Chapter 3
“I finally got her to go to sleep. How are you feeling?” my grandmother asked as she sat next to me on the couch.
“A lot of things. I can’t believe Monica and Trevor are gone. I don’t know what’s going to happen with Mikayla. I feel like I didn’t have enough time with Monica. I hadn’t seen her in a while, and it’s bothering me a little. Like, should we have made more of an effort?”
My grandmother patted my knee and shifted to face me.
My emotions had been all over the place for the last few days.
First, after learning about Monica and Trevor, I took on the responsibility of Mikayla for the time being.
Then, seeing Arsel for the first time after three months had me feeling things.
I didn’t think we would see each other under those circumstances, though.
I missed him, but I was still staying with my grandmother.
We’d been there to comfort each other during the funeral and texted to check on each other, but I hadn’t seen him since the funeral.
For three days, Grandma and I had been Mikayla’s caregivers because neither of her grandparents wanted to take her, or they were unable to do so.
At least that was what they said, but I wasn’t so sure.
She was a toddler, so I knew it would be an adjustment for them.
I thought she would be more comfortable with them since they were family, but they hadn’t seen it that way.
The first day was a little rough for us all because I hadn’t seen her in a minute, and I was sure she had forgotten who I was. The second day wasn’t so bad. She was a ball of energy, but she brought light into the house.
“You can’t put that on yourself. Life happened, and everyone was so busy. I’m sure Monica never thought anything negative if you guys didn’t talk all the time. I mean, it was you who was listed as Mikayla’s emergency contact. What time are you supposed to be meeting with the lawyer?”
I was surprised when I got the call to pick Mikayla up from the day care center where she attended. Monica mentioned she put me down as an emergency contact, but I had completely forgotten about it. I knew I was the last resort, so I never expected to actually be called.
“In a few minutes. Arsel is supposed to be meeting me there.”
A smile stretched across my grandmother’s face, and I wanted to roll my eyes. She’d been trying her best to get me to go home and work things out with him.
“I know the circumstances aren’t great, but how did it feel seeing him?”
I sighed heavily as I let my shoulders slump.
“It was different. To go from being with the same person for years, then not seeing them for months, to seeing them again. It was a lot to process. When he told me to come to the hospital, I had no idea what he wanted. At first, I thought maybe he would try to win me back, even though his voice said otherwise. Then, I wasn’t sure what to think.
Even though it wasn’t the best time, that man still made butterflies take flight in my stomach.
He looked so stressed, but still so good. ” I felt my cheeks heat up.
Grandma looked at me and smirked. “Baby, with the way you are blushing, I know you two will find your way back to each other. I saw him at the repast watching your every move. Y’all might not see eye to eye right now, but the love is still there.”
I couldn’t deny that, because I still loved him. A few months of space wouldn’t change that. I didn’t think there was anything in life that could change my feelings for Arsel.
“Welp, I have to go. I don’t want to be late.”
My grandmother laughed as I jumped up from the couch.
“You can try and deny whatever you want, but I know the outcome of this. But since you want to act like your behind is on fire, bring me back some of those honey-roasted cashews from Wilson’s, please.”
At least once a week, my grandmother sent me to Wilson’s Market to get some cashews. She even had me eating them.
I shook my head and giggled. I leaned down and kissed my grandmother’s cheek.
“I got you. You sure you are okay with her?”
“Girl, get out of here.” She shooed me away.
I grabbed my jacket and pocketbook from the table and headed outside. As soon as I turned the car on, Arsel sent me a text letting me know he was on his way. I felt uneasy about whatever the lawyer had to say.
It took twenty minutes to reach the lawyer’s office, and my nervousness had increased by the time I reached the parking lot. I knew it wasn’t just from what the lawyer had to say but from seeing Arsel again.
Once I found a parking spot, I grabbed my phone from the cupholder and tossed it in my pocket. I took a few deep breaths to steady my nerves, then got out of the car.
“I see we got here at the same time.”
The sound of Arsel’s deep voice made goosebumps rise on my arms. I turned around to face him and took in his outfit.
He looked tired around the eyes, but still so damn fine. He had on a gray sweatsuit with a black puffer vest and black sneakers.
“I see.”
He looked like he wanted to hug me, but he stuck his hands in his pockets. That small action bothered me, but I didn’t address it. We had other things to focus on at the moment.
We walked to the front of the building, and Arsel held the door open for me.
“Did you have to work today?” I asked as we took the elevator to the fourth floor.
“I was on call last night, so no. How’s Mikayla?”
“She’s adjusting.”
The elevator doors opened, and Arsel put his hand on my back to lead me out of the elevator.
“Hello, welcome to Johnson, Stark, and Associates. Do you have an appointment?” A short, dark-skinned girl greeted us. She was bubbly as hell; meanwhile, I was a ball of nervous energy.
Arsel’s cologne slightly relaxed me as he stood next to me.
“Yes. We have an appointment with Mr. Johnson. Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” Arsel spoke for both of us.
“Okay. He’s expecting you, so follow me.”
She came from behind the desk and escorted us to a room.
When the door of a large conference room opened, we were greeted by a tall, dark, and fine man. He wore a navy-blue suit with black shoes. His hair was cut low like Arsel’s, and he had waves for days. If I wasn’t still in love with my husband, I might have tried to shoot my shot.
“Hello. Welcome. You must be Arsel and Janiyah.” He held his hand out and shook Arsel’s hand, then mine.
“Yes.”
“Thanks for coming in. You can call me Faris, by the way.”
He led us over to a table where there were a folder and two bottles of water. He stood to the side while Arsel pulled the chair out for me. Once we were seated, Faris sat across from us.
I glanced over at Arsel when I felt his hand on my thigh underneath the table. He soothingly rubbed my thigh, and the motion calmed me.
“First, let me say that I’m sorry for your loss. Second, I don’t want to hold you two up, so we’ll get right to it.” Faris opened the folder and pulled out two small stacks of papers. He passed one to me, then the other to Arsel.
I looked down at the paper and tried to read it, but I was confused by the words.
“What exactly is this?” Arsel asked, taking the words from my mouth.
“This paperwork states that in the event of something happening to Monica and Trevor, you two will assume full custody of Mikayla Jones. There’s also information about a life insurance policy for both of them.
The money will be broken up into increments from now until Mikayla is twenty-one, and then she will receive a lump sum of money. ”
I listened to what he said and tried to wrap my head around everything that I read in the paper.
Monica and Trevor had an insurance policy that would increase by a small amount each year.
It seemed like the older she got, the more the money would increase.
I assumed it was because kids tended to cost more as they grew.
I didn’t hesitate to sign my name on all the required spots. I knew we were the only safe and stable place for her.
Arsel removed his hand from my leg and flipped through the papers. There was a look of unease on his face, and it made my heart sink.
This was too much for him, and I had a feeling he wouldn’t sign. The one thing we argued about was now being dropped in our laps. I wasn’t sure what this would mean for our marriage, but there was no way I could turn my back on that little girl.