Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 112755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 451(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
“Yeah, what’s up?”
“Do you love my mama? ’Cause if you don’t, you should, and if you planning on playin’ with her and makin’ her cry I would prefer you not, ’cause that’s not right.”
Desiree gasped, horrified.
“Kaylee, you know better than to say things like that! Why would you—”
“Nah, nah, it’s okay,” Legend said with a smile, waving her off. “She just wants to know where I stand is all.” He winked at Desiree, as if to say, ‘Settle down. I’ve got this.’
Placing his fork down, he leaned slightly forward, and clasped his hands.
“Kaylee,” he continued. “I don’t know what your mother has told you besides the fact I’m her boyfriend, but you’ve asked a complicated question. Let me take that back. The question wasn’t complicated, but your statements after that were. It’s called a loaded statement, meaning you said some things, but they have more meaning than even what you shared. Do you understand me?”
Kaylee shrugged. “Not really.”
“Okay. Let me explain it another way. I’m sayin’ that you asked me a simple question, which was whether I love your mother, but the rest of what you said implies that you’ve seen your mother get hurt by prior men she’s dated, and you’re worried about that because one,” he began to count off his fingers, “you don’t want your mother hurt again, which makes perfect sense. And two, both of you have been disappointed by men who have come into your mother’s life to some extent, perhaps even your father who you wish you could have spent more time with.” Kaylee nodded in agreement. “At the end of the day, Desiree isn’t just your mother. She’s your nurse. Your teacher. Your counselor. Your provider. Your protector, and at times, your best friend. She’s in school, working, and even has a side business, her candles and soaps, so she can put food on the table and give you the life you both deserve. She’s sacrificing now, so that y’all can have a good time later, and she’s doing most of this on her own. Is that right?”
“Yes.” She nodded. “That’s right. All of it.”
“Cool. So, I’m going to answer you to the best of my ability, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Kaylee, you may or may not know this, but I’ll say it just in case. There are different types of relationships in this world, and different types of love. There’s a way you love a friend. Like, maybe, one of your school buddies, or someone you grew up with. That type of love, depending on how long you’ve known each other, how much time you spend together, and your closeness level, can be very similar to havin’ a sibling. A brother or sister. So, that’s a pretty serious and important type of love, and it can uh… what’s the word I’m looking for? Alter!” He snapped his fingers. “It can alter how you see the world, and who you become, to an extent. I have two friends like that in my life. Two guys I grew up with. Now, there’s a love that you have for your grandmama and mama, which there’s no need to explain, ’cause you know exactly what that is. And then, there’s romantic love. Like between a man and a woman, or to be politically correct, between two people who have fallen in love.
“The third type of love I mentioned is a couple. Two people who want to spend a lot of time together and share their lives with one another.” He glanced at Desiree and she prayed her cheeks hadn’t gone bright red. “I feel two out of those three, for your mama. I love her as an amazing friend, someone I can talk to, spend fun times with, kiss and hug, and even help each other with schoolwork, since that’s how we met.”
“Kiss and hug. I bet y’all kiss a lot,” Kaylee commented, then started laughing.
Desiree rolled her eyes. “Kaylee, you so silly.”
Legend chuckled. “Yeah, we kiss and hug a lot. I like affection, and I love your mama’s hugs. Now, as far as I’m concerned,” he placed his hand over his chest, “your mama is my mate, my girlfriend, someone I enjoy spendin’ time with. I know for a long time though, it’s been just you and her.” Kaylee nodded in agreement. “And you already have a father, so regardless of my intentions with your mother, I’m not tryna overstep boundaries and replace him. Just know though, I want to be with your mother, I want to get to know you and become friends with you, and I have no plans on causing your mama any unnecessary pain, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Things happen though. They’re hard to explain to children, but sometimes you can love someone, Kaylee, yet y’all just not good together. Or, you can love someone, but something happens, intentional or not, causing one person to realize that they feel differently now about the other person, so the relationship ends. I can’t make any promises about the future, because I’m in a relationship. Meaning, there’s two people here that make the decision on what we do, and where this relationship goes.”