"Don't worry, you're not the only one who's been there."
I look up from my cheesecake to see Mark Caroline’s husband. He sits down next to me. We are in the living room. Murphy, Grace, Caroline and Evans are all deep in conversation. I tried to keep up, but I can't really think about anything right now. Rosa is somewhere in the house, with Grace's sons, I think. "What?"
Mark smiles. "On Rosa's bad side? She made me go through hell." He glances at Caroline. "Didn't think I was worthy of Caroline because I wasn't a millionaire."
"Wow, really?"
He nods. "Yeah. It was all worth it though." He frowns. "It's not fair to you though. I'm sorry you had to go through that."
"Thank you and it's okay. I was just taken a little off guard."
"Believe it or not, Rosa is not as bad as she used to be. I think she's just hurt that Evans didn't tell her anything and she decided to take it out on you."
I shrug. "I'll just have to avoid her for the rest of this pregnancy."
He chuckles. "That sounds like a good plan."
I smile. "How long have you and Caroline been married?"
"Almost three years."
"That's a long time." I say, sitting back on the couch and beginning to feel comfortable. In a generation where some marriages only last one to two years, it really was.
"They honestly flew by."
Mark and I chatted for a while. He seems like a really nice guy and his love for Caroline is clear whenever he talks or looks at her. After a while, I excused myself to the bathroom. It’s getting late and I'm beginning to feel tired. When I walk out, I bump into Murphy,
"I'm sorry oh god. Are you okay?" he asks, concerned.
I nod. "Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about it."
He scratches the back of his head and we stand there in silence for a moment. "Actually, I wanted to speak with you."
I feel my body tense. "O-okay."
"First I want to apologize to my mother. Please don't listen to anything she says, She's just a difficult person to please."
"It's fine," I say, waving it off.
"No, it's not," he says with a chuckle. "You seem like a good person, Ciara, I know we don't know each other but I just want to look out for my brother." He hesitates. "Evans and I were talking...I don't know what's going on between you two and I'm sorry if I'm assuming things. I just want to tell you that if you love him, that's great." He takes a step towards me. "But if there is any doubt, if you don't know what you feel or if what you feel is not love, then please spare him the trouble."
His words are like a slap to the face.
"I'm sure you know what happened to him?"
I nod but don't say anything.
Murphy sighs. "He was hurt really badly, Ciara. I know I have no right to intrude or to tell you what to do but please- just be careful about the things you say okay? Just please be honest with him. That's all."
I nod again. "Of course. I understand."
"Thank you. I'm very sorry."
"It's okay. You're just looking out for him."
"Yes, but I know it might not be fair to you."
"I've seen it all today," I joke. "This is like the cherry on top."
He looks embarrassed but chuckles softly. We make our way back to the living room where Evans is getting ready to leave. I hug Caroline and Grace and say bye to everyone. It seems to take forever, but we finally make it out. The fresh air feels so good, I smile. Evans doesn't say anything, and I don't either. I know we have a conversation waiting but I'm still trying to wrap my mind about everything that just happened. Rosa's disapproval...s worried look. It feels like I'm in this bubble and all it's going to take is a tiny poke to burst it.
When we get to the condo, we don't go to the bedroom. We linger in the living room. I’m tired but I know that this needs to be taken care of right now. Evans takes a sip of his drink and turns to look at me. "Ciara—"
"We should stop," I interrupt. "Whatever it is that we're doing. We should stop."
He runs a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry I didn't tell them about us."
I shake my head. "It's not that, Evans. I—"
He takes a few steps closer to me. “Ciara, please, I love you—"