Asylum, p.15
Asylum, page 15
“Sy…”
He looked at me with a soft smile. “Yeah, sweetheart?”
“What’s going on?”
He walked me closer to the crowd—close enough for them to hear us but far enough away for it to feel like we still had privacy.
“I wanted to do this right.”
He went into his pocket and pulled out a blush pink halo pear-shaped diamond ring that made my mouth water. Chuckling, I stepped back with a shake of my head. I knew he would get me a ring eventually, but I wasn’t expecting him to do all this. What most blew me away was the size of the ring. It was three or four times bigger than the one he was able to afford when he first proposed.
Asylum never shied away from sharing with me how he was financially stable enough to take care of me and seeing as he dropped half a million in less than twenty-four hours, that was proof of his wealth but still. The ring looked to be at least five carats, and I wasn’t expecting something so beautiful and extravagant.
As he slipped the ring on my finger, he said, “I’d like to believe thirteen years ago, like Adam, I needed time to get myself together to be worthy of you. It may have taken us a while to get to this point, but you have become the apex of God’s creations to me. I slept, waiting for this moment for all those years, and now that you’re back in my life… I’m finally awake. Like I told you at home, you’re my rib. This ring and our commitment to each other will represent your return to where you belong.” As I clutched mine, Sy placed my hand in the center of his chest... On his heart. I closed my eyes as tears fell at the revelation that our hearts were beating in sync. “Will you mar—”
“Yes!” I yelled, making him laugh as he licked his lips. “My answer to you will always be yes, Sy. Yes!”
As we embraced, everyone around us cheered. I tuned them out and lost myself in his arms.
“I love you,” he muttered against my lips before kissing them.
“I love you too.” Giggling, I looked at the ring. “Are we really doing this?”
“We are, and this is literally just the beginning.”
My arms wrapped around him again, and his lips returned to mine. This was the best way to start the new year.
Chapter
Twenty-Five
Asylum
Two Weeks Later
I’d been out shopping for gifts to get my girls for Valentine’s Day when I came home and got the surprise of my life. Sierra was at the gate waiting for me. When I questioned why the guards didn’t call to let me know she was here, she said she wanted me to be surprised.
For quite some time, I envisioned how this moment would play out in my head. As I stared at her, none of the things I thought I would say came out. None of the things I thought I would feel were at the surface. I wasn’t happy because I loved her and she was safe nor was I angry that she’d left and just now returned. I was completely indifferent, and for a man like me, that was the worst state for a woman like her to have me in.
“Are those gifts for True?” she asked, peeping into my car. “Looks like there’s more than last year. And you’ve started what… two weeks early?”
“These are for True and my fiancée. And yeah, I’m getting started early. I’m taking my fiancée on a trip for the week of Valentine’s Day, so we’re celebrating with True next week.”
Her eyes blinked rapidly as she tried to process my words. It was like a circuit was shorting in her brain and she couldn’t wrap her mind around what she’d just heard. She kept opening and closing her mouth, but nothing came out. When it no longer amused me, I told Blake, “She’s no longer welcome here. If she stops by, call me immediately and do not let her in.”
“Asylum… wait… I…”
Rolling up the window, I ignored her as I drove inside the gate. Her ass had been gone for four months and wanted to make small talk like it had been four minutes. By the time I’d parked in the garage Sierra was calling me. Apparently, she’d gotten a new phone with the same number. Had I thought she would do that, I would’ve blocked her shit. Still, I answered… only because she was True’s mother.
“What?”
“We need to talk.”
“You haven’t wanted to talk for the last four months, so I don’t really care about what you have to say now.”
She sighed. “Regardless of how you feel, my daughter is in your home and…”
“Oh, now you give a fuck about your daughter?” I laughed and shook my head. “You wasn’t thinking about True when you abandoned her. She good, SiSi. Now get off my property before I have you escorted off.”
“Sy, please!” she yelled, and I could hear her composure breaking. “I’m sorry, OK? If you’d just give me two minutes, I’ll leave.”
“You got two minutes, and that’s including the time it’ll take you to get down here.”
“Asylum, I…”
I hung up the phone and got out of the car. As I got out, I saw her running down the driveway because her car was parked on the opposite side of the gate. Crossing my ankles, I leaned against the trunk and chuckled. At least she was serious about having this conversation.
When she made her way in front of me, she palmed her knees as she gasped for air.
“You’re down to a minute, Sierra.”
“Wa-wait.” She held up her finger as she took in a deep breath. Standing upright, she looked into my eyes as she said, “I hate you, Sy.”
“I’d say so. You did leave me with no conversation.”
“Like you cared. You made it clear you were only going to stay with me because of my daughter.”
“And? That’s the same daughter you lied to me about, costing me the love of my life. You lucky I didn’t say worse.”
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her heaving chest. “Look… I’m not going to apologize for what I did to you. I was upset and I wanted to hurt you. I knew there was nothing I could do to hurt you the way hearing you say that hurt me. So… I did the one thing I knew would trigger you. I left True.”
I knew there was a deeper reason behind her disappearance, but I wasn’t expecting it to be that. As unbothered as I was when I first saw her, hearing her say that pissed me off. She didn’t just intentionally do something that she knew would hurt me, but she hurt her daughter in the process to trigger me.
“True was innocent in this, and you used her because you knew that was the only way you could get to me. I shared with you what my mother did to me in confidence, and the moment you had to pay for your fucked up lie you decided to use that shit against me? Do you realize what you’ve done to your daughter just to make me feel something for your ass?”
“I’m sorry!” she wailed as her tears started to fall. “You wouldn’t love me, so I settled for hate! But I… I wasn’t thinking clearly about the damage it would do to True. By the time I realized it, I was too ashamed to come back. I’ve just now gathered the courage to face her.” Sierra chuckled as she wiped her eyes. “And here you are engaged already. It took you less than six months to replace me. You really didn’t give a fuck about me, did you?”
“I didn’t replace you; you were a replacement for a woman who was irreplaceable. And with you finally out of the way, she’s back where she rightfully belongs.” My confession had her stunned and speechless. “I want you off my property. Now.”
It wasn’t until I gently pushed her out of the garage so I could close it, that she said, “Fine. Send True out and we’ll leave.”
I laughed. “True ain’t going no-fucking-where.”
Scoffing, she put her hands on her hips. “That’s my child. I can take her wherever I damn well please.”
I rubbed my palms together as I closed the distance between us. “A lot has changed since you’ve been gone, SiSi. Bobby signed over his rights to True. With his permission, and signed off on by a judge, I am True’s temporary primary guardian. Before you can get her, you’ll need to not only prove you’re mentally well and financially stable, but that you have a stable, safe living environment for her to come to that will not disrupt the normal routine we’ve created for her here. Once you’ve done that, you can call me. Until then, stay the fuck away from my house and my daughter.”
The roar she released turned into a cry as her small fists began to fly like windmills. I grabbed them and held them at her sides as I turned her around and pulled her into my chest. My guards wasted no time running toward us. Before they arrived to escort her off my land, I whispered in her ear, “My mama had to learn the hard way what happens when you fuck with me. Now, you’re going to learn too.”
A Few Hours Later
“You’re doing the right thing,” Doe said, squeezing my hand gently.
Now that I’d calmed down some, I accepted that I needed to let True know her mom was back ASAP. Whether Sierra’s actions were wrong or not, I wouldn’t keep her away from True… especially if True wanted to see her. True had gotten to a place where she didn’t even ask about her mother anymore. I still asked her how she was feeling about everything at least twice a week to check on her mental and emotional wellbeing.
Her stance was the same—she loved her mom, missed her, and hoped she was OK—but she hated that Sierra had left us. I loved that True genuinely cared about me. She wasn’t just mad about her loss; she considered mine too. Even though she knew I didn’t love her mother the way a husband should, she knew about what happened during my childhood and how seeing her experience the same thing hurt me.
“I know that in my heart, but my mind is telling me to protect her from Sierra’s bullshit. She’s back now, but there’s no guarantee she’s going to stay. As upset as she was, what if she leaves again?”
“Unfortunately, we can’t say, babe. Even if she does leave again, True deserves to know the truth. I know it’s second nature for you to protect her, but if she finds out Sierra is back and that you didn’t tell her, I don’t want you to have to deal with her not trusting you as much.”
That possibility was the main reason I decided to tell her today. The last thing I needed was for Sierra to have Selena call True and give her the news. Since she was escorted off my property, Sierra hadn’t reached back out. Depending on what True wanted, that would determine my next move.
“You’re right. Let’s just get this over with.”
We headed to True’s room, where she was watching a series on Netflix about sea animals. The shit was weird, but she loved it and I loved that she loved to learn. She smiled at the sight of us as she sat up in bed.
“Are we about to go out to eat?”
I chuckled with a shake of my head. She was just as bad as Doe when it came to getting tired of healthy meal prep. After what I had to tell her, she could get just about whatever she wanted from me.
“If you want to. But there’s something your daddy has to tell you first,” Doe said, gently pushing me closer to her bed.
I sat on the edge of it and ran my hand down my face. “Your mom is back.”
I waited and watched her reaction. It didn’t change.
“Oh. That’s good.”
Doe and I looked at each other. “Yeah, she stopped by earlier.”
True nodded. “Is she staying? I don’t want to get happy and she start seeing me just a couple of times like my daddy.”
That shit broke my heart. I swallowed the frustration brewing within me, hating that SiSi’s actions had now made it difficult for True to trust her. That trust provided safety in relationships that would go far beyond their mother-daughter one. If I didn’t make sure she maintained a healthy perspective of this and healed her mother wound as early as possible, there was no telling how toxic True’s friendships and romantic relationships would be.
“Honestly, I don’t know, baby girl. She does want to see you. Do you want to see her? Maybe you can ask her that yourself.”
“I’ll see her, but not right now. You taught me if I don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. I’m too mad at her right now, but I am happy she’s back.”
“Take all the time you need, True.”
I gave her a hug and asked if she still wanted to go grab something to eat. She said she no longer had an appetite. Doe asked her if she wanted to hang with us and she said she’d rather be alone. I’d give her space to process how she was feeling like I always did. Hopefully she’d return to her normal self soon, otherwise, that was going to be another thing for me to hold against Sierra.
One Week Later
It took True four days to decide she was ready to see her mother. When she was, I called Sierra and made plans for them to meet. We chose the neutral location of her parents’ home. Even though I was in the kitchen with them, I gave True my word that I wouldn’t say anything unless she wanted me to. Leaning against the sink, I watched as they stared at each other. She didn’t even hug SiSi when we first arrived, and I honestly didn’t know how this meeting would end.
“Daddy said you left to hurt him,” was the first thing True said.
Sierra’s brows wrinkled as she shook her head. “Bobby had nothing to do with this.”
“I’m not talking about him. I’m talking about him,” she replied, pointing at me.
“Since when did you stop calling him Daddy Sy?”
“Since you left me, and my other daddy did a horrible job taking care of me. He didn’t talk to me, play with me, or care for me. He didn’t pray for me or take me to school. He didn’t do any of the things Sy does for me. So I decided if anyone should be my daddy it was him.” She paused before adding, “I want him to adopt me. Can he?”
Sierra’s mouth hung open as her head shook. “True, I… I didn’t come here to talk to you about that. I mean… Sy and I have always discussed that happening, but I want to talk about us.”
True’s head tilted as she cupped her hands on top of the table. “OK. What?”
Sierra swallowed hard. “I wanted to apologize. I did leave you because I was upset with Sy. I didn’t think about how that would affect you fully. I should have taken you with me.”
“I’m glad you didn’t.”
Covering my mouth as I suppressed my smile, I shook my head.
“Wow. If you’re talking like this after four months of being with him, I don’t think I want to allow him to adopt you.”
True sighed as she straightened her posture. “I’m talking like this because I hate what you did. I love you, but I don’t like you very much right now.” She paused, and I wondered if she was finally about to break. “You left me!” she yelled, tears finally starting to fall. “How could you do that to me!” I wanted to comfort her, but I let Sierra wrap her in an embrace. Even though True clung to her, she still let her have it. “You said you loved me but that was a lie! You don’t do that to people you love!”
“I do love you, baby, I swear,” Sierra said as her tears fell. “That’s why I left you with Asylum. I knew he would take care of you while I was gone.” Sierra kneeled in front of True and wiped her tears. “Mommy was sick in her head and her heart. I wasn’t thinking clearly with either one. I was obsessed with earning your daddy’s love when it should have been freely given. I know that now, and I’m in a much better place mentally and emotionally. I know you might not believe me, but I want to show you.” Sierra looked over at me. “We can take it as slow as you want. I’ll even let you continue to stay with Sy until you’re comfortable living with me.”
Her head shook adamantly. “I don’t want to stay with just you. Not all the time. And I want him to adopt me.”
“OK, OK,” Sierra conceded. “You can stay with him until you’re comfortable trusting I will never do anything like this again. Then, we can work out some kind of living arrangement. Maybe you can stay with him two weeks and me two weeks out of the month. How does that sound?”
True looked back at me. I didn’t want to influence her decision, so I told her, “It’s on you, baby girl.”
She thought it over before saying, “OK. I would like that. Can he adopt me?”
Sierra chuckled as she eyed me with more tears falling from hers. “Of course he can adopt you. There’s no one I trust with you more than him.” Standing, she made her way in front of me. “I’m sorry for destroying us. And for lying to you. I knew even back then that you were a great man and I wanted you. A part of me felt like if I had time to prove that I was a great woman you’d love me the way I was falling in love with you. I was wrong for lying about True then and I was wrong for leaving the both of you now. Will you ever be able to forgive me?”
I wanted to tell her no, but like with my mother, that forgiveness that she thought she needed wasn’t for her; it was for me. Apologizing may have dissolved her of her guilt but forgiving her was going to be the only thing to dissolve my anger.
“Eventually,” I admitted honestly. “Right now, we’ll be at peace just as long as you do right by True. The minute you show me you won’t be consistent and hurt her again, I’m going to do everything in my power to fully take her away from you.”
Sierra nodded as she told me, “Trust me… it won’t come to that.”
I nodded and headed to the living room so they could continue to talk. By the time we all agreed to part ways, we came to the agreement that True would spend weekends with Sierra here until she got a job and her own place. Then, we’d allow her to spend half the month at both of our homes.
Next week, Sierra and Doe would need to get acquainted again so she’d see the woman that had been helping keep both me and True sane. As long as Sierra didn’t exhibit any signs of possession over us toward Doe, I felt like we’d all be good. But I meant what I said, if I felt like I couldn’t trust True with her, I’d get rid of her just like I’d gotten rid of Bobby.
Epilogue
Dauterive
Two Weeks Later
As Asylum and I made ourselves comfortable in our first-class seats, I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face. He was taking me to one of my favorite islands for Valentine’s Day—Turks and Caicos. True was going to be spending the week at her grandparents’ house with Sierra, and I was glad they’d be able to spend some extra time together.
He looked at me with a soft smile. “Yeah, sweetheart?”
“What’s going on?”
He walked me closer to the crowd—close enough for them to hear us but far enough away for it to feel like we still had privacy.
“I wanted to do this right.”
He went into his pocket and pulled out a blush pink halo pear-shaped diamond ring that made my mouth water. Chuckling, I stepped back with a shake of my head. I knew he would get me a ring eventually, but I wasn’t expecting him to do all this. What most blew me away was the size of the ring. It was three or four times bigger than the one he was able to afford when he first proposed.
Asylum never shied away from sharing with me how he was financially stable enough to take care of me and seeing as he dropped half a million in less than twenty-four hours, that was proof of his wealth but still. The ring looked to be at least five carats, and I wasn’t expecting something so beautiful and extravagant.
As he slipped the ring on my finger, he said, “I’d like to believe thirteen years ago, like Adam, I needed time to get myself together to be worthy of you. It may have taken us a while to get to this point, but you have become the apex of God’s creations to me. I slept, waiting for this moment for all those years, and now that you’re back in my life… I’m finally awake. Like I told you at home, you’re my rib. This ring and our commitment to each other will represent your return to where you belong.” As I clutched mine, Sy placed my hand in the center of his chest... On his heart. I closed my eyes as tears fell at the revelation that our hearts were beating in sync. “Will you mar—”
“Yes!” I yelled, making him laugh as he licked his lips. “My answer to you will always be yes, Sy. Yes!”
As we embraced, everyone around us cheered. I tuned them out and lost myself in his arms.
“I love you,” he muttered against my lips before kissing them.
“I love you too.” Giggling, I looked at the ring. “Are we really doing this?”
“We are, and this is literally just the beginning.”
My arms wrapped around him again, and his lips returned to mine. This was the best way to start the new year.
Chapter
Twenty-Five
Asylum
Two Weeks Later
I’d been out shopping for gifts to get my girls for Valentine’s Day when I came home and got the surprise of my life. Sierra was at the gate waiting for me. When I questioned why the guards didn’t call to let me know she was here, she said she wanted me to be surprised.
For quite some time, I envisioned how this moment would play out in my head. As I stared at her, none of the things I thought I would say came out. None of the things I thought I would feel were at the surface. I wasn’t happy because I loved her and she was safe nor was I angry that she’d left and just now returned. I was completely indifferent, and for a man like me, that was the worst state for a woman like her to have me in.
“Are those gifts for True?” she asked, peeping into my car. “Looks like there’s more than last year. And you’ve started what… two weeks early?”
“These are for True and my fiancée. And yeah, I’m getting started early. I’m taking my fiancée on a trip for the week of Valentine’s Day, so we’re celebrating with True next week.”
Her eyes blinked rapidly as she tried to process my words. It was like a circuit was shorting in her brain and she couldn’t wrap her mind around what she’d just heard. She kept opening and closing her mouth, but nothing came out. When it no longer amused me, I told Blake, “She’s no longer welcome here. If she stops by, call me immediately and do not let her in.”
“Asylum… wait… I…”
Rolling up the window, I ignored her as I drove inside the gate. Her ass had been gone for four months and wanted to make small talk like it had been four minutes. By the time I’d parked in the garage Sierra was calling me. Apparently, she’d gotten a new phone with the same number. Had I thought she would do that, I would’ve blocked her shit. Still, I answered… only because she was True’s mother.
“What?”
“We need to talk.”
“You haven’t wanted to talk for the last four months, so I don’t really care about what you have to say now.”
She sighed. “Regardless of how you feel, my daughter is in your home and…”
“Oh, now you give a fuck about your daughter?” I laughed and shook my head. “You wasn’t thinking about True when you abandoned her. She good, SiSi. Now get off my property before I have you escorted off.”
“Sy, please!” she yelled, and I could hear her composure breaking. “I’m sorry, OK? If you’d just give me two minutes, I’ll leave.”
“You got two minutes, and that’s including the time it’ll take you to get down here.”
“Asylum, I…”
I hung up the phone and got out of the car. As I got out, I saw her running down the driveway because her car was parked on the opposite side of the gate. Crossing my ankles, I leaned against the trunk and chuckled. At least she was serious about having this conversation.
When she made her way in front of me, she palmed her knees as she gasped for air.
“You’re down to a minute, Sierra.”
“Wa-wait.” She held up her finger as she took in a deep breath. Standing upright, she looked into my eyes as she said, “I hate you, Sy.”
“I’d say so. You did leave me with no conversation.”
“Like you cared. You made it clear you were only going to stay with me because of my daughter.”
“And? That’s the same daughter you lied to me about, costing me the love of my life. You lucky I didn’t say worse.”
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her heaving chest. “Look… I’m not going to apologize for what I did to you. I was upset and I wanted to hurt you. I knew there was nothing I could do to hurt you the way hearing you say that hurt me. So… I did the one thing I knew would trigger you. I left True.”
I knew there was a deeper reason behind her disappearance, but I wasn’t expecting it to be that. As unbothered as I was when I first saw her, hearing her say that pissed me off. She didn’t just intentionally do something that she knew would hurt me, but she hurt her daughter in the process to trigger me.
“True was innocent in this, and you used her because you knew that was the only way you could get to me. I shared with you what my mother did to me in confidence, and the moment you had to pay for your fucked up lie you decided to use that shit against me? Do you realize what you’ve done to your daughter just to make me feel something for your ass?”
“I’m sorry!” she wailed as her tears started to fall. “You wouldn’t love me, so I settled for hate! But I… I wasn’t thinking clearly about the damage it would do to True. By the time I realized it, I was too ashamed to come back. I’ve just now gathered the courage to face her.” Sierra chuckled as she wiped her eyes. “And here you are engaged already. It took you less than six months to replace me. You really didn’t give a fuck about me, did you?”
“I didn’t replace you; you were a replacement for a woman who was irreplaceable. And with you finally out of the way, she’s back where she rightfully belongs.” My confession had her stunned and speechless. “I want you off my property. Now.”
It wasn’t until I gently pushed her out of the garage so I could close it, that she said, “Fine. Send True out and we’ll leave.”
I laughed. “True ain’t going no-fucking-where.”
Scoffing, she put her hands on her hips. “That’s my child. I can take her wherever I damn well please.”
I rubbed my palms together as I closed the distance between us. “A lot has changed since you’ve been gone, SiSi. Bobby signed over his rights to True. With his permission, and signed off on by a judge, I am True’s temporary primary guardian. Before you can get her, you’ll need to not only prove you’re mentally well and financially stable, but that you have a stable, safe living environment for her to come to that will not disrupt the normal routine we’ve created for her here. Once you’ve done that, you can call me. Until then, stay the fuck away from my house and my daughter.”
The roar she released turned into a cry as her small fists began to fly like windmills. I grabbed them and held them at her sides as I turned her around and pulled her into my chest. My guards wasted no time running toward us. Before they arrived to escort her off my land, I whispered in her ear, “My mama had to learn the hard way what happens when you fuck with me. Now, you’re going to learn too.”
A Few Hours Later
“You’re doing the right thing,” Doe said, squeezing my hand gently.
Now that I’d calmed down some, I accepted that I needed to let True know her mom was back ASAP. Whether Sierra’s actions were wrong or not, I wouldn’t keep her away from True… especially if True wanted to see her. True had gotten to a place where she didn’t even ask about her mother anymore. I still asked her how she was feeling about everything at least twice a week to check on her mental and emotional wellbeing.
Her stance was the same—she loved her mom, missed her, and hoped she was OK—but she hated that Sierra had left us. I loved that True genuinely cared about me. She wasn’t just mad about her loss; she considered mine too. Even though she knew I didn’t love her mother the way a husband should, she knew about what happened during my childhood and how seeing her experience the same thing hurt me.
“I know that in my heart, but my mind is telling me to protect her from Sierra’s bullshit. She’s back now, but there’s no guarantee she’s going to stay. As upset as she was, what if she leaves again?”
“Unfortunately, we can’t say, babe. Even if she does leave again, True deserves to know the truth. I know it’s second nature for you to protect her, but if she finds out Sierra is back and that you didn’t tell her, I don’t want you to have to deal with her not trusting you as much.”
That possibility was the main reason I decided to tell her today. The last thing I needed was for Sierra to have Selena call True and give her the news. Since she was escorted off my property, Sierra hadn’t reached back out. Depending on what True wanted, that would determine my next move.
“You’re right. Let’s just get this over with.”
We headed to True’s room, where she was watching a series on Netflix about sea animals. The shit was weird, but she loved it and I loved that she loved to learn. She smiled at the sight of us as she sat up in bed.
“Are we about to go out to eat?”
I chuckled with a shake of my head. She was just as bad as Doe when it came to getting tired of healthy meal prep. After what I had to tell her, she could get just about whatever she wanted from me.
“If you want to. But there’s something your daddy has to tell you first,” Doe said, gently pushing me closer to her bed.
I sat on the edge of it and ran my hand down my face. “Your mom is back.”
I waited and watched her reaction. It didn’t change.
“Oh. That’s good.”
Doe and I looked at each other. “Yeah, she stopped by earlier.”
True nodded. “Is she staying? I don’t want to get happy and she start seeing me just a couple of times like my daddy.”
That shit broke my heart. I swallowed the frustration brewing within me, hating that SiSi’s actions had now made it difficult for True to trust her. That trust provided safety in relationships that would go far beyond their mother-daughter one. If I didn’t make sure she maintained a healthy perspective of this and healed her mother wound as early as possible, there was no telling how toxic True’s friendships and romantic relationships would be.
“Honestly, I don’t know, baby girl. She does want to see you. Do you want to see her? Maybe you can ask her that yourself.”
“I’ll see her, but not right now. You taught me if I don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. I’m too mad at her right now, but I am happy she’s back.”
“Take all the time you need, True.”
I gave her a hug and asked if she still wanted to go grab something to eat. She said she no longer had an appetite. Doe asked her if she wanted to hang with us and she said she’d rather be alone. I’d give her space to process how she was feeling like I always did. Hopefully she’d return to her normal self soon, otherwise, that was going to be another thing for me to hold against Sierra.
One Week Later
It took True four days to decide she was ready to see her mother. When she was, I called Sierra and made plans for them to meet. We chose the neutral location of her parents’ home. Even though I was in the kitchen with them, I gave True my word that I wouldn’t say anything unless she wanted me to. Leaning against the sink, I watched as they stared at each other. She didn’t even hug SiSi when we first arrived, and I honestly didn’t know how this meeting would end.
“Daddy said you left to hurt him,” was the first thing True said.
Sierra’s brows wrinkled as she shook her head. “Bobby had nothing to do with this.”
“I’m not talking about him. I’m talking about him,” she replied, pointing at me.
“Since when did you stop calling him Daddy Sy?”
“Since you left me, and my other daddy did a horrible job taking care of me. He didn’t talk to me, play with me, or care for me. He didn’t pray for me or take me to school. He didn’t do any of the things Sy does for me. So I decided if anyone should be my daddy it was him.” She paused before adding, “I want him to adopt me. Can he?”
Sierra’s mouth hung open as her head shook. “True, I… I didn’t come here to talk to you about that. I mean… Sy and I have always discussed that happening, but I want to talk about us.”
True’s head tilted as she cupped her hands on top of the table. “OK. What?”
Sierra swallowed hard. “I wanted to apologize. I did leave you because I was upset with Sy. I didn’t think about how that would affect you fully. I should have taken you with me.”
“I’m glad you didn’t.”
Covering my mouth as I suppressed my smile, I shook my head.
“Wow. If you’re talking like this after four months of being with him, I don’t think I want to allow him to adopt you.”
True sighed as she straightened her posture. “I’m talking like this because I hate what you did. I love you, but I don’t like you very much right now.” She paused, and I wondered if she was finally about to break. “You left me!” she yelled, tears finally starting to fall. “How could you do that to me!” I wanted to comfort her, but I let Sierra wrap her in an embrace. Even though True clung to her, she still let her have it. “You said you loved me but that was a lie! You don’t do that to people you love!”
“I do love you, baby, I swear,” Sierra said as her tears fell. “That’s why I left you with Asylum. I knew he would take care of you while I was gone.” Sierra kneeled in front of True and wiped her tears. “Mommy was sick in her head and her heart. I wasn’t thinking clearly with either one. I was obsessed with earning your daddy’s love when it should have been freely given. I know that now, and I’m in a much better place mentally and emotionally. I know you might not believe me, but I want to show you.” Sierra looked over at me. “We can take it as slow as you want. I’ll even let you continue to stay with Sy until you’re comfortable living with me.”
Her head shook adamantly. “I don’t want to stay with just you. Not all the time. And I want him to adopt me.”
“OK, OK,” Sierra conceded. “You can stay with him until you’re comfortable trusting I will never do anything like this again. Then, we can work out some kind of living arrangement. Maybe you can stay with him two weeks and me two weeks out of the month. How does that sound?”
True looked back at me. I didn’t want to influence her decision, so I told her, “It’s on you, baby girl.”
She thought it over before saying, “OK. I would like that. Can he adopt me?”
Sierra chuckled as she eyed me with more tears falling from hers. “Of course he can adopt you. There’s no one I trust with you more than him.” Standing, she made her way in front of me. “I’m sorry for destroying us. And for lying to you. I knew even back then that you were a great man and I wanted you. A part of me felt like if I had time to prove that I was a great woman you’d love me the way I was falling in love with you. I was wrong for lying about True then and I was wrong for leaving the both of you now. Will you ever be able to forgive me?”
I wanted to tell her no, but like with my mother, that forgiveness that she thought she needed wasn’t for her; it was for me. Apologizing may have dissolved her of her guilt but forgiving her was going to be the only thing to dissolve my anger.
“Eventually,” I admitted honestly. “Right now, we’ll be at peace just as long as you do right by True. The minute you show me you won’t be consistent and hurt her again, I’m going to do everything in my power to fully take her away from you.”
Sierra nodded as she told me, “Trust me… it won’t come to that.”
I nodded and headed to the living room so they could continue to talk. By the time we all agreed to part ways, we came to the agreement that True would spend weekends with Sierra here until she got a job and her own place. Then, we’d allow her to spend half the month at both of our homes.
Next week, Sierra and Doe would need to get acquainted again so she’d see the woman that had been helping keep both me and True sane. As long as Sierra didn’t exhibit any signs of possession over us toward Doe, I felt like we’d all be good. But I meant what I said, if I felt like I couldn’t trust True with her, I’d get rid of her just like I’d gotten rid of Bobby.
Epilogue
Dauterive
Two Weeks Later
As Asylum and I made ourselves comfortable in our first-class seats, I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face. He was taking me to one of my favorite islands for Valentine’s Day—Turks and Caicos. True was going to be spending the week at her grandparents’ house with Sierra, and I was glad they’d be able to spend some extra time together.
