Working Through It

by Kasha Thompson

“Yes, it is funny meeting you in a Whole Foods. You’re more of a Walmart type of guy,” Makayla teased.

He looked down at Daisy, who was gazing up admiringly toward Makayla. It was hard not to be impressed. This woman looks like one of Daisy’s black Barbie dolls come to life, even in a simple tank top and shorts.

What he didn’t add was that they hadn’t spoken since she’d left a week and a half ago.

“It’s a date.” Daisy beamed. Travis’s heart rattled deep beneath his ribs. This was not a “date” … This was just two hungry people and a child eating … in his apartment … while his girlfriend was out of town.

He descended on her lips, his perfect mouth pressing against hers caused her head to spin, his tongue rendering her speechless.

Aht aht not feeling it

There were well over 250,000 men in Atlanta, and her lips kept finding his.

Aisha wasn’t an emotional person, so if she was crying, something was wrong. Aisha screamed and sobbed in his ear as she spoke with choppy utterances.

She crawled over to where he lay in a sobbing heap and rubbed his back. Travis reached for her, wrapping his arms around her waist, burying his face in her lap. He cried for what felt like an eternity, and she was determined to hold him as tight as she could for as long as he needed it.

Makayla had always been his safe place. The minute she opened the door, he knew he’d made the right decision coming to her.

he was thankful he didn’t have to pretend to have it all together. He could just sob like a baby, protected in her warm embrace.

“I believe that the people we love live on through us, in our memories of them and in the retelling of stories.”

“Despite everything. You were my best friend, and I’ll always have love for you. I need you to know that. I don’t wanna leave here not letting you know.” He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. “I have so much regret about us, but your happiness is important to me. And I just honestly want my friend back.” Reaching for his cell phone, he stood up, done baring his soul.

Closing the door, all she could do was slide to the floor and let the tears fall. Her tears weren’t just because of the loss of his mother; they also symbolized the time lost with the love of her life.

Travis pulled her toward him, wrapping his arms around her. Rubbing his back, she held on tight, feeling his body begin to shudder against hers. Time slowed as she held him close, allowing him to take all the time he needed to process the moment.

This neighborhood was important to her because it molded the person she loved most in the world outside of her family.

She’d abandoned him; of course, he was having a difficult time opening up.

“Where are you? So we have a disagreement, and you just leave me … again?” He scratched his head, heaving chestfuls of air. “Can you please call me so I know you’re OK?” He stared at the face of his phone in disbelief. How did Regina end up making this day about her?

She ain't the one bro

she had ever done was get Travis’s initials tattooed on her body. It was a small tattoo, but anytime someone asked her what TAH stood for, she had to lie and say, “Tough as hell.”

He reached for her wrist. “No, I don’t need to eat. I just need you.” Color flooded his cheeks. “I just need you . . . here . . . beside me. That’s . . . no, that’s not better.” He dropped his head.

“I kissed you because I’m still in love with you, and I think you’re still in love with me,” she blurted out, catching them both by surprise.

You don’t have to feel what I feel, but you need to know how I feel. How I’ve always felt.”

Was he spending too much time admiring the neighbor’s grass while neglecting the landscape in need of watering in his own backyard?

“Yep,” Makayla said, carrying the dish like a sacred offering. “Your momma’s lemon meringue pie?” She added the dish to his already overflowing desk. “She hopes it helps to cheer you up.”

She couldn’t change it, and no matter how sorry she was, she couldn’t make it right.

After his breakup with Regina, Travis had to deal with some harsh truths. He always thought he was a good guy. People always said he was a catch and any woman would be lucky to have him. But if you polled Regina or Makayla, they wouldn’t support that sentiment. His last two serious relationships had both ended badly and he was the common denominator.

When Makayla Randolph was through with you, she burned the bridge behind her so you no longer had access to her energy. So, the fact that she had spent months paving a new access road to her heart was not lost on him.

lecherously.

Her attention was drawn to a gazebo illuminated with strings of white lights and decorated with dozens of bouquets of lilies, hydrangeas, magnolias, iris, and dahlias lining the wooden gazebo floor in assorted vases.

“You listened when I talked; most guys didn’t. You made me laugh till my sides hurt. You were super smart, always teaching me something new. But most importantly, I liked who I was with you and how I felt even when you weren’t around.”

“Listen, my feelings about flowers haven’t changed, but you love flowers, so I thought I would make up for lost time and get you all the flowers I should have given you when we were together. Makayla, I’ve made so many mistakes, but losing you was the biggest one.”

What I didn’t realize was that losing you was like losing one of my senses. I had to figure out how to function again. But the thing is . . . I don’t function without you.”

“For me, it has always been you. Ain’t a day gone by that I haven’t thought about you, wishing I could make it right. You were the love of my life.” He paused, shaking his head. “You are the love of my life.”

“I wanna hit the snooze button so I can cuddle with you for five more minutes. I wanna clean the house on Saturday mornings while we dance around to old records. I wanna raise a family with you. I wanna wake up groggy eyed at three in the morning and help feed the babies.”

just wanna love you as hard as I can, for as long as you’ll let me.”

“That’s exactly why I’m nervous … because it’s you. It’s finally you.”

voracious