Mister Moneybags(76)

“I know…then after I wasn’t pregnant anymore and the heartburn was gone, I changed my mind.”

“Well, then, I’ll just keep hoping that you change your mind ten times over.”

Her eyes widened. “Ten?”

“The truth? If you’d let me…yes. Ten.”

“You’re crazy, but honestly I don’t trust myself not to let that happen, either. There are two main things working against me. One, as soon as I go off the pill, you just look at me and I get pregnant. Two, I can’t resist you. You bat those blue eyes at me, and all I want to do is make you happy.”

“And the problem with this is?” I joked, nuzzling her neck. I had to stop myself before I ended up with a raging hard-on in front of the New York media.

Speaking of the media, Bianca still freelanced part-time for Finance Times but only took local assignments now. Between Georgina and my needy ass, she didn’t have time for much else. She knew I fully supported her going back to work full-time if that was what she really wanted. But what seemed to be making her the happiest as of late was being a wife and mother. I certainly couldn’t complain about having her there when I got home from work. I rarely worked late anymore, too eager to get home to my girls.

I reluctantly gave her one last kiss. “We should get back outside. People will be arriving soon.”

We emerged to find Alex following closely behind our daughter, who was racing around.

“What’s Georgina playing with?” Bianca asked.

“I thought we’d put all of the wooden figures in the display cases,” Alex said. “But it looks like she found one.”

Bianca rushed toward her. “Those aren’t toys. She’s putting it in her mouth.”

“It’s okay. Uncle Jelani wouldn’t mind,” I said. When I took the drool-covered figurine from my daughter, I smiled upon realizing it was the giraffe. The more I thought about it, the more perplexing it was that she even had it. We’d definitely put all of Jelani’s pieces into the glass cases. I’d overseen that process myself. I looked up at the recessed lights on the ceiling for a moment. Hmm. I’d chalk it up to an insoluble mystery even though, deep down, I really wanted to believe that he was here, sending me his blessing.

The local news reporters were beginning to arrive. I eventually took my spot outside, smiling for the cameras alongside my family as we cut the ribbon, marking the grand opening.

Back inside, my father and Myra had just arrived, and I noticed them talking with Alexandra, who looked like she wanted to be anywhere else in the world but there. I made it a point to go over and break the ice until I was dragged away for some interviews.

The camera light stung my eyes as it shown over my face. Three reporters shoved their microphones in front of me. I heard one ask, “Tell us why you decided to open up the center, Mr. Truitt.”

I cleared my throat and spoke from the heart.

“I wanted to give back to the community some of what Jelani had given me: a safe place to come and vent my frustrations and where I could also discover my creative potential. When I first came to him for help, it was for the wrong reasons. I was trying to use the idea of honing an obscure, artistic skill in order to woo a woman.” I chuckled. “Over time, I realized that the art in and of itself was so much more important than I ever realized. It was saving me—saving me from my own mind and allowing me to express my feelings in other ways besides words. It was, in a sense, a spiritual experience. The wood whittling had started out as a joke, but it was Jelani’s entire life, and I was beginning to see why. Some people express love through words. Others…through actions. And some…we express it through art. In essence, art is love. I wanted to share some of the love that my friend had given me, because I’ve been blessed with an abundance of love in my life right now.” I smiled. “And I’ve become a damn good whittler, if I do say so myself. Let’s just say, one or two of the animals displayed might be mine.”

A camera flash nearly blinded me.

“Did you get the girl in the end, Mr. Truitt?”

I winked. “I did.”

After my press obligations were finished, I rounded up Bandit to look for my girls. Noticing that Bianca had taken a seat in the corner with Georgina, I took a moment to stare at them.

“Look at them, Bandit. Look how beautiful. Can you believe they belong to us?”

I couldn’t have possibly loved them more.

If there was one word to describe how I felt about my life now, it was gratitude. I was just so damn lucky to have this beautiful family. And I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, I would never take it for granted. The scare we had only made us stronger. There was nothing that made you appreciate someone more than almost losing them.

Bianca looked exhausted, and Georgina, whose cheeks looked like they were burning up, was coughing with a runny nose. I needed to get them home. If I was being honest, there was nothing I wanted more than to get out of here and spend a lazy Saturday lounging on the couch with my family.

I lifted Georgina out of Bianca’s arms. “Let’s go home.”

Bandit took the opportunity to place his head in Bianca’s lap. Between the three of us, she had her hands full.

“You can’t just leave, can you?”

“I own the joint. I can do whatever I want. Things are winding down anyway.”