Always Means Forever. Deborah Fletcher Mello

make sure to tell you.”

      Alexa stood up on the mattress, reaching to wrap her arms around her mother’s neck. “Uncle Darwin is my man,” she said, her precocious tone rising with enthusiasm.

      “You don’t have a man, Alexa Tolliver. You’re too grown with your fresh self. And Uncle Darwin is your uncle. He can’t be your man.”

      “Yes, he can.”

      “No, he can’t.”

      The little girl pouted, moving from her mother’s neck to Bridget’s. She pulled her small fingers through Bridget’s hair. “I’m gone wear a pink dress on my dates, Auntie Bridget. You should wear a pink one, too.”

      Bridget giggled. “Girlie, you’ve got good taste. Come on,” she said, rising from the bedside and extending her hand in the child’s direction. “Come help me pick out the perfect shoes.”

      Minutes later with shoes and dress in hand and little Alexa distracted in front of the television set, Bridget sat back against the bed. She leaned her head against Jeneva’s shoulder as her friend draped a comforting arm around her shoulders.

      “I’m too old for this, Jay.”

      The other woman laughed. “No, you’re not. Thirty-eight is hardly old. Things happen for a reason and obviously this is your time. Stop worrying about it and go have some fun.”

      “But…”

      “But nothing,” Jeneva interrupted. “Darwin is a great guy! You like him and he likes you. You won’t know how far the relationship will go until both of you actually go through the motions of moving it someplace. So, go get pretty and just think about having a good time.”

      Bridget nodded. “Were you this nervous with Mecan?”

      “You remember how anxious I was,” Jeneva said with a light chuckle. “If you and Roshawn hadn’t been there to help me get ready I’d probably still be trying to figure out what to wear.”

      “You did look good.”

      “It was the scarf.”

      The two women laughed.

      “Okay,” Bridget said, moving to peer into the other room to check that Alexa was still planted in front of the cartoon station. She sat back down, drawing her legs up beneath her buttocks.

      “What about sex?” she whispered. “I mean…you know…” She paused, taking a deep breath.

      Jeneva smiled, shifting herself back against a pillow. “When you know it’s right there won’t be anything to worry about. You’ll know exactly what to do, and how to do it, and it will be the most amazing experience. Just trust your instincts.”

      “But it’s been so long.”

      “It hasn’t been fourteen years. I had a fourteen-year dry spell to make up for, remember?”

      “Maybe, but the last time I was with a man was what? A year ago? And you remember how badly that turned out. That brother fumbled like it was his first time. I barely got a wham and a bam before it was all over. Instead of thanking me he should have been apologizing and begging for my forgiveness. That’s the last time I bother with anyone from the D.A.’s office.”

      Both women suddenly burst out laughing at the memory. Jeneva clutched her chest, tears swelling in her eyes. “Okay…okay…” she sputtered as she sucked in air. “Okay, you have a point there.”

      Bridget wiped her own eyes, tears of laughter misting her cheeks. “Exactly. What if it’s that bad?”

      “It won’t be. It’s Darwin and he’s related to Mecan, and my Mac…well, you get the idea,” she said with a wide grin.

      Bridget rolled her eyes.

      “It’s not Darwin I’m worried about. What if I do something to turn him off? I might take my clothes off and he sees that I have cellulite on my thighs, or my breasts are too small, or…”

      “Give it a rest!” Jeneva exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air. “Darwin likes you. If and when you two ever get naked with each other he will love everything about you. Trust that. Now go get dressed or you’re going to be late. And hurry up so I can see you before I have to take the girl home so her daddy can spoil her some before her bedtime.”

      Bridget heaved another deep sigh and reached for her dress. “If you say so.”

      As she headed toward the adjoining bathroom she turned back toward her friend and smiled. “Thanks, Jay. I don’t know what I would do without you.”