Burning Sage

Chapter Sixteen

Sage walked to the kitchen with her bag over her shoulder, she was waiting for Junior to pick her up for school that Thursday morning.

She was dressed in maternity jeans that hugged her belly, and a long white shirt that was wider towards the bottom. Her feet were only comfortable in open flat sandals, especially in the heat as they swelled up.

She saw her father sitting by the dining table, drinking a cup coffee and she greeted lowly.

"Sage," Morris called out and she turned to face him, "Sit with me."

She obliged and sat across him after putting her bag down.

"I wanted to say I am sorry for the way I have been, I have no excuse to be treat-"

Sage cut him off, "It's okay, I understand you've been through a lot and I am not making it any easier," she said.

"It still gives me no right to take it out on you but I'll try to control my drinking, you're all I have left, and I don't want to ruin that," his ernest eyes looked into hers.

"It's okay, as long as you don't depend on alcohol," she smiled.

"We don't want that," Morris chuckled.

Sage nodded.

"Morning," Letoya appeared from the room, "What did I miss?" She sat down with them.

"I am apologizing for my recent behaviour," Morris spoke

"It's okay, we understand the phase you're going through, but know that we're here for you," Letoya said.

Morris smiled, appreciative of the two young women before him.

He opened his mouth to say that aloud when his phone rang and he excused himself to answer it.

"How's Trisha? She won't take my calls," Sage looked at Letoya.

"She will be okay, she's just hurt," Letoya admitted and stood up to pour herself some orange juice.

"You believe me when I say I would've told you guys if I remembered from the get go as to where I saw Aiden?" Sage asked, following Letoya to the kitchen.

"We both do, it was just a shock, especially to Trisha. I mean, she just started getting interested in a boy only to find out that he was with Ashley first," she said before gulping the contents in her tall glass, "And that you knew but she'll be okay," she added.

Sage nodded and removed her buzzing phone from her pocket, "That's my ride," she turned to go retrieve her bag then studied Letoya, "You look different."

Letoya fixed the small braids tied loosely on her head, "It's the hairstyle? I knew I shouldn't tie my hair like this," she rambled.

"No, it suits you but you look like a certain weight has been lifted off you, you feel lighter and that's good," Sage commented before leaving Letoya on her own.

She smiled alone, thinking of the previous day with her boyfriend. She needed to let that out to start her healing process and she was grateful she had Wes by her side.

...

Nicole grew to miss the only man she'd loved, her childhood sweetheart, Morris. Each passing day spent within the four walls of that room, forced her to look at her reflection and regrets rushed to the surface.

Her husband hadn't set foot in the building Nicole was rehabilitated in, he hadn't communicated in any form with her even when she'd left voicemails.

It started to sink in that her relationship with Brian wasn't what she had thought all along, she was also faced with the truth, one she was blind to because of the luxury surrounding them: she didn't love Brian.