“I will. Let’s hope this works. I am ready to get out of here.”
Samuel
“Good morning!” I smiled when Averie finally opened her eyes.
I’d been laying on the pillow next to her watching her sleep the same way I’d done for the last few days that I’d been home. I don’t know if any other woman would have held me down the way she did. She looked after everything even though none of it was hers. She cared for my mother and sister like she was born into the family. Both Mom and Torrey told me that Averie was their rock while I was in the hospital. The hospital chief told me that the financial account for my medical care was in Averie’s name and she’d been paying it. My mother being my next of kin had access to my financials, but Averie wanted to handle it. I planned to replace all the money that she had spent on my care.
I’d been brainstorming ways of showing her how much I appreciate her. One of the things I wanted to do was ask her to marry me. I didn’t ever want something to happen to me and she not be taken care of. I was ready to build a life with her. I thought about just slipping the ring on her finger while she slept but that was very Tyler Perry-ish. I had another idea, though.
“Good morning,” she smiled.
I kissed her forehead while she stretched then got out of the bed to go to the restroom. She came out of the bathroom and climbed back into the bed with me.
“Are you ready for the big celebration today?”
My mother had planned a welcome home party for me and had a full guest list. I wouldn’t have minded spending a lazy day in bed or outside enjoying the unseasonably warm weather with Averie, but I knew how much work my mother had put into this party, so I was going to enjoy the day surrounded by family and friends.
“I am. Are you? I know my mother has a list of things for you to do.”
“No, she has a list of things for me, Torrey, my mom and Keeva to do,” she laughed. “Oh and Coco. Everyone has a job. Roc is managing the valets and Count is on security. Even Princess is helping put up decorations.”
“Sounds like Mom. My grandmother was the same way. She threw parties and always expected everyone in the family to help.”
“You don’t talk much about your grandparents. Did you have a good relationship with them?
I sat with back on the headboard, Averie rested her head on my chest.
“My Nana and Pop were both major influences in my life. Pop still made Nana giggle after over fifty years of marriage. Nana got sick and passed about five years after I was released from prison. Pop died two years later. I think he missed her and never really stopped mourning. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer and wouldn’t do chemo or radiation. He was ready to be with her. That was the first example I’d seen of true love.”
“Did that make you want to have love like that?”
“No. I didn’t really think about it a whole lot until I fell in love. Then I thought about it a lot…I think about it a lot. I think about how a man should treat the woman that he loves. I think about ways to incorporate you into my life. I consider changes I need to make to make your life easier.”
“You think about me like that?” Averie asked looking up at me.
“Every day, without fail.”
“Wow.”
I pushed Averie onto her back and laid on top of her. She put her hands on my face and brought it down to hers. She kissed me lightly.
“I want you to be happy because this is forever,” I said while pulling her nightgown up to expose her breasts. I’d just sucked one into my mouth when her phone vibrated on the nightstand.
“Don’t stop. I can ignore it,” she moaned.
Immediately after her phone stopped vibrating, my phone started.
I grabbed the phone from the nightstand and saw my mother’s name on the screen.
“Hey Mom…yep, here she is.”
I passed the phone to Averie.
“Good morning, Vivian,” Averie said while I kissed her neck. “Yes…right now?...Okay, I’m on my way.”
“I have to go over there now,” Averie said while adjusting her nightgown to cover her breasts.
“Right now?”