Shut Up & Listen

6. Mrs. Midnight

August 17/18

[cole, 22]

[]

The sun was setting on this long August day. Three had fallen asleep in his dad's old room and his parents were sitting in the kitchen at the loft. "I been wanting to tell you something. I just didn't know how you would take it." Cheyenne started, "Or what I wanted to do."

Cecil nodded, "Me too."

"Really? You go first."

"So, I was approached by one of my mentors. My dad's business partner." He paused, "I think I want to run for city council."

"Why?"

He furrowed his brows, "What do you mean, Why?" He asked, offended. "Nevermind, what did you want to tell me?"

She paused, thinking of what she would say. "Well, it's really more of a question." She quickly came up with something else, not fully confident in telling him what she originally wanted to. "How long is Three staying with you?"

"That's really what you wanted to ask me?"

"No." She smiled shyly. "I'm just scared of your answer to my real question."

His face shifted and he moved his arms to rest atop the table. She placed her hands in his palms and he caressed the back of them.

"Would you want another kid with me?"

Cecil didn't answer right away which made her stomach drop. She stared at him, watching him think. She couldn't bear to hear a rejection of the inevitable and decided to change the subject but he parted his lips and finally looked up, matching his eyes with hers. "Only if you let me marry you."

Cheyenne balled her lips up.

"Would it be that bad?"

"It's just that we've never even dated. That would be skipping a whole step. Right?"

He started to pull his hands away. She stopped him, "Don't pull away." She held his hands. "Lets talk. For real."

"For real?"

She nodded.

"You seeing somebody?"

She furrowed her brows a little bit.

"My brother said he saw some guy at the fune—."

"Cecil. I'm not seeing anyone."

"You have somebody you want to?"

"This like a trick question?"

"Chey, it's alright. Like you said, we were never a thing."

"I didn't say we never had a thing. I said we never dated, officially. Can you say that we have? I mean, like, where have you been the past few years?" He loosened his hands from hers and looked away, "Don't pull away Cecil. You always do this."