Page 14 of Candid Moments
When we make it back to the room, it’s clear that the cleaning staff has been inside. The bed is made, vacuum lines are in the carpet, all trash cans are empty and fresh towels are in the bathroom. Since Denim is insistent on me sleeping in the bed, I grab my small bags and charger from the table by the sofa and transport them to the dresser by the bed.
After placing the pecan rolls on the counter in the small kitchen, he sits on the sofa then powers the television on. Seconds later, his phone rings.
“I’m going to take this in the hall,” he says.
“Don’t. Stay in here. I’m actually going out on the balcony.”
“It’s freezing,” he says with concern.
“I’ll bundle up. I really want more shots out there. Stay.”
He nods then answers. “Hey, Ma,” he says as I trek to the closet.
Although I’m wearing my thick, two-piece hoodie and ankle-length, cargo skirt and boots, I grab my wool peacoat and the extra blanket from the closet. After putting on my coat, I walk out onto the balcony while he speaks to his mother.
The beauty of this snow dominating the trees, vehicles, buildings, and ground is breathtaking and I have to capture it all from different angles. The pictures from the lobby are spectacular but these stunning views from the seventh floor are going to make for magnificent shots.
Before getting entranced with my camera, I call my mother. This shit with Corey has her heavy on my mind. Our relationship is complicated because we disagree on a major part of her life and a line has been drawn. I’m on the right of the line and she’s on the left with a married man, my dad. Watching her be a mistress, his second-choice for my entire childhood, not only put a wedge between me and her but it also solidified that I would never be her. I have three brothers who don’t have a clue of my existence and that hurts. So under no circumstance would I be with or stay with any man who doesn’t value me as his one and only woman.
“Milley,” she answers, using my childhood nickname I left in The Manor.
“Hey, Momma.”
“I didn’t want to call and bother you but I saw the news. Are you in the area with the blizzard?”
“Right in the middle of it but I’m safe in this hotel. The roads are closed and the flights are grounded so I don’t know when I’ll be able to come home.”
“Oh no. Well, thank God for Corey,” she says with a sigh of relief and I roll my eyes hard.
“Corey and I broke up.”
“Broke up? I thought you went to Nebraska with him for his reunion.”
“I did but once I got here, I learned that he’s basically leading a double life. So we are over for good.”
“Milley! Corey is a good man but like all men he isn’t perfect. But you can’t hold that against him; a man—”
“Momma, stop. I don’t subscribe to that ‘a man will be a man’ mantra. I want and deserve more and I’m not going to compromise my heart for any man.”
The call becomes silent with a pregnant pause as I await her predictable response. Her decision to stay the hidden mistress of Mr. Dominic Kincaid Senior all of these years dictates her words of advice for my love life. They always fall on my intentionally deaf ears though. Her life sentence of heartache, disappointment, and no real love isn’t one I desire at all.
“Sometimes a piece of a man is better than no man at all. You don’t want to end up all alone in that condo of yours.”
Not wanting to continue this conversation, I simply say, “I gotta go, Momma. I’ll call you when this snow clears and I’m heading back.”
“Okay, Milley. I do love you, baby.”
“I know, Momma, and I love you too.”
“Call your daddy and let him know you are okay,” she adds quickly as if he and I have any type of relationship.
“You can tell him. Love you, Momma,” I say then end the call before she can add anything else. A relationship with my father is her dream; my reality is the complete opposite. Building anything with the man who has no respect for my mom will never come into fruition.
When I look at my phone screen, I see four missed calls and eight unread texts from Corey. I have no interest in either, so I delete the notifications, erase the messages, then block his ass. I’m out here to enjoy and capture nature’s beauty so I put my phone down and pick up my camera.
There’s so much joy in capturing the world. With my camera in hand, I can see in detail the sights that I miss with my naked eye and it’s exhilarating. To see the tiniest of detail, to gaze at the beauty of my surroundings, and to try and seize that one special moment is a never-ending journey and I relish every step of it.
Caught up in my surroundings, I spend over an hour on the balcony and capture too many breathtaking shots to count. When I’m satisfied that I’ve frozen my views in frames, I grab my phone and walk back into the suite. I remove my coat and boots as soon as I enter.
