by A. D. Ellis
I threw away the last of the trash as Quincy put the condiments back in the fridge. “I’m not all that sleepy. I’d love to see the beach.”
“Perfect. Momma and I have an umbrella and lounges reserved. We’ll relax out of the sun while you two explore and play.” Mae gave the table a quick wipe with a damp paper towel.
Thirty minutes later, Quincy and I were covered in sunscreen and the four of us trooped three blocks from the house to find a lovely little beach. The December weather averaged seventy-one degrees and we’d lucked out with an above-average day. The sun was shining brightly and the breeze was warm as we approached the sandy beach. Salt and seaweed scents mixed on the air.
“It’s semi-private in that only the surrounding communities can access it. So, it’s never completely empty, but you won’t have party kids or little ones underfoot.” Mae spread a towel on a lounge chair.
Momma laid her own towel out. “You can go all the way to the yellow flag in both directions. If you go too far either way you’ll run into public beach in one direction and private beach in the other. So, stay between the yellow flags. Oh, and the water is warmer right now than average, but it’s still pretty chilly.”
Q and I walked down toward the water. While I’d seen beaches and even walked beaches, the water or weather had always been too cold to get in. And, honestly, getting in the ocean water wasn’t something I’d ever longed to do.
“Want to see how cold it is?” Q held his hand out to me.
I shivered and took his hand. “I’ll go up to my knees. Maybe waist. But no deeper. The ocean kind freaks me out, especially the deeper water. And if it’s cold, no thanks.”
We let the small waves overtake our feet and gasped at how cool the water was. But soon, we adjusted and ventured a bit farther into the water. The warm sun and soft breeze mixed with the cool water was actually kind of the perfect combination.
“Let’s walk to the yellow flag.” Quincy pointed to the flag north of us. “Maybe find some crabs or shells?”
Quincy kept my hand in his as we wandered the beach. We meandered from water to dry sand and back as we walked.
“I think the constant sand everywhere would get annoying, but I kinda love the thought of being so close to a beach.” I grabbed a pretty shell and rubbed my thumb over it.
“Yeah, let’s plan on having a beach house when we’re both employed.” Quincy bent down to retrieve a smooth black stone.
“Oh, I like that plan. Let’s also plan on a mountain getaway.” I added another shell to my growing collection.
“Of course. We’ll live in the city or at least close enough for the best jobs. But we’ll vacation in the mountains and at the beach.” Quincy picked up another stone. “We should take these home. I bet we can make some cool decorative jars with shells and stones.”
With that in mind, we gathered more shells and smooth beach stones. Once we reached the yellow flag, we retraced our steps until we got to Momma and Mae. Depositing our collection with them, Quincy and I took off to the flag south of us.
We took time to build a small sand castle with a moat. It looked more like a sand mound with a moat, but we were sure to adorn our creation with shells, sea grass, and a stick.
“Oh, we need to put our names and the date in the sand and take a picture.” I grabbed a larger stick and used it to write Quincy and Griffin along with a heart and the year beneath our names. “Take a picture.”
Quincy insisted on getting a pic of the sand writing in a selfie of the two of us. Then he wanted us kissing with the sign behind us. Both of these pictures required an odd angle, but turned out nice. Finally, he snapped a photo of just the words before we finished our walk to the flag.
When we arrived back at the umbrella, Momma and Mae were ready to head back.
“You boys can stay if you’d like.” Momma shook out her towel and folded it before stuffing it in her beach bag.
“Nah, I think we’ve had enough beach. Would rather spend time with you.” Quincy gathered our shells and stones.
“I’ve got some jars you can put those in.” Mae gestured to the shells as we left the beach.
“Perfect way to remember your first Florida beach as a couple.” Momma put her arms around both of us.
“We got a great picture of our names in the sand, too.” I knew without a doubt that I’d have the pictures printed and likely put them in frames. They would make a perfect little trio of photographs to decorate the suite. And one day, our home. My heart fluttered.
The next few days were a jumble of laughter, love, relaxing, and adventure. Momma and Mae kept us busy with stories, shopping, and sight-seeing. They also kept us well-fed. The meals never stopped. Momma even bought us a large cooler which she planned to pack with leftovers and ice packs for our trip back. She claimed the cooler and ice would keep the leftovers safe for reheating once we were back at school as long as we transferred from cooler to refrigerator as soon as we got to the suite. The thought of noodles, mashed potatoes, roast, veggies, and macaroni and cheese for meals once we were back home brought a smile to my face. The fact that Momma filled an entire bread bag with homemade yeast rolls was just icing on the cake.
The day before we were scheduled to leave, Momma bustled into the kitchen where Quincy and I were eating a snack of fried chicken. “I’ve got an offer for you boys, but only if you’re comfortable with it.”
We stopped eating and listened.
“I spread Pops ashes when I first got here.”
My heart ached at the mention of Pops.
“But I saved a small urn for each of you. If you’d like, we can go out on a boat tonight and you can scatter his ashes. But it’s up to you.”
Quincy reached for my hand. “What do you think?”
I nodded. “I’d like to. Maybe sunset?” I turned to Momma. “Could we maybe scatter one urn and take the other one with us?”
“Of course, that’s a great idea.”
So, we headed toward a dock about thirty minutes before sunset. A very kind older gentleman assisted Momma, Quincy, and I aboard and promised to get us to a perfect spot for scattering ashes.
As the sun began to set, Quincy and I stood shoulder to shoulder with Momma behind us, her hands on us, and said a few words.
“I miss you Pops.” Quincy’s words were gruff. “Thank you for raising me and being such a good role model. I appreciate your wisdom and patience.” He sprinkled some of the ashes into the water.
Tears ran down my face as I took the urn. “You were the only real dad I ever had. You accepted me the moment I stepped foot in your home. You taught me how to change oil in a car, even though I’ll probably always go to a shop.” I laughed and sniffed. “You taught me how to mow the lawn, but I plan to hire that out.”
We all laughed. Pops was a do-it-yourself type guy. I appreciated him teaching me, but I didn’t find the same joy in oil changes and lawn mowing that he did.
“I miss your quiet sense of humor. I miss watching TV with you. I miss the way your eyes sparkled for Momma. I miss your love and support for Quincy and me.” I sprinkled more ashes.
Momma sniffled behind us. “Don’t you boys ever think that Pops’ isn’t still loving and supporting you.” She took the urn. “Duane, I miss you. But I’m okay. And I’ll continue to be okay until the day we meet again. Thank you for being my partner, my support, my joy. I’d love to see you again, but I’ve got our boys to think of. I’ll be busy loving them, supporting them, and watching them continue to grow into amazing men. I figure I need to hang around for the engagement, the wedding, and maybe a couple pets or babies at least. So, you keep on loving us and holding a place for me. I’ll see you soon.” Momma sprinkled the last of the ashes over the water.
The three of us spent the boat ride home in quiet contemplation.
As we neared the docks, Quincy took our hands. “Thank you. That was hard and a bit more emotional than I was ready for, but it brought some closure. I loved that man.”
I c
ould only nod and sniff my nose.
“Well, there’s one last thing I’d like to talk to you boys about.” Momma took our hands as we left the boat. “Would you like to grab some coffee or tea and sit on the back patio?”
Apprehension filled my gut, but I agreed. “Hot tea would be perfect.”
Quincy squeezed my hand. “Coffee sounds good.”
We made our way back to Aunt Mae’s and fixed our coffees and tea before settling in on the patio. It was a beautiful little spot. Tropical plants galore, tiki torches providing some light and bug protection, and strings of pink flamingo lights adding a splash of color.
Before we had headed to the patio, I grabbed Quincy. “Do you know what this is about?”
He shook his head and shrugged.
Momma took a sip of her coffee. “Oh, that’s good. Perfect temperature, perfect sweetness.”
Quincy and I anxiously sipped our own drinks and waited.
Momma cleared her throat. “I may be out of line. No, not so much out of line. I may be reading into things too much. But I get the feeling that money may be an issue between the two of you. Am I right?”
Quincy glanced at me, eyes wide as if to say I’ll leave this one up to you.
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, I’m a little sensitive about money. More specifically my lack of money and relying on others.”
“That’s what I thought. Griffin, you’ve always been that way; Pops and I could always see it.” Momma took another drink. “But I need you to hear this. Pops and I came from completely different financial backgrounds. But the moment Duane and I became a couple, a team, we immediately agreed to stop looking at our money situation as separate and unequal. We were together, united, and we pooled our resources. Over the years, throughout many different situations and circumstances, there were times when one of us brought in more money and times when the other one brought in the most. But we never looked at it as one bringing in more; we supported each other in ways that went far beyond money. Griffin, there will be times when you’re making more money; there will be times when Quincy is making more. In the best of times, you’ll both be making a good amount. In the worst of times, you’ll both struggle. But it’s not about the money. It’s about the support, the love, the teamwork, and the unity. It’s about being wise stewards of your money. It’s about smart investments, planning ahead, knowing when to save versus when to splurge. Money should never be something you allow to separate you. Your love must be stronger than that.” She took a final swig of her coffee. “I hope you’re both hearing me.”
Quincy nodded. I knew he wanted to pipe up with something like, That’s what I’ve been telling him. But he was smarter than that.
I nodded. “I hear you. It’s hard. I have a lot of issues surrounding money. But I promise I’ll try.” I reached for Quincy’s hand. “I’ll try.”
He kissed my hand. “That’s all I can ask for.”
11
Quincy
We’d been back in classes for about three weeks when Griffin anxiously asked me if I’d attend a party at his cosmetology school.
“It’s not a fancy affair. Kind of a mixer, get to know each other and share our school with our friends/partners while sharing our friends/partners with our school family.” He chewed his lip. “You don’t have to go. I can go alone. Or skip it.” He shrugged. “I just sort of wanted to get dressed up and introduce you to my school friends. And they all want to meet you since I talk about you constantly.”
I kissed him. “Of course, I’ll go. Sounds great.”
We spent all of Saturday afternoon getting ready. I had convinced Grif to let me buy us both new clothes for the event by arguing that if I was going with him, I wanted to wear something new and nice. After four hours at the mall, we came home with new clothes and shoes.
“Okay, I’m doing make-up. Do you want to wear any?” Griffin asked as he began to spread out his brushes and supplies.
“Yeah, I’m down. Maybe not as much as Halloween, but you can highlight my best features.” I batted my lashes.
He spent about thirty minutes working his magic on my face and I left looking and feeling amazing. My skin was dewy and glowing, my eyes lined just enough to make them pop, and my lashes were to die for.
An hour later, Griffin emerged from the bathroom like a damn cover model. His entire face was a work of art and his hair styled perfectly. “You ready to get dressed?”
I walked over to him and pulled him into a tight hug. “Mmmm, if it wouldn’t mess up both our faces, I’d say we need to get undressed first.” I nibbled at his neck.
“Later. After the party you can undress me.” Grif laughed and gave me a soft shove.
I went to my room and pulled on my new clothes. Dark, almost black wash jeans, a plaid button-up shirt of light blues, navy, and shades of red, a navy blazer that lent itself a little more toward casual than dressy, and navy fashion sneakers. I ran a brush over my hair, spritzed a bit of cologne, checked my eyeliner, and went to the living room to wait for Griffin.
My heart nearly stopped when he finally came out of his room. His outfit was one I would have never thought to put together, but of course, Grif made it work. Oh God, did he make it work. My mouth watered.
Dark wash skinny jeans, a dark denim button-up with the sleeves cuffed up over the arms of a dark blazer, a thin scarf, and ankle boots. Griffin smiled and strutted through the suite as if on a catwalk. “What do you think?” He posed and threw a sexy, sultry glance over his shoulder.
“Gorgeous.”
Griffin wrapped his arms around my neck. “You’re looking fah-bulous too, dah-ling.” He kissed me. “Thank you for the new outfit. We didn’t need new clothes, but I’m not going to say it wasn’t fun. And I kinda love my new stuff.”
“You’re welcome. Let’s go. I want to meet your friends.” I took his hand as we left the suite.
Griffin’s cosmetology school was about a mile from campus. On a nice day, we probably would have walked. But it was winter on the east coast so we took my car. Not only was it cold, but I knew Grif would wrinkle his nose at getting his new boots wet.
When we reached the school, I snagged a parking spot and leaned over to kiss Grif’s cheek. “I’m a little nervous. What if they don’t like me?”
He laughed. “It doesn’t matter if they don’t like you. We’ve all just sort of become a big ol’ family so we wanted to introduce the important people in our lives to the whole crew.”
We met on the sidewalk and joined hands.
“So, I’ll introduce you to everyone. Don’t mention if it’s a name I complain about at home.” Griffin bumped my hip with his. “Some are more annoying than others, but we’re in this for the long haul. We’ll probably hang with Taylor, Lyndsay, and Sarah the most. They are the ones I’m with most of the day. Probably won’t spend too much time with Josh and Scott. They are kinda cliquey. If Dani is here, we’ll hang with him. He’s cool. Pretty much the only guy I’d consider an actual friend here.”
“Babe, I’m just here to meet your friends and spend the evening with you.” I pulled the door to the school building open and held it for Griffin.
Thirty minutes later, we’d eaten some hors d’oeuvres, had some drinks, and met most of Griffin’s classmates plus their guests. There was absolutely no way I’d keep everyone straight in my head, but I knew Taylor and her boyfriend, Lane. Lyndsay and her sister, Lara. And Sarah with her girlfriend, Reneé. We had said hello to Josh and his boyfriend, Jason, plus Scott and their boyfriend, Jeremy. And I wasn’t at all sure if I had the names right let alone the pairings correct. But I smiled and said hello and enjoyed being introduced as Griffin’s boyfriend.
“Oh, there’s Dani.” Griffin pulled me toward a very attractive man with perfectly tousled hair, stylishly ripped skinny jeans, a white button up with the sleeves rolled to mid-forearm, and black leather ankle boots with just enough of a heel to bring him right about to my shoulder.
“Dani, this is my boyfriend Quincy. Q
, this is Daniel, but we mostly call him Dani.” Griffin gestured between us.
Dani and I shook hands and the three of us found a table.
“You guys want more food or drinks?” I asked.
They both nodded and Griffin kissed my cheek. “Thanks, babe.”
When I returned with drinks and a plate of finger food, Grif and Dani were laughing about an older client they’d worked on last week.
“Oh my God, when she reached up and tried to roll her own perm rod, I thought I was going to have to keep you from strangling her.” Griffin wiped his eyes.
“I was thinking, ‘Bitch, if you think you can wrap and roll your whole head, be my guest.’” Dani smiled at me as he took the drink I offered.
Griffin made room for me next to him. I spent the next thirty minutes simultaneously watching the love of my life absolutely bloom right before my eyes and fighting the sinking feeling in my stomach that being with me was holding Grif back. The thought hit me somewhere between the way G’s eyes lit up when he was talking about a certain makeup technique he was excited to learn and the way he sighed as he and Dani talked about dance.
“Girl, you’ve got to come audition for the tour this spring. Auditions are in spring, then practice, then the tour is all summer.” Dani swirled his drink. “We’ve all seen you dance here, I know you’re a natural talent.”
“Nah, that’s not in the cards for me right now. Couple years ago? Maybe. In the future? I don’t know. But it’s not what I’m focused on right now.” Grif smiled at me and leaned into my side. “We’ve got spring and summer plans.”
Dani waved him off, but I didn’t miss the knowing glance he shot my way. They switched to other topics and their excitement continued. Makeup brushes, toners, the latest funny client story. I excused myself and went outside to get a breath of fresh air.
Before I returned to the party, I watched the scene from outside the large window.