Chapter 42 #2
Luis tilted his head. "What does the shelter need?"
"Everything, probably. It's a nonprofit."
"No," Gloria corrected. "What do the women there need? Not money. Not things. What do they need to feel like they won’t be victims anymore?"
The answer came to me and Gloria at the same time.
"Self-defense classes. Tools to help them survive. To feel strong. To feel empowered," I said.
Macky sat up straighter. "Now that's a start."
"We should have it be taught by both men and women," Gloria continued, already pulling out her phone. "Bring in some female officers who know what we're doing. The women don’t need a bunch of guys telling them how to throw a punch."
"Regular sessions," I added, the pieces falling into place. "Not just one-time. Ongoing. So they learn the skills but also build confidence over time."
"I know at least a dozen guys who'd volunteer for logistics," Macky said. "Equipment, funding, scheduling. Hell, my wife would probably want in on this too."
Jaxson nodded slowly. "Kayla used to teach women's self-defense. Before the kids came. She'd probably love to get back into it." He pulled out his phone. "Chief may be an obstacle—red tape and all that shit, but put together a solid plan and he’ll sign off."
"Shit yeah. Lot of red tape," Luis pointed out. "You’ll need to get official permission."
"Yeah." I straightened up. "I don’t want to lean on Maliyah. She's on medical leave anyway. This needs to be real—about the women there, not about winning her back."
Macky raised an eyebrow. "Even though that's exactly what you're hoping it'll do?"
"It's not about that. Or, shit—well not only about that." I looked around the table at these people—all of them already pulling out phones and making notes. "It’s about showing her that she’s important and I not only understand what’s important to her, but I want to help with it too."
"A convenient side benefit," Gloria said with a small smile.
"The best kind," Macky agreed.
"So we're doing this?" I asked.
"Hell yeah we're doing this," Macky said. "I'm not letting you mope around for the next month drinking bad beer and feeling sorry for yourself. This is much better."
"Plus," Gloria added, "it's actually a good idea. Even if your motives are questionable."
"Hey! My motives are pure," I protested, my voice rising slightly at the end, betraying me.
Everyone at the table looked at me.
"Okay, mostly pure."
"Thirty percent pure," Luis offered.
"That's generous," John muttered.
"Forty," I argued. "At least forty percent."
"We'll give you thirty-five and call it even," Jaxson said, the hint of a smile playing at his lips.
Gloria was already typing rapidly on her phone, her glasses sliding down as she focused. "I'm texting someone who probably has a contact at the shelter."
"Tonight?" I asked. "It's after ten."
She didn't even look up. "Meh. Monica never sleeps. She'll answer." Her phone buzzed almost immediately. "Looks like she already answered. Said she’ll meet tomorrow at eleven."
"That fast?"
"Menopause. The woman never sleeps anymore." Gloria showed me the text. Five pairs of eyes suddenly found fascinating things to look at—the ceiling, the table, our drinks. John cleared his throat. Macky shifted in his seat. I became intensely interested in peeling the label off my beer bottle.
Fastest way to shut a table of men up? Talk about menopause or periods. Fastest way to get murdered? Comment on it, after a woman talks about it.
Macky pulled out a napkin and started writing, breaking the awkward silence before one of us says something stupid and didn’t live to tell about it.
"Okay, ahem. Yeah, so—Gloria will work on getting a shelter contact. We're going to need mats, pads, maybe some training dummies. Reed—it’s your baby, so we’ll generously leave the paperwork to you. "
"I'll handle finding some volunteers," Jaxson said, his deep voice cutting through the planning chaos.
"I know some officers who speak Spanish and Haitian Creole," Luis added. "Make sure all the materials are accessible. A lot of these women, English isn't their first language."
I looked around the table, the stress across my shoulders loosening. "You guys are really doing this with me."
"Of course we are," Macky said, like it was obvious. "What else are we going to do? Let you sit around and be pathetic?"
"I wasn't going to be—"
"You were absolutely going to be pathetic," John interrupted. "I saw you after shit fell apart with Maliyah before when you broke up—wasn’t pretty. I refuse to watch that happen again."
"This isn't a breakup," I said firmly. "She asked for space. That's different."
"Sure," Macky said, clearly humoring me. "Space. Got it."
"Let’s make this good," Gloria warned. "We can’t do half-assed."
"I don’t do half-assed!"
Macky snorted. "Except with relationships apparently."
I flipped him off.
"See?" He grinned. "Already feeling better."
He wasn't wrong. For the first time since I'd walked out of Maliyah's apartment, I didn't feel like I was drowning. I felt like I had a direction. A purpose that wasn't just waiting around hoping she'd take me back.
"What about Maliyah?" Luis asked quietly. "When does she find out?"
"I don’t know, man," I said. "I feel like if she hears it from me, she’ll think it’s about us."
Jaxson studied me with those patient eyes that had probably seen through every excuse his four kids had ever tried. "You really mean that."
"Yeah. I do." I finished my beer. "Look, if this works—if we actually get women the tools to feel safer, to feel stronger—that matters whether Maliyah and I ever figure our shit out or not."
"And if she does find out and thinks you're just doing it to impress her?" Gloria asked.
"Then I'll deal with that. But at least I'll be doing something that actually helps people instead of just playing nurse."
"Nurse," Macky repeated, shaking his head and laughing. "I didn't know that was your kink, man."
"Shut it, asshole!"
The whole table erupted, and something cracked open in my chest—a sound I barely recognized coming from my own throat, my shoulders shaking as I leaned back in my chair. My face actually hurt from smiling.
"Alright," Jaxson said, standing up and somehow making it look graceful despite his size. "I need to get home before Kayla sends a search party. But Morrison?" He clapped a hand on my shoulder, heavy and warm. "You're on the right path, man. And I’m here for it."
"Thanks, Jax."
A simple nod, and he was off.
Luis stood too. "This is going to be good, bro."
"Agreed," Gloria said.
Macky was the last to get up, leaving cash on the table for his share. "You got this, Reed. We’ve got it with you." Not one to wait for a response, he turned and left.
By the time everyone had left for the night, I found myself sitting alone, the remnants of my beer in hand. The idea of going home to my empty apartment sucked. But it would give me some time to plan. To get ready. To think of other ways to show Maliyah where my heart is.
My fingers drummed against the tabletop as I stared at the empty glasses left behind. I'd give her the distance she asked for, but sitting still had never been my strong suit. There was a difference between respecting boundaries and giving up entirely.
I paid my tab, grabbed my jacket, and headed out into the cold night air. I had work to do, and my musty-ass apartment would have to do for now.