Page 26 of A Virgo's Muse
“Always,” I said, shutting the door behind me. “How’s she doing today?”
“She’s peaceful,” he said, eyes still on his wife. “That’s all I ever want for her these days.”
I stayed quiet for a moment, just watching the way he cared for her. It did something to me. That kind of love… that kind of loyalty… that was what I wanted with Desire. I could already feel it in me. That same level of devotion but younger, still learning how to express itself without breaking something.
“Does Desire know that you are here?” he added, glancing my way.
I shook my head.
“Even when she can’t speak, she feels things. And she’s always liked you since the first time you stepped in this room,” he stated, referring to Mrs. Howard.
That hit something in my chest. I stepped further into the room and took the seat next to him, hands clasped in front of me.
“I didn’t come here just to check in,” I said. “I came to talk to you… about your daughter.”
He slowly shifted in his chair, giving me his full attention.
“I know it ain’t been years. It really has only been a month and some change,” I started. “But when you know, you know. Mr. Howard… I know she’s mine.”
He didn’t interrupt. He stared at me intensely, giving me his undivided attention.
I kept going. “I’ve loved a lot of things in my life—money, control, power. But I ain’t ever loved a person like I love Desire. And it ain’t just ’cause she's beautiful, though that’s obvious. It’s how her presence shuts out all the noise in my head. It’s how she sees me past the name, past the streets, past my silence. It’s how she loves even when she’s broken.”
His face softened, but he stayed quiet, letting me unravel it all.
“I was gon’ tell her everything… before shit hit the fan,” I admitted. “I messed up. I put her in danger by not saying enough fast enough. But I swear to God, I will never let anything come close to hurting her again. Ever.”
The silence stretched, heavy and full of weight. Then Mr. Howard leaned forward slightly, clasping his hands between his knees.
“You remind me of myself when I met her mother,” he said quietly. “Rough around the edges. I didn’t have much, but I had fire in my chest for her. Swore I’d give her the world if she let me.”
He looked at his wife, the corners of his mouth pulling up into a faint smile. “And when she said yes… everything changed. Loving her made me better… kept me good.”
I nodded slowly, emotion burning behind my eyes.
“That’s what Desire does to me. She keeps me good… keeps me human.”
His voice cracked when he responded. “She deserves to be protected… not just with a gun, but with your truth, with your time, with your growth, and with your actions.”
“I got all of that for her,” I said, my voice thick. “And more.”
Mr. Howard looked at me, really looked. His eyes were watery. “Do you know how many nights I prayed that some man would show up and see my daughter the way she deserved to be seen? Not just pretty or strong but worthy, soft, and held?”
My chest got tight.
“I see her like that,” I told him. “Every damn day.”
A tear slipped down his cheek. “Then what’re you waiting on, son?”
That’s when I leaned forward, pressing my hand against my chest to hold the weight of what I was about to ask.
“I want to marry her,” I said, raw and unshaken. “With your blessing, I want to wake up next to her for the rest of my life, build with her, protect her, love her in every language I can think of. I came here today not just as the man who loves your daughter… but as the man who’s gon’ cherish her… forever.”
A tear slipped from my own eye, but I didn’t look away. Mr. Howard stood up slowly and came to stand right in front of me.
“I believe you,” he said hoarsely.
He pulled me into a hug, and not one of those stiff, “let’s get it over with” kind of hugs. This was a father-to-son embrace, one that carried years of hope and release.
