Page 37 of A Lapse in Time

"They are good."

Evander had kept his distance to give Carsyn some time to get acclimated to life again, but he asked about her and Nia every time we talked.

"That's what's up. I think your client should be here any minute."

"It's Tre, right?"

"Sure is." I heard from behind me.

I turned around and dapped Tre up. I hadn't seen him in a while.

"What's good, man?" I asked.

"I should be asking you that. How's wifey? That shit was crazy."

"She's good. Better than I thought she would be. How's your family?"

Tre went on to tell me about his family and that he and his wife were expecting their third baby. I was happy for them, and it made me wonder if Carsyn and I would have another baby. I wouldn't mind having at least one more, but I would be okay if she didn't want anymore.

"Congratulations! You ready to get to work?" He nodded, and we got to work.

For over an hour,Tre and I worked on different moves and techniques. He wasn't a fighter, but he enjoyed boxing to stay inshape. It was a good workout, and it was how I stayed in shape as well.

When we were done, I had two more clients until I took a break. My father had come in at some point, so he, Evander, and I were in my office chilling.

"How does it feel to be back?" my father asked.

"It feels great. I miss my girls, but I needed this."

I wasn't sure how often I would be at the gym, but I definitely wanted to do it a few times a week. I fought the urge to call Carsyn while I was there because I didn't want her to feel like I was worried about her being alone with Nia. She had sent me a picture of the two of them at the park. I responded, then changed it to my new screensaver. The two of them looked so happy, and that was all I could ever ask for.

Carsyn was a trooper, and I admired her every day for pushing through whatever went on in her head and showing up for Nia and me every single day.

"That's good. I can see the joy in your face. How's my daughter doing? And my little Nia?"

"They are good." I showed them the picture Carsyn sent, and they both smiled at it.

"You're doing good, son." My dad patted me on the back, and my eyes watered.

Sometimes, having that praise from my father, or really anyone, gave me a boost of confidence. It felt good to know that others saw the effort you put in.

"Thanks. Sometimes I feel like I'm not doing enough, but therapy has helped me sort through those feelings."

"That's good. I wish more of us went to therapy. It really works wonders, and there is nothing wrong with getting a little assistance. I'm glad it's becoming more acceptable for black people to go because, for the longest time, it was frowned upon, especially when I was coming up. And just know youare doing the best you can. I can tell that Carsyn is happy with you, regardless of what happened. She loves you dearly. Just continue treating her good, and you guys will be fine. Your mother would be proud of the husband and father you've become."

I never fully felt the loss of not having a mother since I never met her. My father told me a lot about her and how good of a mother she would have been. He told me she was so excited when they found out she was pregnant with me. I'm sure she would have loved Carsyn, but that was because Carsyn was easy to love, anyway.

A few silent minutes passed until Evander spoke up. "Aye, what does your therapist look like?" He sat up and leaned forward.

"For what? Don't you have a girlfriend?" I asked.

My dad laughed and shook his head.

Evander waved me off. "Man, she's been tripping lately. So, what does she look like?"

"I'm telling you now, I'm not playing matchmaker, so you will have to figure that out on your own. I will say she's beautiful and a BBW."

Evander rubbed his hands together. "You know that's my type."

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