Page 32 of Make Me Remember

I could hear the machinery turn off in the background right after he answered. “Hey, baby. What are you doing?”

“I had started baling this hay, but shit, I got about ten acres left to do. Whenever y’all are coming, I’ll stop and go take a shower.”

“How’s your ankle?”

“It’s okay. They gave me some antibiotics. The swelling has gone down, but by evening, it still hurts like hell.”

“You may need to see another doctor, baby.”

“Yeah, I know. You got me so damn excited. I get to meet baby girl. This is happening sooner than I thought,” he said, changing the course of our conversation.

“Yeah. I feel so comfortable with you. Jacob… I trust you. That means a lot because I don’t trust anybody, especially not around my baby. I just want you to know how huge this is. You’re my first real boyfriend since she’s been born, and she’s eight. I’m thirty-five years old, and you’re the first man I’ve felt comfortable around in years. Besides Kace and Mister Moses, no one has come close. Please…”

My emotions were about to take me down. I didn’t like being vulnerable in front of people, but Jacob was different. He made me feel so soft… something I had never been allowed or could afford to be. I was falling for him big time. Before I could fully complete my thought, he completed it for me.

“I promise I won’t ever betray your trust, baby. I’m not perfect by a longshot, but I am loyal… faithful to those I love. I’m falling for you, Mekayla. I’m trying to pace myself because I know you need time, but it doesn’t seem I can. Seeing you work through your issues and demons is admirable, and it only makes me want to love you even more. Healing is attractive as fuck, because I’ve had enough trauma my entire fucking life and drama for two lifetimes. You and my daughter bring y’all asses on.”

I burst into tears. Listening to his words had me weak, but him calling LaTee his daughter was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I carried a lot of weight… fucked up baggage. Jacob made me feel like it was okay to drop that shit. All of it seemed to fall like the shackles that fell from the genie’s wrists in Aladdin.

“Don’t cry, baby. Please don’t cry. I’m about to head home and shower. Y’all come on so I can take y’all to the diner to eat and so LaTee can meet her new family. Hell, so you can meet them too. They only know you as my therapist. I need them to know you as my present and as my future. You the only woman for me, baby. Dry your tears, and y’all come on.”

“Okay. See you in about forty-five minutes.”

“A’ight, gorgeous.”

I ended the call and took a deep breath, desperately trying to subdue my emotions. Of course, I wasn’t able to do that before my baby girl joined me in the front room, wearing distressed jeans and a cute top.

“Mama, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m extremely happy. That’s all. I’m just happy.”

She glanced around and said, “Oh. I thought you were cooking breakfast.”

“I was. I wrapped it up because I decided I wanted to take you out to breakfast and also to meet someone special to me.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “Who?” she asked somewhat excitedly.

“My boyfriend. His name is Jacob. Are you cool with that?”

She smiled big, just like I was a little while ago. That made my heart feel so good. I knew she longed for a father figure. While she had Kace, he wasn’t hers. He and Keonshay had their own children to tend to, three to be exact. Although they were teenagers and one was almost grown, they were still involved in so many activities. It kept them extremely busy.

“Yes, ma’am! Where does he live?”

“In a little town called Nome, about thirty minutes away. Let me go clean my face so we can go.”

“Okay!”

She had me feeling even more excited. I almost told her that Jacob had called her his daughter, but I decided against that. I wanted their bond to be authentic. If he wanted her to know that, he would tell her. I quickly went to the bathroom and cleaned and moisturized my face then put on lipstick. When I came out, LaTee said, “Okay! I see you!”

I laughed. This little girl was too grown. “You look good yourself, girl! Slay!”

She struck a pose like she was a model, causing me to really laugh. She would be happy to meet Jessica and to know she was a model just like she aspired to be. “Let’s go have fun. Jacob has a big family.”

“Are they nice?”

“Most of them. There is only one that I met that can be rude, but even he is nice at times.”

“I bet you told him off then.”

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