Chapter 13
M
ommy, can we get this one?” Tessa shouted in excitement as she pointed to the biggest tree on the property.
“But I don’t want a little tree,” Tessa pouted.
“What about this one over here?” Ellie asked as she led the way to a seven-foot Spruce.
“That’s a baby tree,” Tessa whined.
“Come over here, Tess,” Loyal said, motioning down one of the rows. “Now, what about this?” he asked. “It’s not super tall, but it’s nice, right? Look how big it is around. Plenty of room for the fat man to leave toys underneath.”
Tessa put her hands over her mouth in shock as she laughed. “You can’t call Santa that! He won’t bring you any presents!”
Ellie laughed, and Loyal placed a hand to his heart. “You right. Can’t offend Santa,” Loyal stated.
“Loyal…”
“Umm, let’s call him Mr. Brier,” Ellie interrupted.
“Mr. Brier is my stepdad,” Loyal said, frowning.
“Well, she can’t call you by your first name. Where’s the respect? She’s a kid,” Ellie frowned. “What do you want her to call you?”
“If you would quit bullshitting and take that ring off your finger, I could replace it and put a real title on it,” Loyal said, smirking as he picked up the ax. Ellie gave him a warning look. “I know, I know. Your pace. But come here.”
She begrudgingly obliged, dragging her feet slowly as she made her way to him. He pulled his gloves off and then lifted her left hand. “You stop me if I’m crossing a line,” he said as he took her ring off her finger. It felt like her hand was lighter, and she squeezed her fist closed.
“You want to keep it?” he asked.
She thought about it for a beat before shaking her head. “No.” Loyal threw that bitch clear across the field, and she gasped before laughing.
“I can’t believe you just did that!” she said.
“On to bigger and better,” he stated. “Now, back to our business, li’l mama.” He focused back on Tessa. “Can I be your OG?” he asked.
Ellie’s heart melted. The way he uses his words is incredible, she thought, in awe of him.
His love language had to be words of affirmation because he made her feel so loved every time he spoke.
Even her daughter felt at ease when he spoke to her.
He was so passionate and intentional with what he said.
The nickname was simple enough, but she knew the significance it held in their culture.
It was respectful and meaningful without trying to fill the place of the word daddy. It was perfect.
“What is an OG?” Tessa asked.
“It’s somebody in your life who’s older than you, who you respect.
Somebody you can trust. Someone who has lived and experienced a lot, so they give good advice.
Somebody who protects you. Somebody who you can go to for anything.
Somebody who loves you no matter what. And this is the most important one of all; somebody who is very, very, very, handsome, and who your mommy loves enough to let them be a part of your life,” he explained. “Don’t forget the very handsome part.”
Tessa giggled.
“Does that sound like anybody you know?” Loyal asked.
“You’re my OG, and Brooklyn’s OG, and mama’s OG too?” Tessa asked.
“I want your mama to call me something else one day, but I got to work real hard on that one. You gon’ help me?” Loyal asked.
Her Chiclet-sized teeth beamed as she nodded her head in excitement. “A’ight, that’s a bet,” Loyal stated.
“How are you this good with her?” Ellie asked.
“It’s easy to be good to people you want in your life,” Loyal stated. “A’ight, y’all, step back. You still want this tree, right?”
“Yes! That one is perfect!” Tessa shouted.
“A’ight then, OG gon’ get you this tree,” he said.
He wielded the axe in both hands, and then swung it again and again, until the thick trunk threatened to break.
“Come on and use those muscles to chop down this tree,” he said, letting Tessa take the final swing.
He had done all the hard work, so when he let her help with the last swing, the tree fell.
“I did it! I did it!”
Her glee was contagious, and Ellie was appreciative. She recognized his effort. He was out here in Timberland wheats and expensive everything, chopping down trees for her and her child, just to make up for the failures of another man.
The attendant came and helped Loyal strap the tree to the roof of his Cybertruck and then Loyal paid and they headed to get hot chocolate before departing.
“Mommy, Mommy, can I go play on the sleds with the other kids?” Tessa asked as soon as they sat down at the picnic table. Ellie eyed the mini activity station that was set up for kids and assessed in seconds that it was low risk.
“Sure, baby,” Ellie said. “Finish your hot chocolate first so you warm up a bit.”
Tessa was so excited she couldn’t contain herself. She took a few sips, then she jumped up and down, spinning around in circles before coming back to take a few more sips. She drank it all, then darted off.
Loyal smiled.
“She wearing a nigga out,” he chuckled.
Ellie sipped her hot chocolate.
“She likes you.”
“Yeah, she’s a cool kid,” he replied.
“If I choose to stay here in Michigan, what does that look like for you?” she asked.
“It looks like I’d move you in-”
“Unt uh,” Ellie interjected, stopping him before he even got started.
“I have two girls. I can’t just move in with you. This has to happen progressively. We need to date. We can’t skip steps. They need to get to know you. I need to get to know you.”
“I’d put you up in a place of your choosing, fully furnish it, cover all expenses to relocate, and whatever else you need me to do,” Loyal responded.
“What’s the catch? Because I keep waiting for the other foot to drop with you. Anything that seems too good to be true normally is.”
“There’s no catch. I do have a requirement, though.”
“And that is?” Her brow lifted.
“I need to have a conversation with Brooklyn’s father, and you need to push forward with that divorce. I’ll pay for whatever attorney is necessary,” Loyal stated.
“And what about you? Your situation? Your baby mama? Your son?” She wasn’t a fool. She knew that there was unfinished business there. If she was considering uprooting her entire life and giving him a chance, he needed to uproot his as well.
“That situation will never reach you,” he assured.
“What does that mean? Because it doesn’t sound like you’re ending it. Just because it doesn’t reach me doesn’t mean it’s not present. I don’t do side bitches well,” Ellie stated. “I don’t have time for anything that I have to second-guess.”
“I told you; my game isn’t manipulation. I like to tell the truth and let a woman choose her own experience,” Loyal stated.
“Loyal, be straight up with me. What am I getting into with you?”
“I know you in some shit right now that has left you fucked up, E. I can’t predict the future. I can only tell you I ain’t coming into this with bad intentions,” he said. “Some people you just meet, and you know. It don’t take a man years to know when they’ve met their one.”
“I can’t handle more drama,” she said. “It just feels like we both have situations that are too complicated for us to entertain anything with each other right now. There is a such thing as meeting the right person at the wrong time. You know the fucked-up shit I have going on, but I’m going in dark.
Like, what’s the arrangement with your son’s mom?
Is it clear you’re ready to move on? Is she still attached?
Are you still fucking her?” There was so much mystery around this man.
“We just met, E. I ain’t ironed out the details yet, and I don’t want to lie to you.
I was with Tisa for a minute. She’s familiar, so yeah, I have been fucking with her,” Loyal stated.
“But I have no problem making it clear. I ain’t have a reason to do that before now, so I was just letting it be whatever I needed it to be.
” His brow furrowed as he looked at her sincerely.
She didn’t know why it hurt her feelings to know that this man, who she had just become acquainted with, was out here doing shit that men did. Of course, he was sleeping with his baby mama. She couldn’t be angry at him because he hadn’t done anything wrong.
“How do men do that? Just check out of one relationship and jump into the next?” she asked. “I don’t want to be the woman who stepped over another woman to snag a man.”
“You aren’t the reason for the demise of that relationship, E.
It’s been dead, we just holding on to what’s familiar at this point.
I’ll always make sure she’s good because she has my son, but my heart ain’t there.
My loyalty was there because I got her pregnant, and I’m a man who takes care of the people on my team.
We have a lifelong attachment. If me providing is going to be an issue, then this might be hard for you.
I’ll respect it if it ain’t for you, but I’m not in love with her, and there will be no baby mama drama aimed at the woman I’m with.
Niggas who allow shit like that don’t have control over their situation. I do.”
Sounds good until that damn girl stalking me on social media and keying your car, she thought.
“I wouldn’t give you up easily if I were her,” Ellie admitted. He moved around the table so that he was sitting next to her.
“Trust me not to get you into no bullshit,” he reassured.
“I’m sure there will be some residual feelings there, on her part and yours,” Ellie said.
“That would need to be completely over before I made a permanent move. My divorce would need to be finalized before we do whatever it is we call ourselves doing. I like you, Loyal. My heart might even be begging me to say it’s a little more, but I’m not reckless with my life.
I can’t afford to be. Where we go next depends on what you do next,” Ellie said.
“Right now, I just want to decorate a tree with li’l mama and get around these guards you got. That’s my next move,” he said.