A.B.'s mom's bakery was about twenty minutes away from his uncle's house. During the drive, he held my hand. I thought he was going to talk until I saw the look on his face. The man smiled the whole time he drove. Is he thinking what I'm thinking? 😙
A.B. parked the car in an empty space before glancing at me. "Ready?"
"Ready," I replied.
I started to get out the car, but A.B. stopped me. "For now on, I open your door. Always."
I smirked, "Okay." I could get used to this.
A.B. walked around the car and opened my door. He took my hand and helped me out the vehicle.
The bakery was a stand alone building and a decent size. The big blue sign read: ToSon Bakery.
"Tow-sun?" I asked A.B.
"Too-sun," he corrected me. "She was gonna call it Jace's Bakery, but thought maybe I'd want my own business one day and would want to use my own name. So, this bakery is like a dedication to me without using my name."
"Aww, that's so sweet. ToSon..." I smiled as A.B. held the door open for me.
As soon as we walked in, the little girl standing behind the counter shouted, "Aunt Cilla! Jacey is here!" She ran from behind the counter and nearly jumped on A.B. as I took a step back.
"Whoa!" A.B. chuckled before using his strength to pick the girl up. "You getting big! How old are you now?"
The girl laughed, revealing her two front Chiclet teeth.
"Jacey!" She continued, "My birthday is 3 weeks and 2 days away."
"I didn't forget," A.B. told her. "I want you to meet someone." A.B. turned to face me. "Monica, this is my girlfriend Jamie. Jamie, this is my little cousin Monica."
"M-M-Monica?" I could barely get the name out.
A.B. looked as if he was holding in a laugh.
"Did you say your girlfriend?" The little girl looked at A.B. with her nose scrunched before rolling her eyes at me.
I placed my hands on my hips. Where is this child's parents? Better yet, where is a switch?
"Monica," A.B. spoke sternly, "You don't do that to people. Apologize to Jamie."
Monica sighed as she looked at her hands. "I'm sorry." She glanced at me before looking at A.B. and shaking her head.
A.B. put her down on her feet. "Go get my mom and let her know I'm here."
She took off running to the back of the store.
A.B. sighed, "I apologize. She's an only child and very spoiled by her parents and my mom."
"That child needs some discipline," I told him. "And when were you gonna tell me you have Monica's mini-me?"
A.B. chuckled, "I wanted to surprise you."
"Umm, no," I shook my head. "That was not a good surprise."
"She's usually on her best behavior. I've only seen her act that way with other kids."
I wasn't buying it. "Mmm-kay, Mr. Bravos. This will be the last time I see your little cousin. How old is she?"
A.B. answered, "She'll be ten next month, and she's not my biological cousin. She's my mom's goddaughter."
"See y'all in eight years." I turned around, headed for the door.
"Jamie Jae!"
I looked over my shoulder to see A.B.'s mom, quickly walking towards me with her arms spread apart. This woman was forever gorgeous. She wore a pink blouse with a nametag on it - Cilla and khaki pants with tan shoes. Even her work uniform was flattering on her.
We embraced one another.
"Can I call you daughter?" She whispered in my ear.
I nodded my head, "Yes."
Priscilla released me while wearing a big smile that reached her hazel eyes. "You are so beautiful. You know I play your music non-stop? I'm sad a concert didn't happen, but I still want my autograph."
"Mama," A.B. called her.
"What? There's no customers in here. My busiest time ended about an hour ago. It won't pick back up until closing time," Priscilla told him. "Jamie Jae, come on over here to the display and pick out whatever you want. It's on me." She led me to the counter.
"Jacey, follow me!" Baby Monica pulled on A.B.'s hand, taking him away with her.
I looked at all the baked goods, not knowing what to choose. "What are the best sellers or your favorites?" I asked Priscilla.
"Everything here and on the menu is my favorite or it wouldn't be for sell, but my repeat customers love the pink lemonade cupcakes, the pecan cookies, and the Oreo cookie shake."
I took a deep breath, "Well, I definitely want to try to the pink lemonade cupcake and the double chocolate cupcake, and a bottle of water."
"I got'cha. Go have a seat. I'll bring it to ya." Priscilla walked around the counter as I looked for a table to occupy.
"Jamie!" A.B. called my name as if we were in a large building.
I tried to hide my smile as I walked over to the table that he sat at with Baby Monica. I still can't believe there's another Monica.
Before I could sit down next to A.B., Baby Monica said, "That's Aunt Cilla's chair."
I glanced at A.B.
He smiled at me. "She's joking."
I took my seat and purposely scooted it closer to A.B. while staring at Baby Monica.
She stared back as if she was unimpressed with my presence. Who is this old person trapped in a child's body? If it wasn't for A.B.'s mom, I'd be eating these cupcakes in the car.
A.B. patted my leg. "She's a child."
I looked at him and said under my breath, "She ain't my child."
"Here you go, Daughter!" Priscilla had the cupcakes on a small black tray. She placed it in front of me with a bottle of water.
"Thank you, Cilla," I picked up the pink lemonade cupcake first.
"I don't get any?" A.B. asked his mom.
Priscilla sat at the round table with us. "You know you always get something when you visit. So, how is my brother and sister-in-law doing?"
A.B. replied, "Uncle is doing so much better. They were having a date night-day and allowed us to sing karaoke with them."
"I bet that was fun! I guess I can't whip out my karaoke microphone," Priscilla chuckled. " You know karaoke is our family thing."
Now that I think about it, the Bravos family is pretty unique. They like karaoke and calling each other by their relationship title instead of their names - brother, nephew, uncle, cousin; daughter. I'll eventually get used to it, but I'm sticking to using their nicknames - A.B., Cilla, Aunt Lyn, Mr. Dave; Bad Baby Monica.
"Guess who won?" A.B. asked his mom.
She thought before smiling at me. "Jamie Jae of course."
I shook my head, "Nope."
"Aunt Lyn was hitting those high notes like Mariah Carey," A.B. told her.
Priscilla nodded her head, "Yeah. Lyn is a good singer. Now that I think about it, both my brothers married women who can sing. I guess it's what Bravos men like." She winked at me.
"Then, who do Bravos women like?" I asked her.
Priscilla replied, "I heard my dad's sisters married a doctor and a lawyer. I married a college professor. So, I guess we like educated men."
We both laughed.
"Dang!" Baby Monica exclaimed.
"Little girl, what are you excited about?" Priscilla asked her.
Baby Monica pointed at me. "She must be hungry. She ate those cupcakes really fast."
This child is gonna make me flip over some tables with her grown attitude.
"Apologize," Priscilla demanded. "Apologize to Jamie, right now, little girl."
"I'm sorry." When Baby Monica looked at me with her lips pursed, I knew she was raised by hyenas.
Then, I did something I'd never thought I'd do as an adult. I touched my stomach, displaying discomfort in my face. It was time to play sick in order to make an escape.
At that moment, a few people walked inside the store. "Welcome!" Priscilla greeted them before getting up from the table. "I'll be right with you!"
"No worries. Thank you," a customer told her.
Priscilla pointed at her goddaughter. "Your parents are gonna get a bad report about you, little girl. Tell your cousin bye and go to the back."
"Give me a hug, Monica," A.B. told her.
Baby Monica stood up and leaned on A.B., giving him all her sadness from her posture to her facial expression. He whispered in her ear and within seconds her entire face lit up. She jumped up and down before giving A.B. a tight hug. "Bye, Jacey!" She ran towards the back of the store.
"That child is something else," Priscilla shook her head. "I used to want a little girl of my own, but having a son was much more easier. Thank you for bringing one of my favorites here to see me, Son."
I stood up and gave Priscilla a hug.
"We'll talk more later," she told me before letting me go.
"Okay. It was good to see you."
" You, too. Y'all be safe driving back home. Bye now!" Priscilla went to the counter to help her customers.
A.B. took my hand as we walked out the bakery together. "What do you think?"
"Clarify," I stated.
"About the cupcakes."
"They were beyond good. Your mom can bake."
"I try to come often, mostly to check on her." A.B. opened my door as I got in the car.
I asked, "Does she work alone?"
"Sometimes. She has two part-time employees. One works the morning shift and the other works either afternoons or evenings. I think they're in school." A.B. closed my door before getting in the car on the driver's side.
I asked, "Was your dad was a college professor?"
A.B. quickly answered, "Yeah. He was a lot older than my mom. He died of a heart attack."
"Oh, no. I'm sorry about that, A.B."
He said, "It's okay. He died before I was born. I don't know much about him except that he loved to teach. My mom said he kept encouraging her to start her own business, but she didn't have the drive. When his health got bad, they got married, and a few months later, he died."
That's so sad. I rubbed A.B.'s arm. "So your mom's last name is..."
"She changed it back to Bravos. My dad's name was Jeremy Jolten."
Hmmm. So, A.B.'s name could've been Jace Jollten instead of Jace Bravos. Which mean his nickname would've been A.J. I like A.B. better.
"Why you get quiet?" A.B. asked me.
"Just thinking about how I really like that your family have their own businesses."
"Me, too." A.B. asked me, "What do you want to eat for dinner?"
I thought to myself as he began to drive. "Umm... How about lasagna or chicken alfredo?"
A.B. lightly laughed, "I knew it. Let's go to Pasta Y Pizza."
Again, we drove in silence. Yet, this time, I didn't like it. He didn't even hold my hand. Now, I know something is wrong.
After a few more minutes, I said aloud, "Am I crazy?"
I could see A.B. looking at me from the corner of my eye. I smiled, "I know I'm crazy, because there's no way I would've waited on a man to decide if he wants to be with me or not."
A.B. started to speak, but I cut him off.
"I even played along and got an engagement ring, met with your family and they're like not surprised at all. Then, your little cousin gives me attitude like I stole her first grade crush. Yeah, I'm crazy because all of this sounds crazy."
A.B. said, "Jamie, be direct with me."
I slightly smiled at him. "I just admitted to being crazy. Is that not direct?"
A.B. answered, "You're not crazy. If you think you're crazy, then I'm crazy, too."
Why did he have to take it there? I wanted this to be my issue, not ours. I heavily exhaled as I folded my arms. When I looked out the window, I saw the restaurant's sign.
A.B. drove to the around of the crowded restaurant to find a parking spot. I was debating on going somewhere else as if I was the driver.
Once A.B. parked, he took off his seatbelt. "Jamie..."
I faced him.
He began, "I'm sorry for the way my cousin acted toward you. The next time you see her, she won't behave that way. Trust me."
I remained silent.
"Right now, I know you're upset and not just about Monica," he continued, "I would love to be able to read your mind, but even if I came close to knowing what you're thinking, I could still get it wrong. You have to tell me, baby, communicate with me so I can help. Now, I'm just taking a guess, and you can let me know if I'm wrong... Do you think this is a waste of our time?"
I sighed,"No..."
"What is it then?" He asked me.
"Mentally, emotionally, spiritually... I'm just not sure if I can do this with you. I've gotten to the point where I'm solid about my faith and belief in God. I'm solid with what I want to do for my career. And I think if we continue this, it could..." I stopped to analyze my thoughts. "I'm sorry. It's just hard to explain."
He inquired, "Why? What's hard to explain?"
"A.B., are you sure about this? Do you really want to be with me? Like, I have no real relationship experience. What if we get into a big argument and break up? Like, anything could happen. I don't want to get hurt and heartbroken, and I don't want you to go through that pain again. I don't know. I just... I don't know." He looked down at my hands.
A.B. took one of my hands and held it. "What day did God say Jesus would return?"
I quickly raised my head and looked strangely at A.B.
"Did He say on December 31st, 2055?"
"No," I replied.
"Did He tell you what's going to happen today or tomorrow?"
I stated, "No."
A.B. asked, "Then, why do you want to have a relationship with God? Why is your relationship with Him important to you? Isn't that scary to be in a relationship with Him and not know these things?"
I looked at our intertwined fingers before confidently saying, "God tells us what we need to know when we need to know it, and He tells us what to look for and how to prepare for the things we, ourselves, cannot predict. That's why it's very important to have a relationship with Him, meaning to learn about Him, who He is and why He created us. It's like being friends with someone who made a book with all the answers to life in it. That friend will give you information that no one else would even know to give. It would always be beneficial, too."
A.B. slightly squeezed my hand.
I added, "Matthew chapter 24, verses 36 through 39 say and I'm paraphrasing here. It says that no one knows the day nor the hour that Jesus will return, not even the angels. Only God knows when Jesus will return. It will be like the days of Noah, when people were eating and drinking, having fun, living life like normal, getting married and partying. They did it all up to the point when Noah and his family got on the ark, and the flood came. That's how Jesus' return will be." I glanced at A.B. as she wore a bright smile.
"That's right," he told me. "I'm glad you're still reading the Bible."
"I'm not gonna stop."
"Jamie, if you were to tell me that you couldn't be with me, because you have to focus on your relationship with God, I'd wait for you. If you told me we couldn't be together, because you need to focus on your mental health or career, I'd take a step back. But I don't think any of that is the real reason why you say we shouldn't be together," A.B. continued, "It's not about you having less experience or potential arguments and breaking up. After listening to you, I know exactly what it is."
I arched my brow.
A.B. poked my sternum bone. "Your heart. You are afraid."
Hearing that made me tremble. When I took a second to think about it, I realized that he was right. I rhetorically asked, "Am I scared?"
He caressed my hand with this thumb. "I was trying to wait for a romantic moment to tell you this, but I need to reassure you, right now."
I didn't know whether to get out the car or change the subject.
"Jamie, I love you," A.B told me.
Now my heart was rapidly beating, but I was frozen, stuck; unmovable.
"I fell in love with you from the start, but when I saw our lives were headed in different directions, I knew I couldn't pursue you like I really wanted to. I'm glad for it, because there was even a moment when I was close to saying a few words to someone, but I remembered we weren't together. I'm also glad that we didn't get together then, because we were able to focus on what was in front of us; especially, when we lived in different states. I don't think a long-distance relationship would have worked for us or I should say it wouldn't have worked for me. Jamie, I got to watch you grow. You've had to face some tough situations, but you were confident and brave. I'm asking... can you be like that one more time and make a commitment with me?"
I don't know where this came from, but I said it anyway. "Can we do a trial run?"
A.B. hesitated, "Okay."
"I'm not saying let's go back to being single. We're together. I just want to date for like one week to see how--"
A.B. put his finger on my lips. "No."
My brows furrowed.
He said, "A real relationship is not like a subscription. There's no refund after 7 days. We are two people with feelings. I'm gonna treat you like glass when you're in pain, I'm gonna encourage you when you want to give up, I'm gonna be there when no one else is, and so much more. Whatever you lack, I will compensate. Whatever you want or need from me, I'll do. Don't worry about hurting me or arguing or any of that. Don't even rely on my words alone, but I am in love with you. Jamie, I want you so bad. Please... please don't make me beg."
I confessed, "I'm scared, A.B." I shook my head. "I am so scared to do this. This is bigger than my dream, 'cause... I know people are expecting us to succeed. When I went to L.A. to become a singer, even though people were supportive of me, I know they didn't have big expectations. The fact that I had success was a shock for everyone, but a relationship like this... Everyone is watching with our future already planned out."
"Even if that's the case, why do their opinions matter?" A.B. asked me, "Did anyone say anything about Monica?"
"Which one?" I joked.
A.B. grinned, "We're not leaving this car until you give me a reason to."
I smacked my lips. "Okay. I'm not mad. See?" I smiled at A.B.
He shook his head.
"Sir, I'm hungry! That's probably why I'm all emotional, right now."
He said, "Don't change the subject. And what happened to us taking this seriously?"
I crossed my arms. "You're right. Their opinions don't matter. I'll just... I'm still a bit anxious, and I know I shouldn't be." I took a deep breath, "I'm gonna work on it. Just don't give up on me. Please, A.B. Okay?" I stared at him.
"I won't. Now, come here."
We hugged each other.
"I'm sorry for talking so much. I just want you to know that I'm here to listen to you and take what you say and make something out of it, but I'll only go as far as you want. So, don't be afraid to say what's on your mind. If you ever want out, just let me know. Okay?"
"Okay," I answered. I hope it never gets to that point.