Highest Rank In Spiritual #18
Andre Brown's life has sunk into a never ending black hole. Nothing seems to be working out for him and he has no answers why. His faith in God has gotten him as far as being in and out of homeless shelters. Forcing his...
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Andre peered down at the medium sized duffle bag that contained natural necessities he needed from day to day. The incense burning throughout the apartment filled his nostrils with a depth of nostalgia before he even left Stephanie's apartment. He hated to make his departure just as much as it killed her well being to see him leave. Stephanie wished there was an alternative to the situation, but she couldn't put herself in a risky situation. Cari's great tears swelled her amber iris as she clung onto Andre's pant leg. "Don't leave Andre, don't leave." She wept with a congested nasal system. His large hand rubbed against her back, which he thought would soothe her but only implicated her weary desires.
"Hey, big girls don't cry. Aren't you a big girl?" Andre squatted his stature to Cari's level and pulled her to sit on his knee momentarily. He rocked her in his arms as her cries subsided and she sniffled.
"I-I just don't want you to leave." Cari wiped her moist cheeks with the back of her hands. Stephanie strolled through the front door with a box of food that served as Andre's lunch. She took note of Cari's saddened mood towards Andre's departure and sighed. She took up Cari's hand and pulled her to her bedroom for a long anticipated nap. Returning to the foyer she traced her vision to Andre and tightly pursed her lips.
"I wish it didn't have to be like this." Stephanie spoke for the both of them it seemed.
"Don't stress it, you have been a tremendous help to myself and I can't thank you enough. You're warm and melting spirit, that vibrant smile, Steph you're an amazing woman."
Stephanie wore her heart noticeably on her sleeve and brushed her tongue over her lips, the corners of her tears wilted with poignant tears. Andre wrapped his two arms around her body and held onto her with every fiber he could. Letting Steph's tears dampen his shirt, his hands feathered through her curls to soothe her overwhelming moment. It became so silent as they held onto each other. They knew everything was going to change from this point on— there was no more seeing each other early in the morning, making little jokes, or sharing significant intimate moments. Going separate ways seemed unbearable, making time for each other seemed impossible. Stephanie had no real time to visit him but the weekends and wherever Andre went, he didn't know exactly how he'd come back on this side of town often.
Stephanie pulled apart when she figured holding onto him would hurt more if she never let go, Andre placed the smooth pad of his thumbs against the creases of her eyes and wiped her tears. "Don't cry, we'll see each other again, we'll be alright." Andre encouraged. His encouragement stopped when Stephanie abruptly removed a wad of cash from her back pocket. While going out to get Andre a lunch she also stopped by the bank to remove the money from her savings account— the same money she had saved to return back to college. All six hundred fifty of it too.
Andre gazed at the amount of cash Stephanie held in her hands and pressed his hands over his temples, in pure shock. His loss for words was an understatement under pressure. "W-what is this Steph?"
