The Other Side of the Pillow

“What about women who share their husbands?” I blurted out. “I’m not talking about being polygamous and all that, but women who know their men are dicking other chicks down and don’t say anything about it.”

I could hear Courtney sucking her teeth through the phone. “Shit, that could never be me. I wish Floyd would step out on me. It’d be the official date of his death. I can tell you that much right now. I don’t see how any woman would sit by and let a man disrespect her like that. I’m not having it. Fuck that!”

Whelp! That answers that question!

“Why’d y

ou ask that?” she inquired. “I hope you don’t think Tevin’s cheating on you. It’ll never happen. He’s the most honest man I’ve ever met. He’s a man of integrity and I know for a fact that he never cheated on Estella.”

“I don’t believe he ever cheated on her either.”

“You need to let that shit that happened with your former roommate go.”

“I have let it go. I trust Tevin. I was simply throwing out a topic out of boredom,” I lied, trying not to make it seem like I was feeling her out. “Sitting here day after day is not my friend. When Tevin comes home every evening, I almost feel like he’s coming back from a two-year deployment.”

“Wow!”

“Yes, it’s bad. Friday night sounds good, though. I should be okay to go out. Heaven knows that I need to get out of here. The weather’s still nice. It’s going to get cold soon.”

“I know, right. The Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicting another blizzard like we had at the beginning of 2010. Do you remember it?”

“Hell, who could forget Snowmageddon?”

We both chuckled.

“School was closed for ten days in a row. It was a mess,” I added. “Next time they call for something like that, I’m catching the first thing smoking out of here for Florida or somewhere else warm.”

“Well, you can pack the kids and me in your suitcases because we’re leaving, too. Never again. I can see why our men have to stay, but we can jet. Schools are going to be closed regardless.”

“Exactly!”

The doorbell rang. I couldn’t imagine who it might be. Maybe a delivery.

“Courtney, let me holler at you later. There’s someone at the door.”

“No problem. See you on Friday, if I don’t talk to you before then.”

“For sure. Love you, sis.”

“Love you, too.”

Chapter Thirty

“To love is to receive a glimpse of heaven.”

—Karen Sunde

Who is it?” I asked at the same time that I glanced through the peephole in the front door. Before she could answer, I took a step back. I recognized her from older photographs.

This cannot be happening!

“Jemistry, my name is Estella Harris,” she said from the other side of the door.

I hesitated to open it. Then I decided that I was too damn old to be acting so damn immature.

I opened the door. “Tevin’s not here right now.”

“Actually, I came here to see you.”