Chapter Eight

Callum

"Look at me, Uncle Cay!"

I looked up to see my niece preparing to climb up the mini rock wall of the playhouse with Armani on her heels. She was such a little daredevil at times.

"Be careful, Precious!" I called over to her. She grinned and nodded as she took the first leap. I held my breath until she made it to the top. "That little girl is going to give me a heart attack, man."

Chris chuckled. "Just wait until you have one of your own. I thought having boys was rough, but Armani is no better. She runs right with her brothers. I'm glad she's fearless, but I just want her to be dainty and girly for a little bit. My nerves can only take so much."

"Yeah, well, maybe I'll get to experience fatherhood one day."

"You realize you actually have to date and get to know somebody first, right? Well, not necessarily, but I don't see you having a child with a woman you aren't married to."

"I'm glad you know that."

"When are you gonna get back out there then, man? You can't use Bella as an excuse anymore. She's married and well taken care of. You're financially stable, and you've got everything going for you. Ain't no excuse."

"I'm not making excuses. I believe the woman I'm meant to be with will show up when the time is right."

"The Bible says faith without works is dead. She's not just gonna drop in your lap. You gotta put yourself out there."

"Dating is hard, Chris. Some of these women only see dollar signs when it comes to me. They see a successful, young, Black man with money and think it's a come-up. I struggled to get here. I'll be damned if I let somebody come in and reap the benefits for all the wrong reasons."

"I get it. Hey, Eva has a few single friends. Maybe you should let her hook you up."

"I think not. You know I love Eva, but I've met her friends. They aren't exactly my type."

"Why? Because you can't fix them?"

"Why do you and Bella think I need to fix people?"

"Why do you feel like you need to?"

"I don't."

Chris ran his hand down his face. "I've known you for a minute, Callum. I know you became a full-time parent at eighteen, and while it was the hardest thing you ever had to do, you did it with pride. You put your dreams and education on the back burner to make sure you two were straight when nobody else could or would. I know that even though Belle is married to a good man, you keep her on your payroll, so she is forever good just in case shit doesn't work out. My point is, not only do you like to fix broken things, but you also like to prevent them from being broken again."

I was quiet momentarily when he said that because it was true. Once you make it out of the struggle, you do everything possible never to struggle again. I'd like to say I'd become a bit of an empath. The trauma of losing my parents and being thrown into adult roles early on made me sensitive to others' needs. I didn't have a savior complex or anything like that. I just felt like it was my duty to help those in need if it was within my means.

I understood what it was like not to have anybody and be forced to depend on yourself, even when you may not be your best option. There were times after losing my parents when I was so burned out from having to pour into not only myself but my sister. She needed me, and I needed both of us. I knew that if I gave up, we would both suffer. I could never make Bella suffer. She was only a kid back then. Hell, I was still a kid, my damn self.

I sat back against the bench and blew out my breath. "I guess now would be a bad time to tell you about the woman I met then."

Chris sat up in his seat and leaned forward on his elbows. He chuckled and shook his head.

"Have at it."

For the next twenty minutes, I told him the story of Pasha while we watched the girls play. His face played many of the same expressions mine did as I experienced it myself. When I finished, all he could do was shake his head.

"You know, you see this in movies, but it's always crazy to hear about it happening in real life."

"Tell me about it. This is right out of a Tyler Perry joint."

"You said you've been thinking about her... What's up with that?"

I sighed. "I don't know, man. I guess... I just want to know how it ends. I want her to be okay, you know?"

"I get that. Seems like you've already become emotionally invested. What are you gonna do if you ever see her again? Pursue that?"

"I wouldn't push it that far, Chris. At least, I don't think that I would. I mean, she's gonna need lots of time and probably more therapy to get through this. She was already dealing with depression and anxiety. This probably set her back."

"I can only imagine." He looked at me curiously. "I feel like this has somehow embedded itself in you. I know you well enough to know that once you get a thought in your mind, you like to see it through. Just be careful. Don't get weird, man."

My brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Don't go looking for her or show up at her job. Coincidently, seeing her in public is one thing, but looking for her will give that woman stalker vibes. Hell, you might even catch a charge. You did your due diligence as a good citizen. The Lord will bless you for that. Just let the cards fall where they may."

"I hear you, Chris."

Even though the urge to check on Pasha was strong, I would fight against it. The last thing I needed was to have my concern misconstrued as something it wasn't. I knew when to leave well enough alone... even when I didn't want to. Maybe our interaction was only supposed to be for that one night. Perhaps I had done my good deed, and it was time to go about my business.

"What did you do to my baby?" Bella asked as I carried Precious into her house.

We'd spent a good three hours at the park with Chris and Armani. They played to their hearts' content. When she was good and tired, I took her back to my house and put on her favorite movie. She cuddled up in my arms, and before long, we fell fast asleep.

"I'll never tell," I jested, laying her on the couch. I covered her with a blanket and kissed her forehead before hugging my sister. "How was your day?"

"Ugh! It was a day! Come in the kitchen, and I'll tell you about it."

I followed her into the spacious kitchen. The delectable scent of whatever she was cooking pleased my senses. My lunch was gone, and I knew I'd stay for dinner. Bella retrieved two glasses from the cabinet, then pulled out a bottle of wine from the fridge.

"I don't like how you treat me like one of your girlfriends," I said, gesturing to the items. "You love to wine and gossip with me."

She rolled her eyes. "First of all, you love this wine. I bought it just for you, so you're welcome. Second, you've always been my best friend. If I can't gossip with you, who can I gossip with? So, sit back, sip your wine, and shut up."

"Have you forgotten that I'm the oldest? Don't be talking to me recklessly. I'll come over there and put you in a headlock."

"Remember, you taught me how to fight. I'll kick your ass."

We stared at each other for a moment before breaking into laughter.

"What's up, Bells?"

"So we got this new client today. I think he has this vendetta against women. It's like he thought I was incompetent or something, Callum. Every suggestion I made, he wasn't happy with it. He spoke over me, refused to make eye contact with me, and wouldn't even shake my hand. He only agreed to sign a contract because my male coworker stepped in and finished the pitch. The pitch I worked so hard on. He said the exact same thing I did, but it was accepted because it came from a man."

I frowned. My sister was highly competent at her job. She was the youngest partner at her firm, and that, in itself, spoke to her abilities.

"I'm sorry you had to encounter an asshole today, Bells. You know you're a beast with numbers. You could easily start your own firm. I guarantee your clients would follow you."

"I wouldn't want there to be bad blood. That company has done a lot for me, Callum. Days like today, I just wished they'd had my back. I understand not wanting to lose out on a major moneymaking account, but it shouldn't be at my expense. For the first time, I felt undervalued and underappreciated. He made me feel like I wasn't good enough to sit with the big boys at the table."

"You are good enough. You're more than good. Don't ever let anybody make you feel less than. Look at where we were and where we are. The odds were against us after Mama and Daddy died. All we had in this world was ourselves. We could have fallen by the wayside or run with the wrong crowd because we didn't have parental guidance. We didn't do any of that. You made it through school and college at the top of your class. You climbed the corporate ladder quickly, doing what it took some of those people years to accomplish. You earned and deserved that title as a partner. You wouldn't have been presented with the opportunity if you weren't competent. I'm so proud of you. If nobody else ever tells you that, you'll always hear it from me."

She swiped a tear from her eye. I hated to see her cry. In my eyes, she would always be that little red baby our parents brought home from the hospital. I'd spent my life protecting her and making sure that she was happy, and I would die doing the same thing. Getting up from my seat, I rounded the counter and pulled her into my arms, wrapping her up in a hug.

"I'm glad we've always had each other," she said softly. "You always know how to get my mind right."

"That's what big brothers are for." I kissed her forehead, then released her. "What are you cooking? Your daughter ran me ragged, and now I'm hungry."

She giggled and shook her head as she turned back to the stove. "I'm making gumbo and rice. I already set a place for you at the table."

I looked back at the dining room; sure enough, there were four place settings.

"Can I help with anything?" I asked.

"Nope. Just keep me company since you let my child fall asleep. I would fuss if it weren't a Friday night, and we're going away for the weekend. You're still invited to come."

"As I told you, I don't want to intrude on family time."

"And as I've told you, you are my family. You know, if you'd just get married and have a kid or two, we wouldn't need to have these conversations when I invite you to go on vacation with us. I have a friend or two I could hook you up with."

"Negative. Why would you want me to date your friends?"

She looked over her shoulder at me and smirked. "Because at least I know I like them and won't have to fight anybody. You know I don't play about you."

"I will pass on your friends. Chris tried to slide Eva's friends on me too."

"I like Eva; her friends are cute, but I don't see them as your type."

"That's what I said. I'm good, though. Eventually, my rib will be placed in my path."

"Well, don't go hungry while you're waiting. I'm not saying be a man whore, but you should date. She's not just gonna fall out of the sky, Callum. I want some nieces and nephews to love on, so you need to hop on it."

"I hear you. We'll see what happens."

"Don't just ‘see' about it, ‘be' about it. Don't play with me like I won't set you up on a blind date."

I shook my head. It wouldn't be the first time she'd done that.

We continued to talk while she cooked. Precious was awake when my brother-in-law came home and wanted to play again. I obliged her while we waited for the food and then ate dinner with them. I returned to my house around eight that evening, and the difference was so noticeable. The silence was deafening, and the house felt too big for me. For the first time in a long time, I truly felt lonely.

But what could I do but wash my body and climb my lonely ass into bed?