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As soon as I finished signing the papers, I walked out of the office feeling like that burden had finally been lifted off my shoulders. I wanted to call Law and tell him what I’d done but I was certain I was the last person he wanted to hear from. When he left, Mrs. Jessie lit into my ass something serious. She told me I was wrong for the way I went about that, and I owed Law an apology.
I tried to explain to her that yes I should have told him I was pregnant, but Law had been adamant since day one that he didn’t want kids. I kept it from him out of fear that he would tell me to get rid of it.
Yes he said that he was inclined to change his mind but when he said that, I thought he meant change his mind about falling in love. What else was I supposed to think since he never came out and said he all of a sudden wanted kids?
Regardless, now that I think about it, I should have told him and now I was regretting how I had handled it.
“Are we heading straight out, or do you need to make another stop?” Baker asked after sliding in the driver seat.
“Nawl. I’m done here.” Peering out the window, I looked around the city that raised me. I’d learned how to ride a bike here, had my first date right here in the heart of downtown. Everything that I was, I accredited it to my grandparents and this town. With the two people who raised me gone, there was nothing left for me here. I didn’t see a reason to let my family know of my departure. I was perfectly okay with purging them from my life.
This city had brought me some happy moments as well as some sad ones. The next time I stepped foot back down here, it would be to put flowers on my grandparents’ grave.
Sliding my shades on my face, I grabbed Mrs. Jessie’s hand. “I’m ready to go home now, Baker.”
Before dropping Mrs. Jessie off at her house, we made plans to catch up in a few weeks. Things had been heavy for a while and now that we were back home, I needed to rest up and get my mind together so I could get back to work. I’d been away long enough.
When the blacked out trucked rolled to a stop in front of my house, a despondent feeling hit me in the chest. It was so strong it brought tears to my eyes, but I refused to allow them to fall. I promised Gema I was done crying and got damn it, I was going to try my hardest to keep my promise.
“I think this is everything,” Baker said as he rolled my last bag through the foyer. “If you need me, don’t hesitate to call.”
Clearing my throat, I looked up at him. “Have you talked to him?”
“Who, Dutch?”
“Yeah,” I nodded.
“Yeah. He wanted me to let him know when I got you back. He’s around.”
“So, I’m the only one that hasn’t heard from him.” Swiping my tongue across my lip, I nodded my head. “I get it.”
“Give him time, Tali. You fucked him up with that. He will come around.”
“If you say so. Be safe.” After seeing him out, I drug my bags to living room and parked them by the couch.
The air in the house felt stuffy. As much as I wanted to keep Gema’s room in the same condition that she left it, I knew I wouldn’t truly be at peace until I’d packed her things up. Opening the curtains, I let the sunlight shine through the living room.
“Alexa, playAl Greenon Pandora.”
When the music started, I threw my hair into a ponytail, stripped out of my clothes, and pulled out my cleaning supplies. When I was growing up, Gema and I would get up bright and early every Saturday morning and clean while listening to Al Green. Today, I was going to clean my house from top to bottom after I got Gema’s things packed up and put away in the garage. Well, I would clean as much as I could before I got tired.
“Talitha!” Rossi shrieked. “I’m so happy to see you here. Did you get the flowers we sent down?”
“Yes boo. I got them,” I confirmed. “They’re resting at Gema’s gravesite.”
“We wanted to come to the funeral so bad.”
“You didn’t have too. I know your heart. And I appreciate you guys for sending your regards.”
“Why are you here? You didn’t come to work, did you?” he asked and checked me out from head to toe.
“No.” I laughed. “I came to get something out of my office.”
“Okay. I was getting ready to say. Lawton told us you were still out on bereavement.”
“You spoke with Law?”
“He’s been here every day. He usually comes around noon and stays until four or five. You didn’t know?”