"Surprise!" Tania jumped, her hand immediately swinging her purse in front of her. When her eyes finally adjusted to the room, she smiled as she took in all her friends and colleagues surrounded by birthday decorations. She was officially 31 now, her life flying before her eyes as if years were seconds.
It hadn't hit her that she was getting old until she finally cracked 31. Although she felt downtrodden at the idea of aging, she found joy in all the success that bloomed with each passing year.
"You guys! Awww, you didn't have to." Her smile lit up the room as she took in all the gifts, decorations, and people in her condo. She'd officially established salons all across the country and hit her first million earlier that year.
"Yes we did. You're officially an old woman and it's only a matter of time before you're in a walker." The usual teasing voice of her best friend caused her smile to increase.
"Yeah and you're gonna be the one wiping my ass." Tania joked as she pulled the woman into a hug. Malaysia was two inches shorter than her and only 28 yet the pair were thick as thieves.
"Don't let her get in your head. You're aging like fine wine, baby." Weston's 6'4 figure met her eyes before his deep voice met her ears. He had been her boyfriend for the last 3 months. With brown skin, curly hair, and a mamas boy personality Weston was every girls dream.
"Thank you, baby." Standing on her toes, she puckered her lips to meet his approaching lips.
"Yuck!" Malaysia fake gaged as she pulled her designer top over her nose as if there was a smell.
When Tania had confessed what happened in Arkansas 4 years ago, Malaysia begged her to go back but Tania had a business to run. Within 3 months of returning home she saw such an increase in business she had to open a second shop.
Things between her and Flint were steady for a while but as their lives demanded more and more of their attention, they seemed to drift apart. What used to be every day calls dwindled down to texts once a week. Over the last year she hadn't heard from him.
"Girl, fuck you. Take your bitter ass in there and find you a man." Tania cackled at the jab.
"A man? What's that? Never heard of it." Malaysia rose one of her perfectly arched eyebrows as she took a sip of the drink in her cup. Tania was 99% sure it was alcohol.
"Yeah we know." Weston chimed in. Immediately she and Tania turned to scowl at him.
"Don't talk about my best friend like that." She lifted her lip at him in disgust. It was one thing for her to take stabs at Malaysia, but anyone else better keep it cordial.
"Nigga wasn't you homeless for 8 months? My love life is the last thing you should be worried about." Tania choked on her spit before turning her head to hide the laughter that exploded out of her chest.
"Tania! You just gon' let her talk to me like that?" Weston and Malaysia often got into it. Weston had been nice at first but she remained firm in her dislike. She'd always told Tania he was "stealing" her from her real man.
"And is. It's me and her first so get over it." Malaysia spoke as Tania tried to gather herself.
"Alright guys, be nice." The weak comment was all she could muster at the altercation. Their fights were often but Weston remained respectful for Tania's sake. If it hadn't been for her and the fact that Malaysia's father was a boxer, she was sure Weston would have strangled the woman by now.
"Man..." he trailed off before simply walking away.
"You need to drop his ass. I can have my dad kick his ass if you need the excuse." Malaysia stuck her nose up at his retreating figure. She'd always had such high standards in men that the few who passed often got cut for minor things later. Weston was considered scum to her.
"No, girl. Come one let's enjoy my party while I'm still able to walk without a walker."
.....
"I'm just looking for one of those big, cozy blankets. Target always has them." Tania spoke to Malaysia over the phone as she walked inside the store. The familiar setting made her feel safe and she headed to the home section.
"Didn't you just buy one a month ago?"
"Yes but that one is for my Texas condo. I want one here in California." She laughed as she walked down the comforter isle, keeping her eye out for the familiar packaging.
"I forgot I was talking to miss millionaire." Although she did have the money to spend, the only reason she owned two was because she often conducted business in California but lived in Texas.
"Don't hate boo. It ain't a pretty look." Tania finally spotted the covers. They felt so soft and often put her to sleep in minutes. Her last one was a deep grey so she settled on a forest green for this one. Just as she pulled the comforter down, the edge of the blanket struck something and a smack could be heard.
"Oh my god!" Tania exclaimed as the wails of a child met her ears. Moving the cover she saw a small boy, who couldn't have been any older than 3, laying on the ground crying.
"No, no, no. Don't cry." Putting the blanket down, she picked the child up and examined his body for injuries. "You're okay. You're a big boy."
As she bounced his body in hopes of getting him to stop crying, she noticed a toy laying on the ground where he'd been. Picking it up, she presented it to him hoping he'd be distracted.
"Here. Take this." Pushing it into his hands, she waited for him to stop crying. Instead of playing with the toy, he threw it to the ground and wrapped his arms around her neck. Eventually he stopped crying and laid limp in her arms.
"You alright?" Turning her head, she cursed as she noticed he'd fallen asleep. In her head she couldn't help but think about how trusting the boy was. Hopefully his parents would step up and start watching him more.
Picking up her phone and blanket, she made her way to the register. They would be able to call for the parents and she'd be free of the child.
"Hi, uh this child was wondering around without a parent. I'm not sure who he belongs to." Tania laughed lightly as she placed her item on the belt while speaking to the cashier.
"Oh wow! Okay, do you know his name?" She asked as she scanned the blanket.
"No. He just kind of ran up." Tania left out the fact that she'd smacked him with the heavy blanket.
"Attention code white. About 2 or 3 years old, white, male, wearing blue jeans and a navy blue shirt. Brown hair." The cashier called into the phone as Tania put her card in the machine to pay for the blanket. The boy remained sleeping against her shoulder, his body moving slightly in her arms.
"Could you stay with him for a while? Just so we don't wake him and have him start crying." She turned to Tania. A large part of Tania wanted to dump the kid in a basket and leave him by the register but her conscious got the better of her and she agreed to stay with the boy.
The pair were escorted to a room in the back of the store. It was painted cream and red with soda machines and sofas on each side. Tania sat on the one closest to the door before pulling her phone out to explain everything to Malaysia.
"He's right in here." She heard someone say just as she finished her text. Multiple footsteps entered the room and she slowly stood up as to not wake the boy.
"Safe and sound." The humor in her comment quickly died down as her eyes made contact with Flint's. Her thoughts raced a mile a minute as she tried to tell herself it was just her eyes playing tricks on her.
The genuine look of surprise on his face solidified that it was, in deed, him. He wore dark jeans, a grey t-shirt, and a pair of brown boots. His hat was clutched in his right hand and a target bag in the other. 4 years of aging put gray streaks in his previously jet black hair and the freckles on his face were more prominent. Outside of that she couldn't see any difference.
"Here you go." She finally snapped out of her staring to step closer. Flint simply stared down at her, recognition in his eyes as they stared at her like a deer in headlights. Tania pushed down the negative thoughts of this being his child as the timeline simply didn't make sense.
"He's not mine." Flint rushed out as he stared at her wildly.
"Sir?" The associate questioned in concern at the confession. Tania chuckled as the small woman reached for her radio, surely to call security.
"I-I meant he's not my biological son. He's my... my girlfriends son." His voice took on a sheepish tone at the end of his sentence. A deep ache hit her chest at the realization. They'd both moved on.
"I'm sure she'll be happy to have him back." Tania gave a tight lipped smile before attempting to pry the child from her neck. His moans of protest caused her to smile and she rubbed his back to wake him.
"Come on, little dude. You gotta go." Pulling him once again, she winced as he dug his hands into her to keep holding on.
"Liam." The boy lifted his head to Flint's voice. He smiled brightly and bounced happily in her arms before reaching out for him. Tania had to hold her breathe as he stepped closer and took the boy from her.
"Can she come with us to, um, dinner?" Liam pointed back at her. The sight of the small boy laid across Flint's large chest made her heart swell. Despite not being his biological child, the pair truly looked like family.
"Well that's up to her." Although he spoke as if it was the boys idea, hope shined in his eyes as he stared down at her.
"I'm sorry, Liam. I have to get back home. Maybe next time." In reality all she was going home to do was drink and make cookies. Now that she had her blanket, her bed was a number one priority.
"No! Ahhh!" He screamed as he began loudly crying once again. The small room echoed his cries and she quickly began to get a headache.
"Good luck." She chuckled to Flint before picking up her bag and heading to the door.
"Tania, wait." The feeling of his hand on her wrist caused her to quickly snatch it away. It felt wrong to pull away but she had to be mindful.
"Sorry," he apologized as his usual gentlemanly nature showed itself, "just an hour. There's a great restaurant off Kenzie that has a giant vegan menu. You'll love it, I promise."
The fact that he remembered she was vegan warmed her heart. It would have been easy for him to completely forget about her in the midst of being with his new girlfriend.
"I don't think that's a good idea." She trailed off. Even standing here was difficult as she fought the urge to throw herself into his arms and kiss him. Flint remained the only man to have ever made her feel this way.
"I'd say it's the greatest idea." He flashed her a bright smile. Liam had calmed down by now, simply watching the pair interact. Tania had to keep her eyes on the boy as Flint gave her that familiar look. One that told her no love was lost on either side.
Deep down inside she knew she would always love him. In their little time together, they'd created something she'd previously spent 27 years looking for.
"One hour only. Then we're done."
———