I was thankful for his explanation. It wasn’t a complete lie. Just a little omission from the truth that wouldn't clue my parents into the fact he was a man whore up until a year ago. I gave his fingers a reassuring squeeze.
“Well, your diligence has paid off. You’re a doctor with a bright future ahead of you. I think more young men should follow your lead. Spend time focusing on their education and leave all that skirt-chasing for later,” Momma encouraged.
I reached for the cup of tea and added two cubes of sugar and a drizzle of honey. I loved tea on rainy days, but it had to be sweet. I handed Sean his cup of tea with one sugar cube, just how he liked it. The conversation flowed smoothly as the warm liquid soothed us. Sean answered all my mom’s inquiries. She made him feel comfortable enough that he relaxed and let his own personality shine through.
But, one person in the room hadn’t joined in at all.
“Daddy, aren’t you going to have a seat?” The whole time he had yet to move from next to the fireplace. He grunted out a response and took a seat on the large love seat.
“What brings you guys over here this time of night?” I asked.
My mother looked at my father before speaking.
“We’ve been trying to reach you since Friday morning. When your phone started going straight to voicemail for two days in a row your father and I got very worried. We called Crystal and Stacy. When neither one of them had heard from you, we got scared. Dad said if you didn’t call us back by Sunday evening, then we were coming over.” My mom’s voice was no longer sugary sweet.
“I’m so sorry I made you guys worry.” I visibly cringed at the look both my parents were giving me.
“I understand now why we didn’t hear from you, but you can’t do things like that, especially when we’re used to speaking to you almost every day,” Momma added.
“I really am sorry,” I said with all sincerity.
“As am I. The blame doesn’t rest squarely on Lashawnda’s shoulders,” Sean added.
“Well, sorry or not; I hope you both understand you need to at least check your phones once or twice a day. Anything could have happened, either to you or someone close to you. You would never know about it, because you both just cut yourself off from the rest of the world. Sean, I wouldn’t be surprised if your mother has left you a message or two,” she said, looking reproachfully at him too.
Sean cringed. He’s told me numerous stories about his mother. There was no doubt he was going to get a severe tongue lashing from her. I rubbed my hands against Sean’s knee when I saw the look of dread cross his face. He was such a momma’s boy.
“It was a complete lack of foresight. We just wanted this weekend to be just the two of us; no interruptions.” I tried to justify. This was one of those things that being an adult in a close-knit family was all about. My parents didn’t treat me like a child, yet they continually worried about my sister and me. I wondered if things would be the same if Crystal and I were boys.
“Trust me, young lady, I get it. But, promise me you will at least let us know next time. That way we won’t call unless it’s an emergency. Right, Phil?” my mother said, looking at Daddy for confirmation. It was unlike him to be so quiet. I hoped keeping him engaged in the conversation would prevent him from saying anything off the wall. Instead of an answer with coherent words, we all received a grunt.
“Well, either way, I’m glad you two had a great weekend,” momma said with a little twinkle in her eyes.
“Oh, no you don’t,” said Daddy.
“What?” Momma asked innocently.
“Elizabeth…woman don’t you give me that look. You know exactly what I’m talking about. We almost lost our minds a few hours ago worrying about Lucky. Now you sittin’ over there, practically picking out names for her children.” He looked at Sean and me.
We were eyeing each other nervously at the mention of children.
“Lucky?”
“Yes, Daddy?” I refused to meet his eyes. Sometimes being a daddy’s girl wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
“Are you having sex with this young man?” I didn’t answer. His voice was way too calm. “I hope you’ve at least been practicing safe sex.”
“Daddy…” Why did I sound five years old suddenly?
Get it together girl you’re a grown woman. I chastised myself.
“Don’t Daddy me, young lady. You’ve only known him for three months.” He looked at Sean as if he was about to kick him in the throat. “Hmm…first relationship my ass. God only knows what kind of depraved lifestyle you’ve been living. I was trying to be civil. Boy if ya knocked up my baby girl after three months of dating, there is going to be hell to pay. It ain’t that far back to the house. It’s worth the drive to grab my rifle.”
“Phil!” “Daddy!” Both Momma and I yelled at the same time. Sean said nothing.
“Daddy, I’m not discussing my sex life with you. I’m an adult, not some sixteen-year-old girl. Plus, there is no way in the world I’m going to sit back and watch you shoot my boyfriend,” I said defensively.
Daddy blanched at my comment.
“Well, you damn sure ain’t acting like an adult. Running around with this man in secret. Sounds more like a fifteen-year-old girl hiding from her parents to me.”
“Phil, that’s uncalled for.” Momma jumped to my defense.
“That’s not fair, Daddy.”
“Were you just going to keep him a secret from us?” he asked entirely, ignoring Momma’s heated glare.
“No. I wasn’t. I just—”
I pushed the messy hair out of my face in frustration and jumped up from the couch. I didn’t want to spill my soul in front of my parents. Plus, I hoped I would be able to explain myself so Sean wouldn’t be offended in any way.
“Come on now, Lucky; you’ve got to do better than that. How do you think we feel knowing you’ve been seeing this young man for months and haven’t said a word?” My father threw his hands in the air in frustration.
I looked at Sean apologetically. If the situation were different, there would be no doubt my insecurities would lead anyone to the conclusion Sean was keeping me a secret from his family.
“I understand. Okay?” Sean reached behind him and grabbed my hand, pulling me back down so we were face-to-face.
“Well, I sure as hell don’t. Y’all have been together far too long for Lucky not to say anything.” Daddy’s voice was hard with displeasure.
“Phil…” Momma said in warning. She was always there to protect our feelings when he wanted to give us one of his infamous ‘hard talks’.
“What? Don’t Phil me,” he said, rolling his neck in irritation. “I want to know. What kind of relationship do we have with our child where she feels like she can’t tell us what’s going on in her life?” He stood up again and started pacing. “Three months, Lucky? I’m sorry, I just don’t get it. That’s not how your mother and I raised you and your sister.”
I looked at my father’s face and felt like the biggest disappointment. I was going to have to make this up to him. I knew he hadn’t been close to his own parents growing up. My grandfather walked out on them when my father was a young child. My grandmother started drinking to deal with the heartbreak. Daddy had grown up spending most of his time in random family members’ homes. Either his mother was too lost in the bottle to take care of him, or she had spent all their money on alcohol; often leaving them without food and shelter. My dad never had an adult in his life he could depend on. He always told me and Crystal he wanted his children to never feel like he wasn’t available to them.
“Daddy, this has nothing to do with you and Momma. It’s my insecurities that made me not introduce you guys to Sean sooner.” I stopped and looked at Sean; giving him a tender smile. “When he first asked me out I was shocked beyond words. I mean look at him; he’s gorgeous, intelligent, and has a great personality. Every woman in the office was plotting different ways to get his attention. When he approached me, I didn’t know if
it was some type of joke. In the beginning, I had no idea where this would go, but Sean’s been nothing but good to me.”
I looked around the room at all three people and sighed, hoping my words made sense. Baring your soul to your loved ones was one of the most challenging things to do, especially considering how each person showed me how much they cared in their own way.
“But, I have to be honest with you guys. I was waiting for him to get bored or come to his senses and realize he could do better. I didn’t want to bring him home and then have to explain to everyone why he wasn’t coming around anymore.” I looked at my hands and shrugged my shoulders. I wished I had a rock to climb under. Nothing could be more embarrassing than exposing my insecurities in front of my loved ones.
“Lashawnda, look at me,” my father said. Feeling like I was five years old all over again, I raised my head and looked at his face. What I saw almost shattered my resolve. Unshed tears were shining in his eyes.
“Do you not know how amazing you are?” he asked, voice heavy with emotions.
“I didn’t know before, Daddy,” I admitted. “But, I do now, and not just because of Sean. Having him in my life has been a great ego booster. If he decides tomorrow he no longer wants to be with me; I won’t feel any less about myself than I do now. This experience of being in a relationship has taught me I am not unlovable.”
My dad moved toward the edge of the loveseat so he could look into my eyes as he spoke.
“My Lucky, you are one of the most lovable people on this planet. As your father, it breaks my heart a little bit to know you would ever think otherwise. Sean is fortunate you bothered to give him the time of day,” he said with a bit of an attitude.
His body movements made both me and Momma smile. He often complained having a houseful of women was turning him into a gossip. Based on that neck roll, he might’ve been telling the truth.
Sean cleared his throat. I knew he had a lot to say after my confession. We’d talked about my insecurities and self-esteem issues in the past, but knowing I was waiting for this thing between us to fail wasn’t something I had ever revealed. He took my hand in his and placed a finger underneath my chin so we were peering into each other’s eyes.
“I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I’d ask you to marry me right here and now, but I don’t want you to feel as if I’m forcing you to make any rash decisions, especially after all that’s happened this weekend.” His voice was firm with conviction.
There was an audible gasp from Momma and a ‘well, damn’ from Daddy. Sean continued to bare his soul, heedless of my parents' presence.
“That’s what I’m looking forward to with you. I’m looking forward to a lifetime. Things are moving fast between us. I know you, Lashawnda Price. You’re very analytical; you like to think about all the pros and cons of a situation before you decide. As the next few months go by I want you to take every day we spend together and every moment we’re not in each other’s company, and I want you to ask yourself if I’m worthy of being your husband.”
He cupped my cheek and rubbed his thumbs across my lips. The desire in his eyes to kiss me was there. I could feel his body tremble when he settled his forehead against mine. I inhaled his scent. His skin still smelled like the rain.
“I want forever with you, sweetheart. I told you before a man knows when he’s whole.” I looked at him questioningly, and Sean nodded his head an affirmation. “I hate to use a cheesy line from a movie, but it’s the best statement to express how I feel about us. You complete me, and I don’t want to live without you in my life.”
My heart stopped beating, and my mind forgot to tell my lungs to take in a breath. I replayed Sean’s confession in my head over and over.
Hold up. Did he just say he loved me?
All weekend the words were on the tip of my tongue, but here he was sitting in front of my parents candidly confessing his love for me. He even told me he wanted to marry me.
I wanted to run around the apartment screaming like a teenager. Sean wanted to marry me…Lashawnda Price?
In the blink of an eye, it felt like everything around me was going to get sucked into a space-time vacuum. From the unexpected torrential downpour to getting locked out, and then my parents walking in on us naked; it was all so unexpected. Never in a million years did I think this would happen. Having my man tell me he loved me and wanted to marry me would forever surpass all the things that went wrong tonight.
“Lashawnda, if only you could see how shocked you look right now. You didn’t know I love you?” he asked. “I mean I’ve never said the words out loud, but I thought you already knew.”
I swallowed around the tight knot in my throat. “I knew you felt something for me. I wasn’t sure it was love. I thought it might be too soon to expect that.”
Sean kissed me lightly on the lips. “Well, even if it’s too soon, I don’t think my feelings are going to change a year or even ten years from now. I love you very much.”
“You want to marry me?” I asked.
Sean smiled at my question. “Yeah, well, that’s usually what a man does when he wants to spend the rest of his life with the woman he loves, right? I mean sure, I could keep you as a concubine of some sort, but—”
My dad cleared his throat loudly.
“I think your father would have my head.” He looked at my father apologetically. “Look, I know it’s been a short time. I know my feelings. This isn’t just lust or infatuation. I am in love with you. Don’t feel you have to say the words back to me. Over time, I hope with my actions, you’ll feel the same way,” he finished.
I stared, stunned at Sean’s outpouring of affection. This man was too much.
“Well, Sean I must say that is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard any man say to a woman. I couldn’t have asked for a better ending to my weekend. After spending the last few days worrying about this child of mine, it’s nice to see she is in good hands,” Momma said.
“Um…thanks,” Sean answered sheepishly. He looked at her as if he had forgotten they were still in the room.
“Well, Phil. I think it is best we leave these two young people alone. Lashawnda is fine. She promises never to make us worry like that again. I’m tired. Let’s go home.” Momma pulled herself up from the couch.
She picked up the tea tray and carried it into the kitchen. Fat Bastard was sitting in the middle of the floor, giving Momma the most pleading look. She shook her head, probably thinking I was neglecting the overweight cat. She found some tuna and dried cat food in the pantry. When she filled FB’s bowl, he purred loudly and rubbed his tail against her leg. I rolled my eyes heavenward. It was to the point he was spending more and more time at my parents’ house; not that my mother was complaining.
“Love makes you do some crazy things,” said Momma.
“So, you planning on coming home soon?” Daddy asked. He had been eyeing Sean warily since his declaration of love. "You've missed a lot of Sunday dinners these last three months. I guess we all know why now."
“Yes, Daddy, I promise I’ll be there for dinner next Sunday.” I playfully rolled my eyes at him.
“Good.” Daddy nodded.
I turned to Sean. “You don’t have anything planned next weekend, do you?”
“Nah.” He had a glimmer in his eyes, which I assumed meant he was thinking about something kinky. If I were a betting woman, I would say it had to do with us making love in his oversized Roman tub. He mentioned us doing it in there a few times this weekend.
“Okay, cool. Sean’s going to have dinner with us too,” I said to my father. His response was a firm nod of his head, but he kept that suspicious appraisal of Sean in his eyes.
“Oh good. Sean, is there anything you’re allergic to?” Momma asked. She was doing that annoying thing mothers do when they come to your house; fluffing pillows, moving knickknacks around, and running that infamous index finger across each surface to check for dust.
“No, ma’am. If you cook anyth
ing like your daughter, I suggest you have plenty of food. I love to eat,” Sean answered with a huge grin.
“Will do. I think I’ll ask Crystal to invite Brian too. It would be great to have everyone over.” Her statement made everyone look at her quizzically.
We were all aware the couple’s situation had gotten a lot worse over the past week after Brian started going out with his boys every night and working late. Whatever Momma thought she was trying to accomplish was sure to end badly.
CHAPTER 26
On the drive home, Mr. Price sat quietly. He hadn’t said a word to his wife since they left Lashawnda’s apartment. When that young man came walking down the hallway barely covering his privates with that hot pink towel, he was ready to tell Lashawnda she needed to find a new place to stay. But, when he stopped in front of her door and brazenly announced he was his daughter’s boyfriend—that took the cake.
Lashawnda had always been the level-headed one out of his two daughters. Finding out that she was serious about someone and hadn’t brought him home after three months was a hard pill to swallow for Mr. Price. This reeked of something Crystal would have done.
There was something to be said about a man who was brave enough to face his girlfriend’s parents the way Sean did, considering the awkwardness of the situation. Mr. Price immediately had respect for the young man.
By the way Lashawnda sounded, she seemed happy and that was all Mr. Price could ask for. He also noticed how anxious she was. He got the feeling she wanted them to like Sean. They hadn’t seen her date in years, and it was good to know she found someone worthy of her.
Elizabeth was sure something was boiling up inside of her husband that would explode soon. In most cases, he would already be talking a mile a minute. She stole furtive glances at him, vowing to be patient. She pressed the garage door opener and waited for it to fully open. After Mr. Price parked the car, she sat in it for a few seconds, waiting to see if he would say anything. When he didn’t look as though he was ready to get out the vehicle, she shook her head and stepped out of the car, leaving him to his musings.
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