Page 19 of Imperfection is Beauty

Of course.

A woman who looked like she did was definitely taken.

He was one lucky son of a bitch.

After I had seen that, I shook my head and headed to my SUV.

Sighing at that memory, I took one more look at the woman’s face that was behind my eyelids at night, closed the visor, and then headed to my mother’s house.

I had just opened their front door, walked in, closed it, when my mother looked up from the island, and asked, “Where’s Tonya?”

I shook my head. “She had a prior engagement she couldn’t get out of.”

Walking to her, I pressed a kiss on her cheek and then rubbed the little stubble of hair that was growing back, and then she whispered, “Marcus, honey, I’m so sorry.”

I shrugged, “It’s okay, Momma. Promise.”

She nodded, then sighed, “I just want you to be happy.”

I had to bite my tongue that my happiness fled four years ago when I didn’t do something I really fucking should have.

Instead, I shrugged.

My dad walked up to my back, and slapped me on the shoulder, “Are you ready for the first preseason game this weekend?”

I nodded, “Yeah, just glad it’s at home so I don’t have to travel.”

He nodded.

Daemon, Aliyah, Crew, and Keeley came walking in then, and I opened my arms for them, they smiled and then raced over to me.

“Hey Mar-Mar,” Keeley said as she kissed my cheek.

“Hey sweetheart,” I told her and then kissed her cheek right back.

“Hey Uncle Mar,” Crew said.

I hugged him. “Hey, little man.”

An hour later we were all sitting at the table, my father at the head, and to his right sat my brother Van, Keeley, and then Aliyah. To my father’s left, I sat, followed by Crew, and then Daemon. My mother sat at the opposite end.

We had just given thanks and started passing the platter that held the meatloaf when Aliyah looked at me and asked, “Okay, not to be a you know what, but please tell me why Tonya is never here?”

“She’s busy,” I said as I got myself two pieces of meatloaf.

“Seems she’s always busy when we do family things,” Aliyah said again.

Not wanting to get into it, I shrugged, “She’s allowed to have her own life. It’s not easy being married to a player.”

I knew I shouldn’t have said that.

I really knew I shouldn’t have said that.

Because Aliyah growled, narrowed her eyes, and then started to open her mouth until my mother cleared her throat.

Before she could, I shook my head at her, “Momma, it’s okay.”

She shook her head, and my body tensed up when I saw tears in her eyes.

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