Page 35 of The CEO's Christmas Wife

“You, too, son. Glad you came home, and you look like you’re doing well.”

“I’m definitely blessed, sir.”

“Good. It’s the season for giving. You’ll get back everything you’ve given,” he remarked and winked at me.

Mr. Washington was one of the few teachers that I respected. He believed in me, pushed me, and always encouraged me.

“Emmanuel, can I talk to you for a second?” Chauncey asked after he stepped out of the store.

My face immediately screwed up into a scowl.

“It’s also the season for forgiveness,” Mr. Washington stated and then went back to shouting, “Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas.”

I glanced back at Chauncey again and nodded. We took a few steps away from the store’s front door and stood facing each other.

“Listen, it’s not easy for me to say this, but I’ve been wrong for so many years.”

I wasn’t quick to let my guard down because I didn’t trust people. I wasn’t sure what shit he was on.

“I never really gave us a chance to get off to a good start. We always got along before you came to live with us, but when you came, it was like all Mama and Daddy could see was you. I was jealous of that. It’s like they forgot all about me.”

“Nigga, gon’ with that shit. Your daddy always used to throw you up in my face, asking why I couldn’t be more like you.”

“I didn’t know. I mean, you started going to work with my dad, doing the lawn at our house with him, hanging out with him in the shop in the backyard. I felt like you came and stole my dad from me.”

“Nah, your dad saw a kid who was drowning and needed to be saved. That’s what he was for me. He saved my li’l black ass from going out completely. And your ass was too spoiled to see that. Your daddy took you on one-on-one son outings every week, the same as he did for Byron and the same as he did for me. He constantly praised you for your good grades, while he had to spend more time with me because I struggled with Language Arts. Your mama never missed a basketball game that you played in and constantly rewarded you for your success.”

Chauncey’s shoulders slumped, and he sighed loudly. “I know, man. I just couldn’t see that at the time. I tried to deal with my feelings, but then you went and got with Dom, and I couldn’t see straight anymore. All I saw was that you came and took everything away from me.”

I inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled before I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Listen, if you had told me about Dom, I never would’ve fucked with that girl. I don’t do that shit.”

“I just didn’t feel like I had a right to tell you to stay away from her when she wasn’t mine to begin with.”

“You could’ve told me you were feeling her, and I would’ve respected that shit. I never would’ve got with her, even if she was playing a nigga close.”

He nodded and looked away. “I’m sorry, Emmanuel. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have screwed her. She was yours.”

I sighed again and leveled with him. “Chauncey, you’re blood. I wouldn’t ever let a woman come between us. You should’ve known that.”

“I did. It was my jealousy and insecurities. I apologize for everything that I did, for making things hard on you, and for ruining our relationship. Just want us to be cool again,” he confessed with a slight shrug.

Kandi would call it the Christmas spirit. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I stepped forward, dapped my cousin up, and pulled him into a one-armed hug. I held him for several seconds before I heard, “Now this some Christmas movie shit if I ever saw it.”

I pulled back, shoved Byron in the shoulder, and laughed. It was turning out to be a good day.

18

THE GREATEST LOVE

Kandi

“Are you excited to get back on track?”

I glanced up from where I was packing my suitcase and smiled at Kayn. “It’s bittersweet, honestly. Part of me is excited because I’ll be that much closer to seeing my family. On the other hand, I’m going to miss all of this,” I confessed and waved my arms around, indicating the small town and the Christmas feeling.

“Well, at least you’ll get to experience Christmas in New York.”

I let a small smile slip on my lips and nodded.

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