Page 4 of Surrender

Taking a deep breath, I climbed out of my car and headed inside. I gave my name to the receptionist, and she let me know that I would be called back shortly. As I sat in the waiting room, I looked around. I wondered what the story was behind these people being here, too.

Had love gone wrong for them? Had they been heartbroken? Was this the final resort for them as well? My family thought I was crazy to go through with this. My mother had called me right before I pulled into the parking lot to see if I’d changed my mind. She begged me to reconsider. My mind was made up, however.

This was my life and my decision. I was doing this.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of my name being called.

“Kachelle Lewis!”

I took a deep breath and stood to my feet. The woman holding the door open greeted me with a smile.

“Right this way, Ms. Lewis.”

“Thank you.”

I followed her down a long hallway. We came to a stop in front of a door labeled with the name Kelcy Wright. After a soft tap on the door, she turned the knob and pushed it open.

“Mrs. Wright, your ten o’clock is here.”

Behind the desk sat a beautiful black woman. She looked like a human Barbie doll, and her smile matched.

“Thank you, Amber,” she said, standing.

Amber nodded. She placed a hand gently on my shoulder. “Good luck!”

I offered her a nervous smile as she walked away. Kelcy came around to greet me.

“It’s so nice to meet you, Kachelle. Please, come on in and have a seat.”

I stepped into the office and sat in the chair in front of her desk. She reclaimed her seat, looking at me curiously.

“Are you nervous?” she asked.

I slumped in my seat. “Is it obvious?”

She giggled. “A little. If you weren’t nervous, I’d be worried. This is a big step and a huge commitment. How are you feeling about it?”

“Aside from nervous… I’m hopeful. I feel like this might be a good option. Crazy, maybe even insane, but good.”

“I can admit when I did it, I thought it was crazy too. But then I met my husband, and I’ve never been loved, cared for, or understood the way I am with that man. It works when you put the work in. This is far beyond looks. This is rooted in compatibility, deep connection, understanding, respect, and acceptance. Those are a few of the major things that make a relationship of any kind work.”

She pulled out a legal pad and a pen. Sitting back, she crossed her legs and placed it on her knee.

“First thing, I’d like your permission to record this session. The playback will be used in the matching process.”

“Of course.”

“Great.” She pressed record on the camera. “I like to start off my sessions with getting to know a little about my clients. It makes matching you a little more accurate. So, tell me a little about you.”

I took a deep breath. “Well, I’m thirty. I am the youngest of two, with an older sister. My parents have been married for forty years, and I think they are the epitome of black love. Um… I own and operate a dental office for kids called Superhero Smiles. Every Friday, we dress up as superheroes, and if the kids dress up too, they get a discount on services.”

Kelcy smiled. “That’s adorable. I take it you love children?”

“I do. I feel like one of my purposes in life is to be a mother. It was my plan to be married and have my first kid by twenty-five.” I dropped my head and chuckled. “My mother always told me, if you wanna make God laugh, tell him your plans.”

Kelcy giggled. “Mine said the same thing. How many children would you like?”

“At least three. I don’t care what they are, as long as they are happy and healthy.”

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