Different (Luke James story)

Epilogue

(Disclaimer everything that is not italicized and under flashback is of course present time. They're doing and saying everything in the present. Everything that is italicized is what she's typing for her book and of course everything that is under the word flashback is a flashback.)

Year Later (October 26, 2018)
Kimbella
No one ever told me that marriage was perfect, nor did they tell me that it was easy. They just asked me this one simple question, are you willing to get up and fight for what you want? I never knew what they meant and they didn't explain it to me in full context. They just asked the question over and over again. Not knowing what I was answering to I just said yeah. After I gave my answer my mom told me to fight. Whatever obstacle come your way fight through it.

  I still didn't know what she meant until four months ago. Due to some certain circumstances we weren't able to have that family we always wanted. And due to that my marriage wasn't what I expected. I wasn't happy and neither was Luke. In all honesty he didn't even speak to me most of the time and he barely came home. Whenever we saw each other it was always arguments. We were never happy. Those times when his manager invited me to red carpets and movie premieres I used to hate it, simply because I would always have to put on this front like I was so happy. Like I was so in love with the man standing beside me when in reality I wasn't. At that moment I wasn't in love. I wasn't happy. I wasn't ready to be out in the public. But he was, at least that's what he showed on the outside.

There's a lot of keys to a marriage, but communication is number one. If you don't have that then you don't have a marriage. Six months ago that was our biggest problem. We always failed to communicate with each other. We pointed fingers, placed the blame on one another, cussed each other out but we never sat down and communicated like the two adults we claimed to be. Well we didn't until three weeks later. I take that back, because even then we didn't communicate like we were supposed to.

We had a lot of problems with each other and our foolish pride didn't make the situation any better. But with the help of our folks, prayer and a whole lot of communication and understanding we got through them. Now don't get me wrong we're not this picture perfect couple all of sudden, we still have disagreements every now and then, but they're not like they were before. Were able to get through them and then be happy.

"Uh momma, it's your turn to change the diaper."

Luke stuck his head in the room and pulled me out of my daze.

"You're in there, why you can't do it?"

"Because last night while you were out and then getting your rest, I got pee'd on, pooped on and let's not forget the milk spill."

"Being her father it's apart of your job." I joked with him as he followed behind me.

"Well as her mother it's now your turn."

"I don't have a problem with it. I'm used to it."

I walked into Ashlynn's room, picked her up and placed her on the changing table. In the process of cleaning her I talked to her in a girl code and joan her father. When I occasionally looked over at him I could see him giving me a stale face.

"Say turn that frown upside down daddy. Say be happy daddy."

"Give me my baby. We haven't finished our daddy and daughter talk."

"And what talk is that?"

"The no dating until you're eighty talk."

"Lucas."

"Okay, okay I'll bump the age to eighteen."

He said and rolled his eyes.

"But I have to meet him and of course he has to have an interview."