a fling or some random woman I’m fucking when I’m bored—as my mother rudely stated.
When I introduced Leyla to my family, I was expecting… I’m not sure why I did it, to be honest. My mistake was inviting Leyla to my grandma’s birthday.
It felt like the timing was right. After the night when she told me about her past, I felt that it was time to accept what I was denying for so long. I am in love with her.
She’s my life.
Now that we live together, I wanted to do more conventional things. Normal couples introduce each other to their families. Unfortunately, my family is atypical. Instead of welcoming her, they behaved like vultures trying to pick the insides of a dying animal in the middle of the desert.
Leyla is feisty, so there was no devouring. They hate her because her hot comebacks made them look like fools.
It shouldn’t surprise me that no one welcomed Leyla. The Bryants are, after all, rich, pompous assholes who think they are above everyone. That’s the way Leyla described them. Unfortunately, she’s not wrong. I’m glad she’ll never meet the Aldridges. They are worse.
Mom…well, I’m disappointed in her. She was just as nasty. So much for trying to show my woman that I’m committed to her. I’m disappointed in Mom. She was rude and offensive. I warned her that the next time she behaved like that with Leyla, we’d have a problem. She suggested not bringing my new toy to any family events if I wanted to avoid another unpleasant situation between them.
Needless to say, I’ve skipped many family gatherings, including my grandparents’ anniversary and my cousin Eddy’s thirty-fifth birthday. Everyone is pissed at me, but I don’t give a shit. It’s not like they miss me. I avoid family reunions most of the time. This new need to have me around is just to push me to break up with Leyla. Good luck with that.
I keep my family and my work separate from my life with Leyla. I love her, but I don’t know how long this is going to last. Is it worth it to try to make my family accept her?
Do I want this to last? Yes, but we Bryants are pretty bad at keeping relationships. Aldridges are even worse. There’s very little hope that this might last long.
Adding the factor that Leyla and I are pretty messed up, our chances to have a stable relationship are slim. My conclusion sounds pitiful. I should try to fix myself instead of gathering excuses to justify my future without her.
Leyla has been going to therapy for years. She practices meditation to help with her anxiety. In other words, she’s trying to put herself together. I admire her determination. If my father had done what her father did, I’d be devastated.
Her fear of being like her parents is familiar, though. I’ve done a lot of things to avoid ending up like my father. I don’t know the first thing about fixing myself. If things continue working well between us, I might try to find a way to be a better person. The past nine months with her have been incredible, but nothing lasts forever. Does it?
At the beginning of May, a big blizzard shuts down the city. Leyla stays at the animal hospital for a couple of days since they can’t close it. She’s the only one who lives relatively close by, and they are an emergency hospital. It’s Saturday morning when my phone rings. I grin when I see her beautiful face on the screen.
I glide my finger along the screen to answer her call. “Ready to come home, babe?”
“Almost,” she confirms. “I heard the transportation department just started cleaning the roads. They are icy and snow packed.”
“I can pick you up,” I offer.
“Actually, I was calling because I have a patient. She’s a puppy only a couple of days old,” she states. “I’m not sure if she’s going to make it.”
“You’ve been working for two straight days. Have you slept at all?” I question.
“A couple of cat naps here and there,” she lies.
“You need to come home, Ley. I’m sorry about the puppy.” I am also worried because it kills her when she has to put an animal down or when they die on her watch.
“Actually,” her voice drops to a whisper.
“No,” I answer. “You’re not bringing a puppy home.”
“Please, I just want to be with her when she… She just needs a little love,” she insists.
“Oh, hell,” I grunt. “I’m going