“Mhmm. Whatever you’re feeding me.”
About an hour and a half later we parted ways, me heading to the restaurant to handle business and the ladies going about their business. I was grateful to Jade for taking Aja with her today because I knew for a fact she would have gotten here and been bored in my office after an hour. So she would have ended up in the kitchen with me. I loved my child, but I had a hard time not feeling guilty around her, not feeling like I was the reason her life had changed. I had to be the reason it changed again, but this time for the last time. Uprooting my child wasn’t on my list of things to do, but making sure she was loved and happy in every position was. If I had to spend the rest of my life making sure Aja was good, then I’d do just that, regardless of my own mental state.
When I made it to the restaurant, I stood out front for a moment, taking in the space. Before everything happened, when I was a seemingly happily married man, this was where my heart was. I worked my ass off trying to get this place up and running. Ashley never gave a shit. As long as there was money for her to spend, she was quiet. Then shit hit the fan, and even though this place was only fifteen minutes from what used to be my home, it felt further. My whole life felt out of reach. I hit a bottom somuch lower than rock. I didn’t know if I was coming or going. I couldn’t center myself, no matter how hard I tried. It wasn’t until I found myself living in a native community far north, in the most rural parts of the world. I met an older woman. She was the healer and sight of the community. Funnily I didn’t seek her out; she sought me out and sent word for me to come see her.
“You come here with great pain, running from a life that didn’t suit you.”
I just looked at her for a moment before my eyes scanned the room. There were many jars of herbs surrounding us on shelves. At the table she occupied was a white bowl of water and potatoes. In her hand was a knife and a potato that she was in the middle of skinning when I walked through the open door.
“Do I speak the truth?”
“Not running. Looking for direction.”
“Same difference. But until you find some sort of peace within the shell you occupy, you’ll be running your whole life. This will be just a stop.”
“What if I don’t know peace because I don’t know myself?”
“Then that’s the easy part. These sticks are a good place to find yourself as long as your heart is open to looking. Open your heart and your mind, you’ll find the self you didn’t know you were missing.”
“Um, hello. Are you gonna stand out here and gawk at the place or get in there and get to work, chef?” Kie’s voice broke my flashback.
Shaking my head, I moved to the back seat of my truck and opened the door to grab my backpack. When I had it on my back, I locked the truck and stalked toward the front door where Kie still stood.
“Are you good today?” she asked, her hazel eyes searching mine for any indication that I wasn’t.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”
“You were standing out there staring at the building for a little while. I just want to make sure you’re fine.”
I nodded. “I’m good, sis, I promise. I was just having a nostalgic moment.”
“Good, because everything good happening here is because of you and that spice you brought when you came home. Now, to change the subject, the sample knives are here for you to test out tonight. Of course, I know which ones I like but I’m not the chef, so yeah. We thought why not let you try them tonight.”
I nodded as we moved through the empty, dimly lit space toward my office. She talked for a little longer ,giving me a rundown of things I needed to know but wouldn’t remember while I prepared to move into the kitchen area to prepare for the evening. Before long it was just me and an early Jeezy album playing through the speakers of my Alexa in the corner.
When I was in the kitchen, everything else ceased and the only thing that had my attention was the dish at hand and what was in front of me. Even when Kie or Lo came in talking to me, I would unintentionally tune them out.
I was hours into my shift when Kie came into the kitchen letting me know we had doubled our goal for the evening. That was her cue to get me to come out onto the main floor, which I did as normal. This time was different though. As soon as I stepped out onto the floor, I locked eyes with a set I swore I was familiar with. I wasn’t though, but from the looks of the old man, we had to know one another. At first glance, I saw Sora. He looked like an older version of him, hence also bearing some features of Kinga. I must’ve looked familiar to him as well because he looked like he had seen a ghost.What the fuck?
Chapter 9
Jade
Spending the day with my new boyfriend’s daughter was not on my bingo card this year. But then again, having a boyfriend in the first place wasn’t on my bingo card either. Like, I literally had a man in my life who was willing to mess up his whole routine for me. A man… A real man who made me feel seen and felt every time he looked at me. Things felt like they were happening fast, but I didn’t want to slow down. I just wanted to be with him.
“Ms. Jade, do you like my daddy?” Aja asked from the back seat of his car. Yes, he made me drive his car today since mine was at my place.
“Yes, I do. Is that okay with you?”
“Yes. He’s happy. I like when he’s happy and not sad. When he first came back to Chicago, he used to be sad,” she volunteered in normal kid fashion. Kids had absolutely no problem telling all of their parents’ business.
“Well, I’m glad he’s happy.”
“I am too because I’m happy too. Are you going to be around a lot more?”
“Umm, I hope so.” I was completely caught off guard by her question but answered as honestly as I could. When it came to Oden, I hoped to be around for a while.
“Good, so we can go get our nails done and have girl time, just me and you. Tete always has the babies and she just had another one. But you, you don’t have any kids, do you?”
