Page 101 of Another Love, Another Time
I throw up my hands in surrender. “Fine.”
Mama June brings me my plate of food. My mouth waters as I think about how good this is going to be. Baxter’s mom sits down, and she starts to eat. She knows most of my history with my family and Auggie. I’ve been here several times throughout the years, and she always asks about my family. She knows about Melissa, so she’ll understand what I’m about to say.
I pick up my fork, slide it through the lasagna, and pick up my bite. As soon as the food hits my tongue, the flavors explode. I hum in appreciation.
“So, are you going to tell me what’s going on?” she questions.
I pick up another bite as Baxter sets down a glass of sweet tea, and then he takes a seat. I gather my thoughts while I finish my bite. I feel so stupid now that I’m here. I can’t believe I hopped on a plane for all that.
“Well, you know Auggie?” They have never met, but we’ve talked enough about him and my feelings for the guy. She probably knows how I feel about him better than most. She nods. “Well, we were at a party last night at my cousin Melissa’s parents’ house, and her parents announced that she and Auggie were engaged.”
She gasps. “No!”
“Yes.”
“When you were here earlier this week, you said things were going well.”
“It was. I know I shouldn’t have hopped on a plane, but I just needed to get away.”
“Oh, girl. If things were going as good as you said, I’d at least give him a chance to talk. Has he reached out?”
“Yes. Lots of times. I sent him a message on the way here, letting him know I would be back tomorrow evening.”
“Then you owe it to yourself to understand what’s going on. And if it’s true he’s engaged, this boy doesn’t deserve you. After everything you’ve been through, you deserve a man who will put you and your feelings first. If this Auggie can’t do that for you, he’s not worthy of you.”
I start crying, knowing she’s right. She gets up and swallows me up in a hug. “Oh, girl, I didn’t mean to make you cry,” she says.
“You did, but you didn’t; that just reminded me of something my dad would have said if he were here. It just made me miss him.” She squeezes me tighter and releases me.
“Your dad was an amazing man and a good example of what you should look for in a man. I don’t think you know this, or I’m sure you would have said something. He asked me not to say anything. I’m sure he would be okay with me telling you now.”
I’m confused, not sure what she’s talking about. I know she met my dad, but those meetings were brief. She looks at Baxter, and she must sense I truly don’t know what she’s talking about.
She continues, “A little while after you both graduated from basic training, we had that storm come through that damaged the roof. Our insurance company was fighting us. Without insurance, we didn’t have the money to get it fixed. Well, Baxter must have said something to you, and you must have said something to your dad, because he showed up here one day shortly after it happened and said he was here to help fix the roof.”
I remember talking to my dad about it. Baxter was stressing that he couldn’t be there to help his mom. He just said that it would work out, but he never said anything about helping her himself.
Mama June continues with her story, “I’ve never had someone show up for me the way your dad did for our family. He didn’t have to do anything, but he did. As soon as he got here, he got up on the roof to look at the damage. He reached out to a local roofing company and negotiated a cost to fix our roof. He worked out a deal where he would do most of the grunt work to knock off some cost. He tore off the existing shingles and underlay, hauled them off, and helped carry all the materials up and down the ladder. It only took a few days, but I had a brandnew roof, and your dad paid for it all. I offered to pay him back, but he refused. He asked me to keep it between him and me.”
I look at Baxter, checking to see if he knows any of this, but he asks his mom, “Mom, I thought you said the insurance paid for it.”
“Sorry. I lied, Baxter. I didn’t want you to stress anymore either. Her dad knew that she would worry about it, and he didn’t want her to worry. I didn’t want you to worry, son. He didn’t do it for the praise; he only wanted to help. The only thing he asked for was that we look out for you. You would need someone, and you might not feel comfortable reaching out to your family. It was no trouble for us, sweet girl. You fit right in with our family.”
I’m bawling. I miss him so much. He was the best man I knew.
“Don’t be sad, my girl. He loved you so much.”
She lets me cry a bit longer until my tears dry up, and I wipe my eyes. “Thanks for telling me that story. I needed that. I’m glad he was able to help you.”
“Me too. It was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. Something I’ll always remember. Your dad set a good example of the kind of man you deserve. Don’t settle for less than that.”
“I won’t.” And I mean it. Either Auggie steps up and shows me I’m the most important person to him, or I need to get on with the rest of my life.
Chapter 33
River
When my plane lands, I send a message to Auggie to let him know that I’ll be home in about three hours. That will give me enough time to drive home, get settled, and get in the right mindset before he arrives. He will probably arrive early. I also sent my mom a quick text that I will be home soon, and I want to talk to her tomorrow after work.
