Page 21 of The Heart Of A Real Woman
“I’m tryna make a life for all three of us.” I corrected her. “That being said, I can handle whatever comes my way when it comes to you. I ain’t trippin’ about your pops. I expected it.”
She nodded, wiping away her tears. “I leave for school next week. I… I couldn’t go without seeing you, baby.”
I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat tightening. I had always known this moment would come, but it stung even more because we’d already endured so much time apart.
“Damn, it’s been that long, huh?”
“Yeah, unfortunately.” Her bottom lip trembled.
“Don’t cry, baby.” I slipped my arm around her neck and pulled her closer to me, then tried changing the subject to lighten the mood. “I came to your graduation at the stadium.”
“Did you really? No, you didn’t. What did I look like?” She thought I was bullshittin’.
“I did. You looked good as hell in your cap and gown. Your hair was straight with a middle part, and you wore someblack heels that your ass could barely walk in. Whose idea was that? Katrina’s snitchin’ ass?”
“Yeah…” She laughed, pushing my shoulder. “Hush.”
“I wanted to come up to you and congratulate you, but I didn’t want to risk me and your old man getting into it and ruining your day.”
“Yeah… understandable. Thanks for even coming.”
“You already know. So, which school did you go with?”
“Penn State. They offer great programs for both.”
“Both, huh?” I eyed her proudly.
“Both.”
“That’s wassup, baby. Congratulations.”
I smiled, but my heart felt heavy. We’d missed so much time together. She had graduated, summer had come and gone, and now she was about to head off to college. I had no problem traveling to see her, but Penn State was far as hell from us. I’d have to catch a flight, and that meant planning everything carefully. But I would do whatever it took to see her, if she’d let me. That was my biggest concern right now. Would she allow me to be a part of her life after everything that went down?
“Thank you, baby.”
“So, what does this mean? You leaving me, and that’s it?”
“No, of course not. At least, I don’t want it to be. It’s just…” She stammered.
“It’s just what, hm?” I cupped her chin, forcing her to look up at me. She was a nervous wreck.
“He also threatened not to pay for my schooling if he finds out I’m still messing with you. Penn State is expensive, and my scholarship won’t cover it all. I…”
“Shh... Calm down. I get it.”
“I don’t know what to do. I mean… I tried leaving you alone, but I can’t. I’m miserable without you.”
Turning my cap backwards, I leaned over and kissed her again, hoping to calm her down, but also because I missed her ass like crazy. “A nigga beyond miserable without you.” I admitted.
Emotional, Mary climbed onto my lap, and my hands quickly found their way up the long ass maxi dress she wore. She took a deep breath as she stared me in the eyes.
“What will we do?” She whispered.
I shrugged, just as lost as she was in this situation. “I don’t want you to put everything on the line for me, but I gotta keep it real. I can’t stay away from you. I’ve been dying without you, Shorty.”
“You sure about that? What have you been up to? Who braided your hair? I told you I could braid and would do it.”
“Chill, baby. I went to a braiding shop. I waited as long as I could for you. Shit was all over my fucking head. I had to get it taken care of.”
