Page 17 of Pieces of Us

We ended up at the fair where we met up with his sisters, Lawrence, and Kevin, another one of his friends. I smiled so much that my freaking cheeks hurt. We played games, rode the rides, ate elephant ears, and cotton candy. By the time we left, it was almost 8:30 p.m. I wanted to stay until at least 9:30, but Nehemiah wanted to spend our last hour and a half alone.

Since we were already Downtown, he drove us to the water, and we sat on the hood of his car with me between his legs with his arms wrapped securely around me.

“I never knew you liked old school cars,” I told him.

“I’m an old soul. I love old school cars, old school music, and old antiques. My moms used to love old things. She said old things could bring good fortune in the future.”

“I believe that too.”

“Yeah. I got something for you.”

“Babe, you do enough for me. All I care about is having you. You’re the best gift a girl can have.”

“Well, this is what having me is like. I’m going to keep spoiling you for the rest of our lives.”

I smiled as he helped me off the car, reached inside of his pocket, and presented a suede, square box. When he opened it, my eyes misted. The pink princess cut diamond ring sparkled under the moonlight.

“Hemi…it’s beautiful.”

“It is, but it doesn’t have nothing on what’s standing in front of me right now.”

He slipped it out of the box and placed it on my finger. It was a size too big, but it was still beautiful.

“It’s a promise ring…a promise that I’ll always be here for you, that I’ll always take care of you, and that one day this will be replaced with a wedding ring. I love you, Mo Boogie. You’ve made my life feel complete since losing my moms. You give me comfort and peace when I’m with you.

“And although I hate that you have to sneak around with me, I know you do it because you genuinely want to be with me too. That day is going to come when we can be exclusive, and I’m going to tell everybody who got ears that Morgan Prescott is mine for fucking ever, even your ugly ass daddy.”

I laughed through my tears as we shared a kiss.

“I love you so much, booby. There’s no one alive that can ever take your place. Not even my ugly ass daddy.”

We laughed as he leaned inside the car, turning the music up. Surprisingly, it wasn’t Jodeci. This time, it was L.T.D’s “Love Ballad,” and it was the perfect soundtrack to our love story.

Nehemiah held his palm out to me. “May I have this dance, future Mrs. Newson?”

I accepted it and smiled. “Yes, you may.”

Present

“Hey, Mommy. It smells good in here,” I said, walking into the kitchen where she stood over the stove.

“Good morning, baby girl. I didn’t expect to see you this morning,” she replied, turning her head to kiss my cheek once I made it to her.

“Yeah…I’m in need of some advice about some things. You’re the only one I know who can give it to me with some good feedback.”

“Is it serious?”

“Eh…mildly serious.”

“Well, let me turn this stove off and grab us some punch.” She giggled as she moved to the refrigerator, taking out some punch.

“Where’s your husband?” I asked.

“Down at the church to meet with the youth pastor.”

“Oh, good. Because this partially has something to do with him.”

“Oh, Lord.” My mother shook her head, poured us some punch, then sat down at the table across from me. “Go on, baby.”

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