"Okay?" Malik repeats.
"You could've told me that when we had this conversation before, but what's done is done."
We ride in silence.
"Did you mean what you said?" Malik asks, finally speaking.
"Did I mean what?"
"That you'll leave and disappear on me?" He asks in a low tone.
"Yes. You made me a promise, and if you break that promise, I have to leave." I remind him, "If you love me like you say you do, you won't put me in the position to have to question us and have me looking foolish."
"I do love you, and I mean that." He says holding my hand. "I promise I don't have anything else to tell you." He says kissing my knuckles.
"We're here," he announces.
I look out the window and see we've pulled into a long driveway to a huge mansion-like home.
"This is where you live?" This place is unbelievable.
"No, not anymore, this is my parents' home. We'll go to my condo tonight. I live in the city." He informs me.
We pull up to the front and park. He gets out and opens my door for me. He holds my hand a walks with me to the front door.
"Maa, we're here." He calls to his mother as we walk into the foyer.
I see a tall fit black woman with caramel skin, similar to Mason's, with storm gray eyes like Malik coming toward us with open arms. This must be their mother. She looks like an Amazonian goddess. She's wearing flats and still towers over me. She has to be at least 5'10.
"Mali!" She exclaims grabbing him for a hug. "I'm so happy to see you."
"I'm happy to see you too." He steps back "This is Sharice," he introduces us. "Sharice this is my mom, Helen"
She hugs me. "Sharice, I'm so happy to finally meet you." her embrace feels like home.
"You as well Helen."
"I finally get to meet the one who's making my son happy and keeping my boys in line. Mali and Mase have told me nothing but great things about you." She says holding my hand. "And you are so beautiful."
"Thank you," I say blushing.
"Your father's in his study." She tells Malik. "We'll go see him."
We walk through the halls of her home.
We arrive at a pair of mahogany French doors and Helen knocks.
"Come on in." I hear a man on the other side.
She opens the door and we enter.
His father is sitting at a desk. He looks like an older version of Malik, but with honey brown eyes and a salt and pepper fade and beard.
"Hey old man," Malik jokes with his father.
His father stands up and walks over to his son, their father is probably the same height as Mason. I really am tiny here.
They hug and then Malik introduces us.
"Pop, this is Sharice, my girlfriend, and also, our new information security officer." He tells him.
"Chief information security officer" I correct Malik laughing.
"Sharice this is my father Malakai."
He shakes my hand and looks at Malik in amazement then back to me.
"You've got quite the resume."
"Thank you, sir," I say blushing.
"Oh, don't call me sir, makes me feel old." He jokes.
"She'll be starting the week out here, then we'll probably fly back to California next Monday," Malik tells him.
"Well," he sits back down to his desk. "You've got quite the work cut out for you."
"I'm ready," I tell him.
"Oh I'm sure you are, it's not you I'm worried about, it's the guys at the firm. But it's necessary, if want to keep this place thriving we need you to get us in shape." He says.
Malik chimes in, "I'm excited to see how this week goes."
As am I.