Page 100 of Let Me

“You put this together?”

“No.It was all Riley’s idea.She said it was your first day back.She didn’t want you to be over here alone.”

I draw in a deep breath and release it, accepting hugs from all of my family and friends who’ve come here to ensure my well-being.It is overwhelming, but it’s the best thing for me – for all of us.

Chapter 43

Five Years Later

“Mommy, is Aunt Riley meeting us for ice cream?”Juju asks from the backseat.We just left Lake Julian Park, and I promised him we’d swing my the ice cream shop.

I glance through the rearview mirror to look at him.From his facial features, down to his calm demeanor – he’s a living representation of his father and reminds me of him every single day.Judah left me his twin – a permanent reminder for me to remember him by.My heart expands every time I see him – when I wake him up in the mornings (more like when he wakesmeup), when I read him bedtime stories (he loves books), or when we’re in the kitchen baking cookies.He’s a little sponge for knowledge.His thirst for information is insatiable.He wants to know everything.Adrienne says Judah was the same way when he was a child – had to know everything!

Juju already knows how to read.His kindergarten teacher is amazed at his level of intellect.She tells me he’s gifted, but I already knew that.At three months, he was holding his head up consistently.When he was six months old, he started crawling.At seven months, he was walking.He didn’t need one of those walkers or anything – just stood up one day on those little legs and walked from the living room to the kitchen.At a year, he was almost using complete sentences.By his second birthday, he knew how to write his name, could recite the alphabet and could do simple addition and subtraction.He’s my miracle, genius baby.He’s his father’s child – that’s for sure!

“Mom-meeee—” he sings.“You’re daydreaming again...”

I grin and say, “I’m sorry, baby.I heard you, and no, Riley isn’t coming this time, Juju.”

“What about Auntie Luna, Tabitha, and Moriah?Are they coming, Mommy?”

“No, baby.It’s just me and you, this time.”

“You mean you and I, Mommy.”

I glance through the mirror to see that tight smirk on his face.“Yes, baby.You and I.”

“Well, maybe Daddy, too,” he says with his cute little voice.

I slow to a red light and look through the mirror again, watching my handsome prince stare out the window very observant and contemplative.

I say, “What did you say, Juju?”

“I said maybe Daddy will join us.”

“Baby, do you remember the conversation we had about Daddy?”

“Yes, I remember, but I saw Daddy last night.I dreamed about him.”

My heart warms when I think about how much he loves his father.Judah left me a treasure trove of pictures on his phone – so many of us together and many of me – candid shots he took of me when I didn’t know he was taking pictures.I love them all and shared them with Juju.I even printed out pictures of Judah and had them framed on the wall in Juju’s room.My son will know his father.I promised Judah I’d make sure of it, and in three years, he's going to get that beautiful letter Judah wrote to him.I always wondered why he wanted me to give it to him when he was eight.Now, I realize it’s because he knew his son would have the same insights and smarts he had at that age.

I say, “You dreamed about Daddy again, huh?”

“Yes.He—he told me to tell you hi.”

“Oh, wow.Thank you for letting me know.”

“You’re welcome, Mommy.”

Driving a little further down the street, I glance at Juju through the mirror and see his little inquisitive face.He asks, “Mommy, do I have a sister?”

“No, sweetheart.Your Dad and I had one child, and that’s you.Why do you ask?”

“I saw a girl in my dreams.She said she was in kindergarten, too.”

“That’s nice, baby, but you know, the thing about dreams is, while theyfeelreal, they aren’t.”

“But I feel like they are, Mommy.Daddy even rubbed my head and told me I was a gentleman, whatever that means.”

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