Page 21 of Pulse of True Soulmates

I peeked at Aeon who had been silent during the whole exchange. My arm was wrapped around her waist. “You alright?”

“I think I’m in shock. Was he doing cocaine when we were together, Daddy?” she asked. I wasn’t sure why it mattered, but it wasn’t big enough of a topic to ask her why.

He smiled then said, “No, baby girl. You know if he was, I would have cut your relationship short no matter how you felt. From what was reported back to me, it started shortly after the girl he cheated on you with went back to her boyfriend.” He squinted over at me. “Oh, I’ve done my research on you and your family too, Declan. Just know that.”

I snickered with everyone else. “I’m not worried, sir. I’m sure if there was something not right, you and my father wouldn’t have plans to hang out.” Mr. Blackwell didn’t come across as aperson who would intentionally mix with people that weren’t on the up and up.

I started to say something else, but something or, should I say, someone caught my attention. My head tilted to the side at the familiarity of the person. Why the hell do they . . .

“Happy birthday, Vernon.”

My mouth dropped open.What is she doing here?I hadn’t seen Ariel since she paid for half of Midnite’s training. My baby was relaxed as he leaned against my leg. He was not going to lie down on the floor without a pillow. I brought a pillow for him here, but he refused to stay on it because it was across the room, and this was not considered a safe place.

“Happy birthday, Vernon.” Ariel greeted my father. I did send her an invite, but I never in a million years thought she would come. She didn’t respond to the RSVP request.

My father turned with a shocked expression. His eyes roamed my mother’s body from her head to her feet.Ew!“Ariel, I’m surprised to see you here. What gracious moon settled in the universe to have you grace us with your presence?”

She tittered. “Stop being so extra, Vernon.” Her eyes trailed over to me. “Aeon, I got the invite, but didn’t respond because I wasn’t sure if time would permit for me to come.” She returned her concentration back to my father. “My husband and I moved to Charlotte a little over a week ago for his job.”

I started to cough. Deck patted my back. Iesha handed me the bottle of water that she had in her hand. I slowly drank it. Once I had myself together, I glared at Ariel. “You’re married?”

My father appeared to be just as shocked as I was. I didn’t keep up with Ariel, so I had no idea what went on in her life. My father didn’t fool with social media outside of LinkedIn.

“Yes, Aeon. I’ve been married for five years now,” she responded with a warm smile. “Anyway, there was a lot to do when we moved. I wanted to make sure that I had everything with my home set before I did anything else.” When I asked if she brought her husband, she shook her head. “No, I didn’t think that was appropriate. Um, Aeon, I wanted to ask if we could have lunch or dinner sometime this week?”

“Oh, I-I guess we can. Just text or call me and let me know what day and time you have in mind. Dinner probably fits better. I even know a great place we can go,” I told her. I couldn’t lie and say that I wasn’t excited about her wanting to share a meal with me. Her seeming interest in me was surprising but exciting.

She smiled. “Great. I’ll text you with a date and time. Well, I just wanted to pop in to tell you happy birthday, Vernon. I’m going to take my ass home. I had a long day.”

Just like that, she was gone with the wind. Tonight was way more than just a birthday party. When I planned this party, I never thought my ex or my mother would pop up.What a damn night!

The party went off for the rest of the night without a hitch. When it was over, the venue cleaners that I made sure to hiretook over the cleanup. Deck’s house was closest to the venue, so that was where I went. Both of us had clothing and hygiene products at each other’s homes.

We showered then got into bed. “How do you feel about your mom popping up and wanting to go to lunch or dinner?” Deck asked after we were settled in bed.

I thought about his questions and my feelings. “Is it wrong to be kind of excited about it? I mean, I’ve literally never had lunch or dinner with Ariel after I moved with my father. I can’t believe she moved here.” Deck didn’t say anything, so I tilted my head up to put him in my line of sight. “What do you think?”

“I think I don’t want you to get hurt. This is the same woman who decided that she didn’t want to be your mother when you were six years old, so she left you with your father and dipped. Now she pops up on some I’ve moved here so let’s have a meal. It’s giving, now that it’s a convenience for me, I’ll entertain you.” He shook his head. “I’ll be honest, I don’t like it. I would hate to have Princetta check her ass behind you.”

I giggled because I knew that Mama Cetta didn’t play about me. I loved that for me. I never talked much to Deck about my mother, but I had had extensive conversation with Mama Cetta about her. That woman was my vault of emotions. Before I left my father’s party tonight, I told her that I wanted to talk to her tomorrow.

“I understand what you’re saying. I’ll be careful, baby. I just want to, you know, see what she’s talking about,” I told him. I couldn’t fathom what our meeting would be like, but I knew whatever it was, I wanted to be there to experience it.

“Well, the dinner is a great time to ask her the questions that you’ve wanted to ask her, baby. I know well enough to know you probably have a journal page with questions,” Mama Cetta said. She peeked over her shoulder at me with a side-eye from where she stood over the stove.

She knew me well because I did have a page at the back of a journal that had questions that I would ask my mother if I ever had a chance. When I was younger, from the age of nine until about thirteen, my father had me in therapy. I had some behavioral issues when I first got to my father’s house. He assumed that it was due to my mother abandoning me. By the time that I stopped therapy because I told my father that I didn’t need to go, I convinced myself that I was alright.

This woman dropped me off at my father’s house, pretty much told me that she wished me well, and left. The next time that I heard anything from her was in the form of a birthday present and card when I turned ten years old. Every five years, that was all I got from her. She didn’t reach out to me, but she did at least answer when I called the few times that I needed something.

“I do have questions. Mama Cetta, I’m just surprised that she’s married now. Deck said he doesn’t like it because it seems like now it’s convenient for her to deal with me,” I said in a dejected tone.

She finished mixing the spaghetti sauce in the pot before she put the top on it. Once she was in the seat across from me at the table, she reached across for my hands. “Baby, you know my son loves you and wants to protect you.” She chuckled with a headshake. “Hell, he called me earlier to ask me to convince you not to go. He’s just worried that you’re going to get hurt. After we talked, he understands that this is something you need to do.

“Now, we don’t know if this meeting will lead to closure or a new open door. Whatever it is, I pray it serves you.” She shiftedin her seat before her eyes turned into slits. “Just know if she plays with you, I’m going to play with my fist in her face.”

I chortled because this woman—hell, this whole family was violent. To know that my man called his mother to convince her to tell me not to go did something to me. I loved how protective he was over me.

“Well, I kind of hope it’s an open door, but if it’s closure, that’s alright too. I just want to know what she has to say,” I said. Yeah, I said with my mouth that closure would be alright. I really hoped it was an open door.

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