Parachutes Book Three: The Impact

by Takerra Allen

Life is humbling and teaching us constantly. Love is saving us as much as it can from life’s brutal lessons.

“I trusted you.” “I know.” “I loved you.” “Me more.” “But love doesn’t hurt. Love doesn’t crash you into the earth. Love doesn’t bring fear, or pain, or uncertainty.”

“Baby love. Love doesn’t protect you from those things. Love only heals from the damage. Love ensures you don’t go to battle alone. But with great love comes notable risk. With the fall. With the glide. Comes the impact.”

Because in the end, I would have rather gone up on that parachute with you than remained on the ground with anyone else.

We lost enough already...we can’t ever lose each other. Alright?”

The only sweets he ate rested between Tahli’s thighs.

Sex fasts were vital for physical and mental health.

“Tahli doesn’t want me to fight for her. She wants to marry the perfect nigga that never fucks up–” “I didn’t give her to the perfect nigga!” Robert surprised him by bellowing, commanding Vin’s gawk. “I gave her to you. So, if you’re the man that you said you were...the man that I think you are... you’ll fight for her.” That rendered Vin speechless. “If- No, when…she makes it through this. You better do just that.” “Do what?” Vin dared for clarity, and Robert met his glower. “Fucking fight for her, Dalvin.”

“Sometimes the people we think we need so much…the ones that we think we can’t live without, they leave us. And guess what? We keep living anyway.”

You’re a mom. Not a nun.

‘Grief is the price we pay for love’. Sometimes you have to let the pain run its course.”

Grief was strange.

“I always had your best interest at heart–even if the actions were unforgivable,” Vin spoke his truth. “I hope you understand the intention behind them.”

Self-sabotage and bipolar often holds hands. You have to create chaos in your peace. Because chaos is your norm. You mistook your chaos for your peace.

Time can be an illusion, a healer, or a thief.

you don’t ever get on your knees for some cheese-dick boys, with nothing to show for it but a hit to your reputation and a little rebellion.

“Or I can go get it.” “Or you can get lost,” Vin sniped back to Drew.

“I don’t reach middle ground with niggas I don’t respect.

You a sneaky mothafucka that rode the bench for 15 years.”

I LITERALLY SAID THIS!!!!!!$

“That’s right. She’s still baby love…and you still soft as baby shit.”

You lost your wife…your family was broken. But it doesn’t mean you have to be broken too.

But I happen to perceive Dalvin as a good man regardless of any bad decisions he may have made.

“This is ridiculous,” he mumbled. “You know…I just knew that after what he did, I didn’t have to be perfect for you anymore. Perfect Princess Tahli had gotten her heart broken by Superman Vin, and maybe the good guy would finally be good enough for her without all the fucking work.” Tahli’s face warped into muddle. “So…let me get this straight…you thought because my ex-husband hid a baby from me that I would be humbled enough for anything? Is that why you’re here?”

I KNEW IT!!!!!!

Life is a whole bunch of maybes and what-ifs,

“Promise you’ll never listen. Even if I’m awful. Even if we go through the worst things anybody can ever go through and I tell you to get the fuck out again,” Tahli rambled, still visibly high on whatever they’d pumped into her. “Promise me you won’t listen to me. You know me best, Vin. Promise me you’ll never give up even when I do. Promise you’ll never stop fighting. When I’m stubborn or if I run. If ever pull a Cree Autumn. Come and find me and remind me that we can get through anything. That you believe me when I say right now, there is nothing that will ever make me want to live without you.”

“Because that’s what parachutes is about, Vin. Not just about saving us from the fall but saving us from the impact. When we’re crashing to the ground too fast to stop it, the parachute is there to do it. So we never die. Our love can’t die, Dalvin.”