Ruby walked over to her father and stretched her arms in the air, prompting him to pick her up. He did, placing her on his lap.

  “I get it. I might join you one day, but until then…can’t have any lil’ shawties holding on to my pant leg.”

  “Why not? It’ll change your life,” Micah said because even though things were how they were, he couldn’t imagine his life without his daughter.

  And speaking of his daughter…

  She’d twisted her body to see his face, staring at him with those adorable eyes as he spoke, almost as if she was comprehending what he was saying. And then she puckered her little cracker-crumb lips and planted a kiss on his jaw, something he recognized she did whenever she was ready for a nap. Some toddlers fought to the death to avoid naps. Ruby wasn’t one of them.

  “Look at that. She’s a daddy’s girl, too, I see.”

  “Yeah. She took to me immediately, almost as if she could feel a connection to me—like she knew I was her dad.”

  “She probably did. They say kids can sense those things.”

  Ruby rested her head against Micah’s chest. “Well, Imma head out…have to get her bathed and ready for bed.”

  “How does it feel being a father and all?”

  “It’s scary, man. I have her life in my hands. Then, at the same time, I’m blessed to have her.”

  “That’s cool, man.”

  Micah stood up with Ruby nestled in his arms. “I’ll see ya.”

  “Ah’ight man.”

  Chapter 3

  When Georgiana arrived home, she immediately went to Ruby’s room to see her because no matter how much you needed a break from your child, you never stopped loving them. She smiled when she saw Ruby sleeping peacefully in her crib. She smelled like Johnson and Johnson baby lotion. From the looks of it, Micah had given her a bath and changed her into a nighttime onesie – a pink one. Her little cheeks glowed under the soft nightlight in her room. She glided her index finger along her cheek. Nothing satisfied her more than seeing her child happy, safe and at peace.

  She walked to the master bedroom, surprised to see that Micah was actually in bed tonight. The room was dark – it’s how they both liked to sleep – but she could still see the silhouette of his body beneath the sheets.

  She continued to the bathroom where she took a quick shower while thinking about all the things she talked about with her friends. How would this marriage work if Micah wasn’t making an effort to be a willing participant? If there was a competition, he’d totally win father-of-the-year award, but husband? Not so much…

  She slid into a gown and walked over to the bed. She wanted to talk to him. To wake up and hash everything out. It was so hard being this close – this close! – and she couldn’t touch him or talk to him. It made her question herself. Dang. Was he just not attracted to her? Was that it?

  She sat on the bed and whispered, “Micah, are you sleep?”

  He didn’t respond, so she took that as a yes. He was sleeping, so they wouldn’t be doing any talking tonight.

  Bummer…

  She sighed, took her pillow from the bed and left the room, pulling the door closed behind her.

  And then Micah’s eyes opened…

  He didn’t want to do this to her – ignore her like he’d been doing. He wanted to be open, talk to her, kiss her. Make love to her but every time he got the courage to try, it quickly fizzled out. Like just a moment ago when she asked if he was sleeping…

  He could’ve said, no. They could’ve talked about their respective days, and how Ruby was doing. But he didn’t say a word. He couldn’t see far enough into the future to know how their relationship would turn out, but something had to give.

  Chapter 4

  “Daddy, daddy, daddy,” Ruby said climbing up the stairs to the porch where Micah and his father were sitting. Her curly hair was brushed into a single ponytail today, tied with a pastel green bow that matched her tutu.

  Micah stood up, walked over to her as she tried navigating the stairs. He picked her up, planting a kiss on her cheek. “You’re running from Grandma, babygirl?” he asked her, looking at the chocolate cake crumbs around her mouth. His parents spoiled Ruby rotten and allowed her to eat things Georgiana didn’t necessarily approve of. To keep the peace, Georgiana let it happen but stepped in whenever she could to limit Ruby’s sugar intake. Too much sugar and she wouldn’t be able to sleep.

  Ruby smiled, then wiggled so he’d put her down. Micah watched as she twisted her body to safely descend the stairs. He sat back down as Ruby sprinted across the green grass toward his mother.

  “Who would’ve ever thought it would happen like this?” Micah asked his father. He took a swig of beer.

  “Like what, son?”

  “This,” he said, gesturing toward the yard.

  His father chuckled. “That’s what has you stressed out?”

  “Who said I was stressed out?”

  “You ain’t got to say it. Your face says it. I know my son.”

  And that, he did. There was no use in trying to hide anything now. Micah said, “This isn’t how my life was supposed to go. It was supposed to be me and Indy. Then—”

  Micah sighed.

  “Well, let me tell you something, son. It ain’t a doggone thing you can do to change the past. While you’re sitting here moping around, guess what? Time is gon’ fly by. Indy’s done moved on with her life. I suggest you do the same.”

  “I have moved on.”

  “Outwardly, yes, but in your heart you’re still in the same place. You have to let that girl go. Indy’s remarried now, and—”

  “I’m remarried, too.”

  His father hissed a sigh. “You married Georgiana because me and your mom told you it was the right thing to do by that girl, just like back in the day. Back then, if you fooled around with a woman and got her pregnant, it was the chivalrous thing to do whether you loved the girl or not. Shoot—if she was good enough to make a baby with, then she good enough to marry, ain’t she?”

  “That’s not why I married Georgiana.”

  “Speak on it, then. Why?”

  “We—me and Georgiana—sat down and came to an understanding. We want to raise Ruby together. Want her to have a normal, stable life.”

  “Look around, Micah. Ain’t nothing normal these days.”

  “There is. It may not be all that pretty, but there is normalcy. Look at you and mom.”

  “Me and your mother…ha! We’ve had our share of ups and downs. It wasn’t easy for us.”

  “I know, but you’re still together and you love each other.”

  “Of course, but we’re not the poster couple for anyone, you know. We have our good moments and bad ones. She doesn’t know I know this but she still resents me to this day for keeping her in that house. She didn’t want to be no homemaker. Your mother is as smart as a whip. She gave up a part of herself for our family. And she knows how to work my nerves, too.”

  Micah chuckled. “My mother? Never. My mother is the sweetest.”

  “Yeah, she’s sweet, all right…sweeter than a jalapeño pepper dipped in apple cider vinegar.”

  The men laughed so hard, the women briefly looked their way.

  Micah said, “You can’t be talking about my mom like that.”

  “Ay, I’ve known her longer than you have.” He took a sip of his beer. “But I know what you mean, son, and I’ma just tell you like this here—things could be a lot worse than what they are. You could’ve ended up with a woman who hated you. A woman not as compromising and as understanding as Georgiana. She’s a beautiful woman and my grandbaby is a sweet lil’ angel. I say it’s time you start looking at the positives and stop focusing so much on the negatives.”

  “Maybe you’re right,” Micah said, looking over at Georgiana, watching as she tossed a ball while Ruby ran to catch it.

  “And you know what else you need to do?”

  “What’s that?”

  “Stay your butt home sometimes. I know you got a business to run. I understand completely, but taking care of home involves so much more than making money. I had to learn that the hard way myself. Besides, it ain’t like Georgiana is a stay-at-home mother. That girl got her own money.”

  “Why do you make it a point to emphasize that?”

  “What? That Georgiana got her own money?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I was trying to say it without saying it but you want it straight so I’ll give it to you straight. The bottom line is, Georgiana wants you more than she needs you. You don’t think she can take care of Ruby without you?”

  “I know she can. She did it for an entire year.”

  “Exactly. Women who don’t necessarily need a man ain’t gon’ put up with but so much. You better take care of that woman. Do you know what I mean when I say take care of that woman, son, or do I need to give you some specifics?”

  “I don’t need any lessons, pop. I’m good.” Micah glanced over at her – Georgiana Travis – who’d become Georgiana Justus three months ago. He’d admit he hadn’t been around much afterward. She’d moved in with him the same day they married. He’d been out of town frequently thereafter in an effort to avoid her. Why? Because he was embarrassed around her, especially when he thought about how Ruby was conceived. The ordeal still seemed unfathomable. And it had ultimately led to his divorce from Indy.

  Well, sort of.

  His marriage to Indy was already on the rocks before the revelation of his secret child. Indy had expressed her desire to separate and so they separated. He moved out. She kept the house. They maintained a friendship, but he later discovered she had no desire to reconcile. Maybe if he was there more, paid more attention to her and actually been a husband instead of hanging out with his friends, their marriage would’ve turned out differently. But it was too late for maybes. Indy had moved on. Like his father stated – he needed to do the same.

  * * *

  “There’s something I’ve always been curious about,” Mrs. Justus said, crossing her arms.

  “What’s that?” Georgiana asked.

  “When you first found out you were pregnant with Ruby, why didn’t you tell Micah?”

  Georgiana shrugged. “I knew he probably wouldn’t believe me and, if he turned out to be a jerk, I didn’t want my family and friends to know who he was. I was embarrassed. It was hard enough to tell my mother I was pregnant. For forever she preached to me about marriage and family. Having a baby out of wedlock was disappointing to her—and me if I’m being completely honest. I never wanted it to happen that way. I’m still a believer that babies should come after marriage—that children need both parents. It’s why I went looking for Micah. My Ruby—she deserves to have a father. She deserves the best of everything.”

  “Did your mother eventually understand?”

  “She did. She fell in love with Ruby as soon as she was born and hasn’t questioned me about anything since. Of course, she’s happy that me and Micah are married now and trying to give this marriage thing a go even though, in her words, we did things all wrong.”

  Mrs. Justus grinned. “Has that son of mine come around yet?”

  Georgiana glanced up at her mother-in-law. “You mean, is he treating me like a wife?”

  “Yeah. I know you said y’all were having some trouble.”

  “And we still are. I don’t feel like a wife. I’m just a roommate. Some days I’m a statue.”

  She shook her head. “That boy is just like his thick-skulled father in more ways than one. Look at ‘em,” she said, glancing over to her husband and son. “There were many days I wanted to pack my bags and get away from that man.”

  “Are you serious?”

  Her eyes brightened. “Yeah! I’m serious.”

  “But y’all seem so happy.”

  “We are now that the smoke done cleared out, but honey, let me tell you—men will work your last functional nerve. They don’t know how good they got it. For years, that man worked while I stayed at home with Micah. I could’ve worked, too. Ain’t nothing wrong with my hands or my brain. Even after Micah was in high school and was pretty much self-sufficient, you think his daddy wanted me to leave the house? Not at all, and to this day, I think it was for two reasons. One, he ain’t want me to have no power. Two, if I’m stuck at the house, I can’t see all the dirt he was doing out here in these streets and he was doing some dirt. He got his act together now, though, but he had his moments. Where do you think Micah got it from?”

  Georgiana picked up the ball and rolled it to Ruby.

  Micah’s mother continued, “That’s why I like you, Georgiana. You ain’t like me. You got your own money. You don’t need Micah for nothing but to be a father for little Ruby, but somewhere along the road, you fell in love with him, didn’t you?”

  Georgiana looked over at Micah again. Funny – he was looking her way, too. Their eyes locked. He was the first to look away like always.

  Georgiana responded, “I did, but I don’t think he wants that kind of relationship with me.”

  “I don’t see why not. He surely married you.”

  “I’m telling you, Mrs. Justus—it’s not what he wants. I’m not who he wants.”

  “So, what you supposed to do now? Sit around and be a single-married woman?”

  “It looks that way.”

  “Chile, stop that nonsense. He’s my son and I love him to death, but if he can’t do right by you, I’m not going to advocate you staying where you’re not wanted, needed and respected. At some point, you got to stand up for yourself, or else your whole life will fly right on by and you’ll wake up tomorrow wondering what happened to all of your yesterdays.”

  Georgiana nodded. She was already gearing up to talk to Micah on the drive home – like a real, sit-down conversation about the status of whatever their relationship was. He wasn’t so willing to discuss anything with her in the past, stayed gone most days working at his offices and on the rare occasions that he was home, he’d spend all of his time with Ruby before passing out on the sofa.

  Georgiana could count on one hand how many times she’d slept in the same bed with him. The few times he had come to bed, he’d sleep so close to the edge, she was surprised he didn’t fall off in the middle of the night.

  His behavior just wasn’t…normal.

  She’d had enough. Something had to give.

  Chapter 5

  Georgiana glanced back into the backseat to see Ruby secured, snuggled into her car seat and sleeping. The strategically placed streetlights brightened her soft face every time they passed one on the freeway. The day at Grandma’s house tired her out – which was a good thing. Chances are, she wouldn’t wake up if she and Micah got into a heated discussion. She wasn’t expecting one but at this point, she didn’t really know what to expect.

  Micah glanced over at Georgiana. What a beautiful woman. He’d thought so from the beginning – back to when she first showed up at his office out of the blue. Her light, caramel skin contrasted with her long, flowy black hair. Her pretty, bow-shaped lips were ones he’d only kissed once when they said their uneventful courthouse vows. He liked Georgiana. Admired her work. Her brilliance. Her ethic. They were both business-oriented. Outside of their love for Ruby, it’s all they had in common – the business mindset.

  In a way, their marriage had been somewhat of a business deal. They’d come to an agreement for Ruby. Everything they did was for Ruby.

  “Is she sleeping?” Micah asked her.

  Georgiana looked over at him, catching his eyes before he quickly refocused his attention to the highway. She was surprised he’d said anything. Their drives were usually quiet and painfully awkward. “Yeah. She’s out. She played herself into a mini-coma.” She looked out the window, fumbling her thumbs as she teemed with frustration. She tried to talk herself out of saying the words hanging on the tip of her tongue. Marrying Micah wouldn’t make him love her – she knew that going into this – but still, could she get a hug? An occasional, obligatory kiss? A simple thank you? And why was there so much tension whenever they were alone – like now. She didn’t know what to make of the awkwardness.

  It’s not what she’d expected. Most nights, she ate dinner alone and went to bed solo. If this was what Indigo had gone through, she could now understand why Indigo divorced him. It was like being married to air. You know he’s there, but you can’t see him. Can’t touch him. Can’t hold him. Kiss him. Make love to him. And good luck trying to engage him in a conversation. It was impossible.

  She glanced over at him again. Looked away…again. He was chocolate and fine. Her girlfriends had expressed how lucky she was to have found a man like him. They said he looked like Morris Chestnut, but she didn’t see it. To her, he was just a sexy, handsome man. One she made a baby with. One she loved. She was hoping that, after some time – after she proved how good of a wife she could be – the feeling would be mutual. But it wasn’t mutual. It was all one-sided.

  She was in.

  He was out.

  “Did you have a good time this evening?” Micah asked.

  Surprised gripped her by the stomach like a fist holding on to a rope in a game of tug-of-war. There was more? He had more to say? Wow! The relationship gods must’ve been shining down on them. There was no other explanation.

  “Um, yes. I had a good time. Ruby played her heart out. She loves your parents. And your mother is an excellent cook. She said she’d teach me how to make her lasagna one day.”

  Micah smirked. “She’s always been an excellent cook.” He glanced at Georgiana again, then back to the road. The headlights pierced through the darkness as they put miles behind them.

  Georgiana remained fidgety. Micah seemed like he was in a good mood. Now was the time to make her move, or was it? No. No, it wasn’t. Bringing up her concerns would surely ruin things.

  Just say something, Gigi. Tell him how you’ve been feeling. It’s now or never. Do it. Go on! Do it!

 

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