If You Let Me

Chapter 43

"Girl I had to work for it
Still you don't judge me
I love the way you touch me
I'm feeling like I'm 'bout to lose you
With all the shady shit I do to you
Some things are better left unsaid
I can't get it out my head
Better left unsaid
Everything that I regret"

Let Me Explain - Bryson Tiller

Dave

I sat across from Jay as her parents sat at the opposite ends of the table. Her mother out did herself tonight with the meal she had prepared.

I looked directly as Jay, as her mother spoke to the table about everything she had made.

"Dave, I know for religious reasons you cannot eat pork, so the small dish to your left is the mac and cheese without bacon. Thats all for you" Alba smiled at me.

"Thank you, you didn't have to do that" I smiled.

"You don't eat pork?" Jaime, Jay's father asked me.

"No sir, I'm Muslim" I respectfully bowed my head.

"With a Jesus piece on your arm" he pointed out.

"Papi really?!" Jay spoke up.

"It's okay" I laughed.

"I was actually catholic, all my life. I had this piece done way before I converted"

"Why did you convert ? If you don't mind me asking?" Alba asked me.

"Not at all. My older brother converted when I was young kid, and my best friend converted a couple years ago. It seemed like the men around me had all converted"

"So you decided to covert because of them?" Jaime asked me.

"Yes and no, I saw how much more disciplined in their lives they were. How dedicated they were to making du'a 5 times a day and never missing a beat. It ultimately gave my life the structure I needed."

Janae smiled at me, causing me to smile back at her.

"Well, we all pray to the same God, just differently" Alba smiled.

"Yeah, that's true" I chuckled a little.

"Jay can you say grace please?" Alba asked Jay.

We all bowed our heads and waited for Jay to start, I felt her foot slide up my leg and sit on my left thigh, I lifted my head a little to see her smirking at me. I shook my head and removed her foot from my leg. She was trying to get me killed.

"We want to thank you tonight God for blessing us with yet another meal, thank you for the hands that prepared this meal for us. And we ask that those who do not have a meal tonight that you bless them with one"

"Amen" Alba and Jaime said in union.

"Thank you baby" Alba gave Jay a big smile.

***

Again, Jay slid her foot up my leg again, I smacked it away because it caught me off guard. Her father looked at me like I was weird.

"So David, are you in school ?" He passed the bowl of rice to me.

"No sir not at all, I was but some things came up" I shrugged, hoping I didn't have to get into it.

"So how did you and Jay meet?" he asked confused.

I didn't know if I should just tell the truth or fabricate a story and have Jay play along. But I knew she'd be mad at me if I did it without warning.