Chapter 23 Peace Graham #2
“Being a mother taught me just how necessary forgiveness is. If you’re a parent, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. I raised two boys, and they gave me a run for my money. I’ve apologized to them on so many occasions for not always being the mother they needed me to be.”
The moment those words left her mouth, Dreaux got up and walked out.
A few people turned their heads to see what was going on, but luckily, we were in the back.
I grabbed my purse and followed after him.
One of the ushers told me he went outside, so I headed out the door.
I noticed him sitting on one of the benches out front.
I considered whether to head out there or give him space, but I decided to go with my gut.
“I can’t believe you left me in there by myself. You had the ushers staring at me as if I was the one who interrupted the service,” I teased. A small smile spread across his face, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
I took a seat on the bench next to him and rested my head on his shoulder. It was crazy how comfortable he made me feel whenever he was around.
“Are you going to go back inside?”
“I don’t think coming here was a good idea,” he uttered.
“Why not?” I lifted my head so I could look into his eyes. They were still filled with sadness, and it broke my heart.
“What’s the point? She’s happy, and she has her own family. It’s obvious she wasn’t worried about me, so why should I care about her?”
I reached for his hand and interlocked our fingers together. My thumb stroked across the back of his hand while we sat there lost in our thoughts.
“She said the same thing I did the other day, and she’s not wrong. Forgiveness isn’t for the other person; it’s for you. You love Promise, right?”
His head snapped in my direction with a frown splashed on his handsome face.
“What kind of question is that? You know, I love my daughter more than anything.”
I smiled, hearing the conviction in his declaration.
“Then you need to see this through. For you to become the best version of yourself, you have to tackle all of the mountains in your life, head-on. You have every right to feel how you feel, but you don’t have all of the facts.
Until you hear her side of the story, you will never be able to truly heal, and that affects your princess, too.
She deserves two parents who can give her 100%.
Prove to her that her daddy can do anything. ”
A few tears fell down his cheeks, and I used my free hand to wipe them away. I lifted his hand to my lips and whispered a small prayer before kissing the back of it.
We sat there for ten minutes before he decided he was ready to go back inside.
Our hands were still locked as we walked back into the sanctuary.
There were people on the altar while the praise team sang.
After the announcements and the benediction, the members began to exit the sanctuary.
Dreaux hadn’t said anything since we returned, but his energy could be felt.
Missionary Hudson was at the front of the church talking to people and taking pictures with them.
Pastor Nehemiah made his way down the pews as he greeted everyone around him.
When he reached our pew, a little boy came up and asked for a dollar.
He didn’t hesitate to dig into his pocket and hand the little boy a five-dollar bill.
The boy’s eyes were wide as if he had just received a thousand dollars, and he ran off to tell all of his friends.
“I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you two before. My name is Pastor Nehemiah.”
“My name is Peace, and this is my—”
“Her man. The name is Dreaux.” My jaw dropped when Dreaux cut me off, but I could tell he thought it was funny. He stood to shake the pastor’s hand, but the energy shifted once they made contact.
“You look familiar. Who are your people?” Most black people asked that question when they wanted to know who you were related to. I held my breath as I waited to hear Dreaux’s response.
“Umm, my—”
“Hey, are you coming over for dinner? I told Traci I made your favorite—” Missionary Hudson’s mouth dropped the moment her eyes landed on Dreaux. She looked back at her brother, who nodded his head. They were communicating without speaking.
“Umm, I’m so sorry. Where are my manners? I’m—”
“Nadira Jordan-Hudson. I know who you are.” Dreaux’s tone was calm, but his energy was the complete opposite.
“Truth mentioned you might be reaching out. We are all having Sunday Dinner at my house. I know you probably have a lot of questions, and I would be happy to answer them,” she expressed.
“Hey, ma. How much longer are you gonna be here?” Another tall, chocolate gentleman walked up to her and kissed her on the cheek. When he stepped back, I was stunned to see how much he resembled Dreaux. Even his height and body were similar, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away.
“I’ll be leaving in a few minutes. Why, what’s up?” She inquired.
“Namoni is hungry, and I was debating on whether I should stop and grab her something to eat or head over to the house.”
She smiled warmly, then glanced behind him, where there was a pretty, petite pregnant woman, rubbing her belly.
“The food is already finished, so you can take her to the house. Lord knows, I can’t starve my grandbaby and his momma.” She snickered.
“Alright, I’ll see y’all at the house.” His eyes landed on Dreaux, and his eyebrows bunched as he observed the scene in front of him. It was obvious he wanted to say something, but opted not to. Instead, he kissed his mother one more time and headed back to his woman.
“I’ll write down the address, and you can decide if you want to come. I would love to have you there, but I understand if it’s not something you’re ready for. Here’s my number as well.”
Nadira retrieved a pen and a small piece of paper from her purse and scribbled her information on it. She attempted to hand it to Dreaux, but his hands remained in his pockets. I intercepted, taking the paper on his behalf.
“Thank you for the invitation. We would love to come,” I replied. Dreaux still hadn’t said anything, and it was starting to concern me.
“Okay, I’m gonna go home and change, but you’re more than welcome to come now.
There are a few people I would love for you to meet.
” She gave Dreaux a warm smile, but his face remained expressionless.
Pastor Nehemiah and Nadira said goodbye to us once more before leaving the sanctuary.
Dreaux remained silent, but trailed me as I headed out of the church.
When we made it back to his car, he opened my door before getting in the driver’s seat. He turned on the music and backed out of the parking lot, but he hadn’t asked for the address. I wasn’t about to let him back out, so I decided to do something.
“Aye, what are you doing?” Dreaux roared as I turned his music off and searched for the GPS app on his screen. I plugged the address in and pressed start.
“I don’t want to go,” he grumbled.
“I don’t care what you want. I’m not going to let you run because you’re uncomfortable. You want answers, and we’re gonna get them. If you don’t want to drive, then pull over so I can take over.”
“Yeah, right. You ain’t driving my shit.”
“Well then, I suggest you follow the directions before I turn the wheel myself. I’m not playing with you,” I warned. Dreaux chuckled and shook his head, but I meant what I said.
“I can’t believe your little ass is tryna bully me. I see where my baby gets it from.”
“The one and only. Turn left.” I turned the music back on and sat back in my seat. I wasn’t sure how this day would go, but we were in this together.