She took off in the opposite direction so that I couldn’t see her emotional battle, but I was right behind her. The girls were already checking out the van, leaving us to ourselves. I ran behind Ever, only stopping when she did. And when she turned and fell into my arms, my chest sank. Her face was buried in my chest as she cried body-rocking tears. There was more sadness to her moment than joy, and I couldn’t help but pick up on it.
“Hey. Hey. What’s the matter?”
I brought her face up, lifting her chin from my shirt with a finger.
“Any time something good happens to me, something bad always follows. I want to be so happy right now, but I can’t help but wonder what is about to happen to shake up my world.”
“Nothing is going to happen to any of us. And if it does, we will worry about that when we get to it. For now, you are going to get every-fucking-thing you deserve. I’ll damn near empty the bank to make sure you do. Don’t cry. Celebrate! You imagined your Sprinter and now it’s reality for you. Go check that motherfucker out because my stomach is touching my back right now.”
I kissed her forehead and then her lips. We turned toward the van and headed back in that direction. For the next ten minutes, we checked out all the gadgets, the wrapping, and the interior. It wasn’t complete on the inside, but I wanted her to be the one to give instructions on that. I didn’t know what the fuck I was doing.
“Thank you, baby.”
“Always,” I responded to another woman other than my sister for the first time.
“I’m ready now.”
“Look at you, eyes puffy, nose red, and shit.”
“Shut up. Let me get Emorey’s seat.”
While I put the girls in the truck, she grabbed Emorey’s car seat from her car. I made a mental note to ask if she’d chosen her ride yet. The building and apartment she’d already selected, and I was working on the building already. I was digging her independence but that car had to go.
“Come on, Emorey,” Ever called out to Em, who was up in the front with me, playing like she was driving.
When she heard her mother call out to her, she climbed to the back and allowed Ever to strap her down. I leaned over and opened the passenger door as she rounded the truck. I held out my arm to assist with her entry. Once she was strapped in, we took off and headed for Maple Berries Brunch House, a spot that I frequented before I went in.
Ever remained silent until we reached our destination. Her desire for physical contact remained as she kept her hand wrapped around my arm the entire ride. I didn’t take offense to her silence. I knew that there was some processing that had to be done.
Shit, I was even wondering if I was taking her too fast and if I needed to scale back on the purchases I was making until she was a bit more comfortable. My intentions would never beto overwhelm her, no matter how bad I wanted her to have the world. It wasn’t until we were seated and had ordered our drinks that she finally spoke again.
“I’m ready,” she proclaimed.
“Ready for what, Ever?” I wanted more details.
“For whatever your heart desires for me that don’t directly disregard my boundaries or at least take them into consideration.”
“Today, I’d like to go to the dealership and get you in a new whip.”
“Okay,” she agreed, plain and simple.
“I’d also like to get you in your new apartment by the end of the week.”
“Okay.”
“Within the next six weeks, I want to have your space functional but in the meantime, I want to bring you some customers.”
“OK.”
“Did you make the business cards and shit?”
“I did. I just have to go pick them up.”
“We can do that before we go to the lot and pass them motherfuckers out everywhere we go.”
“Anything else?”
“I want you to relax. You’re fucking with a man, now. I got you.”
