Oh My Love: PART 3 (A Chris Brown Love Story)

Chapter 6: Good Night

The kids had been playing on the swings taking turns pushing each other for the past twenty minutes. They went back and forth from the swings to the slides, then to the monkey bars. For some reason, it reminded me of me and Mariah when we were their age. I don’t know why I forgot about her. I kinda regret it now.

“So Mariah,” I said when we sat down on the bench to watch the kids, “How long have you been married?”

I noticed the diamond on her left ring finger.

“Oh, no, I’m not married,” she replied and her face turned to a sad look when she looked at her ring, “Well, I was, but he left me when Darius was around four.”

I didn’t know how to reply to that, so no one said a word for a bit.

She continued, “I just hate that Darius is growing up without his father.”

I nodded, “I understand completely.”

“So you’re not married either?” she asked and looked me straight in the eyes. I could see her big brown eyes perfectly and wanted to stare in them all day.

“No, I was planning on asking my girlfriend to marry me before she passed away,” I hated telling this same story over and over; I just want to get over this loss and move on.

“Aww, I’m sorry. What happened to her?” Mariah showed her true concern and sympathy which made it easier to tell her.

“We found out she had stage four cancer when she was six months pregnant with Naima.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she rubbed my arm and that made me feel a little better.

“Yeah, but like I always say: Everything happens for a reason.”

“You’re so right,” she agreed, “I always blamed myself for my failed marriage, but then I realized he wasn’t the one for me. I know this sounds bad, but I feel the only reason we actually were together was because God wanted us to have Darius.”

I knew it was coming. I hated to think this, but I did. What if Audri and I weren’t ever meant to be together forever? What if she was just put here to give me Naima? I didn’t want to think that, so I shook the thought from my mind.

I sighed, and there was an awkward silence.

Soon after, Mariah finally spoke, “Remember when we were kids, and you’d always sneak out and come over to my house when your parents were arguing late at night?”

I thought back to those memories, “Yeah, if it weren’t for you, I don’t think I could’ve survived that.”

“My mom told me she knew what was going on. That’s why whenever she would hear the door open late at night, she wouldn’t say anything because she knew what you were going through.”

“So she knew I’d sleep over at your house?” I asked.

“Yeah, we were only like eight or nine anyway. She didn’t mind.”

“You were a great friend,” I said still thinking of all the things she helped me with growing up.

“You were a great friend too. Hopefully we can make up for lost time. I’d love to hang out with you some time in the future. I need some new friends here in LA to show me around. I’m like a foreigner,” she joked.

“I’d be glad to show you around,” I smiled at Mariah, and she gave me that same smile I remember from years ago.

We stayed in the park for a few more hours and finally decided it was time to go. We got something to eat at a local restaurant, and then left to head home.

Mariah told me where her house was, so I drove an hour to drop them off there. But before she got out of the car, she said something.

“Thanks Chris for taking us to the park,” she smiled.

“No problem,” I replied, “I see Naima and Darius really tired themselves out.”

We both looked in the back seat and saw the kids knocked out sleep.

She laughed, “Yeah, don’t forget you promised to show me around LA sometime soon.”

“I won’t forget,” I replied, “Hey, maybe we can all do something tomorrow….if-if that’s okay with you.”

“Sounds great!” she seemed a little too eager.

“Alright then. Goodnight!” I yelled after she picked Darius up out of the car and walked to her doorstep.

“Goodnight!”