Always Means Forever

Darwin nodded. “Bridget’s special, Mac. I just don’t want to mess this up.”

Jeneva Tolliver sat with her legs crossed on Bridget’s queen-size bed. Alexa, her five-year-old daughter, sat beside her, and the two of them were watching Bridget flit back and forth from her closet to the bed. Clothes were being pulled off their hangers and tossed madly about as Bridget struggled with what to wear on her date. Her date. The thought sent a sudden wave of panic straight through her and she dropped down against the bedside, her gaze resting on Jeneva.

“Are you all right?” her best friend asked.

She shook her head, tears burning hot against the back of her eyelids. “I shouldn’t be doing this,” she managed to sputter, swiping at her face with the back of her hand.

Jeneva smiled, reaching a warm palm out to caress Bridget’s shoulder. “Yes, you should. I promise you. It’s going to be just fine.”

“Why you cryin’?” Alexa asked, little-girl concern painting her expression. “Why Auntie Bridget cryin’, Mama? She hurt?”

Jeneva smiled, leaning to kiss her child’s forehead. “Auntie Bridget is happy. She and Uncle Darwin are going on a date.”

The child’s gaze moved from her mother to her godmother. “You not supposed to cry when you go on a date. Quincy didn’t cry when he went on his date,” the child said, referring to her twenty-one-year-old brother.

Jeneva rolled her eyes skyward. “Quincy didn’t go on a date.”

“Yes, he did. Daddy said.”

Bridget laughed. “When did Mr. Quincy go on a date?”

Jeneva winced. “It wasn’t a date. They just had a dance at the school and he met one of his friends there.”

“Her name’s Tasha and Quincy says she special like him,” Alexa interjected.

Jeneva pointed an index finger at her friend. “Don’t you say one word,” she hissed softly.

Bridget laughed for a second time. “Well, he is of age, Jeneva. You knew it was bound to happen sooner or later.”

“You sound like my husband.”

“I bet she’s a sweet girl.”

Jeneva shrugged her shoulders. “She is sweet but she has as many developmental issues as Quincy has.”

Alexa interrupted. “Are you gone kiss Uncle Darwin? Daddy says when you go on a date with your boyfriend you get a kiss.”

Jeneva’s look was incredulous. “I know your father did not say anything like that, girlie! When did he say that?”

“Quincy asked him if he could kiss Tasha and Daddy said that if Tasha gave her permission that he could give her a kiss on the cheek at the end of the date. Daddy said!” the child pronounced before turning back to her godmother. “You gone kiss Uncle Darwin on the cheek, Auntie Bridget?”

Jeneva shook her head. “You wait until I get my hands on that man!” she exclaimed.

The two women burst out laughing.

Alexa’s hands flew to her hips. “Well?”

Catching her breath, Bridget reached over to give the child a quick tickle. Alexa giggled, falling over onto her side between the two adults.

“I don’t know, girlie. But if I do I’ll make sure to tell you.”

Alexa stood up on the mattress, reaching to wrap her arms around her mother’s neck. “Uncle Darwin is my man,” she said, her precocious tone rising with enthusiasm.

“You don’t have a man, Alexa Tolliver. You’re too grown with your fresh self. And Uncle Darwin is your uncle. He can’t be your man.”

“Yes, he can.”

“No, he can’t.”

The little girl pouted, moving from her mother’s neck to Bridget’s. She pulled her small fingers through Bridget’s hair. “I’m gone wear a pink dress on my dates, Auntie Bridget. You should wear a pink one, too.”

Bridget giggled. “Girlie, you’ve got good taste. Come on,” she said, rising from the bedside and extending her hand in the child’s direction. “Come help me pick out the perfect shoes.”

Minutes later with shoes and dress in hand and little Alexa distracted in front of the television set, Bridget sat back against the bed. She leaned her head against Jeneva’s shoulder as her friend draped a comforting arm around her shoulders.

“I’m too old for this, Jay.”

The other woman laughed. “No, you’re not. Thirty-eight is hardly old. Things happen for a reason and obviously this is your time. Stop worrying about it and go have some fun.”

“But…”

“But nothing,” Jeneva interrupted. “Darwin is a great guy! You like him and he likes you. You won’t know how far the relationship will go until both of you actually go through the motions of moving it someplace. So, go get pretty and just think about having a good time.”

Bridget nodded. “Were you this nervous with Mecan?”

“You remember how anxious I was,” Jeneva said with a light chuckle. “If you and Roshawn hadn’t been there to help me get ready I’d probably still be trying to figure out what to wear.”

“You did look good.”

“It was the scarf.”

The two women laughed.

“Okay,” Bridget said, moving to peer into the other room to check that Alexa was still planted in front of the cartoon station. She sat back down, drawing her legs up beneath her buttocks.

“What about sex?” she whispered. “I mean…you know…” She paused, taking a deep breath.

Jeneva smiled, shifting herself back against a pillow. “When you know it’s right there won’t be anything to worry about. You’ll know exactly what to do, and how to do it, and it will be the most amazing experience. Just trust your instincts.”

“But it’s been so long.”

“It hasn’t been fourteen years. I had a fourteen-year dry spell to make up for, remember?”

“Maybe, but the last time I was with a man was what? A year ago? And you remember how badly that turned out. That brother fumbled like it was his first time. I barely got a wham and a bam before it was all over. Instead of thanking me he should have been apologizing and begging for my forgiveness. That’s the last time I bother with anyone from the D.A.’s office.”

Both women suddenly burst out laughing at the memory. Jeneva clutched her chest, tears swelling in her eyes. “Okay…okay…” she sputtered as she sucked in air. “Okay, you have a point there.”

Bridget wiped her own eyes, tears of laughter misting her cheeks. “Exactly. What if it’s that bad?”

“It won’t be. It’s Darwin and he’s related to Mecan, and my Mac…well, you get the idea,” she said with a wide grin.

Bridget rolled her eyes.

“It’s not Darwin I’m worried about. What if I do something to turn him off? I might take my clothes off and he sees that I have cellulite on my thighs, or my breasts are too small, or…”

“Give it a rest!” Jeneva exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air. “Darwin likes you. If and when you two ever get naked with each other he will love everything about you. Trust that. Now go get dressed or you’re going to be late. And hurry up so I can see you before I have to take the girl home so her daddy can spoil her some before her bedtime.”

Bridget heaved another deep sigh and reached for her dress. “If you say so.”

As she headed toward the adjoining bathroom she turned back toward her friend and smiled. “Thanks, Jay. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

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