Forever Isn't Long Enough

Chapter 10

Chapter 10
August 2018

Wally

After the performance at the school, I get Yasmine and Jazz home— our home— in Boston. As much as they enjoyed what time we had in New Orleans, they both missed home so much. And Miss Cecilia.

I've missed being home too if I'm honest with myself. There's nothing like flopping down on your own bed after traveling or being away from home for a while. Especially after the stressful time I had back in New Orleans.

"Jazz is sleep," Yasmine says as she climbs into bed with me. Her head lazily hits my chest. "And Momma is up watching TV. Apparently, she's been watching This Is Us and she passed up where I was at."

"Weren't you in season 1? You were gonna get passed up anyway. Season 3 starts next month." I shake my head at her.

"Shut up! I be working, Stephan. It's not my fault I don't have time to keep up with the show." She softly hits my chest.

"You would if you just let me take care of you like any person would who had a rich and famous partner." I tease her and she rolls her eyes.

"I'm not going to turn myself into some trophy wife just so you are appeased, Stephan." Yasmine sits up.

I sigh and sit up with her. "I'm not asking you to be a trophy wife. I'm asking you to take a part time position. At least until you can get your degree. They won't ever promote you if you don't get your degree," I grab her hands. "You have the time now, baby. You have the money now."

"No," she moves her hands from mine. "You have the money. I don't have anything."

"We have the money. You think I'mma bring you up in this house and not give you access to my accounts?" I scoff as I pull two black cards out of my wallet. One says Cecilia Ann Davis and the other aha Yasmine Ann Davis. "For you and Miss Cecilia. You two have complete access to my accounts through some accounts I set up last week. No restrictions. No caps. None of that. You can literally shop 'til you drop if you want."

Yasmine just looks at me as she holds the cards. She's silent for so long, I get nervous. "Yas? Say something."

"Why are you doing this?" She whispers.

"What do you mean? Doing what?" I ask.

"Why are you being so...nice? So giving? Generous? Benevolent? Bounteous? Why, Stephan?" She asks and I can't wrap my head around it. "And don't say because you love me and us. What is this? A way to appease your Black guilt? You got money so now you gotta give to the poor and needy? You saw a single mother working overtime to provide for her sick grandmother and baby and couldn't help yourself? What? What is it?"

"Yas, what are you talking about?" I'm so dumbfounded by her words. I walk around the bed and kneel in between her legs. "Yasmine, you know me. We've known each other all our lives basically. I don't have any Black guilt. I-I...I do love you, and Jazz, and Miss Cecilia. I love y'all like I love my own family. I just want the best for you."

I look down at my hands as I gather my emotions. Why is she doing this? I look up at her beautiful face as tears cloud mine. "My last relationship didn't turn out exactly as I wanted it to. I thought I had found the love of my life but then I came to Boston one day and we got to talking and I realized that maybe I hadn't found the love of my life," I lift my left hand to hold her face. "Yasmine, I love you more than life itself. And I understand that you love Jazz more than anything but, please, make room for me. I won't hurt you. I won't leave you. I won't ever stop loving you."

Her forehead falls on mine. "I love you, too, Stephan. I already have made room for you," she sniffs. "But I don't want to change my life around completely. I still want to be me."