Letting Love

Untitled Part Fourteen

Reginald's POV

"Hey Ma!" I said on my way home from the grocery store.

"Hey Baby." She said, her voice coming calmly through the phone.

"How was vacation?" I asked her.

"It was really good. Belize is absolutely beautiful. When you and Taya  get married you should go." She suggested and I chuckled.

"Jesus mom, you drop more hints than she does."

"So she's dropping hints?" She asked excitedly. 

"Not necessarily." I said recalling from my memory.

"Oh it's either a yes or a no.  I don't know why you just don't ask the girl." She complained. 

"We are moving at our pace. When I feel the time is right, I won't hesitate to ask." I explained.

Everyone was worried about us getting married.

"Honestly, other than marriage what else is it for you guys to do? You all are literally perfect. I'm sorry am I being pushy?" She asked. 

"No." I told her.

"Don't lie, she is." My father said and I chuckled.

"Slightly, but I understand it. You want us happy." I acknowledged. "But I want to make sure A'taya doesn't resent me. I know that if we get married, we'll likely get pregnant fast and Taya has dreams that were here way before me and I don't want or need her losing sight of that." I explained what had been weighing on my heart.

I know I can make A'taya happy as my wife but I know more than anything she wants to live her dreams and I don't want to seem like I'm getting in the way of that.

"Well, I guess I can understand that.  All I'm saying is don't let this one slip. I will always love this one." She said and I nodded.

"I love her too. She ain't going no place." I said and she cooed.

"She's really amazing. And I'm not saying that because I want you to settle down. A year and a half ago I was terrified that you'd never even make it to see someone who truly loves you and I'm so happy that she's come along and I want you to really snatch that happiness up. And never ever let go." She told me, I could hear her emotions through the phone.

"I appreciate it mommy." I said hearing how genuinely concerned she was with my happiness. Hey listen mama, I got to go. I just finished picking up some food for Ataya. She went to see if she can get a loan and I'm sure she got it so I'm gonna make her a celebratory dinner." I explained.

"I hope celebratory dinners don't include kale." She said warningly.

I laughed at her. Recently, I've been one thousand percent on a health binge. Before, I was at a solid 80 percent as far as dieting but that's increased so that I can keep a well regulated heart and run way less of a risk leaving my baby girl behind.

"It won't, I'm just gonna be in the gym more." I said and we said our good byes.

I got out of my truck quickly walking into the house after Ataya let me know she was on her way and had a half hour ETA.

I quickly put the chocolate covered strawberries in the refrigerator, grabbing the two steaks I had searing in the oven out to cool, I grabbed the mashed potatoes I made that set on top of the stove and plated them and the two steaks putting crab meat and a gravy I'd made over it.

I grabbed the bottle of apple cider from the shopping bag, pouring the beverage into flutes I have and taking her flowers out and placing them on the table.

I looked over it content, it wasn't too much and it was still enough to wow her.

I heard the garage open and I quickly cleaned up my mess and headed towards the window to see her come in. She never came through the garage for some reason.

"Reginald." I heard her yell.

I looked behind me to see her and she pouted. "I need a hug." She said. 

"Baby." I said and she looked like she wanted to cry. Her business suit and hair looked disheveled.

"I-it was horrible." She said and I just held her in my arms completely shocked that she was experiencing this.

"Why? What happened?" She asked.

"They'd rather give you a car loan then give a small business loan." She groaned. "I don't wanna talk about it. I just wanna go to bed." She said.

"I'm sorry baby."

"It's not your fault." She grumbled and walked away toward my bedroom. "Can I lay in here?" She asked.

"Of course." I said nodding and she sighed planting herself face first in the bed.

"This is horrible." She said.

"The bed?" I asked her.

She laughed shaking her head. "No, me looking for investors." She said. "Every bank I've gone to said no on the loan. I even tried to pull that Queen Latifah move and design something on spot. Still, nothing." I shook my head.

"How about if I help you?" I asked her.

"We discusses this and I don't wanna take your money."

"It's not taking my money babe." I kissed her. "I believe in your vision and dream. I can give you a loan if that's what you wanna call it."

"No, that's not how it works." She told me.

"It could be, I can be like- a silent investor. You and I both know your talent is crazy. I want you to be in the best position possible to make your dreams come true." I explained. "I know you're good for it and so do you."

"I don't know Reg." She said.

"Why?"

"What if it doesn't go how we plan? What if this isn't what God has for my life." She asked.

"Well, I know that God doesn't place something on your heart without there being a purpose . It's like that sermon you preached with the talents and how the one sewed it into the earth. God really gives us all talents in numbers and if we aren't using everyone of them, are we really better than the one who buried his in the earth because we at least used one?" I posed the question to her.

She sighed. "God I've taught you well."

I chuckled. "I pay attention and study on my own thanks. Now what do you say?" I asked her.

"You're right but-"

"How about this, if you don't do well you don't have to return the money I'm loaning you. If you do well, you can give me the money back." I said.

"With interest." She said pointedly.

"with interest. A low rate though." I said back.

"I love you." She told me and pecked my lips.

"I love you more babe. Now let's go eat."

"You cooked?" She asked surprised.

"Yeah bae, I wanted to make you dinner to celebrate you getting investors." I told her.

"You're the best boyfriend ever." She told me and got up heading towards the kitchen.

After dinner, which she enjoyed throughly, we sat on the couch, her laying down in my lap.

"Can you please play in my hair." She yawned and sighed feeling my hand massage it's way through her tresses.

"Better babe?" I asked her and she nodded.

"I'm gonna have an expected expense report for you by tomorrow night. You can give me what you can from there and I'll find the rest." She told me and I nodded, ignoring her proposition knowing how tired and not ready for argument she was.

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Tryna be a good writer and stuff lol. Lords to come. All of my active books will get a chapter. Rose from Concrete got one. Hood Redeemed is up next