Page 67 of Essence of his Soul

She reached across the table, taking my hands in hers. “Life has a way of surprising you, baby girl. And so do people. Don’t close yourself off to the possibility that Mark could come to love you too.”

I frowned, not wanting to go there, not wanting to hope for something that might never happen. “I doubt it,” I said, leaningback in my chair.

She studied me momentarily, like she could see through the walls I was putting up. “You love him, don’t you?” she asked, her voice soft but firm.

I didn’t even have to think about it. Of course, I loved Mark. I had loved him from the moment he walked back into my life, but I wasn’t about to admit that out loud. Not yet. Not until I knew where we stood.

I tried to shake the thought off, but the truth was there, staring me in the face. It wasn’t just about Tyler anymore. It was the way Mark made me feel. The way he always showed up, no matter what. I had tried to ignore it, but he kept coming back. My heart was on the line, and I couldn’t lie to myself about it.

“What’s not to love?” I said, half-laughing. “He’s handsome, smart, and a great father.”

Mom leaned back, giving me that twinkling-eyed look like she knew something I didn’t. “Have you told him how you feel?”

I let out a short laugh. “Good Lord, no!”

“Well, maybe you should,” she said, looking at me like she had all the answers.

“Why on earth would I do that?” I asked, genuinely confused.

“Because he loves you too,” she said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I stared at her, frowning. “No, he doesn’t.”

Her eyes widened. “And why not?”

I rubbed a hand over my face, letting out a deep breath. “Because he’s said so,” I replied, knowing it was the truth, even if I didn’t want to believe it.

Mom just smiled, like she knew something I didn’t. “Men don’t always know what they want, Essence. That’s why women exist—to help them figure it out.”

I had to laugh at that. “Mom, you’re too much.”

She leaned forward, dead serious. “I’m telling you, yourfather didn’t know what he wanted either. He was all talk at first—said he wasn’t looking for love, just someone to run the house and cook meals. But I stuck around. And after a while, after seeing how much I cared, he couldn’t deny it anymore. He finally admitted he couldn’t live without me.”

I blinked, surprised. “You never told me that story.”

“You didn’t need to hear it until now,” she said, squeezing my hand.

I sat there, letting her words sink in. Was I ready to risk my heart on Mark, knowing he might never come to love me the way I wanted? Could I take that leap for Tyler—and maybe for me, too?

After a long pause, I looked at her. “Why are you trying so hard to marry me off?” I asked, my voice soft.

“Because I know he’s your soulmate, even if you haven’t figured it out yet,” she said, calm and confident like she always was. And for the first time, I wondered if maybe—just maybe—she was right.

Hours later, we were rolling down the highway, both of us quiet, except for the sound of the tires humming against the pavement. I kept my eyes straight ahead, but my mind was everywhere, jumping from one thought to the next. I tried to calm myself, but it wasn’t working. Eventually, I had to ask.

“So,” I said, turning to look at him, “what did you and my father talk about?” He had been in his father’s study for almost an hour.

Mark gave me that look, flashing that smile he knew always did something to me.

“Man, talk,” he said, still smiling like he had some secret I wasn’t in on.

I raised an eyebrow, feeling my heart do this little flip. “Whatkind of ‘man talk’?”

“Private stuff,” he said, still grinning like he knew that answer would drive me crazy.

I let out a groan, already imagining the kinda "private stuff" my father had drilled him about. “He asked you what your intentions were, didn’t he?”

Mark laughed under his breath. “Yep. And I told him.”

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