Page 43 of Heightened Assurance
I laughed and extended my hand for hers. “Aight I got you.”
With her hand in mine, I led her through the garage to the first floor. There I watched her walk around, looking at the place in awe. It was an open, modern-ish floor plan with a chef's kitchen, of course. When I realized this was where I wanted to exist, I spared no expense in making it comfortable for myself. Itwas nothing too luxurious or expensive because the reason I was out here was to be closer to earth and to depend on the land.
“I’ll admit, babe. When you told me you lived in a lake house, I was thinking of a shack, not this. A place like this is peaceful. Shit, you probably don’t even have neighbors.”
“I do. An older woman a few miles up the stream. She makes jam and honey.”
“This is so beautiful.” She now stood in front of the large front window. It was specially ordered, completely impenetrable so no animal or person could break through.
“I’m glad you like it.” I then grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the office near the living room that also housed a nice view she doted over. After we covered the entire first floor, we took the stairs in the corner of the kitchen. Once on the second floor, I showed her my bedroom, Aja’s room, and the living room type space on that floor as well before I cut her loose and allowed her to roam on her own.
“I see why you come out here, shit live here.” Jade’s voice interrupted my thoughts as she entered the kitchen two hours later while I was putting together the homemade pizza with no veggies Aja had requested.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yes, really. It’s so warm and peaceful, yet extremely aesthetically pleasing. It’s so you.”
“So I’m aesthetically pleasing?” I looked up from the dough I was kneading.
She laughed. “Uh, look at you. Have you seen you? Extremely aesthetically pleasing down to the facial expressions. You’re probably on somebody’s mood board right now, baby.” Within seconds she hopped up on the counter next to where I was working.
I joined in her laughter.
“You’re laughing, I'm serious.”
Shaking my head, I moved around the kitchen to grab her a wine glass and the bottle I had already pulled out for her. I then handed her the glass to hold while I poured it.
“Even moments like this. Aesthetically pleasing.” She drank from the glass while I returned to this meat lover's pizza. Soon my thoughts went to my child and I wrapped my head around the idea of her being with me full-time again.
Silence swallowed us up for a while before she spoke again. “What are you thinking about so hard?” Her voice crept into my eardrum, making me look up from the dough to her.
“How do you know I’m thinking hard?”
“Because as handsome as you are, when those eyebrows do that thing where they knit together, I feel like it’s something. So spill.”
“Aja wants to live with me full-time. She’s a kid, so they always change their minds.”
“And how do you feel about that?” I felt her eyes without looking up.
“Like regardless I’ma do what’s necessary for my baby. I think she needs y?—”
“Yes, she needs you. Aja living with you would be good. I could see how that would be beneficial to both her and you.”
“How? When I’m very well the reason she doesn’t have Ashley?” Of course, my thoughts found their way out of my lips.
I looked up just in time to see the confusion in her eyes. But when she was about to speak, her phone notified her of an incoming text. She was quiet, which made me look up at her and the expression on her face had me dropping everything to move toward her.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ava said my place and car were broken into and trashed. Somebody really did this.” She handed me her phone and hopped off the island and went toward the front of the house. Iheard the door open but I was too busy looking at how bad those photos were. Her sofa was cut up, TV busted, something red was all over her white carpets and a motherfucker had even spray painted the words “you’re mine” on her wall. Her car looked even worse. I was pissed for her.
I had seen all I needed, so I put the phone down and moved in the direction she had gone. When I walked out of the door, she was seated on the steps with her face in her hands and I heard her sniffling. It pissed me off that somebody thought they could fuck with her like this and there would be no consequences. I didn’t play those street games, nor had I ever been a street nigga, but what I did know was how far I would go for mine. Jade was mine.
“All of that is fucked up. I’m in no way, shape, or form going to tell you it’s not but I promise you it will be handled.” I took a seat next to her, pulling her body into mine.
“It’s just so frustrating. Because I really want to know who it is. Like who has this much access to me and my personal space that they feel entitled to ruin it?”
“Valid question, but I refuse to let you sit out here and dwell over this shit. Asking you not to think about this is crazy, but do you trust me?”
