence was mine, and I wasn’t about to let Malcolm think he had a chance at taking her from me.
“Why don’t you let me watch Tyler while you and Essence have a night out?” Kelly suggested, trying to break through my thoughts.
I moved back to the sofa, settling into the seat. “When did you become a romantic? I don’t see men lining up at your door,” I shot back, trying to lighten the mood.
She waved me off. “I’ve got issues, but this isn’t about me.”
“No arguments there,” I chuckled. Kelly was a force to be reckoned with, and most men couldn’t handle it. They were drawn to her like moths to a flame, but she’d chew them up and spit them out before they knew what hit them.
“Anyway, we’re not here to discuss me,” she countered, quickly steering the conversation back to me.
“You’re right,” I said, glancing over at Tyler, who happily played with his building blocks on her sage carpet.
Kelly shifted on the sofa, tucking her legs under her like she was settling in for the long haul. “Now, let’s work on a plan.”
I chuckled. “I thought I was the big brother?”
“Yeah, but you suck at love,” she said, her voice dripping with blunt honesty.
“And you don’t?” I raised an eyebrow at her.
She grudgingly admitted, “I can give advice. I’m just not good at taking it when it comes to my love life.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Who said anything about love?”
“What else could it be?” she shot back, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
I wasn’t ready to admit it, not to her or myself. “I’m fighting a losing battle, Kel. I’ll have to come see my son whenever I can.”
“Are you crazy? How often do you think you’ll be able to fly in from Texas? Not nearly enough,” she snapped, her voice rising.
“What else am I supposed to do?” I was at my wits' end.
“Fight, big head, fight!” She snorted. “Come on, big bruh, time is of the essence. No pun intended.”
I took a deep breath, meeting her gaze. “Okay, I’ll take any suggestions.”
She smirked like she’d been waiting for me to say that all along. “I thought you’d never ask.”
* * *
Hours after Mark left, Kelly put the last of the pot roast in the fridge and grabbed a dish towel to wipe down the stove. Her big brother was a piece of work, she thought with a smirk as she sprayed cleaner over a caked-on spill. After talking with him for three hours, Kelly was sure there was hope for him and Essence. Mark might not have realized it yet, but she could tell—he was madly in love with Essence Monroe.
She chuckled as she rinsed the towel and draped it over the faucet. It was so obvious. She knew her brother better than anyone could always read those gold tones in his eyes, shifting to bronze whenever something weighed heavy on his mind. Lately, those eyes had been shifting a lot. It was only a matter of time before he figured it out for himself.
Finally, a woman had come along who could teach Mark how to love again. Kelly never thought she’d see the day. After that witch, Carmen shattered his heart into a million pieces, she figured he’d stay shut down forever. But here was Essence, working her magic without even trying. And she was the one who introduced them in the first place and was claiming credit for it all.
Essence was the easy part. When Kelly saw her at the mall, she could tell Essence’s heart still belonged to Mark. How her face lit up at the mention of him said it all. Kelly could already picture it—the two of them together with Tyler, a real family.
Humming, Kelly flipped off the kitchen light and entered the living room to catch the evening news. The twinkling Christmas tree lights in the corner cast a warm glow over the room, making everything feel cozy. She grabbed the remote and settled between a few lime-green pillows on the couch, kicking off her house shoes and curling her legs beneath her. Laying her head down, she sighed with contentment. It had been a long week of Christmas parties with her students, and now she had two weeks of quiet time ahead. Family time, which she always cherished.
Family meant everything to her. They were her constant, the source of love and support she could always rely on. That was something no man had ever given her. Every relationship she’d tried was one disappointment after another. She wasn’t lying when she told Mark she had her own issues with love.
Her eyes wandered to the abstract painting on the wall, a gift from her last boyfriend, Lance Lewis. She frowned at the memory. Lance had said he respected her decision to save herself for marriage, but deep down, he didn’t get it. After months of wining and dining, hoping she’d change her mind, he eventually moved on. Like so many others—she was more interested in what they could take than who she was.
Nevertheless, she still believed good men were out there. Men who would appreciate her values. She hadn’t found one yet and wasn’t about to look. Good things come to those who wait; she was determined to stand firm. A man who would love her for who she truly was would come along someday.
Her phone buzzed with a notification—a weather alert predicting more snow. Kelly smiled. Nothing beats a white Christmas, something she shared with her older sister, Calaine. She couldn’t wait to see her and her husband, David, and their baby girl, Dominique. They’d stay at their parent’s house for the holidays before visiting David’s family in San Antonio.
She loved hearing the story of how Calaine and David met—how David had known she was the one nearly ten years before they reunited. It reminded her of the crush she used to have on her brother’s best friend, Diamere.
She was eleven when she first met Diamere. He was sixteen and finer than Morris Chestnut, with a smile that could swoon any girl. Kelly remembered answering the door to him one day and being immediately smitten. From that moment on, she’d started paying extra attention to her appearance whenever he was around, hoping he’d notice. By the end of eighth grade, she was head over heels in love and even asked him to marry her.
Kelly chuckled at the memory. She’d spent years counting down to her eighteenth birthday, thinking that’s when Diamere would finally take her seriously. But by then, he was engaged to Jada, and her young heart had been shattered. It wasn’t until she left for college that she finally let go of her crush and moved on. Still, thoughts of Diamere crept up from time to time. And now, he was on her mind again because Mark mentioned he’d decided not to re-enlist in the Air Force and was thinking of coming home to run the family restaurant. Kelly hugged a pillow to her chest, a peaceful sigh escaping her lips. Diamere had once been a fixture at their parent’s house for the holidays, and the idea of seeing him again made her heart tingle. Maybe this Christmas would bring more than just snow.