TWO OF A KIND

|6|

3 months later, it was a cold afternoon and Whit had just made it back in from shopping with her mother. She hadn't heard from Michael in two days which worried her but she pushed it to the side.

"How have you been doing since the breakup?" Cissy said sitting on the couch.

"Honestly ma..." She shook her head. "I've been focused on me and what I want for my life. I've moved on and let all that go. I'm happy and I genuinely haven't felt this way in a while." She walked to her kitchen to get them something to drink.

"Yeah, I've seen it. You're wearing that happiness." She spoke from the living room; smiling.

She smiled. "Thank you, Mommy." She closed the refrigerator. "That means a lot and it feels good to know I don't have to constantly look over my shoulder anymore." She made her way to the couch; sitting down.

"I understand that. I love that for you. I wanna kick his ass from what he's done to you but I'm going to leave that in God's hands. Anyone who knows me knows I don't play when it comes to my children."

She giggled. "Oh, trust me I already know you don't, Mommy. You taught me well even though all he got was a slap."

"Can't stress it enough. That's how you know how badly he hurt you cause it takes a lot for you to put your hands on someone. For him to bring you out your character, says a lot too."

"And it does because it makes me feel like he didn't care at the beginning. Yeah, I put up with it but you know I'm not stupid. I can detect bullshit from a mile away. You're telling me one thing but showing me something different."

"He should've known from the first time he met you, that you were not crazy. But, one thing for certain, two things for sure... you might not feel like it but you came together for a reason, went through what you went through for a reason and it ended for a reason."

"I think it was honestly just a test... preparing me for the real thing. I know what I want. I know what to look for in a man. And, thinking back... I moved on too early. I didn't tell him that and he made sure we wouldn't let that happen. At the same time, this man has shown me a different kind of love, and a different kind of respect in the short span of a month than he did in a year. He's showing me that he wants this to work and so am I."

"I love that for you, I do. I want you to be happy. I love seeing you smile. Because, whoever has you this happy that it's radiating from you, could only be your blessing from a lesson learned. Which you still have yet to tell me about." They giggled.

"Is it that obvious?" She covered her cheeks. "Mommy, happy isn't even the right word to describe how I've been feeling. He talks to me, he listens, he cares. He takes his time with me and I love that. It's new and usually new can be scary but it wasn't. It seems too good to be true."

"What is his name, Nippy?" She smirked."

She giggled. "I'm talking to one of the Jacksons, Mommy."

"Mmmh? I can only see you talking to Jermaine or Michael."

She winced as she gave her mother a surprised look. "Jermaine, mommy? Really? No.."

"Dammit', you want to play guessing games." They laughed. "Well is it Michael? It'll make more sense for it to be him."

She giggled. "Yes, Mommy! It's Michael!"

"Well, Where is he so I can thank him for getting you out of hell?"

They laughed. "Not hell, mama! He's most likely working. I haven't heard from him in two days."

"That child knows he can work." She drank her water.