Mark
LaShawn was at my house when I got home from the shop. She parked in front of my garage where I normally park so I had to park in one of the spaces for guest parking. When I walked in, she’d opened a bottle of wine and was sitting on my couch.
“Hey Bro!”
“What’s up Shawnie! You couldn’t call?”
“Honestly by the time I thought about calling I was halfway here. I just needed to get away. Sorry if I got in the way of any plans.”
“I ain’t got no plans and you know it, but what’s going on with you?”
“I didn’t listen when y’all warned me. You, dad and even Val warned me I was playing with fire.”
She said that shedding a tear.
“What we warn you about?”
“Trying to have my cake and eat it too.”
“Ooooh!!! What happened?”
“Justine is pregnant.”
“By K?”
“Yes, by K. They both saying it won’t affect our relationship, but I already feel like the third wheel.”
I never want to see my sister hurt in any way, but this might open her eyes to doing too damn much.
“What am I gon do?”
“I don’t know LaShawn. This is something you got yourself into and gon have to get yourself out of if that’s what you wanna do.”
“I knew you were gon say that.”
“You drove all the way up here to hear me say that?”
“Naw! I just needed my brother. Now that Val is gone, I’m lost without my ride or die. And how have you been since her death?”
“I’m good. Took some time, but I’m good. Had to give dad back mom’s ring.”
“He gave you mom’s wedding ring?”
“Yeah. When we decided to be together, he gave it to me and said when I was ready, give it to her. He didn’t even do that when I was getting ready to marry Jordan.”
“He knew it wasn’t gon work. Him giving you mom’s ring when you and Val was together meant he approved. Plus, he loved Val like she was his daughter.”
“I know. He cried like a father who lost his child at her funeral. So, what you gon do?”
“I’m gon have to see it through. I started this and it’s my job to see it through to the end. If it gets out of hand, I know I’ll just have to walk away. I have Pascha now so I can’t let myself get into anything that’s gon drag her into anything bad.”
“Where is Pascha anyway?”
“She with Ms. Josie this weekend. I’m gon stay a couple days if that okay?”
“Yeah, it’s cool. Use Malik’s room.”
“Mark, I’m not trying to get into yo business or anything. But don’t you think it’s time for you to start dating? I’m sure Val would have wanted that.”
I nodded.
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I miss her. There were a lot of things that were never said.”
LaShawn nodded.
“Well bro, if she was here, I’m sure those things would have been said. But she’s gone now, and life doesn’t stop. We grieve and keep moving.”
“I know.”
That was all that was said before I walked up to the stairs to take a shower.
LaShawn left on Sunday and on Tuesday I asked my longtime client and local Jamaican Meisha out. She said she thought I’d never ask. She’d been throwing hints for almost a year now. I told her I had some things going on at the time, it wasn’t possible. She said she was glad I had gotten through those things and was ready for what could be.
I knew she was right and that’s just what I’m going to do. Maybe a date is what I needed.