sat in the car, parked outside of the house He lived in as a teenager. Nicole hadn’t removed her seat belt yet, and was visibly nervous and tense.
“She thinks I’m weak.”
“I know you’re not.”
“I want her to know that.”
“She does, in her own way. She just has trouble accepting what it is that we do because of everything she went through with my father, yanno?”
“I know…”
Nicole sighed and braced herself to deal with David’s mother, Janice. She’d only met her twice before and each time, she bristled at the jabs and rather mean quips Janice made in response to the ways in which Nicole and David interacted. She learned, earlier on, that David’s father caused all kinds of trouble for his mother for several years before she eventually took David, His older brother Jonathan, and left him for good. He had a serious gambling problem, and it cost them more than David ever knew. They struggled a lot in the immediate years after, but David would come to understand that His mother did the best she could for all of them. It was several years before David was able to face His father and several years after that before He could bring Himself to forgive him. These days, He maintained a solid relationship with his father and supported him as he did his best to turn his life around.
Because of her experiences with David’s father, Janice had become a hardened woman in her older age. She was a no-nonsense, blunt woman who was never afraid to speak her mind and give her opinion about any and everything. She could be rather dismissive, especially of women she deemed “weak”. Since leaving David’s father, Janice had not been in a steady, long-term relationship. She’d had a few lovers here and there, or at least David believed so, but she never introduced any one man as “Her Man”. She even said, “Ain’t no man ever gonna own me again!” David wanted His mother to be happy with someone, but knew she carried a lot of anger, hurt, and bitterness still. David could count on His hands the number of times in His adult years He remembered seeing her smile. Unfortunately, the nature of His relationship with Nicole, which He never hid, didn’t exactly earn His mother’s approval. His brother, Jonathan, didn’t understand it, but shrugged it off because it wasn’t any of his business. David had no intentions of changing His behavior with Nicole, however, because He was living freely in His truth; she was going to have to respect His choices.
“Star, it’s going to be fine. She’ll be happy to hear our good news, I promise,” He cajoled. He lifted her left hand and kissed her ring finger. “She has her issues but she just wants her boys to be happy. You make me happy… and it’s Christmas. She loves Christmas.”
Nicole took a deep breath and nodded. She was to trust in Him and His guidance, always. She smiled at Him. “Let’s go!”
“Yeah, let’s go. We’re late, your fault,” He said, with a sly smirk. She blushed, knowing they were late because she got… hungry… again.
The front door was open and there were several people in the living room, including Jonathan, his wife, Darlene, their two sons, Junior and D.J. Nicole could hear Janice’s laughter from the kitchen, so she took off her coat and glanced at David. He gave her a nod and she proceeded to the kitchen to offer her help, greeting family as she walked through the living room. David hung up their coats and settled in with His young nephews as He and Jonathan caught up on what was going on with their respective jobs.
Nicole entered the kitchen and saw Janice and two women she didn’t recognize. She smiled and waved, making her presence known.
“See, now, this here is my youngest baby’s girlfriend, Nicole,” Janice said to her friends, Carol and Brenda, as she waved Nicole over for a hug. Nicole walked over to her, hesitant in her embrace, but she welcomed it nonetheless. She hugged the other ladies, too,
“She thinks I’m weak.”
“I know you’re not.”
“I want her to know that.”
“She does, in her own way. She just has trouble accepting what it is that we do because of everything she went through with my father, yanno?”
“I know…”
Nicole sighed and braced herself to deal with David’s mother, Janice. She’d only met her twice before and each time, she bristled at the jabs and rather mean quips Janice made in response to the ways in which Nicole and David interacted. She learned, earlier on, that David’s father caused all kinds of trouble for his mother for several years before she eventually took David, His older brother Jonathan, and left him for good. He had a serious gambling problem, and it cost them more than David ever knew. They struggled a lot in the immediate years after, but David would come to understand that His mother did the best she could for all of them. It was several years before David was able to face His father and several years after that before He could bring Himself to forgive him. These days, He maintained a solid relationship with his father and supported him as he did his best to turn his life around.
Because of her experiences with David’s father, Janice had become a hardened woman in her older age. She was a no-nonsense, blunt woman who was never afraid to speak her mind and give her opinion about any and everything. She could be rather dismissive, especially of women she deemed “weak”. Since leaving David’s father, Janice had not been in a steady, long-term relationship. She’d had a few lovers here and there, or at least David believed so, but she never introduced any one man as “Her Man”. She even said, “Ain’t no man ever gonna own me again!” David wanted His mother to be happy with someone, but knew she carried a lot of anger, hurt, and bitterness still. David could count on His hands the number of times in His adult years He remembered seeing her smile. Unfortunately, the nature of His relationship with Nicole, which He never hid, didn’t exactly earn His mother’s approval. His brother, Jonathan, didn’t understand it, but shrugged it off because it wasn’t any of his business. David had no intentions of changing His behavior with Nicole, however, because He was living freely in His truth; she was going to have to respect His choices.
“Star, it’s going to be fine. She’ll be happy to hear our good news, I promise,” He cajoled. He lifted her left hand and kissed her ring finger. “She has her issues but she just wants her boys to be happy. You make me happy… and it’s Christmas. She loves Christmas.”
Nicole took a deep breath and nodded. She was to trust in Him and His guidance, always. She smiled at Him. “Let’s go!”
“Yeah, let’s go. We’re late, your fault,” He said, with a sly smirk. She blushed, knowing they were late because she got… hungry… again.
The front door was open and there were several people in the living room, including Jonathan, his wife, Darlene, their two sons, Junior and D.J. Nicole could hear Janice’s laughter from the kitchen, so she took off her coat and glanced at David. He gave her a nod and she proceeded to the kitchen to offer her help, greeting family as she walked through the living room. David hung up their coats and settled in with His young nephews as He and Jonathan caught up on what was going on with their respective jobs.
Nicole entered the kitchen and saw Janice and two women she didn’t recognize. She smiled and waved, making her presence known.
“See, now, this here is my youngest baby’s girlfriend, Nicole,” Janice said to her friends, Carol and Brenda, as she waved Nicole over for a hug. Nicole walked over to her, hesitant in her embrace, but she welcomed it nonetheless. She hugged the other ladies, too,
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