Chapter 6
THEN
“My love!”
I paused in my strolling past the office upon hearing Aaron call my name.
“Yes?”
“Can you look over this?”
I wandered into the office and behind the desk where he sat. He pulled me down onto his lap and kissed my neck while giving my ass a rub.
“Sir, I didn’t come in here for you to be fresh,” I jested.
He chuckled. “You know I love rubbing on your booty.” He kissed my shoulder and pointed at the screen. “Look over this for me and tell me if you think it’s fair.”
I looked at the computer and my eyes widened. “Your will? Aaron, is there something you aren’t telling me? Are you sick or something?”
“No, my love. I just realized I’m getting older, and I didn’t have one. I won’t always be here, so I want to cover the basics, just in case I die unexpectedly. Grief ain’t the time for family to be fighting or trying to figure out how to bury a loved one.”
He went into the bottom drawer of the desk and pulled out the familiar lock box.
“Remember, all of my important documents are in here. A copy of my last will and testament will be in here too.”
I nodded slowly as I turned back to the screen and started reading.
I wasn’t surprised to see he left sentimental things to his siblings.
Monetary things were left to his nieces and nephews.
To our grandbabies, he left trust funds that would be available to them at twenty-one.
He left me his home and other assets including rental properties, stocks, bonds, and his retirement fund.
I was most surprised that he left my son something too.
“You’re leaving Deuce the property management company?”
The property management company was actually how we met. I was looking for a new company to manage some properties I owned, and I came across his. We set up a meeting and from the first interaction, I could tell it wouldn’t be long before I was smitten with this man.
And it wasn’t.
He nodded. “I mean, he doesn’t need money. I have nothing of sentimental value to leave him. He’s proven to have an eye for businesss, and the community respects him and his family. I know he would take care of my tenants the way I would.”
I smiled. “He would. That’s a beautiful gesture, Aaron.” I pecked his lips and rested in his arms. “Hopefully, we don’t have to worry about this will for a very long time. I don’t want to think about life without you.”
He kissed my temple. “You have to be realistic about it, love. Everyone’s days are numbered. We all have to go sometime.”
“I know, I know. I just… we haven’t had that long together. There are couples with twenty, thirty, forty, and fifty years under their belt. I wish that was the case with us. I never saw myself getting married so late in life.”
“Well, my love, you were the one that turned down six proposals from a man that told me it’s always smoke behind you.”
I playfully mushed his head. “Shut up. Stanley is always gonna be Stanley.”
“I’m sure he will. Just like I’m sure if by some chance I fuck up or die before you, he’s gonna be right there to pick up the pieces. Honestly, I ain’t mad about that. If I can’t be here, I’d rather you be with someone I know loves you and will take care of you.”
I laughed. “Did you just give me permission to go back to my ex if we ever break up or you die?”
“You don’t need my permission, Steph. I know you love that man.”
The smile slowly dropped from my face, and I looked down at my hands. “What makes you say that?”
“The fact that you didn’t deny it. I get it. You spent a lifetime with him. I don’t expect those feelings to die so easily. I just… know my place in your life.”
I cupped his face. “You’re my husband. You’re the man that’s given me true, unconditional love the first time around.
The man that has given me all of him, no questions asked and no conditions.
The man I’m excited to wake up and do life with every single day.
I have lived my best soft life with you, baby. You come first, no matter what.”
He pecked my lips. “I appreciate that. But I love you enough to want you to be happy after I’m gone.
It doesn’t matter what that happiness looks like or who it’s with.
If it’s Senior or someone else, you deserve to be loved every day in every capacity.
When it’s my time, I’ll know that I left this world loving you to the best of my abilities.
Besides, it’s not like I’m gonna come back and haunt that man,” he added with a chuckle.
This whole conversation left me with a weird feeling.
Part of me felt like my husband felt like I settled for him and that was the furthest thing from the truth.
Aaron truly made me happy. I loved that man…
fucking adored him. When I said he’d given me the best soft life a girl could ask for, I meant that.
Did I still love Senior? Yes. I don’t think there would ever be a time or space where I didn’t love that man. But I loved my husband too and for very different reasons. He was my focus, and I’d remain loyal to him for as long as God allowed me to have him.
Present Day
“Steph!”
I blinked rapidly as I came out of my thoughts. I felt a set of eyes on me and remembered that was out to eat with Kathy, Aaron’s sister. She started rambling about God only knows and I’d tuned her out.
My thoughts drifted to Senior and that kiss we shared on Maceo’s birthday.
When he pulled me into his arms, I knew I was gonna fold.
The tension between us grew so thick, so fast. In four years, we hadn’t crossed a line.
How did one interaction in his mother’s kitchen lead to us lip locking in the maze?
His touch ignited a longing I hadn’t felt in a long time.
I’d been content with my time alone. I’d barely touched myself and this man had me wanting to be pushed up against the wall and thoroughly fucked.
I remembered what his touch was like… how it felt to have his hands and mouth on me.
How it felt to have my body rocked from the inside out.
Memories flooded my mind, reminding me of my favorite quote from Toni Morrison.
“All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was.”
That seemed to be the story of our lives together, always trying to get back to what we knew. It wasn’t because we were familiar with each other. We shared the kind of love that didn’t fade away with time or circumstance. Some people, when you loved them, you loved them for life.
“Hmm?” I said, finally giving her my full attention.
“You okay? You spaced out for a second there.”
“I’m fine. Just in my head. What were you saying?”
“Nevermind. What’s up with you?”
I couldn’t tell her what was on my mind.
I mean, it wasn’t like I was cheating on my husband with my ex.
I was well within my rights to move on. But Kathy was one of these people you had to feed with a long-handled spoon.
She loved to throw the rock and hide her hand.
Not to mention, she could be messy as hell.
If there was ever any drama or gossip in the family, it was because of her. Too many times, I’d seen family members almost come to blows because she put the battery in their back. She was the one you had to watch.
“Family things,” I answered.
“Everything okay?”
I was ready to curse because she couldn’t leave well enough alone.
“Everything is fine, Kathy. Next subject.”
“Oh… well I did want to talk to you about something.”
“What?”
She smiled brightly. “Have you thought about dating again? I have someone I want you to meet.”
My brows furrowed. “Say what now?”
“He’s a really nice guy, Steph. Fifty-seven. Widowed. Two grown children, a son and a daughter. Four grandkids. He’s a retired firefighter and still very physically active.”
She rambled on and on about this man as she fished through her purse for her phone. Once she located it, she tapped the screen a few times before turning it around to show me a picture. I had to admit the gentleman on the screen was very handsome.
From his picture, I could tell he was taller than me. His rich chocolate skin was smooth and flawless and his smile was perfect. He seemed to have a good sense of style, and I could tell he was quite charming.
“So…. what do you think?” Kathy asked.
“He’s handsome,” I stated. “And how is he interested in me? I’ve never met this man.”
“He’s a friend of Chad’s,” she said, referring to her husband. “You haven’t formally met him, but you have been in the same space. He was at Chad’s birthday cookout a few months back. He came to town for the party and now he lives here.”
“Oh.”
“He personally asked about you. The man remembered exactly what you were wearing that day.”
I frowned. “That’s not suspicious to you?”
“Suspicious? Girl, Thomas is harmless. He wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
“I don’t know about this, Kathy.”
“Why not? You’re not ready?”
“It’s not that. If I date again, I want it to be natural, not because someone hooked me up with a random man.”
She sighed. “I get it, okay? I miss my brother every day and I wish he was still here. But I know he would want you to move on and be happy. I just thought I’d give you a little push. I’m sorry if I overstepped.”
I smiled as I covered her hand with mine. “You didn’t overstep. You were just being the typical older sister.”
“Sooo… have you thought about dating?”
“I really hadn’t. I mean, not opposed, however, I don’t think I want to date anybody that you or Chad pick for me. If it doesn’t work out, things would be awkward.”
Her brows furrowed. “Um… no offense, but aren’t you friends with your ex and the mothers of his other kids? Like, y’all are one big happy family. That isn’t awkward?”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I hated that question with a passion.
“They are my family, Kathy, my son’s father more than anybody because I’ve known him since I was fifteen years old.
His family took me in and treated me like one of their own since I was seventeen.
That man has seen me in every season of life.
Tavia and Allison damn near raised my son and I raised their kids.
So no, maintaining a relationship with them doesn’t make things awkward.
I have a great amount of love for those people. ”
She stared at me curiously. “Hmmm.”
“What?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. You just seemed really defensive. Reminds me of something I once asked my brother.”
I crossed my arms. “And what was that?”
“Just… sometimes I wondered if he were a second choice. I mean, I saw that dance you shared with Deuce’s father at the wedding. You two looked real cozy and I could see the love between you two. I wondered if he was the one that got away or if my brother was a consolation prize.”
I scoffed. “Excuse me?”
“Don’t get defensive. Anyone with eyes would ask the same thing. He’s always around. There have been times when I drove over to see you and I kept going when I saw he was there. It feels like I’m intruding on something when I’m around you two.”
“Okay, Kathy. I think I’m gonna go.” I reached into my purse and grabbed my wallet. “I don’t know how we got to this point, but yeah. It’s best if I leave now. Thanks for lunch.”
I peeled off enough money to cover the bill and stood to my feet.
She called my name repeatedly as I walked toward the door.
I knew I should have stayed my ass at home.
It was the fact that I rarely hung out with that woman if it wasn’t a family setting.
Aaron loved his sister, but even he’d warned me to be mindful of the company I kept with her.
I knew right then and there, if I ever took that man back, she would be the first one starting a rumor and my husband would be rolling over in his grave.
I was too damn old to be involved in some messy shit.
This was why I didn’t have too many female friends.
Even at our big ages, bitches were messy.
I didn’t want or need that shit.