Page 32 of Falling for Autumn
“That’s wild,” I replied, shaking my head. “Do I need to give ya ass a candy bracelet and necklace? I don’t have a candygram, but I can buy you a bunch of candy. And I ain’t got a single problem whupping a nigga’s ass about you.”
She laughed so hard that tears fell from her eyes. “You’re so silly. What about you? What great love affairs have you had?”
“I haven’t really gotten into any affairs of the heart like that.”
“Oh, so you just hit it and quit it?”
“Nope. I’ve just had friendships that worked for me until we both decided that we’ve served our purpose, and it’s time to move on.”
“Somehow I find that hard to believe.”
“Why is that?”
“Because you’re too handsome, too intelligent, too charismatic for any woman not to want to hold on to you. Listen, I won’t lie, it hasn’t been that long, but I’m playing for keeps, Toby.”
“Ya ass had better be playing for keeps. I ain’t no throw away nigga.”
“Why didn’t the other ladies keep you then?”
“I wasn’t trying to be kept.”
“You don’t want to be a kept man?” she teased.
“Hell naw. Well, not back then.”
“Oh, and you are now?”
“Yeah, you can be my sugar mama.”
She laughed again. “I love how you make me laugh.”
“I love making you laugh, big baby. When a man finds a good thing, he doesn’t let go. I’ve found a good thing.”
She smiled shyly at me and reached across the table to take my hand.
“October, I’m so thankful for how you’ve not only made me an important part of your life, but also how you’ve taken to Auburn. That means the world to me.”
“Baby, I’ve been there since day one. Even before we started a relationship, I was the one coming over to check on y’all, giving you timeouts when she had colic, and running to get diapers and wipes when you were sick in bed and couldn’t go to the store. I was the one who filled that damn nursery up with diapers, wipes, and all the little shit that goes into taking care of babies. I’ve been the one taking her on shopping sprees even before you would consider me ya man.
“Even when I knew you would get angry and curse my ass out, I still shopped for y’all. That was a risk I was willing to take. And I’m not bringing this up to throw it in your face. I’m saying it because, as far as I’m concerned, that’s my daughter. Ain’t nobody gon’ tell me differently. It doesn’t matter that we haven’t been together long; I’ve been there. You’ve made an impact on my heart in a short time, Autumn. That’s all that matters to me. I don’t need to prove anything to anyone except for you and that little girl.”
“October, you’re too good to me.” She was crying and looking around for something to dry her tears.
I grabbed a napkin from my side of the table and wiped her eyes.
“Whatcha crybaby ass crying for? Baby, nothing could ever be too good for you. In fact, I know that I’m not good enough. But I’ll keep working at being an even better man one day at a time.”
“You’d better be careful because I just might fall for you. They say that autumn can do that for the heart.”
“I thought it was Christmas when most people fall in love.”
“Autumn. Christmas. It doesn’t matter; you can have my heart, October. That’s just how much you make me feel loved, cherished, and protected.”
“Come here, big baby,” I demanded, patting my lap.
She got out of her seat and walked around the table. I grabbed her hand, pulled her onto my lap, and wrapped my arm around her. I reached across the table and pulled her plate closer to me.
Little by little, I fed her the rest of her food, and she relished my attentiveness toward her. I didn’t give a shit about the other patrons who glanced our way. And while I knew that Autumn was probably insecure about being seen that way, it didn’t matter to me.
