Chapter Twenty-Four

 

Ahmalee

 

November 2018

 

 

Ivy and Eden Candle Company’s Charlotte location opened just before the holiday shopping rush. Sonji and Jamie came through to help with the setup. For opening day, I made a total of two-hundred candles and sold half of them in the first week. I had to make another hundred just to have enough inventory for Black Friday.

Cain’s mother has been helping me with the store operations until I find some permanent employees. She says she doesn’t mind it. Says it’ll give us time to bond and talk about our men. I like that, especially since she’s my husband’s mother. Learning her will help me understand him and my relationship with her gives me that mother figure I’ve been missing. In a way, I feel like she’s an extension of my mother. I can gain knowledge from her about life and love and how to stay married to the same man for so many years while keeping the marriage strong because that’s what I want with Cain – a strong, happy, long marriage.

 

* * *

 

Today, we’re home with family and friends over. Cain’s parents are here. Daniel and his girlfriend are here, too. I was happy when Cain told me he rehired Daniel back at Immersive Media. They’ve been friends for forever. There’s no need to end a friendship over something trivial, especially since me and Cain are in a good place and are together. I suppose if things didn’t work out, he wouldn’t have hired him back since he was the one who released the footage after Cain told him not to.

Sonji and Khalid came thru, too, but Jamie couldn’t make it. Said she had some Billy drama.

There are a few other people who’re in Cain’s inner circle who I’m getting to know – most of whom are associated with Immersive Media or in the movie and film industry. I’ve met producers and actors from his TV shows and movies. It’s surreal to see these people on TV and then have direct access to them through my husband, especially when I don’t see Cain as a wealthy, media mogul. He is, but I see the soul of the man beneath the Balenciaga suits. I see the man who rubs my feet after a long day. The man who massages my abdomen when I’m in pain. The man who sacrificed his comfort for five weeks to get to know me. The man who found me through an experiment about human compassion, and he’s the one who ended up learning a lesson.

I glance over at him. He’s holding a beer, talking to his father and Daniel then he looks up and catches my eyes. He smiles. I smile back.

Do I believe Abel Wesley came to Knightdale to find me specifically? No, but ask me if I believe things happen for a reason and the answer would be yes. If his friend Daniel had never challenged him, he wouldn’t have had a reason to come to Knightdale. If he wasn’t passing my store just at the right time, he wouldn’t have seen me opening up for the day. If he hadn’t perceived me as the kind of woman who wouldn’t help him, he would’ve never approached me. If I would’ve called the police on him, it would’ve blown up his whole operation which, in turn, would have stopped him from showing up at my house. Even after he showed up, I could’ve turned him away. Actually, I did, but he persisted and now, we’re here. We’re us. We’re in love.

He walks across the yard over to where I am and says, “What are you thinking about, Ahmalee?”

“How do you know I’m thinking about anything?”

“Because you always are. I can feel your vibes.”

I smile. “I was just thinking about how everything came together to make us come together.”

“It’s crazy how that worked out, isn’t it?”

“It is,” I say, rising to my tiptoes and angling my head to reach his lips. He meets me halfway. While we kiss, I’m also thinking about how much I love this man. Loved him from day one and I love him the same now. Even if he didn’t have a dime, even if he was still starting from the bottom, even if he lost it all, he will always and forever be my Cain.