Page 22 of The Heart Of A Real Woman
“Mmhm, you been fucking around with other girls, thinking you single, Moses?”
I chuckled as I watched her twist her neck to the side. She had such a jealous side to her. But it was cool, because so did I, for her. I’d take a nigga’s head off ‘bout Mary.
“Hell nah. The only girl I’m worried about is you. I been grindin’. I finally got my apartment.”
“Whattt?”
“Yeah, and I got my son, too. My baby mama’s grandmother still keeps him for me while I get my money, but I make sure to pay her for her time. Once I’m finished, I go and pick him up.”
“That’s so good. Congratulations to you as well.” She kissed me.
“Thanks, baby. It ain’t the best spot, but it’s decent and it beats being homeless, you feel me?”
“I’m happy for you. Wish I could’ve been there when you made the move.”
“It’s all good.”
“It’s not. I wanna go see the apartment and meet your son.”
We both grew quiet as she traced my nose with the tip of her nail. I felt like we were both trying to figure out how we could make that happen right now without causing her any trouble.
“Happy belated birthday,” she said, breaking the silence.
“You remembered?” I asked, shocked. My birthday was a month ago, and I’d waited by the phone all day, hoping she would call. But she never did.
“Of course. The big two-oh. I wanted to call you so bad. I feel terrible.”
“It’s all good. I understand. You called today, and we here now. That’s all that matters to me.”
“I missed you so much, boy.” She whispered, her smile trembling just a little before she leaned in and kissed me again.
This time, it hit different.
There was heat, but there was also pain, relief, and everything we hadn’t said in all that time apart. Her lips moved slow at first, like she was trying to memorize mine all over again. Her hands cupped my face, then slid on my braids, pulling me closer like she needed to feel every inch of me.
I held her tighter on my lap, arms wrapped around her waist, afraid if I let go she’d fucking disappear again. Our kiss deepened, messy with emotion, breathing hard through our noses like neither one of us wanted to come up for air. It wasn’t just a kiss. It was longing and love…raw and real as fuck.
Every few seconds, Mary would pull back just slightly, lips brushing mine as she looked into my eyes like she was checking to see if I was really there. Then she’d kiss me again, deeper…slower. The last time she pulled back, I said,
“Back to you coming to my spot and meeting Jr. I want that too. So wassup? How long can you be out today?”
“Not long at all. My parents finally relaxed enough to let me walk over here. They think I’m just out getting fresh air and reading a book. They got me on a tight leash, tryna make sure I’m not messing with you. But my daddy works overtime tonight, and once my mama is asleep, she’s out cold. Come back for me. I’ll text you the time and address.”
“You sho, baby? I don’t wanna complicate things for you.”
“I’m positive. Whatever we gotta do to make it work until I can get a job and handle college on my own, we’ll do.”
“You mean until I can handle it for you. You ain’t taking no job while chasing two degrees, Mary. I’m not having it.”
“Whatever, big head. Just come back, okay?”
“Aight, baby. I’ll be there.”
And I went. With my son in the backseat, I pulled up on her street at midnight and waited patiently. Everything inside me urged me to turn around and let her be. But my heart wouldn’t allow it. My love for Mary outweighed my better judgment, and I convinced myself that if something went wrong, I could live with this decision. She was worth whatever.
I had been waiting for about ten minutes when she finally slipped out of the house. As she approached, I thought she was in the clear, but the moment she opened my door, I noticed headlights from across the street shining into my window. I watched as Mary’s eyes widened with fear, just like they had the day we were caught at the hotel.
Squinting to see who it was, I noticed a truck coming toward us, one I had seen when I pulled up but hadn’t thought much of it at the time. It had seemed like just another vehicle parked on the street. Her father stepped out, and I assumed this was his work truck since it wasn’t the car that had been at the hotel that day.
