was
satisfied he had adequate knowledge of her in every way.
Her breath hitched. He was coming. A
telephone call had interrupted their earlier conversation. His
large hands stroked her shoulder as he pulled her in for a kiss.
Heart pounding, she wondered if she’d get a reprieve from their
deep discussion and play for a while.
“ Sorry about that. Now,
where were we?”
Disappointment swamped her.
Talking wasn’t on her mind. She grabbed his hand and led him into
the family room, thinking to derail this particular discussion. Her
rebellious teen years and dealing with her parents wasn’t a time in
her life she cared to examine too closely. Lots of problems back
then. Lots of mistakes were made by everyone. That’s why she never
talked about her past. But they’d agreed to open up, get to know
each other, and nothing was supposed to be off limits. What were you thinking to agree to this? Damn, if her agreeing to open the door on her
darkest shame didn’t attest to how much she liked this man, nothing
did.
“ Yeah, you were telling me
about your relationship with your parents. Something about it being
shady?” He pulled her down onto the sofa, and draped his arm around
her shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze.
“ My parents threw me out
when I was sixteen because I was pregnant.” Her tone was
indifferent after making the statement so many times in the past;
she rarely gave it much thought. It was an event in her past,
nothing more, she refused to stop and think of what it meant to
her.
“ Where did you go?” Frank
asked, as he took her hand.
Thinking back, she couldn’t remember at
first. “I think I went to my boyfriend’s house. But his mama said I
couldn’t stay there. Then I went to a girlfriend’s house and her
parents told me I had to leave.” She stopped and looked at him,
confused. “I’d forgotten about that.”
“ Forgotten what?” He held
her hand tighter.
“ That I was homeless for a
short while. No one would take me in. My boyfriend disappeared and
I was alone. So I went to some type of shelter.” Her mind rushed to
fill in the blanks as he waited for her to continue. The hurt and
pain of abandonment, of feeling unwanted, unworthy, and unloved
raced across her mind.
“ Amazing.” She stared at
him. “I was just a kid and had no place to stay. Things could’ve
been a hell of a lot different.”
“ No.” He tilted her face up
with his fingertip and stared into her eyes. “You’re amazing.
You’re a hellava woman and I’m glad you’re mine.” Tears filled her
eyes as memories, locked away for years, rose and evaporated under
the sincerity she saw in his eyes. God,
how’d she get so lucky ? He bent forward and
brushed against her lips, ever so gently, as if she were precious
and fragile. Few thought to look beneath her tough façade to see
the vulnerable woman beneath. The woman who'd fought and scraped
for everything she had. The woman who'd put up with so many
indignities to survive. She allowed a tear to roll down her cheek
and closed her eyes.
“ The baby died,” she
whispered. “I was at the shelter. Somehow, I slipped in the
bathroom and lost the baby. I called my mama from the hospital,
told her what had happened, and asked her to pick me up. But she
said my daddy said no. I had nowhere to go but the shelter. I
dropped out of school, started hanging out with a different crowd,
and started dancing at a strip club.” Her breath hitched as the
dingy night scenes rolled through her mind. She’d never prostituted
herself, but she’d come real close. Coughing, she straightened and
looked at Frank. He watched her. Waiting until she was ready. Her
shoulders relaxed.
“ It didn’t take long for me
to recognize I didn’t like that lifestyle and I wanted out. I’d
been dancing at this club for a week when Hedrick, my ex, walked
in. I could tell he was interested in me, and I made an effort to
keep his attention. After my shift, we got to talking. He’d just
joined
satisfied he had adequate knowledge of her in every way.
Her breath hitched. He was coming. A
telephone call had interrupted their earlier conversation. His
large hands stroked her shoulder as he pulled her in for a kiss.
Heart pounding, she wondered if she’d get a reprieve from their
deep discussion and play for a while.
“ Sorry about that. Now,
where were we?”
Disappointment swamped her.
Talking wasn’t on her mind. She grabbed his hand and led him into
the family room, thinking to derail this particular discussion. Her
rebellious teen years and dealing with her parents wasn’t a time in
her life she cared to examine too closely. Lots of problems back
then. Lots of mistakes were made by everyone. That’s why she never
talked about her past. But they’d agreed to open up, get to know
each other, and nothing was supposed to be off limits. What were you thinking to agree to this? Damn, if her agreeing to open the door on her
darkest shame didn’t attest to how much she liked this man, nothing
did.
“ Yeah, you were telling me
about your relationship with your parents. Something about it being
shady?” He pulled her down onto the sofa, and draped his arm around
her shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze.
“ My parents threw me out
when I was sixteen because I was pregnant.” Her tone was
indifferent after making the statement so many times in the past;
she rarely gave it much thought. It was an event in her past,
nothing more, she refused to stop and think of what it meant to
her.
“ Where did you go?” Frank
asked, as he took her hand.
Thinking back, she couldn’t remember at
first. “I think I went to my boyfriend’s house. But his mama said I
couldn’t stay there. Then I went to a girlfriend’s house and her
parents told me I had to leave.” She stopped and looked at him,
confused. “I’d forgotten about that.”
“ Forgotten what?” He held
her hand tighter.
“ That I was homeless for a
short while. No one would take me in. My boyfriend disappeared and
I was alone. So I went to some type of shelter.” Her mind rushed to
fill in the blanks as he waited for her to continue. The hurt and
pain of abandonment, of feeling unwanted, unworthy, and unloved
raced across her mind.
“ Amazing.” She stared at
him. “I was just a kid and had no place to stay. Things could’ve
been a hell of a lot different.”
“ No.” He tilted her face up
with his fingertip and stared into her eyes. “You’re amazing.
You’re a hellava woman and I’m glad you’re mine.” Tears filled her
eyes as memories, locked away for years, rose and evaporated under
the sincerity she saw in his eyes. God,
how’d she get so lucky ? He bent forward and
brushed against her lips, ever so gently, as if she were precious
and fragile. Few thought to look beneath her tough façade to see
the vulnerable woman beneath. The woman who'd fought and scraped
for everything she had. The woman who'd put up with so many
indignities to survive. She allowed a tear to roll down her cheek
and closed her eyes.
“ The baby died,” she
whispered. “I was at the shelter. Somehow, I slipped in the
bathroom and lost the baby. I called my mama from the hospital,
told her what had happened, and asked her to pick me up. But she
said my daddy said no. I had nowhere to go but the shelter. I
dropped out of school, started hanging out with a different crowd,
and started dancing at a strip club.” Her breath hitched as the
dingy night scenes rolled through her mind. She’d never prostituted
herself, but she’d come real close. Coughing, she straightened and
looked at Frank. He watched her. Waiting until she was ready. Her
shoulders relaxed.
“ It didn’t take long for me
to recognize I didn’t like that lifestyle and I wanted out. I’d
been dancing at this club for a week when Hedrick, my ex, walked
in. I could tell he was interested in me, and I made an effort to
keep his attention. After my shift, we got to talking. He’d just
joined
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