Page 72 of The Impact (Parachutes #3)

Especially... especially because he was keeping such a big secret from the girl.

That he’d fucked up again and although still green to real life and rules, it was post-vows, and the girl would not take that lightly.

So, he lied to the girl and deceived the girl all while trying to prolong life with the girl until… he lost the girl for good.

Now…the girl was sitting next to him. On a couch. In a therapist’s office. Holding his destiny in her pretty palm. A woman, but still the girl to him. Vin was convinced he would look into Tahli’s 80-year-old face, if he were ever blessed enough to witness it, and still see the girl at the barbecue.

She beckoned his eyes with hers, already scooted to the edge of the couch, a telltale that she was nervous.

Legs crossed, brown thigh meat peeking through her ripped jeans like slices of heaven.

Vin was more relaxed, leaned back on the loveseat, arms spread across the top cushions. He’d done this enough.

“Hi,” Tahli whispered, even though they were alone in the room, and Larry still hadn’t entered.

“Hi.”

She twisted her lips, nibbling the inside of her cheek while her eyes scanned the room. Then she brought those trancing eyes back to him, leaning in.

“Yo. We’re at fucking therapy, Dalvin.”

A humorous pluck of her eyebrow came with her stare. Yeah, she was nervous. Her lips twitched, visibly suppressing laughter that made Vin give in to his own. They both erupted in cackles, Tahli doubling over. Vin shook his head, massaging his mouth, chuckles falling into his fingers.

“Like, nigga . Me and you…at therapy!”

Vin’s chest jumped in a short laugh at the hilarity, as Tahli could barely speak.

“Wait... oh my God. My stomach. But no…for real. Who did it, babe? Was it Cree Autumn? Did she fuck me up? Was it Lola?”

Vin nodded to both, as Tahli laughed even more.

“Robert? I mean I know he had that whole cheating thing. Did he like ruin my love map or some shit?” Tahli swiped her leaking eyes. “And you…?”

“Oh, Milo definitely fucked me up,” Vin agreed. “No fucking doubt.” He found himself joining in with her on how humorous it was. Tahli was slapping his leg, as he rubbed small, comforting circles on her back a second later. All of this humor? Concocted of nerves.

“We were fucking doomed, Vin!” Tahli cackled. “Talking about parachutes, and shit.”

“Fucking parachute had a hole in it,” Vin chuckled off. Tahli slapped her knee, rolling in giggles.

“Now we’re in fucking therapy! Hold up. Is he gonna make us do activities? He gon’ ask me what I see in the shapes?” Vin swiped his closed eyes, laughing through his nose.

“Vin, how much are you paying for this shit? We need to send Robert the invoice. He’s the only one still here. He has to pay for all four of them.” They were still in hoots when Larry entered.

“I’m…sorry. I had an emergency call with a client. Wow.” Larry settled into his roomy leather chair, wheeling it to the desk. “We’re having fun in here.”

Laughter fizzled to chuckles; forced quiet bubbling with tension. Until Tahli broke it with more sputtered giggles. Vin snorted.

“Okay…I’m good.” She promised, her giggles dying down. “We just…we used to make fun of people…”

“I get it,” Larry nodded. “It’s weird at first. Gets better later. You nervous, Tahli?”

“Maybe. Maybe that’s why I’m laughing so much,” she admitted.

“How you feeling, Dalvin? Tahli, we’ll let Dalvin lead, and you watch how this goes.”

Vin swallowed his bowl of emotions. “Anxious…and calm. It’s crazy.”

“Yeah, it’s crazy. It’s outrageous, huh?” Larry quipped. “Describe the anxiety.”

“I’m afraid to be too hopeful,” Vin revealed. “She’s here…but I don’t know if she’s here .”

A sobered Tahli brought stunned eyes to him. He could imagine the shock of hearing him open up so easily.

“The calm?” Larry expanded.

“Well…the calm…” Vin opened his hands toward Tahli. “She’s here, L.”

Larry grinned. “I know. Your girl. Your Tahli. And you were right. Ethereal.”

Tahli whipped her head to Vin. “You talk about me?”

Vin shook his head.

“All I fucking talk about,” he grumbled.

“Tahli, listen. We’re going to ease into this. Let’s just start small with why you even want to be here. Maybe some questions about your past. I know you mentioned in your email that you wanted to explore your relationship with your mother. You spoke of your kneejerk reactions similar to hers.”

Vin’s eyes flexed, dead stare on the desk while gripping her hand. One mention of Cree, and Tahli squeezed his.

As Larry carried on, his deep, monotonous voice blurring into mumbles, Vin opened up the book of Tahli and Vin to a random page dead smack in the middle of it.

The first time Vin officially met Tahli’s mother had been unexpected.

Vin had rushed from a meeting with a contractor, new to expanding his father’s business, and had given his word to Tahli they’d speak with the wedding planner together.

Shit like picking colors, cocktail hour food, and cake flavors - things Vin could care less about.

He only wanted the woman. Niggas could eat dog food sandwiches and shit-flavored cake, as long as he got Tahli.

“I’m here.” He pushed the door open seventeen minutes late, an old school bell jingling on the vintage-looking place.

Was stunned to find Tahli not alone. He knew who she was right away.

Not even by her youthful features and glowing skin, or the traces of resemblance to the love of his life.

Cree Autumn didn’t take her eyes off of him, so Vin returned the attention.

“This must be the magic man himself.” There had been a song Tahli recorded with her mother.

After she forgave him for Sharonda and told him she was pregnant, they reunited, and she’d played it for him.

Must have been the song Cree Autumn was referencing in her wide-leg pants and a blouse covered with palm trees, unfitting for the January New Jersey weather.

But she wasn’t a woman who followed rules.

Tahli had revealed enough about her. And from the way his future wife sat propped up, eyes smiling between her mother and him, Vin knew.

It wasn’t Robert’s approval Tahli had been after.

It was this woman’s. Vin may have made it to Oz and charmed the wizard, but Robert was as much of a decoy as the wizard.

The real machine behind the curtain was right here in this bougee-ass wedding shop, judging him with amber eyes.

“Miss Autumn. It’s a pleasure.” She shook his hand. Tried to make him believe the pleasure was all hers.

All through the tasting, Vin felt her eyes crawling over his neck and fingers, decoding his tattoos.

Anytime he touched Tahli or Tahli smiled at him, she was tuned in like a movie playing.

A movie for sure. Because Vin could smell her wonder if his love was an act.

Tahli got up to tell them about the vanilla bean flavor they’d chosen, and Vin debated which restaurant he would take Cree to for dinner.

Something Tahli loved and something impressive.

“There’s a place not far from here. The Frog & The Peach. Food is great, even the burgers. Tahli says y’all got a thing for burgers.” He’d have to cancel his next meeting. He would.

“That’s nice, Dalvin, but I don’t need your charm or your burgers. You can save them for my daughter.”

Cree may have thought she was shocking or intimidating him. But Vin had been dealing with people who wore masks his whole life. Snakes with two heads. Good and evil.

“Alright.” He slid his phone back into the inside of his suit jacket. No need to make a reservation. He drummed his decorated fingers on the table instead.

“I would like something else from you, Dalvin. Though I doubt you’ll want to give it to me.”

“You got a problem with me marrying Tahli”

Cree scoffed. “I could give a shit about you marrying my daughter. That’s why divorces were invented.”

“Tahli and I are never getting divorced. Never,” Vin made clear.

“Contrary to what you think that’s not just your decision. This isn’t 1536. You can’t have her beheaded like Anne Boleyn for treason. Not that I expect you to know who that is.”

He did. Didn’t need to prove that to her. Just another of many who underestimated his intelligence.

“You’ve knocked up my baby girl and tied her down with a child at 20 years old.” His unborn child. Cree really didn’t want to take it there. “She thinks she wants that baby because she wants you. But she doesn’t. Tahli has no idea how much that baby will cripple her.”

“Like her and Leah crippled you?” Vin’s knack for reading people was on full fledge and he had Cree’s card.

“I just want you to do what you’re going to do anyway one, two…

five years from now. I want you to disappear.

Tahli probably won’t abort because she’s already four months along, but I’ll talk to her.

I’ll convince her to either consider adoption or maybe Vanessa will take it.

She likes doing shit like that. You can be free, and my daughter can finish college, follow her dreams, explore her musical talents, and whatever else she wants to do with this life. ”

As Vin fought the urge to pull out his pistol and put a smoking hole between her eyes, Tahli returned.

“You guys ready? Babe, should we all go eat?”

“I’m sorry, baby love. I cant.” Vin stood abruptly. “I just got a call. It’s an emergency.” Vin would hear it later judging by her devastation. But it was better than looking at her mother a second longer.

“Miss Cree Autumn. I would say it’s been a pleasure, but I don’t think there’s a word to describe the feeling of finally meeting you,” Vin let her know. Tahli smiled slightly at his sugar-frosted insult, clearly still bummed. Cree’s short laugh bared amusement.

“Likewise. I’m sorry you can’t stick around. But that just gives me and my girl more time to talk. Maybe some other time.”

“Definitely,” Vin promised. “Even if it’s one, two…five years from now. I’ll be here.” Unwavering eye contact dropped her face. He kissed Tahli goodbye.

“I love you,” he whispered on her pouting lips.

“I love you, too.” He was almost scared to leave her alone with such pretty-faced manipulation, but he had to have faith that Tahli was still Tahli – as will-powered and strong in her decisions as Cree.

Besides, if she could push against her calculating mother’s influence, then it was real.

If Vin could be nothing like Milo – not self-sabotage or stain his relationship with infidelity, then Tahli could be nothing like Cree.

They could both break patterns. They could be the exception.

Vin’s eyes widened, tuning back into Larry breaching sensitive territory with Tahli’s mother. Glancing over, he watched Tahli fidget. Knew her so well. This level of vulnerability would be harder for her than him. She was nervous about what would be revealed. Nervous of discovering imperfections.

“I think I should step out of the room.”

Her head snapped to him. “What? No.”

Vin rubbed her hand to ease her. Larry only dissected it.

“Tahli, I’ve been here. Trust me. I think this part is best alone.” Without me being here censoring your truth , he left off. Leaning in, he whispered for only her to hear.

“This only works if you’re honest, baby love. So be it. But don’t worry. You’re still perfect… Even if he says you got bipolar or some outrageous shit like that.” That made her snort. Vin lifted her hand to kiss it.

“L…take it easy on her. I’m not playing.” Vin stood to his length. “If she leaves out of here crying, me and you gonna dance.”

“You hear that, Tahli? Dalvin, did you just threaten me?” Larry joked. “All my hard work and those anger issues are still going strong. He’ll be in therapy until he’s seventy-five, Tahli. I’ll have to give him the senior citizen discount.” They all laughed.

“I got you, Dalvin. Thank you for entrusting me with your PFC. She’s in good hands.”

“PFC?” Tahli raised questioning eyes and Vin sort of hoped Larry remained mum.

“Purpose for Change,” Larry revealed.

Tahli blinked watery eyes on him. Vin tapped her knee.

“I’ll be outside.”

Then he left her to start her journey.