Because He Loved Me

Chapter One

“I thought you were light skinned!” That’s how I was greeted by my blind date, Sebastian, in the middle of Pizza Shack. “Quinton didn’t tell me you was dark skinned; you got a light skinned person’s name.” He sat down anyway. “I ain’t never in my life met a dark-skinned guy named Kelley.”

Not even three minutes in and I didn’t know which one was more offensive: his lack of tact, his loud ass effeminate voice, or the fact that he, a dark-skinned man, found it offensive that our mutual friend, Quinton, set him up on a blind date with another dark-skinned man.

“If that is a problem, I can leave.” Please let it be a problem

“No, you’re alright. You’re actually nice looking, I just won’t ready for you to be so black.”

“You guys ready to order?” Asked the very attractive waiter. Sebastian’s mouth instantly began to water. Our waiter was everything he wished I was : his skin was a very high shade of yellow, has hair was soft, curly, and cut in a neat fade, and he had very light green eyes.

“I will have a large slice of you.” Joked Sebastian playfully slapping the young man, who looked very uncomfortable, on the arm.

“Sorry, I’m not on the menu.” He nervously chuckled.

“That’s too damn bad cause boy I would eat your sexy little yellow..”

“I’m going!” I interjected. “Nice meeting you Sebastian, but I gotta get home; I got work in the morning.” I got the fuck out of there before my name got called in some sexual harassment shit.

As soon as I got in my car, I dialed my best friend, Quinton Hughes.

“You know that was some bullshit!” I unleashed the minute he answered the phone. “I know I have had a drought lately but damn, couldn’t you have hooked me up with a friend that wasn’t rachet as hell and color struck?”

“Damn, did yawl at least get to know each other?” Sighed Quinton. “I really think the two of you could be good together.”

“And that is why straight guys should never play match maker to gay ones. Me and that guy would never work. I don’t like fem guys, I don’t like rachet guys, and I don’t even want to deal with a dark-skinned man who thinks that light skin is the right skin.”

“Well, I tried. I guess this means you’ll be calling Bryson over to unravel you.”

“Who the fuck told you that?” Bryson was a guy I fucked between and sometimes during relationships. If I had my way, he and I would be exclusive but the little matter of him being straightmade that impossible.

“Please it’s been almost three weeks since you and Nicholas broke up. You’re horny. Just call Bryson to take care of your need.”

“You know what Quinton, bye, look at where your suggestions have gotten me so far.”

As soon as I hung up with Quinton, my horny predictable ass hit Bryson up. Hell, I deserved a good lay after the fuckery I had endured.

Chapter Two

Bryson never failed to leave me with curled toes, a wet ass, and an utter sense of complete satisfaction – well, sexual satisfaction.

He didn’t believe in kissing, hugging, or holding. I once made the mistake of telling him that I loved him, and he made it clear to me that if I ever wanted anymore dick, I’d never say those words to him again. Shit, I am no dummy. A nigga with a nine-and-a-half-inch curved dick and a damn near 7-inch tongue does not come along too often. I already had to take it when I could get it with Bryson.

After running down the usual rules of not to tell anybody, not to call at a certain time and not to acknowledge him in public especially when he was with his wife, Bryson took a shower ,dressed, and headed home.

The minute he was gone my sense of sexual satisfaction was replaced with the empty, used ass feeling I always got when Bryson left.

I got out of bed and went to the bathroom. After taking a piss, I hopped in the shower to clean off the remnants of me and Bryson’s raunchy fuck session.

Out of nowhere I heard myself crying. Loud, ugly ass, snot slinging crying. My breakup with Nicholas was still raw. Sex with Bryson was gratifying but damn it left me gutted emotionally. Then there was that fuckery at the restaurant. Was this how my life as an openly gay dark-skinned black man doomed to be?

I made the decision to call in sick and stay home from work the next day I just needed some time to myself.

Chapter Three

It was around three in the afternoon when I woke from some much-needed sleep. My stomach was rumbling something fierce. As soon as I was out of bed and determined to quell my hunger with a square of lasagna, I’d bought from Olive Garden a couple days ago someone rang my front door bell.

I trudged to the door thinking for the millionth time how people always managed to call or visit right when you were either really hungry or really needed to use the bathroom.

“Delivery for Mr. Kelly Woodhouse. “Smiled the handsome white Fed Ex delivery man when I opened the door.

“Oh, thank you.” I said accepting the huge brown box of something I had not been expecting.

“You have a great afternoon.”

“Same to you”

He started to walk away then turned back around.

“Excuse me, these apartments are numbered kind of oddly. You are 12 B; where is 12 C?”

“The C’s start over on the left-hand side of the complex.”

“Oh, okay.” He said trying to make sense of my vague ass directions. I shut the door and turned my attention to the brown box in my hands.

I placed it on the coffee table and tore the top off it. Whoever sent it, damn sure meant to protect it because there was plenty of newspaper and brown wrapping paper jammed into the box. Eagerly I removed handful after handful of paper from the box until my hand touched something furry. I froze. Tears began to pour down my face. I had felt his fur too many times to not know that my hand had just landed on Francis, a miniature bulldog that Nicholas bought me for my birthday a year ago and took back when we broke up. I pushed more paper aside to confirm that indeed, poor Francis lay dead at the bottom of that box.

I am not sure when I started screaming or at what point the white FedEx guy had entered my apartment, but he was there, instructing me to breathe and to calm down.

“My -my- my- my dog.” I stammered pointing to the box.

“Holy shit!” He shouted when he saw Francis’s stiff body “Who the hell would do this?”

I didn’t answer. I didn’t want to get into my tumultuous three year on and off again physically and emotionally abusive cluster fuck of a relationship I had had with Nicholas. To identify him to this stranger as the one who killed the dog and Fedexed it to me would lead the stranger to inquire about what type of person Nicholas was and just three weeks after our break up would be enough to compel me to tell exactly what kind, but I didn’t want to.

“Would you like for me to discard him for you. I know it has to be tough with him here like this.”

“Yes, could you please, thank you…. Um, I am sorry; what is your name?”

“My name is Kalen.” He lifted the box. “I am so sorry this happened. Whoever did this is really one sick bastard.”

“You don’t know the half of it.” I said breaking down again.

“Gee, I really am sorry. I am going to take him out of here now. I hope you’re going to be okay.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I said gathering myself. “I am going to be good: thank you, Kalen.”

“Okay then Kelly, I will see you later.”

Once he was gone it dawned on me how odd it was that Kalen said he would see me later. Unless I had some more packages on the way, I doubted I’d ever see Kalen again.

I made a call to Quinton. With all that I had been through over the course of the past several hours, I really needed to talk to my best friend.

Chapter Four

Quinton and his girlfriend, Shayna, showed up around five with a bucket of KFC, a box of Krispy Kremes, and an ice-cold jug of Turkey Hill sweet tea. Shayna and I worked for the same collections’ agency. I was the one who hooked she and Quincy up and two years later, my best friend has been doing his best to help me find a man who was a perfect for me as Shayna, turned out to be for him. I secretly wished that he’d stop trying. Quinton knew nothing about the gay lifestyle and made the typical heterosexual male assumption that just as long as two guys were sexually attracted to men then they could become a couple. Quinton always meant well though and never failed to be there for me when I needed him. He and Shayna were my family.

“I still cannot believe that asshole did that to that poor doggie.” Said Shayna breaking the last donut into three pieces and distributing it among us.

“You, me, and Phillip ought to take a ride over to his place and kick his ass.” Suggested Quinton. Phillip was Quinton’s hard-headed younger brother who embraced every negative stereotype attributed to black males. He was barely 20 and had already done two stints in prison for stupid shit that he thought gave him street cred. Phillip and Quinton were raised by two middle class parents in a neat suburban neighborhood with green lawns and picket fences. Quinton did everything to mirror his up -bringing, while Phillip went out of his way to prove he was a straight up G. What Quinton didn’t know was that poor Phillip’s thug persona was a cover. I discovered months ago during one of me and Nickolas’s breaks that Phillip was gay and quite the bottom according to his Jakk’d profile. No, I never hooked up with him, Phillip is just as much my little brother as he is Quinton’s.

“How about no.” Said Shayna rolling her eyes at Quinton’s silly suggestion. “Your brother gets himself into enough trouble and the two of you don’t need to begin to get into any.”

“I know.” Said Quinton. “It’s just so hard not to want to beat old boy’s ass. I never liked him.”

“I never liked him either, but he was who, Kelly chose to deal with. Hopefully this is the eye opener he needs to not go back to Nicholas.”

“Damn yawl, I am in the room.”

“I don’t mean any harm Kelly, but you already know I haven’t liked Nicholas from way back when he slapped you when the two of you first started dating.” Said Shayna.

“Wait, this is the first time I am hearing about this.” Quinton’s anger was all over his face. “Why didn’t either of you tell me?”

“Because we worked it out and it never happened again.” I lied

“Nah, he just fucked one of your female cousins, fucked your credit up getting shit in your name and not paying for it, left you with a shit ton of debt because he wasn’t paying his half of the bills, and sent you your dead dog FedEx. That mother fucker has done more than enough to catch an ass beating.”

“But we are all just going to pray and move on.” Said Shayna gathering our used plates and cups.

The doorbell rang.

“I hope it’s that mother fucker.” Said Quincy getting up to answer it.

“You need to calm your hyper masculine ass down.” Said Shayna. Quinton playfully smacked her on the behind as they passed each other: him on the way to answer the door and her on the way to the kitchen.

“Good evening; is Kelly here?” I heard Kalen’s voice. “I stopped by to check on him and to bring him something.

“Come in.” said Quinton, not knowing whether he was letting a mass shooter into my apartment. I know my friend well enough to know that if he saw the slightest hint of Kalen being gay, he was going to go into full matchmaker mode.

“Hi Kelly.” Said Kalen entering my living room carrying a brown box. “I took care of that, but I felt so bad about what happened that I wanted to do something nice for you.” He placed the box down on the coffee table reached inside and pulled out the cutest little Pomchi puppy. “My sister’s boyfriend breeds these. He still owed me money on a motorcycle I built for him, so I asked for this guy instead.”

The minute he placed the furry little ball of energy in my arms I loved it. He could never replace Francis, but he was a perfect new addition to my life.

“Thank you so much Kalen.” I said through teary eyes. “I really, really appreciate this. You didn’t have to.”

“But I wanted to. You seem like such a nice guy Kelly. I cannot imagine why anybody would want to hurt you.”

“No one else does, just that asshole he used to be in a relationship with.” Said Quinton as if any of it was Kalen’s business. “Oh hi, I am Quinton and she is my girlfriend, Shayna. How do you know Kelly?”

“I actually just met him today, I unfortunately delivered the gruesome package.”

“Yet you found it in your heart to bring him a new puppy,” quizzed Quinton. “Tell me Kalen, are you gay, single, and are you into black guys?”

“That’s none of your business!” yelled me and Shayna at the same time. Poor Kalen turned bright pink.

“Kalen please forgive, Quinton, he is on a never-ending quest to find my Mr. Right.”

“Oh,” Chuckled Kalen, “For a minute there I thought he was trying to find his.”

Me and Shayna burst out laughing. Quinton gave the sarcastic over dramatic laugh to let us know he was offended by Kalen’s humor.

“Nah bruh, everything is straight over here.”

“Well, everything isn’t straight over here and I date people, not colors. Anyway, I am going to bid you good folks’ good night. I will see you later Kelly.”

“I like him.” Said Shayna. “Good looking, nice sense of humor, and he’s color blind.”

“Shayna, that man ain’t said nothing in the world about wanting to get with me.”

“What do you think that puppy is for?” asked Quinton. “Come on, Kelly, that man came all the way back here to bring you a dog. He wants some bussy.”

“EWW!!” Said me and Shayna both.

“Please don’t ever use that term again.” I cringed. I never understood why straight men felt so comfortable using terms like bussy, mussy, or boy pussy. Did they think that referencing the male anus as a vagina made gay sex any less gay??

“Really though Kelly, old boy might be what you need.” Said Shayna.

“Oh please, I can barely get a black man to want me.” I sighed.

“That’s because you been dealing with self-hating fuck niggas.” Said Quinton.

“Guys, he just did something nice because he felt sorry for me, please don’t conflate that with the idea that he’s somehow smitten with me.”

“I don’t know Kelly, I noticed how he was looking at you.” Said Shayna.

“Bae got that hawk eye; you know she be noticing shit don’t nobody else see.” Laughed Quinton.

“And I am almost always right.”

“Can’t argue with that.” Said Quinton. “Okay, buddy, we’re about to get out of here and let you bond with your new friend.”

“What are you going to name him, Kelly?” asked Shayna petting my puppy before getting up to join Quinton at the door.

“I don’t know yet.” To be honest, I hadn’t even thought about giving him a name. I was just so caught up in the delightful feeling of having my new fury companion in my arms.

“Well whatever you decide, I know the little guy is lucky to have you for an owner. You take care Kelly. And bring your ass to work on Monday.”

“What am I going to name you?” I asked once Quinton and Shayna were gone. He looked up at me as if he really had the ability to answer the question.

“I think I am going to name you Blessing. How about that; do you like the name, Blessing?” He licked my face and nestled himself tighter in my arms. Tears began to well up in my eyes again. Blessing licked them as they ran down my face.

Chapter Five

Saturday was usually my day for gym, laundry, and whatever miscellaneous errands I needed to run and a trip to the bar later in the day.

All of that was going to be put off until Sunday because I was all hyped about getting Blessing a new bed, a couple of outfits, toys, and food. I also planned to get him used to the local dog park. In less than two hours I had already spent close to $300 on Blessing. I wasn’t allowed to buy cute little doggie outfits for Francis.

“I’ll give him to the pound before you clothe him in those faggy ass dog outfits.” Warned Nicholas. “Why you gotta always embrace the bitch side of doing this gay shit.”

I bought ten outfits for Blessing. I was damn determined that I was going to love and spoil my dog as much as I wanted. I didn’t have to live with the threat of coming home to find him gone the way that I did with Francis. When Nicholas and I broke up he crudely pried poor Francis out of my arms. Both Francis and I were crying to the top of our lungs. We both knew that Nicholas’s maniacal ass wasn’t going to ever let us be together again. Damn, Nicholas sure did make certain of that.

“I see the two of you have already bonded.” Smiled Kalen when I literally bumped into him at the local sandwich shop.

“He is such a good dog.” The minute I said that, Blessing’s ass literally leaned in and took a big ass bite out of the corned beef sandwich that Kalen was holding. “Blessing no!”

“It’s alright.” Said Kalen.

A quick memory of Francis being flung across the room and landing against the wall after he made the mistake of nibbling at a chicken nugget on Nicholas’s plate flashed through my mind.

“Let me buy you another sandwich.” I offered.

“You don’t have to Kelly.”

“I insist. It’s the least that I can do.”

I ordered myself a chicken salad sandwich with green tea and another corned beef sandwich for Kalen. We ate our lunch at one of the small tables outside.

“So, how are you feeling?” asked Kalen.

“Much better. This little guy has done a lot to pick my spirits up.”

“I am glad. I was so worried about you when I left your house yesterday. I just wanted to do something nice for you.”

“Why; you don’t even know me.”

“Because the hurt I saw on your face over that poor dead dog told me that you are a good person with a good heart. It also made me want to get to know you better.”

“I have to be honest Kalen, I am still very recently out of a bad relationship and …. I am embarrassed to say this, but I have never dated a white man before.”

“We don’t have to rush anything. I want to get to know you and have you get to know me then we can go from there.”

I couldn’t think of a single reason not to get to know Kalen better. So far, he was light years ahead of Nicholas.

Chapter Six

What! I cannot believe the powerful dick stroke possessed by one Kalen Simms. Yes, we fucked Saturday night after spending most of the day together. I was apprehensive at first. I let go of every fear that he’d have a small dick, was going to smell like a wet dog and just let him love me.

When we finished, I couldn’t help breaking down and cry. For the first time in my life a man entered my body and didn’t call me “bitch” or “nigga”. He told me how beautiful I was and how beautiful he thought that my dark skin looked. For the first time in my life I didn’t feel empty, used, or ashamed after sex.

It was still too early to tell how things were going to go between me and Kalen but so far, I was pleased.

“Who laid some good dick on you?” asked Shayna during our lunch break.

“What gives you that impression?” I teased

“Oh boy, please. You have been running around this office all perky, energetic and humming and shit. Ain’t nothing behind that but some good dick.”

“You remember Kalen?”

“The white guy?”

“Yes. Girl we ran into each other at the sandwich shop. Blessing’s greedy ass bit his sandwich, so I bought him another one. We spent the rest of the day together and he ended up at my house Saturday night through yesterday afternoon.”

“I am so happy for you Kelly, but I am pissed off at you too because you made me lose a bet.”

“What bet?”

“Quinton bet me that Kalen was going to get your bussy before the weekend was up. I bet that you weren’t even feeling him like that.”

“Wow, so yawl just wagered on whether or not I was going to fuck a stranger.”

“Well I did bet that you would have some damn morals. I am just playing, Kelly. He seems like a very nice guy and if he is making you happy then I am all for it.”

“Thank you Shayna.” I kissed her on the forehead. “So, what did my weakness cost you.”

“I’ve got to eat his ass.” She frowned. I burst out laughing at her obvious abhorrence to analingus.

“Girl, next time don’t have so much confidence in me.” For the rest of the day at work, I burst into laughter every time I looked at Shayna.

I had to have been falling mighty damn fast for Kalen because I let him talk my black ass into going camping.

Quinton clowned me right up until the day I left for the weekend getaway, but I knew that he was over the moon happy for me.

The first day did not go so well. Blessing, who I probably should have got Shayna and Quinton to dog sit fell into the lake and damn near drowned. Being a small dog, the poor thing was almost lost. I was frozen and on the verge of shutting down, but Kalen stripped down to his boxers, jumped in that water and saved my baby.

I made sure Blessing didn’t venture out of the tent for the rest of the time that we were in the woods.

Making love in the forest under the pale moon light felt some kind of special to me. Fucking outside in the woods felt so much better when it was a romantic getaway and not the last resort when you wanted a nut, but you couldn’t bring somebody to your home, and nobody had money for a hotel.

“I want you to meet my parents.” Said Kalen holding me tight

“Baby, isn’t it a bit early for us to be meeting each other’s parents?”

“I don’t think so. I’ve told my parents all about you and they’re dying to meet you.”

I had never met Nicholas’s parents, or any guy’s I’d been with for that matter. Kalen must have really thought a lot of me to want to introduce me to his family. I agreed to go. Blessing cried to get out of the tent but finally quieted down and fell asleep when he realized that he wasn’t going to have his way. Outside in our sleeping bag, Kalen held me closely as we both basked in the beauty of the moonlit sky.

Chapter Seven

“Lord don’t let these white folks be hippies, have a house full of cats and dogs, or serve not bland ass food.” I silently prayed when Kalen pulled into the driveway of his parent’s two-story town house.

“Are you sure it was okay for me to bring Blessing?”

“Sure, my parents love animals.”

Lord don’t let these people have a zoo in there. More than two of any creatures other than gold fish and I wasn’t going to eat shit.

“Oh, Kalen he’s gorgeous.” Cooed Kalen’s mom who looked like badly aging version of Cyndy Lauper. Kalen’s dad looked like he could have still been handsome had he just not decide to say, “Fuck it” and let his hair go grey and stomach go pot. “I am so pleased to meet you Kelly. And who is this beautiful little guy here?” Her rude ass took Blessing away from me.

“Please to meet you.” I said.

“You know.” Said Kalen’s father who had been staring at me ever since I walked into the house. “He looks just like James Baldwin. Don’t you think so Kathleen?”

“Oh yes, I definitely see Baldwin.” She said stroking my dog like she didn’t intend to ever give it back.

Both of Kalen’s parents were on the verge of catching it. Now I respect the hell out of James Baldwin as a writer, don’t get me wrong, but Goddamn it I didn’t look like him. Now I will be the first to tell anybody that there ain’t a lot of shit in this world that I can brag about but I could say with confidence that I didn’t look like James Baldwin.

“Mom, Dad, how about we stop with your silly this one looks like that one game” suggested Kalen. He could tell that I was annoyed and flashed me a “Please bear with me,” look.

“Oh, I don’t mean to offend. It’s not even so much that you are a dead ringer for him. But with that dark skin, those big brown eyes and that tall lanky frame of yours, you could easily portray him in a play of motion picture.” Said Kalen’s Dad

“So, Mom, what did you cook for dinner?” asked Kalen wanting to switch the subject.

“Well I didn’t make fried chicken and water melon that’s for darn tooting.” laughed Kalen’s mother. I failed to see the humor. In fact, I was thoroughly pissed and had made up my mind that I was going to cuss everybody the fuck out then take my dog and go.

“Mama!” Snapped Kalen.”

“Oh, I am just being silly.” She clearly didn’t see that her behavior was a problem which was really becoming problematic to me. “I have made my famous stuffed shells and garlic bread with a nice garden salad.”

“Kelly, you are in for a treat”, chimed Kalen’s father. “She’s also made her famous blueberry dump cake.”

“OH, Jacob, that was going to be a surprise.”

“Let’s go eat; shall we?” Suggested Kalen before his parent had a chance to say anymore fucked up shit before dinner.

“I am so sorry.” He whispered to me taking my hand and escorting me to his parent’s dining room.

Kalen’s mother didn’t ever need to cook for anybody. Kalen and his parents lapped it down like it was five-star cuisine. I took a few polite mouthfuls of the bland ass overcooked stuffed shells and filled up on garlic bread and salad. I never guessed that anyone would be able to fuck up a dump cake but, yeah, she did that.

Even though she was a shitty cook, I learned over the course of dinner that she was not a shitty person, and neither was Kalen’s dad.

She worked as a public high school principal in one of the poorest counties in the state. She implemented a food pantry program and converted the school’s basement into a free laundry mat. She had also fought to implement a straight to work vocations program for students who did not wish to attend college.

Kalen’s Dad was a psycho therapist who chose to work with inmates. He strongly believed that tackling mental health issues in most inmates was the key to preventing repeat offenses.

Overall, despite the rocky start and God-awful food, I enjoyed meeting Kalen’s parents. Once I got to know them, it wasn’t hard to understand why Kalen turned out to be as wonderful as he was.

On the ride home I felt sad that Kalen would not get the same experience visiting my real family. My parents were not parents. I was always closer to Quinton’s parents. I fully planned to have Kalen over for dinner with Shayna and Quinton, my family.

Chapter Eight

I was damn proud of myself. Bryson showed up at my door late Friday night with his dick in his hand and I turned him away. Yes, that long, thick, and wickedly curved piece of flesh that had me traveling through vortexes was surprisingly easy for me to turn away. Bryson simply reminded me that it would be waiting whenever I needed it again and left my door.

Two hours later I got a phone call from Quinton. Hearing him cry nearly ripped my heart out of my chest. Phillip, his little brother, our little brother ,had been shot and killed in a drive by.

You know you have a good man when he gets up out of his sleep drives all the way across town and takes you to your grieving best friend’s house because you are too broken up to drive. Kalen was my Superman through it all.

I was right next to my brother, Quinton, when they lowered Phillip in the ground. Right next to me giving me the strength I needed to have Quinton’s back was Kalen. I loved Kalen. He did so many positive things I had never experienced in any of my previous relationships that I felt as if this was my first time really being in love.

After the funeral, Quinton didn’t want to stick around for the repass and really, I couldn’t blame. Him, Shayna, Kalen and I all went to Quinton and Shayna’s apartment. Shayna threw together a quick dinner of turkey sandwiches, avocados drizzled in vinaigrette and acai berry flavored water.

“I had just talked to him.” Cried Quinton pushing his untouched plate of food aside. “He promised me that he was going to go an enroll in community college. I promised him that if he completed a six-month vocational program that I was going to buy him a car.”

“It sounds to me like you were a wonderful brother to him.” Offered Kalen. “In spite of what happened, you did something good for him before he lost his life.”

“Thank you.” Said Quinton “I really appreciate that. I was hard on him, but I loved him, and I wanted him to be somebody.”

He doubled over sobbing. Shayna rubbed his back as tears poured from her face. I left my seat to go and embrace them both. A couple of minutes later, Kalen had inserted himself into our group embrace. He fit perfectly. He was more and more becoming a part of my family.

Chapter Nine

One Year Later

“If you didn’t like pussy before, you’re damn sure not going to like it now.” Teased Quinton freezing his 62’ flat screen on the image of Shayna’s crowning vagina about to push my little nephew Phillip Kelly-Kalen Hughes into the world.

“Well the next time you’re over we are going to show you some of our home videos.” Laughed Kalen.

“You wrong for that.” Said Quinton.

“Boy stop showing everybody my pussy- ass !!!” Said Shayna bringing little Phillip into the living room. She grabbed the remote and flicked the television off. I immediately took the baby. He gurgled and cooed then nestled himself against my chest ready to begin another nap. Blessing, ever the attention seeker, cried until Kalen pick him up and held him.

“You are one spoiled ass dog.” Said Shayna.

“And we’re going to have one spoiled ass baby.” Said Quinton. “Look at all this love he is blessed with then both sets of grandparents on top of that.”

“He is going to have a beautiful life.” Agreed Shayna.

“I am very grateful for you all letting me be a part of it.” Said Kalen.

“Are you kidding? You are the best thing that has happened to my best friend in a long time. You have done nothing but love him and for that Shayna and I love you.”

Now it was Kalen crying. I was right there to hold him tight the way he had done for me over the course of the past year. A year that showed me that God had given me plenty of favor. I had a good job, a family that wasn’t blood related but always had my back, and a man that loved me better than I had loved myself for far too long. I had a man that didn’t think he was doing me a favor by being with me; one that I could love in the open, and one that didn’t care that my skin was dark. In a year even during our two heated arguments he never raised a hand to me or threatened to take back blessing or anything else he’d given me. He was supportive of not only me, but the people who were close to me. Kalen had been a very big part in helping Quinton through his grieving process. Their love of football and motor cycles forged a bond between them that was just as close as mine and Quinton’s, plus Shayna adored him.

I permanently deleted Bryson’s number from my contacts nearly a year ago. I no longer needed his empty fornication.

I saw Nicholas at the sandwich shop where me and Kalen first began our relationship. He looked appalled that I not only was happy but had a very handsome man holding my hand. I saw him but never acknowledged him. He looked as if he was contemplating whether to approach Kalen and me. He eventually just stormed out of the shop.

“What was that all about?” asked Kalen.

“That was my ex, Nicholas.”

“That was Nicholas? The lunatic that mailed you a dead dog/”

“And beat me off and on when we were together and told me I couldn’t find anyone else because I was too black and ugly, and got one of my female cousins pregnant then stole money from my bank account to pay for an abortion.” I broke down and cried. It was the first time I had told Kalen any of this.

“Come here.” He said holding me close. “That was your past. Your distant past. You will never experience anything like that again as long as I have breath in my body.”

From the way that he held onto me in the middle of that sandwich shop, I knew that he meant every word.

I loved Kalen because he loved me. There were plenty of other reasons as well but the fact that he loved me was the main reason I was able to let myself be loved and not be afraid to love in return. I loved him because he loved me.

The End