“See? I told you, sissy. Jabari is a different type of man. His actions and his words speak volumes. You know I’m always on your side, and I would let no one have you out here looking foolish, but I think you fucked up with this one. You need to make things right with him.”
“What...” I sniffed. “What if I’m too late? Fuck, Danita. What was I thinking?”
“You weren’t. You were thinking with that overthinking ass brain instead of your big heart. It’s never too late. You’re in your winning season now, baby girl. Continue to win.”
She wrapped me in her arms, hugged me, and allowed me to cry until I couldn’t cry anymore. I felt relieved after talking to Danita. It felt like a weight was lifted off me, yet I couldn’t help but think how in the hell I was going to convince Jabari that I had made a mistake.
“Listen, text him and tell him thank you for the flowers. That’s a start. Then maybe he will have side conversations, and things will blossom back up. You never know. He might just be waiting on you with open arms.”
“You think so?”
Danita nodded and smiled, wiping my tears. “I know so. I saw the way Jabari looked at you and how he made sure you were always close to him. He couldn’t keep his hands off you. Then, after that crazy stunt you pulled, he still found time out of his busy schedule to have flowers delivered to you. Shit, I’m sure he’s standing there with open arms, legs, mouth, or whatever. Just make sure you’re ready to receive. Okay?”
I nodded. “Okay.”
She hugged me again. “Oh, my favorite Cancer. Y’all are moody, overthinkers, and slightly crazy. But when you love, you love hard and big. Make sure you get what you deserve.”
I maneuveredmy way through the crowded street. I expected nothing other than for the roads to be filled with cars and the streets to be filled with people. It was grand opening day, and everyone had been talking about it leading up to this moment. There were billboards all over the city, along with radio ads and social media posts for the grand opening of Jabari’s restaurant. I continued walking along the streets until I arrived at the front of the building. There was a big red ribbon and cameras everywhere. The crowd was a diverse mix of cultures, all united in support of Jabari. I continued to look until I saw a hand waving at me. I made my way over to Danita and hugged her.
“You look good, girl!” she gushed.
“Thank you. I tried.”
“Hmm, I bet you did.”
I wore a flowy, white strapless jumpsuit with white pumps and gold jewelry. I added a bit of makeup to stand out more.
“Have you seen Jabari yet?” I asked Danita.
“No. Not yet. They should come out soon though.”
I became nervous thinking about seeing Jabari for the first time since I had last seen him. I fidgeted with the bracelets on my wrist. Danita reached over and placed her hand on me. I looked up at her, and she gave me a reassuring smile.
“It’s going to be okay.”
We stood there for a few more minutes until the commotion started. People clapped and cheered as Jabari made his way out of the restaurant. He wore his white chef coat and pink pants. He had a fresh haircut, and his beard was trimmed to perfection. Behind him was Gloria in a pink, flowy dress with white flowers on it. She didn’t have on a turban or wig. Her makeup was beautiful and matched the color of her dress. She looked beautiful. JaBria wore a fluffy pink dress and small white kitten heels. She had a big pink bow in her hair. All of them looked nice standing in front of the crowd.
“Good afternoon, everyone,” Jabari declared into the microphone.
The crowd cheered even louder. Unlike me, I stood there trying to control the heat that shot through my body. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I could tell he was nervous, but he was also excited at the same time.
“Alright, alright, I appreciate all the love for real,” he said, trying to get the crowd to calm down.
The crowd went silent, and Jabari cleared his throat.
“Thank y’all for coming out to support. This means a lot to me and my family. You know I’ve always had the dream of opening a restaurant, but I just didn’t know how to turn that dream into a reality. It felt like every time I was on the path togetting things up off the ground, something would come in and push me off course. Still, with the support system I have in place and the people that’s looking for me to win, I found myself back on the path each time.”
The crowd cheered.
“I appreciate that, y’all. I would like to give a few shout outs to a couple of people. To the builders, project managers, and my newly hired staff, thank y’all. Y’all stuck it out with your boy, and I’m grateful for that.” Jabari looked over at them, and they all waved and clapped.
He looked behind him and reached for JaBria and Gloria. “To my mama...” His voice cracked. “Your battle alone showed me how strong I could be. I’m blessed that you are here to witness this. I love you, Mama.”
She kissed his cheek, and the crowd all swooned over their affection. I could feel the tears building up. I tried my hardest not to let them fall because I didn’t want my makeup to be ruined, but I wasn’t sure how much longer it would last. He reached down and picked JaBria up. She had a big, bright smile on her face, causing a smile on mine.
“To this special girl, thank you for loving your daddy the way you do. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love making all those food requests for you. Even when you’re older and married, I’ll still be there for you. I love you, JaBria.”
“I love you too, Daddy.” She hugged his neck tight, and he hugged her just as tight before he placed her down.
