Chapter 2
“Helping someone move thousands of miles across the country is low-key diabolical. Why didn’t you hire a moving company?” my older brother, Dennis, said.
Everyone called him DJ because he was named after our father, and his son, Dennis III, we called Trey.
“Nigga, you own a moving company. That’s what the fuck I did.”
“Yeah, but you requested my help, and I’m beyond helping with the moves. I have employees for that.”
“We haven’t spent this much time together in years. I thought it might be a good bonding experience. Excuse me for wanting to catch up with my big brother.”
I’d recently retired from the Chicago Police Department after twenty-two years of service. I wasn’t ready, but I wasn’t left with much of a choice after being shot in my right hip and watching one of my fellow officers die in front of me.
“No need to get all sentimental. You’re here, we bonded, and my job is done. I’m calling some of my guys to help you unload this shit.”
We got out of the moving truck and headed toward the three-bedroom, two-bathroom ranch-style house I was renting for the next year. My move was sudden, and I didn’t have time to look for something to buy.
I hadn’t lived in Black Elm since I decided to enroll in the Illinois State Police Academy, which eventually led me to become a police officer in Chicago. Family and friends always asked why I chose to work in Chicago since it was one of the most dangerous cities in the United States.
The question honestly answered itself. Chicago was one of the top three best cities in the country.
I’d been infatuated with the city since the first time my family visited when I was in grade school.
When I decided I wanted to become a police officer, Chicago was the only place I imagined myself fighting crime.
“Can I still get the discount? You know I’m on a fixed income now,” I joked.
“You moved over two thousand miles away. I’m not sure why you think I’m giving you a discount.”
As we entered the house, he pushed past me while digging his phone from his shorts. I stood in the living room, taking in the space, while my brother walked in and out of each room as he talked on the phone.
It wasn’t my dream home, but it would do for now. Per my research, the neighborhood was pleasant, with a mix of young families, retirees, and everything in between. Not to mention, everyone was Black.
I walked through the house, deciding where everything would go. My brother owned Diggs Moving Company, and I was grateful he agreed to assist me. When he arrived in Chicago, I was prepared to throw everything in some boxes and be done with it, but he and his packing expertise wouldn’t allow it.
After a bit of back-and-forth, I agreed to give him control, and now that it was time to unpack, I was glad I did. The boxes were packed and placed on the truck very strategically, making unloading and unpacking much easier.
“My guys are on their way. I’ll order a few pizzas and stick around to supervise, but I ain’t taking shit off that truck,” my brother informed me.
I chuckled on my way back outside to the moving truck. As I walked around to the driver’s side, I saw a woman and, I assumed, her son in front of the house across the street. They looked to be having a serious conversation, and I watched them for a moment.
“Damn! She’s beautiful,” I said aloud.
“That’s your wife, Son,” a voice said behind me.
I looked to my left and right before turning around, trying to find out who the voice belonged to. My brother was inside, and I didn’t see anyone else lurking around.
“That was weird,” I whispered before returning my attention to the woman and child.
I didn’t intend to interrupt them, but my feet and brain were not on one accord, and I found myself crossing the street. Neither of them noticed me at first, but the German shepherd the young man held on a leash made sure to insert himself between us.
“Excuse me,” I said, interrupting them.
When the woman looked at me, I swear my heart skipped a beat.
I could see she was beautiful from across the street, but up close, she was too beautiful for words.
Her milk chocolate skin was a shade lighter than mine, and flawless.
Her eyes sparkled and seemed to be a combination of gray with a tint of hazel.
The natural hair on her head was thick and curly, but not the kind of curls you just woke up with, the kind you had to put some work into. I knew because I had to do the same with my hair when it wasn’t braided.
She had a moderately athletic build, as if she exercised for her health rather than to please others. Her breasts were more than a handful but fit her body frame well. Her waist would fit perfectly in my large hands, and I imagined gripping her round hips as she rode my dick.
“Hi. Umm, how can we help you?” she asked.
I continued to stare at her like a creep, not saying a word.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
It wasn’t until their dog came toward me, jumping up in a playful manner, that I came out of my daze.
“No, Que. Get down,” the boy said, attempting to pull the dog away from me.
“It’s okay,” I told him, showing the dog some love. “He’s friendly, huh?”
“Actually, he’s not . . . usually,” she responded.
She and the child watched, perplexed, as their dog played nice with me.
“What’s his name?”
“Herqueles, but we call him Que,” she responded. “Umm, Keelan, take Que in the house.”
Keelan pulled Que’s leash, and he responded by going with him. The beauty before me put all her weight on her right leg and folded her hands across her chest.
“I’m Graham Diggs.” I extended my hand toward her, and she looked at it but didn’t return the gesture.
“Can I help you with something?”
“I’m moving in across the street.” I nodded toward the moving truck. “I just wanted to introduce myself.”
She still looked a bit unsure, but she offered her hand and said, “I’m Naryah. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Same.”
When our hands connected, we snatched them apart and looked at each other.
“You shocked me,” we said simultaneously.
“Mom, can we order the pizza now?” her son called out from the garage.
“I’ll be right in. So, it’s pizza and movie night. I gotta go. Welcome to the neighborhood.”
She headed inside, and I watched her until she disappeared, and the garage closed. After an interaction that wasn’t more than a few minutes, I wanted to know everything about her.
I’d already peeped the empty ring finger, and there was only one vehicle in the garage. I was pretty sure she wasn’t married, but whether she had a man remained to be seen.
“The fuck are you doing over there?” my brother asked as he leaned against the side of the moving truck.
I headed back across the street and to the driver’s side of the truck. After getting my phone from inside, I responded to my brother.
“I think I found my future wife.”
“You what?” he questioned, following me back into the house.
“I think I found my future wife. Her name is Naryah, and my future stepson’s name is Keelan. They live across the street.”
DJ looked at his watch. “We’ve been here for ten minutes, and you’re claiming a woman you just met.”
“I am. Did you order the pizza? I’m starving.”
“Yeah. It’s on the way. You know Kindra’s single friends have been anticipating your arrival.”
Kindra was my sister-in-law, DJ’s wife. Ever since she found out I was moving back to Black Elm, she’d been talking about setting me up with her friends.
I wasn’t sure how that would work, since she didn’t have just one friend in mind.
It sounded like she wanted me to go out with a few of them and choose the one I liked best to settle down with.
“I’ll tell her I’m not interested.”
My brother frowned. “Are you serious?”
“I am. I told you I just met my future wife. Ain’t no need for me to waste Kindra’s friends’ time when I know who I want.”
“Bro, all you know is her name. She might be crazy or come with baggage.”
I shrugged. “We’re all a little crazy and come with a bit of baggage. If things don’t work out, I’ll take Kindra up on her offer.”
“You talked to her for all of two minutes, if that, and you’re already taking yourself out of the dating pool.”
“I gotta be ready.”
DJ shook his head but didn’t say anything more. A few minutes later, the pizza arrived, and not long after that, six of DJ’s employees showed up. After introductions, the men got right to work while DJ and I supervised.
I was surprised by how quickly they emptied the truck and put each box or piece of furniture in the appropriate place. They finished a lot faster than I expected, chopped it up for a few minutes, and left.
“All right, Bro. The rest is up to you. I haven’t seen my wife and kid in a week. I’ll hit you up tomorrow.”
“That’s cool. I appreciate you, Big Bro.”
We exchanged a genuine hug before I walked him to the door. Before leaving, he said, “I talk a lot of shit, but I’m glad you’re back.”
“Thanks. I’m glad to be back.”
I remained at the door until the moving truck pulled off, giving me the perfect view of Naryah’s house. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, and I was lucky enough to catch her coming outside holding pizza boxes.
She wore a tank top and shorts that exposed her thick thighs, and my eyes were glued to her as she took boxes to the trash container on the side of the house. On her way back inside, she paused at the door and looked around.
When her eyes landed on me, I smiled and waved. She didn’t return the gesture before going inside, and I hoped it was because she didn’t see me as I’d assumed.
I left my post at the front door, securing the door behind me. I took in my surroundings, releasing a deep breath as I processed all that needed to be done. I decided to start in my bedroom because I needed somewhere to sleep.
As I began reassembling my bed, I called my mother. She answered after the first ring, as if she’d been awaiting my phone call.
“Hello, Son. I take it you and your brother made it safe and sound.”
“Hey, Ma. We did. My bad for not calling as soon as we got here. What are you and the old man up to?”
“Don’t call my husband old, because that means you’re calling me old since I’m only a year younger.”
“You know I’m just messing with you. What are you and Pops doing?”
“He’s watching the game, and I was waiting for your call. Where’s your brother?”
“He just left.”
“I’m glad my boys made it home safely. Are you unpacking?”
“I’m putting my bed together so I’ll have somewhere to sleep tonight.”
“I can come over tomorrow to help, if you’d like?”
“The more, the merrier. DJ already made it clear he wasn’t coming back.”
“After driving over four thousand miles in the past week, I think he’s justified. I’ll see if I can convince your father to come along. I’m so glad to have you back home, baby boy. I’ve missed you being here.”
“I’m glad to be home, Ma.”
“How are you feeling otherwise?”
She hated that I’d chosen such a dangerous career, and it didn’t help that I was so far from home.
I’d been shot at many times over the past twenty-two years, but by the grace of God, I was quick, or the shooters had horrible aim.
It may have been a little of both, but I was grateful, regardless.
Of course, when my family was informed I’d been shot in the hip, they were concerned but relieved it wasn’t much worse.
It had been a little over six months since the shooting, and after two months of intense daily rehabilitation, I was at about 85 percent. I decreased my sessions to every other day for the following two months and began feeling like my old self.
Four months after the shooting, I discontinued structured sessions but continued to work out on my own. Today, I wouldn’t say I was at 100 percent, but I felt good.
“Everything is good. My hip is almost as good as new.”
“That’s great, Son, but that’s not what I asked. How are you feeling mentally?”
I let her words settle for a moment, processing how I actually felt.
“Not going to work feels weird, but I’ve had some time to get used to it. I’m excited to be home and around family again. I’m nervous about my next endeavor, but anxious to get the ball rolling.”
“It sounds like you’ve come to terms with having to retire sooner than you expected.”
“I have, for the most part. I still feel like I was forced into it, but maybe it was God’s way of telling me it was time for something new.”
“Son, you were a police officer in a very dangerous city, and God kept you safe for over twenty years. That’s a blessing.”
“I agree, Ma, but I had a few more years of service in me. It seems like the department wanted me gone.”
“If that’s the case, why would you want to stay where you’re not wanted?”
“True. It’s done now, so I try not to dwell on it, although it does cross my mind on occasion.”
“That’s understandable. Once you get settled in here, you may not think about it as much, especially if you find a nice woman to occupy your time.”
My thoughts immediately went to Cassandra. She’d been with the department for about fifteen years and was an outstanding officer. We’d been friends since her first day on the job but had begun exploring something more about a month before she was killed.
I wouldn’t lie and say that I was in love with her, because we hadn’t gotten that far, but I loved her as my friend and fellow officer. I felt like I failed her and her family the night we were shot, and I’d never forgive myself for not being able to protect her.
No one knew about our budding relationship except the therapist I began seeing after the shooting.
He helped me to stop taking full responsibility for Cassandra’s death and to put the blame on the person who pulled the trigger.
Although I still felt partially responsible, I didn’t carry all the weight.
“One day at a time, Ma. Let me get back to putting this bed together. I don’t think my hip could take sleeping on the couch.”
“Okay, baby boy. I love you.”
“I love you too, Ma. Tell Pops the same.”
The call ended, and I went to my music app and selected my favorite playlist. Once my bedroom was filled with music, I got back to work. Time passed quickly, and before long, I had somewhere to sleep.
I found a set of sheets in one of the boxes in the hallway near the linen closet and put them on my bed. After finding my toiletries, I took a quick shower and almost fell into bed. Exhaustion had crept up on me, and I was asleep within minutes.