Ben (The Sherwood)

I was enjoying her company and I think she enjoyed mine too and not just Asia’s. I know the kid was adorable, but I think having adult company had to be part of the attraction.

She shook her head at me and then she smiled. “All right, I’ll stay.”

Disa laid her purse down on the coffee table. I was a gentleman I waited for her to pick her seat. She snuggled against the comfy pillow, in the corner of the sofa so I took the recliner. I wanted to be right next to her, snuggled near her like once a long time ago but I didn’t have that right to do so now. I didn’t want to scare her off either, so I kept my distance.

I tossed her the remote and let her pick the movie. One blonde eyebrow raised over her eye then a smirk appeared on her beautiful, full lips and I knew that I was in big trouble.

I waited for the woman to put a chick flick on, but I was surprised when she chose the latest action thriller I had been wanting to see myself. I tilted the recliner back and crossed my feet at the ankles. I lasted through forty-five minutes of the movie. I don’t know how long Disa lasted. She was awake when I felt asleep.

Seth woke me when he came home from work.

My brother was silently shaking me trying to get me out of a deep sleep. Asia hadn’t woken one time.

He knew to jump back. I had a tendency of coming up swinging. I didn’t this time. I simply pushed him backwards. “What?” I snapped at him.

“You fell asleep watching television,” he whispered to me.

“Why are you whispering?” I snapped at him again.

He pointed at the sofa where Disa was curled on her side, sound asleep. Her hands were folded beneath her cheek. Her mouth slightly open while she snored softly. I remembered this well. She had fallen asleep on me once or twice.

I pushed the button that lowered the footrest. Then I rose from the recliner and covered her with a blanket off the back of the sofa. I straightened and nearly ran into Seth who was hovering behind me. I was nearly the same height as my baby brother. I put both hands on my hips and stared him down.

“What?” I knew Seth. He had something on his mind.

He scratched his head. “Isn’t it a little weird to be dating the cousin of the mother of your child?” Seth asked.

I shoved him down the hallway towards our bedrooms. He stopped outside his own room. “First of all, I’m not dating Disa. We’re just friends. We’ve been friends for a really, long time. Secondly, if we were dating, it is none of your business. Got it, little brother?” I asked him.

“Got it,” he replied. Then he opened his door and went into his room, shutting it in my face. He wasn’t mad. Seth was exhausted. Friday nights at Ike’s were hard. He did all the cooking by himself and Seth was a fabulous cook who could put my mother and sister to shame, not that I would ever tell them that. I liked being alive and they would have my head for saying something so ridiculous.

I walked to my bedroom and changed into loose shorts and no shirt. Then I climbed in bed and peeked at the monitor that showed me Asia. She was flat on her back sleeping peacefully in the position that I had left her in. She had been down since eleven. We were making progress. I put the monitor back on the nightstand.

Since Asia had moved into the house, I hadn’t been sleeping in the buff. I couldn’t get to her fast enough if I was naked.

Lying on top of the comforter, sleep was elusive, so I stared at the ceiling. I wondered if Disa would slip out before I woke in the morning? I wanted to see her before she left. I wanted to tell her good morning like we used to do. She had slept in my bed before while I slept on the sofa.

So long ago. I felt like a baby then compared to now. So much had changed. Yet, she was letting me back in now if only as a friend.

For now.

The house was quiet except for the occasional settling noise of the trailer that sat on foundation that we poured ourselves. We had spent a shit ton of money, getting water, electric and gas to the location where we were putting our home. We built the front porch and the back deck ourselves too. Once the gravel was delivered, we complained the entire time about spreading it evenly down the drive.

Saturday morning with nothing to do was a strange concept for me. I had the baby to take care of but nothing else. Usually Elijah and I would do things together. Men, manly things. Now, I was up to my eyeballs in dirty diapers and bottles.

Funny how different my path in life was these days. I couldn’t say that I was unhappy about it. Asia had brought about a new perspective for me. She showed me what I was missing and trying, to fill with woman after woman. I needed substance and stability. I needed something I could love that couldn’t be taken from me.

I crossed my ankles and put my hands behind my head. I still couldn’t sleep. I glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand. The bold, red letters let me know that it was nearing the time when Asia would wake for her bottle. That three to three thirty feeding was coming soon.

Mom and Dad had talked to me about going to court to establish full custody of Asia. I didn’t know what to do about that. It felt weird that I had to seek custody of my own child but maybe they were right. Maybe I should do something so that one day, if Jasmine decided to return, she couldn’t just walk in and take her from me, years down the road or three weeks from now.

It wasn’t that I wouldn’t be reasonable with Jasmine. I would but in just a week I had fallen more in love with my daughter than I had ever thought was possible. I wanted to be sure that Jasmine was reasonable with me too.

I hated the idea of it. It made me twitchy, but I didn’t see an alternative to ensuring that Asia’s custody was safe with me now that Jasmine was gone. I didn’t even know what my rights were as her father and Rachel pointed that out every morning when I dropped Asia off to her.

My momma was singing a different tune now that Jasmine was gone and it kind of irritated me to be honest but that was Rachel.

My daughter started crying. I climbed out of bed and walked right out my door heading towards Elijah’s room. I heard her footsteps behind me. I stopped and turned. There she was only a few steps away. Disa looked sleepy-eyed, and beautiful with her hair tousled and her eyes heavy lidded like she wasn’t quite awake.