Love in Pictures

by Alexis A Goring

  “Love you too, sis. Marcel loves you too. He just needs time to heal and see Logan isn’t like the others.”

  Michelle was silent. Hopefully, Mercedes was right. Once inside her car, Michelle rested against the steering wheel. Please God, soften Marcel’s heart and make a way for him to accept my relationship with Logan. We need You, Lord.

  Chapter 25

  Logan stood outside of Michelle’s studio with a bouquet of multicolor roses. Since he didn’t know her favorite flower color, he chose all the colors in this special arrangement. He decided to surprise Michelle at work and treat her to lunch, but the closed sign was already on the door.

  He called her. A few rings later, she answered.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Michelle. It’s me.”

  “I know. How are you?”

  “Great. I’m actually standing outside of your studio. Are you in there?”

  “Yes. Hold on.”

  Logan pressed the end button on his phone and slipped it into his pocket. He prayed for his talk with Michelle about Marcel to go well but figured it would be better if he wooed her with roses and fed her first.

  Moments later, Michelle approached dressed in a pink sundress and matching sandals, sweet and delicate like the flowers he held. She opened the door, and he grinned. “Hey, beautiful.”

  “Hey.”

  He stepped in and presented her with the flowers. She accepted with a smile. “Thanks. This is sweet and very unique. I love the colors.”

  Logan chuckled. “I didn’t know your favorite.”

  Michelle’s eyes sparkled. “So, you bought them all?”

  Logan gave a sheepish grin. Michelle laughed, and his heart warmed.

  “My favorite flower color is anything you are inspired to buy for me. So, this is perfect.”

  He drew her into an embrace. “Good to know.” He kissed her forehead, and for a moment, they shared a silent embrace. His heart swelled with love for this woman. He gazed into her eyes. “Can I treat you to lunch?”

  Michelle glanced at the clock. “I do have the full hour. So sure, why not?”

  “Where would you like to go?”

  “Mariana’s Mesa is really good, and they have a nice patio. I’d like to eat outside. The weather’s perfect today. Just let me grab my purse and keys.”

  Logan allowed her to retrieve her items, and they exited her studio. After she locked the door, they strolled side by side down the street to Mariana’s Mesa. Minutes later, they’d ordered their food and waited for their meal at a table on the patio that overlooked the water. Seagulls squawked, nearby children laughed, and adults conversed in varied tones of voice.

  Michelle’s gaze was fixed on the water. “I love living and working in Annapolis.”

  “Yeah. Me too.”

  Michelle focused on Logan. “I almost don’t want to talk about it.”

  “About what?”

  “Your meeting with Marcel. What went wrong?”

  This conversation was inevitable. So, he manned up. “He’s not too happy about us becoming a couple.”

  “I know.”

  “But he didn’t let me explain myself. He has this preconceived notion about me, like I’m a bad guy, and I’m not.”

  “I know.”

  “Then what can we do about this? I really like you.”

  Michelle reached and grasped him by the hand. She spoke softly. “I really like you too.”

  For a moment, they stared into each other’s eyes. The waitress arrived with their order of food and placed it on the table, interrupting their moment. She smiled. “Enjoy!”

  As their waitress walked away, Michelle withdrew her hands and drizzled her bean taco with mango salsa. She bit into it. “Mmm. So good.”

  Logan chomped on his steak quesadilla, and for a few minutes, they concentrated on their food. Logan broke the silence. “What can I do to convince your brother that I’m worth your time?”

  Michelle wiped a string of cheese from the corner of her mouth. “I think Mercedes is working on that.”

  “Who’s Mercedes?”

  “My sister-in-law.”

  “Oh. She’s a persuasive person?”

  “Very.”

  A weight lifted from his chest. “Good. But what can I do in the meanwhile?”

  A smile tugged at the corners of Michelle’s lips.

  “What?”

  “Just be your loveable self.”

  “You think I’m loveable?”

  “Completely.”

  He picked up another piece of his steak taco and chewed it. “I never knew people had to deal with these issues.”

  “Welcome to my world. It’s not always on the forefront of my mind, but as a person of color, race-related issues are part of my reality.”

  Logan’s shoulders sank. “I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with this.”

  Michelle reached for her tall glass of strawberry lemonade. “I’ve had to deal with it at work too.”

  “At your studio?”

  She shook her head. “No. I have a great team of employees who are diverse and get along well with each other. But I’ve had to fight to get my clients of color on the covers of mainstream wedding magazines.”

  Logan frowned. “Why?”

  “I think it’s partly because of the European beauty standard. The people who make the final decisions about covers probably think only white women who mirror that standard are worthy, because rarely do they choose women of color to grace those magazines. Next time you’re in a grocery store or a bookstore, look at the wedding magazines and tell me what you see. Mostly only white brides, and even then, it’s usually blondes and brunettes.”

  “Wow. I never noticed.”

  “Most people who aren’t of color don’t. It’s like we live in another society where we’re always on the outside looking in.”

  Logan’s heart ached. “Miche, I’m so sorry.”

  “I appreciate your trying to understand.”

  “For the record, my family would love to meet you.”

  Michelle’s eyes sparkled. “Really?”

  “My mom wants to meet the first girl I cooked dinner for on my boat.”

  Michelle quirked an eyebrow. “You never brought your dates to your boat?”

  Logan shook his head and chewed his food.

  “Wow. I must be pretty special then, eh?”

  “Very.”

  Michelle leaned forward. “I’d love to meet your parents.”

  “Great. It’s a date. I’ll call you with the logistics.”

  Michelle glanced at her watch. “I need to return to the studio in ten minutes. Are you ready to go?”

  Logan nodded and placed the money for the lunch on the table.

  She smiled. “Are you going to pay for every meal we eat together?”

  “Yes, because I’m a good boyfriend.”

  “You’re going to be a broke boyfriend.”

  “As long as you’re my girlfriend, I can live with being broke.”

  Michelle blushed. “Does this mean that we’re an official couple?”

  “Only if you like the idea of us.”

  Michelle leaned into his side. “I love the idea of us.”

  “Good, because I do too.” He kissed her temple. His parents would welcome her with open arms even though he hadn’t mentioned her race. Surely, they wouldn’t have a problem with Michelle. But then again, prior to falling for Michelle, he never knew anyone would have a problem with a woman based solely on her skin color. He prayed his parents would be accepting of her.

  Chapter 26

  Logan rang the doorbell to his parents’ house. They weren’t going to like the fact that he forgot his spare keys. Again.

  Thankfully, they always welcomed him to his childhood home with open arms, making visiting them worth the hour drive. Their home, in a beautiful neighborhood in Potomac, was full of unconditional love and good memories. Today, he wanted to catch up with Mom and arrange a date to bring Michelle to d
inner.

  Before he could ring the bell again, Isabella, his parents’ maid, opened the door with a bright smile. “Señor Logan! Bienvenido!”

  Logan hugged Isabella. “Thanks. Good to see you.” He peered over her shoulder. “Are my parents home?”

  “Sí. Tu madre y tu padre están aquí.”

  “Good. I’m glad that they’re here.” Isabella and his nanny Florence taught him Spanish as a child. He heard and spoke it fluently but often answered in English. “Where are they?”

  “En la cocina.”

  Logan nodded. In the kitchen. He made his way through the foyer and dining area into the elaborate, Texan-country style kitchen. His mother stood over the stove, arms folded, and tapped her foot as she stared at the kettle. The fire was on full blaze beneath the kettle, and the scent of peppermint filled the air. A chuckle escaped Logan. His mother never did like to wait for her tea to be ready.

  She gazed at him. Her blue eyes sparkled, and her countenance glowed like a bright light. She rushed into his arms. “Hi, honey! Welcome home.”

  Caught off guard by her greeting, he hugged her back before pulling away. “Hey, Mom.”

  “We haven’t seen you in four weeks. Don’t do that. You’re our only child. We need to see you at least once a week.”

  “I’m sorry. I’ll try to keep our weekly family dinner dates.”

  “You’d better. Your father and I are always happy to have you home.”

  Logan glanced around. “Where is Dad?”

  The kettle whistled, and Mom spun on her heel to tend to it. Steam rose from the mug that she covered with a plate to allow the tea to steep. “He’s working late in the office. He should be home before midnight.”

  “Ah, the life of an attorney.”

  “That’s why you shouldn’t miss our Sunday dinners. Makes him stop working for a while. Would you like a cup of tea?”

  He finger-combed his hair. “No, but thanks.”

  His mother tilted her head. “What?”

  He pulled out a chair at the kitchen table for Mom and then sat in the one next to it. “Can we sit?”

  Mom frowned. She picked up her mug and positioned herself next to Logan. “What is it, honey?”

  “I…I…uh… You know I met someone?”

  Mom flashed a wide grin. “Yes. Michelle. The one you cooked dinner for on your boat.”

  “Yes. I… I...”

  “You love her. I know.”

  Logan was floored. His mother was insightful, but this was too true to how he felt about Michelle. “How did you know?”

  “A mother’s intuition is a very good and accurate thing.” She removed the plate from her tea and blew the steam away. “So, when do we get to meet her? Your father and I want to see this woman who inspires you.”

  “I’d like to bring her to dinner this Sunday.”

  Mom sipped her tea before responding. “Done. I’ll have Mario fix enough for the four of us. Does she have any food allergies?”

  Logan shook his head and fidgeted in his seat.

  She placed her mug on the table. “I know that look. What are you not telling me?”

  Logan exhaled. “She’s… I… They… I don’t know how to tell you this.”

  Mom leaned forward. “Just tell me.”

  “She’s black.”

  Mom chuckled. “Well that’s not the end of the world.”

  Logan let out a sigh of relief. “You mean it doesn’t matter?”

  Mom shrugged. “Why should it? You’re my son, and you met a woman who makes you happy, and from what I can tell, she’s good for you. I’d love to meet her.”

  He relaxed against the back of the chair. “Thanks.”

  “Why were you worried about telling me?”

  Logan sighed. “There are people who have a problem with me dating a black woman, and I just don’t get it. On top of that, she’s told me about some of her negative experiences. But it’s all new to me.”

  Mom nodded. “People are going to talk no matter what you do and who you’re with. What matters is that you love her, and I do believe she loves you too. You both need to protect your relationship, trust God to strengthen your bond, and focus on each other, not the people in this world who want to tear you apart.”

  Logan soaked in his mother’s words of wisdom. “You’re right. But the other problem is that her brother doesn’t want me to date her. He hates me.”

  “Hate is a strong word. Why do you think that?”

  Logan deadpanned. “Because I’m white.”

  “It’s not going to be easy, because I’ve seen how our society oppresses black people. He’s probably just responding to his negative experiences. Don’t take it too personally. Be your considerate, wonderful self, treat him kindly, and he’ll come around eventually, especially when he sees how well you treat his sister.”

  “Really? You think so?”

  “I believe so.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “So, let’s plan our dinner date with Michelle. What do you want Mario to cook?”

  A familiar text message sound alerted Logan.

  Michelle: Hey, babe. What are you up to?

  He peered at Mom, who was sipping her tea again. “It’s Michelle.” He returned his attention to his phone.

  Logan: Here at my parents’ house, talking dinner plans for us this Sunday. Are you free?

  Michelle: Yes!

  Logan: Great! So maybe chicken or steak?

  Michelle: Would love that! Sounds good!

  Logan: Thanks, babe. Let me finish visiting with Mom. Want to do dinner tonight?

  Michelle: Can’t. I have to work late. Maybe we can meet for lunch later on this week?

  Logan: Deal.

  He silenced his phone. Mom had a knowing grin plastered on her face.

  “What?”

  “I cannot wait to meet Michelle. Never have I seen you this happy, not even with London.”

  Logan winced.

  Mom reached out and touched his hand. “I’m sorry, honey. I’m just happy you found love again and even happier that this looks like the forever kind.”

  Logan sat back. “London was here. I spoke with her during that time I told you about when Michelle and I weren’t talking.”

  “Really? What happened?”

  Logan spent fifteen minutes telling his mom about London’s surprise visit.

  Mom let out a heavy sigh. “At least that’s over.”

  “Agreed.”

  “How does Michelle feel about this?”

  “I think she’s okay now. We’re focusing on us and our future.”

  “I can’t wait until Sunday. Do you want to stay for dinner tonight?”

  Logan stood. “No, because I need to run a few errands now. But thanks for the invite.”

  She got to her feet and pecked him on the cheek. “You’re doing a great job on TV, by the way. So proud of you.”

  “You watch me?”

  “Yes. Of course. You’re our favorite evening news anchor.”

  Logan’s heart swelled. “Thanks. That means a lot.” He hugged her. “You’re the best, Mom.”

  Mom hugged him back. “Love you, son.”

  “I love you too.”

  Logan parted ways and waved goodbye before exiting the house. He slipped into the driver’s seat of his car and turned on his ignition. This talk with Mom gave him renewed hope in humanity. He was grateful his parents were accepting of Michelle, and he was determined to take Mom’s advice and treat Marcel with kindness until he saw that he was the best man for his sister.

  Logan said a prayer and drove out of his parents’ neighborhood. Michelle meeting his parents was the first step into his long-term goal for their relationship. Michelle was the woman he wanted to marry. But he wouldn’t rush things. Logan grimaced as he realized his most major roadblock to romance—Michelle’s brother. What could he do to convince him he was a good guy?

  God, show me a way.

  Chapter 27

&nbs
p; Michelle sat on the couch in her parents’ home and pored over the photography from her multicultural clients’ wedding. The bride was from India, and the groom was Puerto Rican.

  The couple had an elaborate, beautiful wedding complete with a reception that showcased both of their cultures. For the reception, the bride changed out of her wedding dress into a blue and marigold sari. The groom wore a sherwani wedding suit that was marigold and red. They entered the reception to music from the bride’s homeland and danced with their bridal party. The food was a mix of Indian and Puerto Rican dishes like chicken curry, tandoori, flan, and mango lassi beverages.

  Her stomach rumbled. She wished she were still at the wedding, so she could enjoy the food. She’d been so busy capturing their love in pictures she’d forgotten to eat.

  She placed her laptop on the couch, stood, and stretched. Once in the kitchen, she opened the refrigerator and pulled out a day-old carton of Chinese take-out. The scent of orange chicken over fried rice sent her stomach growling again. Taking that as confirmation, she poured it onto a plate and opened the microwave. Five minutes later, she sat at the kitchen table, satisfying her hunger.

  Halfway through her midnight meal, her cell rang. Juliana. Michelle picked up the phone. “Hey, girl.”

  “Amiga! Is this too late to talk?”

  Michelle dipped her fork into the fried rice. “No. Call me anytime, literally, and I’ll answer.”

  “Oh, amiga. Another one of those nights?”

  Michelle spoke between mouthfuls of food. “You know it.”

  “What’s the problem this time?”

  “My clients.”

  “They’re great, no?”

  “Yes, they are wonderful, but their beautiful love is not gracing the covers of our mainstream wedding magazines. I would have thought with all of my international success, by now this would not be an issue.”

  “My boss put your clients on her magazine cover.”

  “Yes, she did, and I thank you for letting God use you to help me accomplish that goal. But Jules, I want this to be a regular thing, not a flash in the pan.”

  “I know. I’m so sorry. What can I do to help?”

  Michelle paused. “Pray about it and help me network with magazine editors.”