Today. Tomorrow. Always.: a Free Falling novella Read online

  Maisha had Anthony with her so I could get my shower out of the way. There was a lot to be done in the next few hours, but I had it all planned out. Angel would be here by nine and so would Mrs. Hahn… I mean, Emi—I still hadn’t quite gotten used to calling her by her first name just yet. Between the four of us, we should be able to take care of the decorations and prep the tables before the caterers showed up.

  We were expecting about thirty guests, but I was most excited about Dee, Karl, and my parents, making it into town. Dee and Karl would be staying here with us at the house for the night, so I’d already prepped their room while AJ was at work the day before. He’d be so happy to see everyone here, together.

  “Okay, I’m out,” he announced, stopping at the bathroom door before exiting. His steps came toward me again, and then a second later the glass shower door eased open.

  At first, purely out of shock, I covered myself with my hands, but then stopped hiding from him. I was covered from head to toe in suds and AJ stared, shaking his head back and forth.

  “You’re so bad,” I said, shifting beneath the stream of water to rinse.

  He didn’t deny that, reaching a hand inside the shower to touch me, his fingers cool against my breasts in contrast to the heat of the water.

  “I think you should let me get in with you,” he said, propositioning me once again. “To hell with basketball.”

  If he’d known how badly I wanted him closer, I’d lose this fight for sure. But my help would be arriving very shortly, so I couldn’t risk him running into anyone.

  I turned my back and glanced at him from over my shoulder, which proved to be a bad idea because the sight of him made me want to give in even more. I had to stick to my guns, though.

  “Tonight,” I promised.

  A slick smile crossed his face. “Tease.”

  “You like it,” I said back as the shower door closed once again.

  By the time I made it downstairs, he and Terrell were gone like I predicted. “Do you think he suspected anything?” I asked when I found Maisha in the kitchen spooning oatmeal into Anthony’s mouth.

  She shook her head. “Nope. And I made Terrell promise that they’d both take a shower there at the gym so they don’t show up all sweaty and funky for the party.”

  “Oh, good. Thanks. I didn’t even think about that.”

  Propping my hands on my hips, I looked around, wondering where to start. “I guess I should get going on the balloons. The tables and chairs should be arriving soon. Angel can decorate them once she gets here.”

  “What you need me to do?” Maisha asked.

  “Actually, if you can just keep an eye on Anthony until AJ’s mom gets here, that’d be perfect. If I know her, she’s gonna get tunnel vision when she sees him, anyway. Like always.” I’d joked to AJ that I think his mom preferred our son over him. He agreed, citing that Anthony hadn’t given her nearly as much hell as he had over the years.

  I grabbed the bags of balloons and headed out to the patio. However, the second I did, the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it.”

  After fumbling with the lock for a second because my hands were full, I opened the door to find Angel grinning on the other side of it. “Morning, Sammy!” she sang.

  She pulled me in for a one-armed hug because her other was loaded down with tons of stuff for the party, including her gift for AJ, already wrapped.

  “Point me in whatever direction you need me in so we can knock this out.”

  I took a breath and scratched my head. “Well, I wanted you working on the tables, but they haven’t arrived yet. Wanna help me with balloons?”

  She nodded and agreed. We went out to the patio like I’d started doing before she showed up, and we were well on our way. She and I had spoken the day before about the job prospect, working for Arata, and she jumped on it like I knew she would. The money was good and if she didn’t like it, the upside was that it was only temporary.

  I watched her when she wasn’t paying attention. She was here today to help like I knew she’d be. In my head, she was always more like a sister than a cousin to me, and there wasn’t a single time I called on her for something that she hadn’t come through. From the big things to the small, she’d been there.

  It broke my heart that life had thrown her a few curve balls over the past year, starting with her surprise breakup with Lamar. As close as we were, I still hadn’t gotten all of the details out of her, but I couldn’t understand what could’ve happened. They’d been going strong for a couple years when, the next thing I know, they’re done. Over. Angel was devastated.

  Now, roughly a year later, she was finally starting to come out of the deep funk she’d been in. She wasn’t all the way back, but I knew she would be soon. I could feel it.

  The sound of the doorbell distracted me from my thoughts and I hopped to my feet on autopilot.

  Angel gestured for me to sit. “I got it.”

  I took my seat again and went back to the balloons just as my phone rang. It was AJ. “Hey!” I said, a little too over-the-top, probably sending off all kinds of red flags in his mind.

  “Hey,” he replied in a rush. “Kai just called. He’s gotta catch his plane, but there’s a document in my briefcase that I signed, but forgot to hand off to him yesterday. He should be there any minute.”

  At the sound of his words, I peered through the sliding glass doors to where Angel stood with her hand on the knob.

  “I think he already made it.”

  “Cool. The sheet should be right on top,” he added. “I’ll wait while you look.”

  That made me nervous because I had no clue when the tables, or his mother, or the caterers would show up, blowing my cover if he heard too many voices, too much commotion in the background. Still, I had to play it cool, so I did as he asked.

  I walked in just as Angel pulled the door open, but I couldn’t see who was on the other side. I heard her give the visitor a soft greeting, but didn’t hear a response. I found AJ’s briefcase beside the couch where he’d left it the day before and didn’t have to do much digging to find the paperwork.

  “Got it. I’ll go give it to him now.”

  He thanked me and ended the call, allowing me to breathe a sigh of relief.

  I stepped into the foyer and Kai came into view; however, he didn’t see me just right away, mostly because his attention was completely on my cousin. It seemed like I’d walked up just as whatever short-lived conversation they were having was coming to an end.

  Angel stepped back and pursed her lips together as she slipped both her hands into the back pockets of her denim shorts.

  “Hey, Kai,” I greeted him, noting that he was a bit more casual than I was used to seeing him when I’d stopped by the office to visit AJ. He was dressed to travel—khaki shorts and a t-shirt. His glossy, black strands, which reminded me of my husband’s, were topped with a pair of sunglasses.

  He responded with a warm smile and a nod as he pulled his eyes away from Angel. He did so in such a way that it seemed to be a struggle to look somewhere other than at her. “Samantha. Good morning.”

  I smiled back, pretending not to notice. “I think this is what you needed?”

  He looked the sheet over after taking it from my hand. The corner of his mouth lifted again, just like the expression he’d been wearing when I first walked up. “This would be it. Thank you,” he added, but his eyes shifted from me back to Angel for just a fraction of a second. It dawned on me that I should introduce them. Not only because they’d never met before, but because she’d be working for him as his personal assistant in the very near future.

  “Kai, I’d like you to meet my cousin, Angel.”

  He took a step closer and extended his hand to her. “Angel,” he said, repeating her name as he stared at her with enough intensity that even I felt it. “Pleasure to meet you,” he added. He had a way about him, an awareness of self, a smoothness to his personality, I guess you could say—his steady eye contact, confident tone. I know
Angel didn’t miss it.

  Her face was as red as a fire hydrant, actually, so I know she didn’t miss it. “You, too,” she said with a smile.

  I tried not to grin. These two were definitely giving off a vibe. “I’m um…” pausing so they’d both look at me instead of each other. “I’m not sure if AJ told you already, Kai, but he mentioned that you were looking for a temporary assistant, and… well…” I gestured toward Angel like she was the prize on a gameshow, real dramatic-like. “This is her. Angel’s gonna be your assistant.”

  They both looked shocked, which I wasn’t sure to gauge as a bad sign or not. What I did notice, however, was that Kai’s casual posture changed a bit and his smile dimmed, like he was now suddenly aware of the fact that he’d soon get to know Angel in a professional capacity. The smile wasn’t gone completely, but something had definitely changed.

  “Oh! Okay… well, in that case, I look forward to working with you,” Angel said, trying to recover from the news that the man she’d just been ogling would temporarily be her boss.

  “Yes, definitely,” Kai said with a lighthearted tone that now sounded far more businesslike than before. “I look forward to working with you as well,” he concluded.

  That was the end of it. Kai went about his business to catch his flight, and Angel didn’t bring up the weird vibe from the introduction. I know I wasn’t imagining things, but we had too much to do, which meant we didn’t do a whole lot of talking after that. The tables finally arrived, the food was all set, and AJ’s mother had relieved Maisha of her babysitting duties. Some of the guests were already here, too. A few of AJ’s colleagues from work, a few of mine whom I’d gotten close to, and Dee and Karl had already called to say they were about ten minutes away.

  I hurried upstairs to change my clothes, and came back down just as my parents showed up. I heard my father’s voice before I saw him, causing me to rush down the steps even quicker.

  The words “Baby Girl” accompanied my father scooping me up into his arms. A kiss went to my cheek and I did my best not to cry, but it was always like this for me. I wished my parents had taken the same plunge as AJ’s, moving here to be closer, but I couldn’t expect that. My father’s patients were too dependent on him and he was far too dedicated to ever consider it. Still, a girl can dream.

  My mother consumed me in her arms next. “I know we were just here a few months ago, but I missed you like it’s been years,” she confessed with a laugh. “Just let me make a fuss over you for a little longer.”

  I was content with letting her hold on as long as she wanted to, but the sight of Anthony suddenly changed her focus. I was released and shoved aside like a ragdoll. Me and Daddy burst out laughing as she nearly snatched my son from AJ’s mother’s arms. Emi was used to her by now and just smiled.

  My mother kissed all over Anthony for a few seconds and then finally came to her senses and embraced Emi as well. They exchanged compliments on one another’s accessories and shoes for a while and then shifted to talk of the grandson they shared… like always.

  “How much longer before my son gets here?” My father asked, referring to AJ. It never got old hearing him call him that—his son.

  “Terrell sent Maisha a text and said they should be here in about twenty minutes. Did you guys park around the corner like I said?”

  My father nodded. “Yeah, he won’t see the car.”

  I nodded. “Good. Do you and mom mind going out onto the patio with everyone else?” I asked.

  “Not as long as I can take my baby,” my mother countered, making Emi laugh again.

  “Yes, Ma, you can take the baby.”

  She grinned and then went willingly.

  It dawned on me that I’d left my gift for AJ upstairs, buried deep within the closet. On my way up, I found myself feeling a bit nervous about giving it to him. He was an easy guy to shop for, never particular, but this year I wanted my gift to be special, something he wouldn’t expect.

  I was pretty sure I’d accomplished that.

  All the guests were in place and Dee and Karl finally slipped in at the last possible second. I managed to get them all in and quiet right before Terrell sent his final text: “We’re down the street.”

  I glanced at my gift perched at the end of the table beside the others, and a smile crossed my face.

  I hoped he’d love it.

  *****

  AJ

  Terrell had been acting weird all day, but then again, it was hard to tell with him. I turned into the driveway and parked beside his and Maisha’s car because it didn’t make sense to pull into the garage when we all had plans to head out in a little while anyway. Sam mentioned in passing that we’d be hanging out since it was my birthday.

  “I’m starving,” Terrell said as we walked toward the front of the house.

  “You work up an appetite when you lose?” I asked.

  He shoved me in my back. “Whatever, man. I let you win ‘cause it’s your birthday,” was his excuse.

  I laughed at his never-ending stream of BS.

  The lock clicked and we stepped into the silent house. It was quieter than it should’ve been—no TV, the little one wasn’t all over the place.

  Quiet.

  When I glanced at Terrell, he shrugged. “Maybe they’re out back”.

  He was probably right. Sam liked to take Anthony in the pool on Saturdays when the weather permitted, so we headed that way.

  I dropped my bag beside the living room couch and pulled back the blinds. The next second, I was nearly given a heart attack when a cloud of familiar faces and a loud “Surprise!” filled the air.

  Terrell was grinning beside me, which meant he was in on it all along. Apparently him and Maisha coming this weekend wasn’t as innocent as I’d thought.

  “Happy birthday, man.” His large hand hit the center of my back.

  Sam yanked the sliding door open and I pulled her into my arms.

  “Did we get you?” she asked.

  The answer should’ve been apparent if she felt my heart beating through my shirt. I kissed her when she leaned in. “Get me? You nearly killed me.”

  She laughed and stepped aside so I could greet the rest of our guests, some of which had come a pretty long way.

  Karl shook my hand and gave me a rough hug. “Getting old, man.”

  “You’re only a month behind me, so watch it,” I replied.

  My response made him chuckle as Dee stepped from behind him. I brought her in for a hug, too.

  “Happy birthday,” she sang.

  “Thanks. I can’t believe you guys came all this way.”

  She waved me off. “Please, as soon as Sam said the word ‘party’ we marked our calendars.”

  Everyone was here. Everyone. Sam’s parents, too. I went to them next.

  “Happy birthday, son.” I shook Mr. Kelley’s hand and embraced Sam’s mother when she repeated his words. It was always good to see them.

  “Thank you both for coming.” I really was overwhelmed by all of this.

  I looked around at all the trouble Sam had gone through. Still tucked beneath one of my arms, I glanced down at her, kissing her once again. She followed me over to where my mother and father stood beside the pool.

  My mother took my face in both hands and placed a kiss in the center of my forehead, undoubtedly leaving behind a trace of her red lipstick there. My father shook my hand and there was so much behind his eyes, so much emotion, but he didn’t speak on it. As a man who rarely shared his feelings, I knew the words he’d spoken to me in my office the day before were straight from his heart.

  A gentle tug of my left arm drew my attention back to Sam. She leaned in, and I craned my neck down to listen. “You have to open the present I got you now,” she said.

  Confused, I looked around at all the guests I still hadn’t spoken to, hadn’t yet greeted, but she insisted.

  “It’ll only take a second,” she assured me.

  Who was I to keep her waiting? I followed will
ingly, watching as she pulled a large flat object from the gift table on our way back inside the house. It was wrapped in shiny blue paper with a matching bow. The sliding door closed behind us, leaving us to sit alone in the living room with the party getting louder outside as our guests began to mingle.

  “Hurry and open it,” she urged, excitement brightening her beautiful, brown eyes.

  With her watching, I peeled the paper down, revealing the hollow backing of a canvas. It was a painting. Something she’d done herself, just for me. Now with more enthusiasm, I removed the rest and turned it to view the front.

  “Sam…”

  She clasped her hands together. “You like it?”

  I looked the piece over again, wondering when she’d had the time. I’d never seen her paint anything like this before. The walls of her studio above the garage were lined with landscapes or beautiful abstract pieces straight from her mind, usually her interpretation of something she’d seen or felt that day, but this…

  …this was us.

  “I used one of the pictures we took on our honeymoon,” she explained, bringing my mind back to the warm, sandy beach we’d vacationed on in Morocco for two weeks. I even remembered taking this particular shot myself. Sam was lying there, soaking up the sun in the white swimsuit and matching hat she wore, and I took the picture after finally convincing her to kiss me in front of all those people. It was a close shot with nothing showing in the background. Only she and I.

  “This is incredible,” I finally said. I couldn’t believe how accurate the details were.

  “Yeah?”

  I glanced away from the painting long enough to look her in her eyes. “Yeah.”

  She was pleased to hear it. “Good.” I watched as she eagerly took the canvas from my hands and set it aside, next handing me an envelope.

  “Your card,” she clarified.

  I took it from her hands and lifted the flap to slide the card free. “To my loving husband on his special day’, I read aloud, opening the cover to reveal a handwritten message from her instead of the generic print I was expecting.

  ‘To my one and only true love,