Each time Lo entered Maddy’s home, he was guaranteed to smell the aroma of cooked food. She was always in a mood to cook. When she was mad, she pulled out the cast iron skillet and went to work. When she was happy, she’d open up her recipe book and whip up something. Even when she was bored, she loved to stand over the stove while ol’ school tunes poured from her Bluetooth speaker and burn real good. When Lo walked into the kitchen, she sat at the table cutting bell peppers and onions while The Isley Brother’s crooned through the room.
“What’s up, Auntie?”
She looked up, her eyes instantly glowing. “Hey, baby. What a nice surprise. What are you doing here?”
Lo bent down and kissed her cheek before taking a seat at the table.
“Just wanted to stop by.”
She cocked her head. “What’s wrong?”
Lo was always amazed at Maddy’s ability to know when something was bothering him. His mind had been set on Bria. Leaving her the other night was painful. Mainly because he had dumped so much trauma in her lap that he knew she was affected. He hadn’t spoken to her since and that was four days ago. The trip was approaching, and he prayed that she would show up. Lo never prayed for anything but somehow found himself in an intimate conversation with God, praying for his marriage.
“A lot, Auntie.” He sighed the heaviest breath. “… I told Bria what happened to me at the summer camp.”
Her eyes widened as she dropped the knife on the table. “Oh, wow, I wasn’t expecting you to say that. How did it go?”
Shrugging, he replied, “It was hard, but I needed to tell her.”
“Why did you feel the need to tell her about it?”
“Because I’m on the verge of losing her… I probably already did. I don't know yet.”
“She’s still mad, huh?”
Lo rubbed his hands down his fade. He was so frustrated with himself. He had always been stubborn, not willing to compromise and hardheaded. Bria wouldn’t accept him in this condition. She’d tried but he had pushed her too far.
“Yeah, I told her about my past so she can understand why I move the way that I do. She accepted it but… I don't know if she still wants to be with me or not.”
“And what if she doesn’t?”
That reality would take his breath away. He would need a full oxygen tank if Bria decided to leave him.
“I’m probably going to go crazy.”
Maddy chuckled. “That’s impossible. You're always to the max,” she joked.
Smirking, he appreciated her for lifting the mood.
“I’m glad you decided to share that part of your life with Bria. She deserves to know the moment that changed your life. And Lo, baby, you gotta be gentle with your wife. You can’t treat her with the same regard as you do everyone else.”
“I know.”
He hoped he hadn’t learned that lesson too late.
“And if you want your marriage to work, you have to fight to make it happen. Y’all young people get married and think that’s it. The real work starts once you say I do because the devilis just waiting in the shadows to disrupt your union. Block the devil out, Lo. Don't let him come between you and your wife.”
He nodded, taking in every word. “Can I ask you something without you being offended?”
“Of course, you can.”
“Why did Ada say you were jealous of her?”
That had plagued Lo’s mind ever since the blow-up between Maddy and Ada. He’d been so isolated from Ada that he never knew she had accusations of Maddy being jealous of her.
She snorted and picked up the knife to resume cutting her vegetables. “Your mama is a trip. When she got with Dax, she swore up and down that everybody wanted him. She really acted like she had won the jackpot or something. Dax was a ladies’ man. He had plenty women, and she always acts like it never happened.”
“So, he was cheating on her?”
