The botanical gardens were where Sterling found refuge away from the hustle and bustle and lights and glamor and glitz of the fashion show. Here, there were no paparazzi. Here, there was only peace and quiet and tranquility. This evening, he shared the gardens with only a few red robins and humming birds. Even the traffic from the surrounding city seemed miles away, as the chirps and whistles and fluttering wings dominated the evening air.
Today’s events had been particularly trying. All the paparazzi wanted to know about was his personal life, and when was the Mummy Bag going to be available in other colors besides brown and black. They had been particularly vicious about Kimberly, and whether her new Jungle Bag was the new ‘it’ bag. They wanted to know how he felt about her launching her clothing line, and how he felt about the The Jungle Bag competing with his Mummy Bag. They had been relentless, shameless even. All he wanted to do now was relax.
“Some hotel,” the voice said from behind.
Sterling turned. It was her.
“Kim!” he said shocked. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m in the show,” she told him.
“Wow, that’s fantastic,” Sterling said, stumbling through his words. “Congratulations. I mean on everything. On being in the show, and on your new company.”
“Thank you, Sterling,” she said with a smile.
“I always knew you could do it.”
Kimberly nodded. “I know. And that’s the only reason that I could.”
“Huh?” Sterling asked. He didn’t understand.
“The only reason that I could do even a fraction of the things that I’ve done, is because of you. You believed in me, Sterling. You gave me the confidence to step out and grab life by the horns.”
Sterling shook his head. “You give me too much credit. It was always inside of you.”
“It took a good man to bring it out.”
Sterling shifted his gaze toward the ground. He didn’t know what to say, or how to reply. He didn’t know how much of his feelings he should reveal at that point. Was she still upset, was she open to his apology? He didn’t know where to take the conversation.
“Thank you, Sterling,” Kim said softly. She too, was nervous and unsure of herself, and she was also unsure of his feelings toward her.
“Kim, I just want to say I’m sorry for hurting you, and for causing you any pain,” Sterling told her. “I abused your trust, and for that I will be eternally sorry.”
Kim shook her head. “No, Sterling, no apologies are necessary. Not from you, anyway. I over reacted. I allowed my past to cloud my judgment, and to influence my future. You are not John, and your past relationships aren’t his past relationships.”
“I should have told you about Third.”
“Is that his name?” Kim asked with a smile. “Third?”
“Sterling Williams the Third,” Sterling said, returning her smile. He pulled out his wallet and produced a picture of his son.
“Handsome,” Kimberly declared. “Looks a lot like his father.”
“Thank you.”
“I would love to meet your son, Sterling,” Kimberly said nervously.
“You would?” It had taken him by surprise.
Kimberly nodded. “I would. I want to meet him. He’s special to you, and that makes him special to me.”
Sterling lifted his hand to his face and rubbed his eyes. Things were moving fast. What did all of this mean? Did she want to give their relationship another chance?
“I don’t understand, Kim.” Sterling told her. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I’m sorry, Sterling.”
“You have nothing to be sorry about.”
“I’m sorry for hurting you. I’m sorry for bringing my past into our future. I’m sorry for not recognizing you for the man you really are.”
“You don’t know what it means to hear you say that.”
“But I do have to know, Sterling. I know that this is a messed up question to ask, but I have to ask it.”
“Ask me anything.”
“Is there anything else, Sterling?” Kimberly asked, staring into his eyes. “Any more secrets. Anything that I should know about? Anything that could come back and hurt me?”
Sterling shook his head. “There are no more secrets, Kim. Nothing else. At least not on my end.”
Kim shook her head. “I have none.”
“Are you free?” Sterling asked. “I mean, truly free. Free to love me with everything that you have, with everything that you are? Or is there a part of you that is always going to worry about John, or your history with John, or what John is doing now? I can’t be John.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Kim told him. “I need Sterling. John is a hurter, but my Sterling is a healer. I need my Sterling. The man who builds people up. The man who sees the best in people. The man who gives chances. I’m hoping that he also gives second chances.”
“Are you kidding me?” Sterling asked. “I beg you to come back to me.”
“You don’t have to beg,” Kim told him. She dropped to one knee. “I’m the one who is going to plead.”
Sterling tried to pull her up, but she resisted. Kimberly produced a ring and held it up. “I have my business, my clothing line, my friends, my family, my health, and a good life, and it’s all because of you. What you gave me, words cannot begin to describe. How you make me feel, I can’t even begin to explain. You make me feel worthy. You validate my existence. I love you, Sterling. I love being around you, I love waking up in your arms, I love hearing the sound of your voice. I look around these gardens, and I think back to that day on the plantation when you talked about Black love, and how that man took that woman into his arms and healed her. He told her that it was okay, and that they would get through this world together. They built a family out of that love, and despite the monsters of this world, they endured. You are that type of healer, Sterling. God gave that to you. You have that in your soul!”
Tears fell from both of their eyes.
“I want to build that family with you, Sterling. I want to build a love that will endure a lifetime, a love that transcends time and space, a love that is forever.”
Sterling nodded.
“I want you to marry me,” Kim said through her tears.
Sterling nodded, and wiped the tears from his eyes. She placed the ring on his finger, and then he took her hand into his and gently pulled her up. Their eyes closed, as the two of them drifted closer. Soon, their lips met, and they kissed one another with a passion that transcended time. They kissed one another with a passion that said their love was ordained by none other than The Man Upstairs. They kissed one another with a passion that said… forever.
Just Another Damn Love Story Page 19