Page 84 of Fumble Into the End Zone
“Do you have any concerns we should explore?” he asked.
I inhaled my cheeks and blew out a hard breath. “Marcus has dealt with quite a bit of abandonment. His mother left him, and the daughter’s mom left him with full custody. His maternal grandparents raised him. From what he tells me and what I’ve seen, they loved him and his daughter, Harley. Two weeks ago, his granny, Mrs. Eddy called telling him her plan to stay until after the holidays and he was upset. He told her he was coming to get her and skip the game this week. After he calmed down, he called her back and apologized and cried half the night.”
“Does he follow you around or have a tendency to be clingy?” Dr. Choice asked, and I paused before I answered.
Strolling through my memories, Marcus is always in the room with me. We take showers together; he sits and lays underneath me. Because I’d been attention starved by men, I craved affection, and Marcus had no problem giving it.
“Yeaaaa,” I said in a faded tone.
“Is he smothering you?” he questioned.
“No,” I said.
“And your relationship with his daughter?” he asked, crossing his legs.
“I love Harley, but I’ve created clear boundaries. I won’t allow her to call me mom and I don’t make long-term promises.”
I also told Dr. Choice about Marcus expressing he didn’t deserve the new clothes.
“I can’t diagnose without meeting him. I can tell you some typical things people who have been abandoned may demonstrate. He can be possessive out of fear of losing people, which he demonstrated with his grandmother. He will need affirmations and a firm hand from you, Mia. Set boundaries, but explain why. Do you think you can get him in for an appointment?” Dr. Choice asked, and I shook my head yes.
“All right, we have twenty minutes left. Tell me about Mia. What are your thoughts about embarking on this new relationship?” he asked.
I danced my head from side to side, and a smile dressed my face. “I’m scared at times. I take it day by day, but I want it. When I play the comparison game, which I shouldn’t, Marcus has become a safe place for me. He does thoughtful things. This morning, he left a rose on my windshield. It’s important to him that I’m appreciated and not taken for granted. My soul warms at just the thought of him. I’m going for it, Dr. Choice. When I made calculated choices, I dated manipulative men. Please don’t tell me to break up with him,” I said and tilted my head back, ready to hear his advice.
“As long as Mia is emotionally, physically and financially safe, he’s a good catch. But, you have to continue to do the work,” he said.
I released a nervous breath, loosening the tightness of my chest.
Lying in bed with my laptop, I chuckled at the little snores escaping Harley’s mouth. Marcus weighed heavy on my mind from my earlier conversation with Dr. Choice. My thumb dancedover his name, and I pushed the button after seeing it was a little after nine. His chocolate face appeared on the phone, but his eyes held no youthful joy.
“Baby, talk to me,” I requested.
He danced his eyes around the room before they returned to me. “Marcusssss,” I sang, and he showed me his white teeth.
“Let it out,” I requested.
“I’m worried about Granny. She was supposed to come home. I let her go to Arkansas and it's been four weeks now. She thinks she lives there,” he said.
Marcus removed his hand from behind his head and I remained quiet.
“She already forgot me and Harley need her here,” he said.
Pouting because his grandmother decided to spend the holidays in Arkansas pulled at my heartstrings.
“Baby, your Mrs. Eddy hasn’t forgotten about you. She calls you every day. More than you and Harley love her, Marcus. Allow them some holidays, too,” I said.
He scoffed at my statement, and I wanted to kiss him through the phone.
“In a few weeks, she will be home, and it will be Christmas. You can smother her with all the hugs and kisses you want,” I said.
Marcus wasn’t trying to accept my words of logic. He wanted to control the situation by having Mrs. Eddy back in his possession.
“Get some rest and focus on the game,” I said and blew him a kiss.
After we hung up, I knew what I needed to do and called Kindness.
“Hey, night owl,” she said.
