The Personal Trainer's Bride {Interracial Curvy Romance}

When Supplies Meet the Heart

Blake

I sit on the edge of the couch, elbows on my knees, fingers laced together as I watch the kids playing on the floor. Tessa's helping Harper with a puzzle, while Kelly's trying to teach Theodore how to make a paper airplane. It's an ordinary day in a super unordinary time. The news is on low in the background, but I can hear every word. The same words that have been repeated over and over—stay at home, social distancing, pandemic. They're words that have become a part of our daily lives, but ones I wish I could shield my kids from forever.

Kehlani is in the kitchen, finishing up something on the stove. I can smell the aroma of whatever she's cooking, but I can't place it. Doesn't matter. It's comforting, like everything about her. I glance at her, our eyes meeting for a brief second, and I know she's thinking the same thing I am. We can't put this off any longer. We have to talk to them.

"Kids," I say, my voice steady but not as loud as usual. "Can you all come over here for a minute? Your mom and I need to talk to you."

They all look up, curiosity sparking in their eyes. Tessa and Harper quickly finish up their puzzle while Kelly gently tugs Theodore away from his paper airplane. In a minute, they're all gathered around the coffee table, sitting cross-legged on the floor, looking up at us.

Kehlani walks over, wiping her hands on a dish towel before sitting down next to me. She rests her hand on my knee, giving it a slight squeeze, and I know it's her way of saying she's here with me, we're doing this together.

"What's up, Dad?" Tessa asks, her voice filled with that mixture of pre-teen curiosity and a hint of worry. She's old enough to pick up on things, even if we try to keep them from her.

I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of what we're about to tell them settle heavily on my shoulders. "You all know what's going on in the world right now, right? With the Coronavirus?"

They nod, each in their own way. Tessa looks serious, like she's preparing herself for bad news. Kelly looks more confused than anything, his brow furrowed as if trying to figure out why this is such a big deal. Harper and Theodore just look at me, their young faces full of trust that we'll make everything okay.

Kehlani leans forward, her voice soft and calm. "We've been staying home to keep everyone safe. It's really important that we do this because the virus spreads very easily, and we don't want to get sick, or make other people sick."

"But we're not sick," Kelly pipes up, her voice full of the unshakable logic of a nine-year-old. "Why do we have to stay home if we're not sick?"

I knew this question was coming. I've been preparing for it, but it doesn't make answering it any easier. "That's a good question, buddy," I say, keeping my voice as patient as possible. "Even if we're not sick, we can still carry the virus and pass it on to others who might get very sick. Staying home helps protect everyone, especially people who might be older or have other health problems."

Kelly frowns, not completely satisfied with the answer, but she doesn't push it. Tessa looks like she's about to ask something, and I brace myself.

"What about the wedding?" she asks, her voice quiet, almost hesitant. "It's supposed to be in June. Are we still going to have it?"

And there it is. The question I was dreading. I glance at Kehlani, and I can see the sadness in her eyes, the same sadness that's been gnawing at me for days. We've talked about this, just the two of us, late at night when the kids are asleep. We knew this day might come, but we kept hoping things would get better, that we wouldn't have to tell them what we're about to say.

Kehlani takes a deep breath, her hand still on my knee. "We've been thinking a lot about the wedding," she begins, her voice steady but tinged with sadness. "And we're going to have to postpone it. We don't know how long this pandemic will last, and it's just not safe to have a big gathering right now."