For Marli

72

Keith pov

Keith and I went into the kitchen to grab some midnight snacks.

"Yal are back together,  aren't yall?" Marli said sitting at the kitchen table eating her cereal in the dark, with the exception of the light coming from her phone screen and the stove's overhead light. She scared the fuck out of us. We got ourselves a night owl of a daughter. She likes to stay up late on the weekends.

"Why are you eating in the dark?"Milani asked

"It's not a midnight snack if you're not treating it  like a midnight snack. It's the ambience." Marli replied.

Milani and  I looked at each other then shook our heads.

"Yal didn't answer my question ." Marli said turning her phone's flashlight on us.

"What makes you think we're back together?" Milani asked.

"Yal are being too playful with each other. When yall aren't together yall act awkward as if yall don't have 3 kids together. Plus daddy I just heard you say on your way down here 'I'mma tear that blank up when we get back in the room babygirl.....like ew"

"You caught us." I said.

"I knew it." She softly exclaimed.

"So when's the wedding,mama I have a dress in mind for you." Marli continued.

"We haven't thought that far yet Mars." Milani said.

"It's not far fetched." She shot back saying.

"Rightttt, Marli." Milani sarcastically responded.

"It only makes sense, yall were husband and wife before, so yall can be it again." Marli said.

"Damn Mars, you got your miracle, be thankful for it. Enjoy it. We're back together now." Milani joked.

"I'll be sending you some pictures of dresses."

"Marli go to bed, goodnight." Milani said kissing her forehead.

"Daddy, no say?" Marli asked me.

"I have no say." I said kissing her head. Before we headed back to the room.

It had me thinking, why Milani isn't looking towards getting married?

We got into bed and Milani got on top of me kissing my neck.

She stopped and looked at me, "What's wrong?"

"I was just thinking that's all." I said.

"About what? Marli wanting us to be married?" She asked.

"Yea." I said.

She huffed and got off me.

"You seem against us getting remarried." I said.

"Never said that." She replied.

"Why downplay getting remarried?"

"All I said was we haven't thought that far yet, we literally just got back together a couple of days ago. You thinking too deep into it."

"So do you want to get remarried?" I asked.

"When the time comes."

"So if I say marry me tomorrow you'll decline?" I asked.

"Yes, I would."

"And why is that?"

"We just started back dating again a couple days ago." She said as she went through her hair.

"Ok, I'm no stranger. So I need a better reason." I replied staring at her.

She looked over at me," I don't think you've gone through your 'change for the better' phase. You hopped into a relationship thinking you could get under to get over, you couldn't get over . Plus, you didn't have to wait long and sit with yourself for some time before you got back with me. I need to be sure the flaws that you carried in our past relationship aren't brought into our current relationship. Vice versa, you wouldn't want to remarry me thinking I changed like I said I did and you find out that I never did." She said.

I sat quietly and nodded.

"But I'm here with you because I know whatever you lack in you don't have trouble fixing. And marriage is something I know for sure I can do with you a million times." She continued.

"I understand Milani." I said.

"Still not a good enough answer?" She asked.

"Yea, I can take it." I said kissing her.

"And what flaw is it that I have?" I questioned because I can't grasp on to what I did wrong in our marriage.

"You picked up the need to argue." She replied.

"I don't choose to argue with you, I just be asking you questions."

"Ok." Milani said .

"Just ok?"

"Yea, are you wanting me to argue with you?" I replied.

"No I don't want you to argue. It's very old of you to assume I'm here to argue,,did you really change?." I sarcastically said.

"Whatever Keith, not entertaining your nonsense." She said before standing over me.

"Oh ok new me." I joked.

"Shut up ." She said before taking her robe off.

I assumed position and the night went on from there.