I licked my lips and smirked. “I know that, sir. I just wanted to touch my friend.”
“You know what touching him comes with, so why you want to play with him like that?”
I rolled my eyes playfully and laughed. “Wash your hands, Ghana.” I moved over to the other sink and washed my hands, then we both exited the bathroom. When we entered the kitchen, my mom was sitting Taylor in her high chair.
“It smells really good in here, Mrs. Blake,” Ghana said, pulling out my chair.
“Thank you, and I’ve been telling you all week to call me Sonya, Ghana. No need to be formal when you’ve been eating meals at my table for a week.”
He chuckled. “You’re right, Mrs. Sonya. My apologies.”
“Meals that I was never privy to,” I tossed out there. “Why didn’t you tell me you all have been talking, Mommy?” I asked as she sat down across from us.
“He asked me not to. Don’t take it personally, baby. Sometimes, we need someone other than our companions to lean on. Besides, I wanted to get to know him on my own terms since this seems serious.”
I smirked. “How does it seem that way? I haven’t really been talking about him for you to make that declaration.”
“I wasn’t married to your father for thirty years by not using discernment, chile. I see the look in both of your eyes, especially when he talks about you. You give him something he’s beenmissing for a long time now. Safety. When someone feels safe with you, it means they will always keep, honor, and protect that safe space.”
“Mrs. Sonya, that was supposed to remain between us,” Ghana said, chuckling.
“I didn’t tell her the other stuff you said, so don’t fret. Let’s eat because I’ve been starving, waiting on y’all.” She lifted the lids off the serving dishes, and I saw fried whiting, mac and cheese, cabbage, chicken nuggets for Taylor, and her famous honey-butter cornbread. I made Ghana’s and Taylor’s plates, then fixed my own. Mom said grace, then we dug in. We made small talk before the subject shifted to my dad.
Pastor Jordan Blake was the best dad in the world to me. Losing him to a stroke was really hard for my mom and me. It took us a long time to get over his death, but if I had to choose a man to spend the rest of my life with, it would have to be a man like him—someone who was a protector, provider, loving, and charismatic, but knew how to discipline by using the correct disciplinary actions.
The way he loved my mom and me, I just knew God favored him and would have never called him home so soon.
But as life would have it, He needed him for a different assignment. As heartbroken as I was to lose him, I still had an amazing mother who helped me through that rough time while she pushed through her own grief. She leaned on God, and I leaned on her, and together, we got through losing him.
In a way, Ghana reminded me of my father. Certain things he’d say and do were why I was really falling strongly for him. The flowers, the courting, the listening, the protectiveness, it was all there, and I found myself wanting him increasingly each day.
Chris had never made me feel secure in our relationship or marriage. I think the only reason we got married was that we just liked the idea.
Daddy had only seen Chris a handful of times before he died, and both my parents seemed to like him. Mom never said anything, but sometimes, I could tell she wasn’t too fond of him, even before he cheated on me.
I looked over at Ghana, who looked full and content.
“You have enough to eat?” I asked.
He nodded. “I did. Dinner was good, Mrs. Sonya. It’s been a minute since I had a home-cooked meal like the ones you’ve been preparing.”
“Well, thank you, Ghana. Food is my love language.” Mom laughed.
“I hate to eat and run, but I have somewhere important I need to be.”
“Wait. Where are you going?” I asked.
He scratched his beard and stood. “Let me talk to you for a minute.” He walked out of the kitchen as I stood and followed him. We walked outside, and he sat on his bike sideways, looking off into the distance.
“Just tell me what’s going on, Ghana,” I said, hating the suspense.
His eyes came to me. “I got some shit I gotta take care of that requires my immediate attention. I’m not going to tell you what it is, but just know, when it’s over, it’s all about me and you.”
“What does that even mean? If there’s someone else, you need to tell me.” I could feel my chest tightening a little bit, hoping he wasn’t about to tell me that he married his ex or some shit and needed to get a divorce.
“You think I’m the type of man to play with your feelings like that?”
“We haven’t known each other that long, so I think my being doubtful is justified.”