Page 45 of Bern and Isley
“Don’t start, babe,” I sighed. “I’ll be home in thirty minutes tops.”
“Aight…drive safe. I love you.”
“I love you too.” I smiled as I disconnected the call.
I wasn’t hurting for money since the only bill I had was my monthly lease on my suite, but I worked like I didn’t know where my next meal would come from. I had saved so much money within a year’s time. I smiled every time I logged into my bank app and saw my savings balance. It was a relief to not struggle any longer. Bern had kept his word by paying all of our bills at the apartment we shared. The most I did was buy groceries occasionally and little household items. He didn’t even let me pay the car note and insurance on my new car.
He was waiting by the door when I entered our apartment.
“Sorry, babe.” I apologized once again as I hugged him. “I just want to take a quick shower then we can head to the airport.”
“Alright. You have thirty minutes before the car arrives to pick us up.”
I didn’t waste any time. I was showered and dressed by the time the driver arrived. Bern grabbed our luggage and helped load it into the black Sprinter van. He held the door open for me to enter the vehicle and he followed right behind.
“I’m so excited for this vacation.” I smiled as I reached out for his hand.
He smiled and gave my hand a squeeze. “Me too, babe. You deserve this so much. You’ve been grinding nonstop. I’m proud of you. You’ve worked hella hard, so now it’s time to play hard.”
“Thank you, Bernie.”
I had truly focused on healing in the last twelve months. I began counseling to deal with my grief from my miscarriage and the guilt I still battled with occasionally for not being therewith Aunt Fee. My therapist helped me with all of the negative emotions and assured me that I deserved to live my life for me.
“I’m going to give you another six months to plan our wedding, if not, we’re just going to elope. I’m ready for you to be my wife, Isley. Stop playing with me.”
Bern had proposed to me six months after I moved in with him. I was elated that I would have the opportunity to spend the rest of my life with the one person whose love for me had always been pure and genuine. The one person who would move heaven or hell for me.
“I promise to get it planned in six months, babe. Right after the wedding, I’m going to be ready for you to put a little Bern in my oven. Get it?”
He frowned up at me. “If you don’t get your goofy ass on.”
We both busted out laughing at my corny joke. “But I’m serious, I’m ready to try for a little baby.”
He rubbed his hands together mischievously and pursed his lips. “I’ve been waiting on you to say that. We don’t even have to wait until the wedding. I can drop my seed off in you ASAP.”
“Nooo… I want to wait until after the wedding. I want the marriage first.”
“That’s fine, Icey. However, you want to do it, baby. It’s your world.”
Although he told me that a lot, I knew he meant every word. He had been a safe space for me. He cultivated an environment where I was no longer in survival mode, but upgraded to thriving. I didn’t know the ten-year-old, grief-stricken girl who moved from Arkansas to the D-Ville projects would turn out to be a goal-oriented businesswoman who would receive the purest love from a man raised in the same projects. The road to love had been full of detours, but I was glad to have finally reached the perfect destination.
The End
