His Proposal

Chapter 24

"You calm down you're the one that made me fall in love with you. You are the one who made my life complicated. You asked me to think about your proposal, I'll think about it, but there are no guarantees."

She got up from the table and looked down at him. She gave him a kiss on his forehead and turned to leave.

He got up out the booth and called her name, but she didn't look back.

She stormed out of the restaurant, jumped in her car and sped off into the night. By the time he got outside, all he could see was the rear end of her car as she drove away.

He pulled out his cellphone to call her, it rang and rang until he heard her voice mail. He didn't leave a message. He didn't know what to say.

The owner came out of the restaurant with Shantay's bill. Gavin paid it, climbed into his truck and proceeded to drive home.

On the half hour drive, he thought about what he would have to deal with when he got home. He knew I would be on fire, he left my children when he was supposed to be there with them.

After he pulled into the driveway, he sat there for a little while. He thought about everything that Shantay said, put his truck in reverse, and pulled out of the driveway. He planned to go be by himself and relax in silence.

I heard him pull in, and I was ready to come to give him a piece of my mind. By the time I got to the living room, he was already pulling out of the driveway. I guess he didn't want to deal with me right then, but he would have to deal with me sooner or later.

I walked back into our bedroom, I took off my robe, and climbed back into bed. I was even madder now, because he didn't bother to come home, and stay. I wonder how he would have reacted if I didn't come home from being out with Kendra and her friends. I wonder how he would have reacted, if I had left our children with a sitter, instead of being with them like I promised I would be.

The more I thought about it, the more upset I became. I need to give him a piece of my mind, so I picked up my cell phone and I called him. He didn't answer the phone, so I called him again. This time the phone went straight to voice mail. I wasn't going to be able to talk to him tonight. I laid down and tried to drift off to sleep.

When I woke up the next morning, the first thing I did was look at my phone, to see if Gavin called. There were no messages or missed calls. I guess he went back to his mistress and left me and the children high and dry again. It's clear that we don't need to be together we need to divorce. We had a good marriage for the most part, but what is going on right now is for the birds. I'm too old for this game playing and hopscotching. I did this in high school. Maybe it wasn't meant for us to be together forever. I may have to accept that, even though I love him and he still has my heart.

It was Sunday, and I needed to find something for me and the kids to do. We couldn't do Sunday brunch without Gavin, or could we? We did just about everything else without him. I let the children sleep in, and got them up around 10 am. Sharee asked me where her father was. The look on my face when she mentioned him said it all. I wasn't about to make any excuses for him.

"Where's dad?"

"I guess he went back to where he was before he decided he needed to be here."

"The mistress?"

"Sad to say, but I think so."

"He came back here with that act like he had turned over a new leaf. What a load of crap? I guess what Angel said to him had no effect whatsoever."

"Maybe your father is going through a midlife crisis. Wait, he's not old enough to go through a midlife crisis."

I laughed and she laughed with me, I needed that. I told her to go and make sure Angel and Jonathan were getting ready for the day. It would be a day with just me and my babies. I thought about saying the word my, I would have to get used to saying it. When I and this man finally get a divorce, life will be about us and only us, at least for the time being. 

I dug down in my purse and pulled out the card Excalibur gave me the night before. I still couldn't believe his parents named him Excalibur. I mean if they wanted to give him a mythical name, why not just name him Arthur. Then again they may have wanted their son to have a unique name. 

I laughed to myself after thinking that. Honestly, I would rather have my child name be Excalibur than some of the horrendous names I hear today. People today don't know they need to give their children names they can put on a resume. Some poor child is walking around with names like Bonquisha and Amillion. I've given each and every one of my friends who were with child advice. Never name your children after cars or liquor. Those names never work out in the long run. Excalibur Colon. I liked the way his name rolled off the tongue.

"Colon," I say slowly as I lick my lips. 

 While I was daydreaming Sharee came into the kitchen and asked what Colon was. I had to play it off, and tell her it was what her father wore daily. He actually had a special cologne I liked for him to wear on Sundays.

"Mom, I love you. Please stop talking about dad like that. I'm 12 my young ears didn't need to hear that, and now I'm grossed out. Thanks."

"You are the most welcome child of mine."

She followed me into the living room laughing at me. I threw a couch pillow at her, and she caught it.

"He's your father, you came from him. What's gross about that?

"Technically, I came from you after a period of nine months of development in utero."

"Oh, my smart child, it took your father to help me make the semi perfection that is you."

She swung around giggling to face me.

"Semi perfection? Oh no, I'm was born perfect, and I'm going to be the perfect doctor someday."

One of the things I loved about her, she was ambitious; she has goals she wants to achieve. I love my children. I tell them every day that the sky is the limit. They can do whatever they want to do in life.

I need to get dressed so we can go and have our Sunday out. I think this will become a new tradition. This time it won't include Gavin.