Then there was love

TTWL Chapter 1

2014

    “Nell, you have a meeting with the manager of Apex. You can’t just cancel.”

    “Diane,” she said as she packed some of the contracts that needed reviewing in her briefcase. “I’m the boss in this outfit. I can do anything I want. But I usually don’t so today I’m leaving early because my little girl has a basketball game and it is very important for her.”

    “Nell!”

    “Diane!” she smiled at her. “Reschedule Diane please. I have to go.”

    Dianne couldn’t help but admire her boss. No matter how busy she was and no matter how tough it got her daughter always came first. “Send my love to Kaylah… and CJ.”

    Nell smiled. “Will do. See you tomorrow.” She took her briefcase and left the office. As she walked out she made a plan of what she had to do. First she had to go home take a shower and change into something more casual. CJ would take care of taking Kaylah to school. She needed to make a couple of calls before she went for the game. Her phone rang just as she was getting in the car. She rummaged through her bag until she found it.

    “Hello?”

    “Mama!” Just hearing her voice was enough to make her heart swell.

    “Hi munchkin. What’s up?”

    “We are already here mama. Are you coming?”

    “Oh sweetie I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Am heading home right now to shower and change then I ‘ll be heading there.”

    “I told you she’s coming.” Nell heard CJ’s voice in the background. She smiled. CJ was her best friend and current boyfriend. Not that she dated a lot. On the contrary, she didn’t date at all. Things with CJ sort of just happened. She was happy with him because he knew her so well and the same went with him.

    “Okay ma! Don’t be late.”

    “I won’t honey. Put uncle CJ on the phone.”

    “Hello my love.” He said. She felt her chest tighten with guilt. She always felt that CJ loved her more than she was able to love him. And he didn’t bother hiding the fact that he was smitten. He had no problem with public display of emotions.

    “Hi CJ. How is it going?”

    “Okay. Kay is so excited I have to keep checking if she’s pissed her pants or not.” Nell heard Kaylah say “not true mama!” she laughed. She could almost see her daughter. Her long mass of red hair tied in a ponytail and her hazel eyes the exact same shade her father’s had been would be sparkling with enthusiasm and determination and a sense of fun only she could understand. Her lovely face would be flushed pink from excitement… and she would be the most beautiful child on the basketball court.

    “I can almost see her.”

    “She’s a sight to behold. She can win the game by her looks alone but combined with talent she’s absolutely lethal.”

    “She is so much like her father.” Nell whispered. “Nature over nurture I guess.”

    “She’s so much like you.”

    “Don’t let the looks fool you.” She said. “She looks like me that I cannot deny, except for the eyes she is my copy… but everything else she takes from her father.” She looked outside the window and sighed as she watched the buildings fly past her.

    She remembered the first time she had met Bradley. It had been a Saturday night and she was working as a waitress at the four seasons. He had come in with a bunch of his other NBA friends. Nell had never been interested in sports before so she hadn’t known who he was at the time. She had been nineteen at the time. She never served their table but she was aware of him watching her every move. They had been celebrating she remembered. The Lakers had won.