Page 16 of Marshall: The Manny

The Next Evening

Our second date was a success.I wanted to prove to Demi that we could be great partners, so I took her to an escape room. I wanted to prove we could have a great time together, so we went to the adult arcade afterward. I wanted to prove to her that I could protect her, so we went to the gun range.

I felt like I’d already shown her that I could provide and be romantic, so choosing fun things today was the move. She kept telling me how happy she was and how much fun she was having, which I appreciated. By the time we made it back, the last part of the date was waiting for us. I had one of my old friends, Elite, meet us so she could pick out some jewelry. It seemed like her guilty pleasure, because she had a closet that she used just to store her jewelry collection.

“Wassup, bro?” I greeted Elite as Demi and I headed toward the front door of the guest house.

She squeezed my hand gently, and I looked down at her with a smile.

“Wassup, bruh? It’s good to see you.”

“You as well.”

We shook hands, then I introduced the two of them. I could tell it was eating Demi up inside to ask questions, but she didn’t. Once we made it inside, I led Elite over to the island in the kitchen, where he broke down his black jewelry case.

Demi gasped and covered her mouth as her eyes widened and twinkled.

Yeah.

This was the right call.

“Marshall…”

“What would you like?”

Demi ran her fingers through her hair and looked from me to Elite. “I can choose?”

“Of course.”

She scanned the selection intently. “How much is this?” she asked, picking up a white gold, diamond bracelet.

“Don’t worry about that.”

“Are you sure?”

I didn’t feel offended by her asking because she didn’t know how much money I made. Because I did more than the average private childcare provider, my fee reflected that. The ten thousand a month she paid for my services wasn’t enough to pay for the bracelet or anything else in the case other than the children’s jewelry. It was important to me that she knew I’d never ask her for anything financially, because I made more than enough with my books and resources.

“Yes, love. Get what you want.”

With that gentle coaxing, she selected that bracelet and a matching necklace and pair of earrings. She cried when I told her to pick something for Denver. Since that was the last of the date, we decided to spend the night here instead of going to themain house. As fun as the day had been, nothing felt better than holding her in my arms.

Sunday

“Mar-cho,”Denver whined.

He was hyper today which led to him not wanting to take a nap while he was with his grandparents. They didn’t make him, so he was cranky and in a bad mood when he got home. Demi was finishing up a conference call, and I was putting up dinner, but as soon as he called my name, I headed to his room.

He whimpered at the sight of me and reached for me.

“Wassup, little man?”

The moment he rested his head against my chest, I smiled. I sat in the rocking chair and cut on Ms. Rachel, which soothed him instantly. By the time Demi made her way inside, he was back to his normal self.

I couldn’t quite read her expression as she looked at me, so I asked, “What is it?”

“You love him… don’t you?”

I looked down at Denver as he smiled at his mom. “I do. He means more to me than any other child I’ve cared for. He feels like mine,” I confessed, running my fingers through his curly hair. “I love him.”

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