Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

"It's not a silly little moment 
It's not the storm before the calm 
This is the deep and dyin' breath of 
This love we've been workin' on
Can't seem to hold you like I want to 
So I can feel you in my arms 
Nobody's gonna come and save you 
We pulled too many false alarms
We're goin' down 
And you can see it too 
We're goin' down 
And you know that we're doomed 
My dear 
We're slow dancing in a burnin' room 
I was the one you always dreamed of 
You were the one I tried to draw 
How dare you say it's nothing to me
Baby, you're the only light I ever saw" Slow Dancing in a Burning Room by John Mayer

Friday night, after I called and made sure Trevor made it to Austin safely, I took full advantage of having the apartment to myself. I picked up a bottle of red wine and ordered spicy lo mien, egg foo young, hot and sour soup, and crab Rangoon (basically things Trevor didn't eat and I didn't order so we could share food.) I pigged out in bed in an oversize t-shirt and fuzzy socks watching Gilmore Girls. Maybe it was my mommy issues, but Gilmore Girls was on of my favorite shows of all time.Trevor couldn't sit through an episode, but I could watch the same ones over and over.

Saturday morning, I snapped a picture of Justine in bed with me. I sent it to Trevor with the text:

Me: You're a much better cuddler {blowing kisses, heart eyes and heart emojis} Good morning.

I cleaned up before taking Justine on a run. I called Rocky to see what she was up to. She told me she had a hair appointment. I told her I needed to speak to her and offered to join her since I had nothing better to do.

I went home, showered and changed before joining her at the hair salon. On the way, Trevor text me back.

Trevor: Good morning.

I imagined him being hungover and barely awake as I put my phone away.

Inside the salon, I saw Rocky flipping through a hair magazine in the lobby. "You aren't planning on dyeing or putting chemicals in your hair right? It can't be safe for the baby."

"Hello to you too." Rocky rolled her eyes. "You don't think I researched that before I came?"

"Just asking..." I said, sitting beside her. "Good morning!"

"What do you want, besides aggravating me?" Rocky said, giving me the side eye.

I grinned. "Two things really. One, you going to Forrest's season opener party?"

Rocky nodded and visible brightened. "Yes. He asked me if I could make the seafood dip. He told me I was welcomed to come too."

Smooth Forrest.

It was my turn to give her the side eye. She ignored me.

"Ok, let's go together." I told her. "Next, can I borrow your phone? I need Ethan's number."

"Why don't you have it?" She pulled out her phone from her purse.

"Must have accidentally deleted it or something." I shrugged, taking the phone from her. I didn't want to reveal how close I was to telling Brandon. I'm so glad I didn't.

I stepped outside and called Ethan about setting up a time to drop off his and EJ's gifts. He and EJ were out but he told me he would call when they made it home. I went back in the shop to find Rocky in a chair, explaining to her stylist that she wanted box braids.

"Braids?" I asked Rocky, surprised. I never seen her wear her hair in any kind of braids.

"They're low maintenance. Between work, cleaning my house, and being pregnant, I'm tired all the time." Rocky complained.

"You need to calm with all the cleaning stuff; I'll help you. Besides tired, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." She waved me off. "Heartburn but luckily I haven't had morning sickness. I'm taking it easy, getting rest. I'll get more rest once I don't have to spend energy on my hair everyday."

"I hear that. It's exhausting." I lamented.

"With your hair, you can go to Wal-Mart and get a hair cut. I have no sympathy for you."

"I would love to get braids too, but you know, the whole cultural appropriation stuff. I have no sympathy for you." I countered.

Anita, her stylist, laughed while Rocky narrowed her eyes at me. "Be quiet."

I smiled at her as a man joined us. "What are we doing to your hair?" He asked me.

"Um, nothing. Just here with a friend." I told him. I really planned on bailing on Rocky to get my nails done and hopeful met up with Ethan.

"She wants something more manageable." Anita chimed in.

"Ok. We can cut it. Around here." He suggested, motioning to my shoulders. "Add some color. Maybe balayage -"

"No." I shoot him down quickly. Trevor loved my hair long and I didn't even know what balayage was. "I don't wanna do anything too drastic."

"She wants cornrows." Rocky stated, causing them all to laugh at me.

"Come to my chair and we'll figure it out. At the least I can trim it." He urged me. I reluctantly followed him and sat down. As he played with my hair, Anita revealed Devon just graduated from cosmetology school. That tidbit of information didn't put me completely at ease, but his knowledge and eagerness did. He asked me about my normal routine. I explained to him I didn't really have one, but I would straighten it everyday if I had the time and patience.

"We can temporarily straighten it. It'll be a few months with no flat irons." He suggested.

Since he was the expert, I went for it. In the end, I was glad I did. After the treatment and a trim, my hair fell to the middle of my back silky and straight. I adored it- I couldn't help putting my fingers through it. He even put a braid on one side of my hair causing me to laugh. I snapped a picture and sent it to Trevor. I tipped Devon generously and he took my information to set up my next appointment.

"Aw, you got your first regular customer." Anita teased him as she finished cutting Rocky's braids.

"I'll have your customers too. Men know what looks good on women." He told her.

Rocky and I laughed as they argued back and forth. Afterwards, Rocky and I went grocery shopping. Rocky bought the ingredients for her dip. After walking around the store, I settled on chicken puffs.

While we were checking out, Ethan called me. I told him to give me 30 minutes and I'd be over. After dropping off the groceries at Rocky's house, I left Rocky to take a nap and went to Ethan's place.

On the way over, I called Trevor since he didn't respond to my text. I figured he should be awake by now.  We spoke briefly before he told me he was hanging with Bilal and promised to call me back later that evening. I got the feeling he was blowing me off, but I reminded myself that I was giving him a break. I decided not to reach out to him anymore unless he did first.

When I got to Ethan's house, EJ and his friend Tommy were in the garage playing with his drum set. Ethan called him into the living room when I got there. He came out, bottom lip sticking out like it did when he was upset.

"What?" EJ asked, sharply.

"It's yes and you see Lily. Go back out and try again." Ethan ordered him sternly.

EJ turned around and walked out. Ethan and I shared a look before watching EJ walked back in. "Hi Lily. Yes dad?" He asked, in the same tone as before. Ethan was looking at EJ in disapproval while EJ stared back.

"I have a gift for you." I said, quickly.

At the mention of a gift, he looked at me. I handed him a gator themed putt putt set. It came with a little golf club, a ball, and a gator head that you hit the ball in its mouth. He took it and looked it over before setting it down.

"Thank you but I don't like golf." EJ huffed.

"I'll keep it. You can go back in the garage." Ethan dismissed him. EJ cut his eyes at Ethan before stomping away.

I looked at Ethan shocked. "What is wrong with him?"

"Excuse him, he's upset because I took away his Wii." Ethan apologized for him. “Do you want a drink.”

“Sure.” I answered, following him to the kitchen. "Looks like you need several."

“I’m managing." He said, opening the refrigerator. "The strongest thing I have is orange juice or vitamin water unless you want coffee or a Capri-Sun." Ethan offered.

“I’ll take a Scotch and water, hold the Scotch please." I smiled.


"What's EJ in trouble for?" I asked as he prepared a glass of ice water for me.

"He got a 2 in conduct on his progress report." He handed me the glass.

"Thank you. Out of?" I questioned before sipping my water.

"4."

"Ohh. What did his teacher say he's doing?"

"Not paying attention, talking with his friends, rushing through his work."

"How are his grades?"

"Passing. 3s and 4s, mostly 3s. Conduct is something he can control. A 2 is unacceptable." Ethan explained.

I nodded as I drank my water. I worked with EJ enough to know if he wasn't interested, he didn't focus or give his all. I found ways to keep him engaged, but I'm sure it was harder for a teacher with a classroom of kids.

I put down my water and grabbed my bag. "Well, when he gets his Wii back, can you try to give him the putt putt set too? I got you your own gift."

"You shouldn't have."

I looked up and flashed him a smile. "But I did."

Ethan smirked as I pulled out a silly, figurine chicken and handed it to him.

"Thanks, but I don't like chickens." He mimicked EJ, making the same annoyed face.

"Stop." I laughed. Ethan smiled too. "It's a friend for the cat I got you in Japan."

"Why a chicken?" He asked, looking it over.

"It couldn't be a dog or a mouse, now could it?"

"Of course." Ethan agreed.

"I plan on stopping by your job to visit them both." I warned him.

"Not necessary. Follow me." Ethan led me to his study/den. "You wanted it proudly displayed in my home." Ethan called my attention to his mantle over the fireplace. The good luck cat sat there among a few pictures of his family in frames.

"You don't have to put the chicken there. In fact, give it to Serena." I smiled.

"I thought the cat needed a friend." He brought up.

"I'm sure they'll be reunited again in the future."

"Speaking of reuniting, how's Racqelle?" Ethan changed the subject.

I stiffened, wondering what he knew. "She's ok."

Ethan studied me. I studied his picture frames.

"Brandon told me they have a child on the way. He wants to get back together with her." Ethan finally supplied.

"I really don't know what to say to that." I said.

"How would you advise him?"

"I wouldn't." I shook my head.

"How would you advise me to advise him?" Ethan tried again.

I sighed. I really shouldn't say anything, but I knew Ethan didn't ask for help a lot. He must be really conflicted or concern. "Rocky sole focus is being a good parent. He should do the same."

"Fair enough." He nodded.

We went back in the kitchen. Ethan informed me EJ was playing for the church choir he grew up at in a few of weeks and invited me. I told him I would definitely go if he sent me the details.

Before I left, I said goodbye to EJ. I told him if his next progress report was better, I would take him and his friend go kart racing since he didn't like golf. EJ looked over at his dad, questioningly. Ethan nodded and EJ agreed. I waved goodbye before I left.

I stopped by my house to pick up Justine, a change of clothes, and my box set of Gilmore Girls. Rocky and I ate supreme pizza and watched the entire second season before crashing. Trevor never called me back.

The next afternoon, Rocky dragged me over to Forrest's place. The party wasn't starting til 6 but Rocky wanted to help set up. I got stuck rearranging furniture with Forrest while Rocky managed us sitting on a bar stool in the kitchen.

"Are you comfortable in that chair? I have a pillow if you need some cushion." Forrest asked Rocky with a concerned look on his face when she re-adjusted.

"No, this is great. Thank you." Rocky replied while putting together my garlic and buffalo puffs.

"I'll take the pillow... and a blanket." I said, collapsing on the comfortable sectional I helped Forrest picked out. Had to admit, the way Rocky rearranged everything was great. Now, I just needed a nap.

"You need to come finish your puffs." Rocky ordered me when Forrest left. She was sweet and kind whenever Forrest was around. As soon as he was out of earshot, she was back to her demanding self.

I stuck my tongue out at her and continued to relax. I pulled out my phone. Trevor texted me earlier saying good morning, but made no mention of the no call the night before. I recorded a video of all my hard work in Forrest's living room. I gave a special shout out to Trevor and the San Francisco 49ers, letting him know our second living area will look the same, only in red and gold. I was ending the video with me collapsing on the couch, when Forrest hit me with a pillow, knocking the phone out my hands.

"You punk!" I exclaimed, retrieving my phone.

"I got you a pillow." He laughed at me.

I posted the video on Instagram. I then heard Forrest compliment Rocky on a buffalo puffs. I immediately sat up.

"That was my idea." I spoke up, joining them in the kitchen.

"That's Lily. Great ideas, bad execution." Rocky said.

"Kinda like her 49ers." Forrest taunted me.

"Fuck that! Those are fighting words!" I said, grabbing a butter knife and waving it threateningly.

"Lily, stop playing with knives." Rocky chastised me.

"That knife will leave a nasty scratch. I might even need a band-aid." Forrest chuckled.

"Yeah? More like an eye patch." I said, walking over to him.

"Listen to Rocky, stop playing." Forrest backed away. I faked a manic laugh before chasing after him.

Once Rocky convinced me trying to stab someone in the eye over football wasn't a good look, I helped prepare the food. By the time we finished, Forrest's friends began to arrive with more food. Most of the guys I recognized from his flag football league and I met their wives or girlfriends. Peyton came with Chris and Sammy came without Corey who was working. During the pre-game while we made our plates, the girls continued the tradition of picking out which guy was the hottest.

"I like Eli Manning. He's cute in a goofy kinda way." Taylor, Serena's friend, offered. She came with Colton, Jake's friend. I didn't realize they were still talking since the bitter ball.

"Who's the guy that salsa dances when he scores? I like him." Sammy said.

"Victor Cruz. He's hurt though." I told her.

"Dez Bryant." Sophia, Sammy's friend, said.

"I like the guy with the big hands. He caught that incredible pass with one hand against the Cowboys last year. Who was that?" Serena asked me.

"Odell Beckham Jr. Giants lost that game, by the way." Blake grunted when he came in to get a beer.

"Can you grab me one too?" I asked Blake.

"Still have that boyfriend?" He smiled at me.

"Yep, I'll get my own." I said.

"I'm just kidding." He said, handing me a beer.

"Thank you." I said.

"You're welcome. I like your hair, by the way. It looks good." He told me, picking up a strand of my hair.

I pulled away but smiled. "Thank you."

"Out. It's girl talk." Serena shooed him.

"I'm interested." Blake said, stubbornly. "Who's your pick Lily?"

"Reggie Bush and Colin Kaepernick." I replied.

"Reggie Bush doesn't play for either team." Rocky pointed out.

"No, I only pick 49ers players." I informed her.

"I'm not impressed by them this year." Blake said.

"They beat your Cowboys during preseason." I reminded him.

"Preseason doesn't count. The starters don't play." He argued.

"Of course it does. Injuries are inevitable. It shows you how your back-ups play. That's as important as the starters Blake." I told him.

"Touché. I never hung out with a girl that's really into sports as me. It's surprisingly sexy." Blake said. He looked over at Serena before resting his arm on the back of my bar stool.

"Maybe that means you really want to date a guy." I joked.

The game started and everyone huddled together to watch. The Giants were leading by half-time but Blake wasn't that upset. Probably because he spent the majority of the time flirting with me. I knew it was for Serena's benefit which she ignored. I tried to ignored him too, constantly checking my phone to see if Trevor texted me or commented on my video. He didn't.

I moved and squeezed into the space between Forrest and Rocky on the couch when I found myself enjoying Blake's attention too much. I was safe from Blake's charm and splitting up Rocky and Forrest at the same time. They were leaning towards each other, talking among themselves during the first half. Two birds, one stone.

The Giants held the lead until the 3rd quarter. I watched in amazement as Tony Romo led his team to a last minute, literally in the last minute of the game, march down the field to score and win the game by one point. The room went crazy. I had to hand it to the Cowboys. They looked great.

I checked my phone on the way home again. Still no call or text from Trevor. The gnawing fear faded when I saw Trevor's car in the parking lot. When I came in the apartment, Trevor was sitting on the bed.

"Hey. How was Austin?" I asked him.

He swallowed before answering. "Good."

"I figured you were having a good time." I gave him a hug, wrapping my arms around his neck. "I missed you."

"We need to talk Lily." Trevor said flatly looking up at me.

"I'm listening." I said, sitting down beside him.

"I can't do this anymore." He said.

"Do what?" I asked, confused.

"Us. I need- a break from this." He struggled to say as he looked me in the eye.

I felt everything slow down then stop- his words, my breathing, the fucking word. Tears welled up in my eyes and my stomach churned violently. All I wanted to do was crawl into myself and disappear, pretending like he never spoke those heartbreaking words.

"Wha- why?" I asked, gathering all my courage to question his words. It was damn near impossible to complete a thought much less a sentence, but I had to know what was going on.

"I can't give you what you want-" He started. I crumbled before he could finish.

"Don't." I cried, tears escaping eyes. "I've heard you give this speech to other girls. Don't you fucking dare." When he just looked away, I sobbed harder. "What did I do? I'll fix it and change. Just tell me what's wrong with me."

He looked up at me then and held my face, wiping away my tears. "It's not- it's not anything you did. I-It's me. I don't want-" he broke off.

"Don't want what?" I whimpered.

"The house, getting married, a fa- family." Trevor explained quickly.

A piece of me shattered at the same time a renewed hope filled me. I pushed through my pain and nodded, wiping my tears away.

"Ok. That's fine. We don't need to buy a house or get married. I just want you Trevor." I bargained with him.

"I'm sorry Lily-" he started.

"We promised." I cut him off, desperately. "We said we're all in. We promised we wouldn't give up." I pleaded with him. Before he could respond, I pressed my lips against his. He kissed me back briefly before pulling away.

"Lilypad..." he said as I brushed my lips against his. He shut his eyes tightly and I smothered kisses on his face. He allowed me to kiss his forehead, his eyes, his cheek, before kissing his lips again.

"I love you Trevor." I said clinging to him, hopelessly. "Do you still love me?"

He finally opened his eyes. They shone with unshed tears as he wrapped his arms around me. "I'll always love you Lily."

My body relaxed in his arms and I took a deep shaky breath. "That's all we need. Whatever happened, whatever changed, as long as we love each other we'll be ok."

He didn't respond, but I didn't need him to. He still loved me; that's all I needed to hear. I knew something was seriously wrong, but I truly believed we could work through it. As long as we were together, we could overcome anything.

Everything Will Change

"Take those boots off the shelf
Wipe that dust of yourself
Even if you’ve been through hell; you’re back
It’s time to separate the men from the boys
And the women from the girls
And the tools from the toys
Even if you’re freaking out: just relax
Hey, before it gets too late
Before the night is over, before the world’s awake
Everything will change
Hey, I feel it coming on
Starting like a fire, tonight you lit the flame
Now everything will change" Everything Will Change by Galvin Degraw


Tuesday morning, I went to the grocery store and did the laundry. As much as I loved our little get away, I was happy to be home, back to real life. Mundane things like doing laundry was a source of comfort in my ever changing life. It was nice to get back to routine, even though the changes were mostly good.

I returned back to work that afternoon. I hadn’t received any news about my interview but Dr. Clayton was already training me for taking over his position. He let me know the interview was what I should focus on. He informed me that when the changes happened, it would be fast. I had to be able to show I could be flexible and handle the new responsibilities. I asked if I would have onboarding for the new position if I got it. He told me onboarding for management was not as extensive as it was for new hires; his consisted of one leadership building course and a ton of paperwork.  I wasn’t sure how I could be prepared with no prior managing experience or training. Our talk left me feeling nervous.

Exercise always helped my nerves. The next morning, I talked Amber and Sammy into going to my boxing class with me. Sammy teased Amber, asking her if Will gave her a spanking for her behavior on Labor Day. Amber snorted and said, “He could try.”

The changes in Amber were shocking. Amber wasn’t apologetic nor embarrassed by her behavior. Before, I would have cheered Amber on. Hell, I would have encouraged it. Now, pair it with her drinking and blabbing about Trevor proposing and Rocky’s pregnancy, I didn’t know how I felt about.

After our work out, I asked Sammy how things were with Corey. She said they were fine. With their schedules, it was harder for them to spend time together. That's why she got upset when she found out he was hanging with his ex. I gave her suggestions on how to spend more time, like helping him study for class and having date nights. It was nice dispensing relationship advice.

Another major change was Rocky's pregnancy. Yeah, it was her change and her baby, but it was a welcomed addition in my life too. I was overwhelmed hearing the baby's heartbeat for the first time. It brought tears to my eyes. I held them in, blinking them away while her ob/gyn Dr. Lee set up her ultrasound. When he found the baby on the screen, my tears fell and I quickly wiped them away.

I couldn’t make out the baby but the picture combined with the heartbeat just made everything real for me. In 28 weeks (Dr. Lee calculated that Rocky was about 12 weeks) there would be a living, breathing child depending on Rocky for everything. I was honored that Rocky allowed me to be a part of her pregnancy. I knew without a doubt I would do anything I could to assist her.

Thinking of Rocky becoming a mom made me think of becoming a mother myself. Surprisingly, I didn’t think of the child I lost, but of the future children I would have with Trevor. We talked about it before, but with us looking for a house and talking about getting engaged, there was a definite timeline and not just a vague happening in the future. If we took Amber’s advice and got married on New Year’s Day, Rocky and I could have children the same age. How awesome would that be? Our kids would be best friends whether they liked each other or not. While it was exciting to think about, I decided to focus on first things first: A house.

Our realtor Chad was amazing. We told him to stop looking, but after not hearing from us, he sent us a listing he came across. I emailed him and told him to keep them coming and that I no longer had a problem with a HOA. At work, I forwarded the listing to Trevor, marking the ones I wanted to take a look at.

After getting off from work, I called Rocky. It was the day Brandon was coming over to pick up his things. She was also going to tell him she was pregnant. I hadn’t heard from her so I was worried. She told me Brandon hadn’t made it over yet. I offered to come over, but she declined telling me she would call me right after.

Trevor was on the phone when I came home. By the time I changed, he was off and we sat down to eat. When I asked who he was talking to, he said it was Bilal. Trevor was still planning to drive to Austin.

I told him all about Rocky's appointment. It was pretty much word for word what the doctor said and bragged I would be a pro when it came time for ours. He just nodded and focused on his food.

“Are you ok? How was your day?” I inquired.

“It was ok. Long.” He offered with a little smile.

“Did you look at the houses I sent?” I asked him.

“Which ones?” Trevor asked.

“I sent you listings. I wanna try to look at a least one before this weekend.”

“I’ll take a look at them.”

Later on that evening, while Trevor pulled out his laptop I went through the wedding planner. I realistically thought about pulling off a wedding on New Year’s Day. Normally, we partied with friends and spent the next day hungover. It would be simple to turn a New Year’s party into a wedding. I didn’t want extravagant or expensive. Trevor and I still have to purchase a house and it felt silly to spend a ton of money on one day. I didn’t even need an engagement ring. If Trevor wanted to propose he still could but I was more concerned with exchanging vows and our wedding bands of course. The only problem would be finding someone to marry us, but really, can’t you get ordained over the Internet now?

I flipping through a bridal magazine next. I never dreamed of a big puffy white dress. I guess that was a good thing if I wanted a surprise wedding- A big white dress would give the wedding away. We could have a black and white party so everyone would be dressed appropriately. I though of wearing a white shimmery high-low dress or a slinky ivory gown. Something appropriate for a New Year's Party and a wedding. I would want Amber, Rocky, Sammy and Bianca in white dresses too as my bridesmaids.

I smiled as I imagined Trevor in a black and white check shirt. They were his favorite; it would only be right if he and his groomsmen wore them. Maybe with a blazers or a vest and a tie; whichever he preferred. The food was easy: fish for wisdom, black-eyed peas for luck and cabbage for money. Trevor loved sweets, so a dessert bar was a must with peach cobbler as an option. I wasn't a big flower person, but maybe decorate with red roses to symbolized love. Black, white and a pop of red. I loved that idea.

Excited by my ideas, I penned them all in my planner. I stopped when I got to the guest list. It wouldn’t be hard to get everyone together because of the holiday. I knew my family would come if they thought Trevor was proposing.  The only thing that gave me pause was Trevor's family. My phone rang, interrupting my worries. When I saw it was Rocky, I picked it up right away.

“Hey. Did he show up?” I asked.

“He did.” Rocky answered, taking a deep breath.

“And?”

“I told him.” Rocky answered, cryptically.

“What did he say?!?” I asked, impatiently. It wasn’t like Rocky to beat around the bush. It must not have gone well liked I thought it wouldn’t. I was pacing the kitchen, waiting to hear what he said so I could have a reason to find Brandon and rip him a new one.

“He cried.” She replied, brokenly.

“What???”

“I was waiting for him to be mad or deny it being his or to demand a DNA test or an abortion.” Rocky said, her voice cracking. “He said he was sorry and he wanted us to be a family. When I told him that wasn’t going to happen, he cried.”

“Rocky-“

“This is exactly what I wanted to happen.” Rocky continued, sniffling. “I should give it another chance. My child deserves that right? That’s not fair to her. She needs her dad in her life. Or he does. Especially if it’s a boy.” She reasoned with herself.

“Your kid deserves two happy parents whether you’re together or not. You two were not happy together don't forget that." She was silent so I continued. "You don’t have to figure things out tonight. The only thing you needed to do was tell him. Don’t worry about anything besides taking care of yourself.” I told her calmly.

“OK. You’re right.” She sighed deeply.

“Are you ok? Do I need to come over there?”

“No. I’m fine now. Really.”

“What did you feed my baby?”

“My baby.” Rocky corrected me and I laughed.



The next morning, I got up with Trevor and asked him which houses he wanted to look at.

“I completely forgot.” He responded.

This was a change I wasn’t liking. Recently, Trevor was preoccupied with his phone or his laptop and didn’t pay attention to me or forgot things easily. Sometimes, even when he wasn’t preoccupied, it was like he was lost in his in thoughts or not interested in what I was saying. I was tried of asking him if anything was wrong; I was increasing become annoyed. I took a moment to calm myself before speaking again.

“I really wanted you to pick one so we could view it this week.” I explained to him.

“Can we wait until I come back from Austin?” Trevor asked me.

“Fine.” I said, choosing not to argue about his need to go to Austin.

A part of me felt like planning our future was more important then him hanging with his friends. I had been debating going to Austin with Trevor, but I decided against it with Trevor's recent attitude. I figured he was still in fuck it vacation mood and I didn’t want to spoil that. He wasn’t disappointed that I wasn’t coming so I knew I made the right choice.

He did plan an amazing trip for me instead of going to Austin so I let it go for now. When he came back, I planned on having a talk with him about our plans for the future and really mapping things out. I figured he deserved a break from me until then.

Forrest sent invitations on Facebook regarding the first Sunday night football game. He was having a party at his new house. I clicked that I was going. He direct messaged me back, asking me if Rocky was coming too. I didn’t like whatever was going on between them, especially after Rocky's reaction to Brandon. They were two of my close friends. I didn’t want things getting weird.

When I told Forrest my concerns, he told me not to worry.

Me: Don’t worry because you don’t like her like that?

Forrest: Don’t worry about things you can’t control Lily.

I put my phone down and took his advice. With all the changes happening, it was easy to get overwhelmed and want to freak out and micromanage everything: my job, the house, my wedding before Trevor proposed, even my friend’s relationships. I remembered what one of my biology professors told me: Anyone who question evolution is ignorant. All evolution means is change over time. It was inevitable. I decided to relax and take each change as they came.

Rock the Boat

"Ever since our voyage of love began

Your touch has thrilled me like the rush of the wind
And your arms have held me safe from a rolling sea
There's always been a quiet place to harbor you and me
Our love is like a ship on the ocean
We've been sailing with a cargo full of love and devotion
So I'd like to know where, you got the notion
Said I'd like to know where, you got the notion
To rock the boat, don't rock the boat baby
Rock the boat, don't tip the boat over
Rock the boat, don't rock the boat baby
Rock the boat" Rock the Boat by The Hues Corporation


Trevor and I reluctantly returned the Corvette at the airport in Key West Monday morning. We were flying back to Miami from Key West then home to Dallas. I didn't want to leave. I could tell Trevor felt the same way: he was unusually quiet as I finished up my souvenir shopping at the airport. On our layover in Miami, I thanked him again for our trip.

"I really love getting away with you.We should do this more often." I told him, resting my head on his shoulder.

"We could." He said, simply.

"I mean, not anytime soon. I know this was our last little splurge before we buy a house. In the future, I want us to take regular trips. Even if it's just road trips. There's so many places I haven't been. It would be fun for us to do together."

"Yeah, why not?" Trevor replied, kissing me on the forehead.

When we got back in Dallas, I pulled out my phone and called Amber to make sure she was at home. After getting my car, the second thing I wanted to do was pick up Justine. She told me Rocky had a cookout at her house and she was there with Justine. I told her Trevor and I would be there shortly.

When we arrived at Rocky's house, we put our bags in our cars, except my bag of souvenirs. I tried to let myself in the house, but I realized Rocky changed the key less lock code. I rang the doorbell and waited. Amber let us in, grinning widely at us.

"Hey you two!" She said, cheerfully giving us both a hug.

"Hey Amber. How was Justine?" I asked when Justine ran from the den to me and Trevor. Krista, April and Robbie chased after her. I petted Justine before hugging the kids.

"She was fine." Amber said, as we headed to the living room. "Look who's here." Amber announced us to Rocky, Peyton, Chris, Jackie, Will, Forrest, Sammy and Corey. "Aren't they just glowing?"

"A tan will do that for you." Trevor said quickly, flashing her a smile.

"Nope, it's more than a tan. Y'all look so relaxed and happy and blissful." Amber argued, before sitting next to Will. The more she talked, the drunker she sounded. I could count the number of times she been drunk on one hand.

"Yep, the beach will do that to you. Or alcohol. How much have you had to drink? Don't you have to work?" I asked.

Amber laughed out loud. "No. I worked last night. Got time and a half and I'm off the next 2 days!" She cheered.

"If you don't get called in." Will added.

"Good for you." I said, pulling out gifts for everyone. I figured out who was getting what from my bag. I didn't get everyone at Rocky's house a gift, but I could make it work. Forrest got Key West Fudge. I bought one for myself, but I gave it to Peyton and Chris. Krista and April put on their shell necklaces and Will blew up the beach ball for Robbie. I gave Rocky the stuffed turtle. The hand painted shell I originally got for Serena went to Jackie. Will and Amber got matching scenic mugs, and I got Sammy a Key West cocktail shaker with tropical drink recipes on the side. Corey got a Key lime cookbook and I put away the gifts I got for Ethan and EJ.

"Thanks Lily. I'm gonna use this right away..." Corey said as he flipped through the book.

"You betta. Sammy made it clear she ain't cooking." I joked, referring to her Facebook rant.

Corey laughed and Sammy pursed her lips.

"I felt bad. I didn't get you anything-" Rocky started.

"Don't. Lily's the only person I ever met that has to get presents for everyone." Trevor stopped her.

"Shut up Trevor." I told him.

"I said felt bad. Not so much now." She looked at the turtle with a smirk.

I smiled "It's not really for you anyway." I said, hintingly.

"Oooo, it's for the baby." Amber cooed. I looked at her, then Rocky surprised.

"You told everyone?" I asked.

"Not everyone." Rocky narrowed her eyes at Amber. "But you all know now." She confirmed.

Jackie congratulated her. Forrest looked her over, silently. Peyton's mouth dropped open. Sammy exclaimed, "Please tell me it's not Brandon's!"

Rocky glared at her. "Whose else would it be?"

"Anyone else would be better." Sammy muttered.

Corey nudged her.

"Don't touch me!" Sammy snapped, turning on him.

Corey put his hands up and looked away.

"Anyway, it's Brandon's baby. We are not getting back together. We will co-parent if he chooses too. Are y'all hungry?" Rocky asked me and Trevor.

"Starving." I replied, "I'll make you a plate." I told Trevor before following Rocky.

"How much has Amber had to drink?" I asked Rocky when we were safely in the kitchen.

"She was tipsy when she came over. Sammy brought alcohol from the party." Rocky explained.

"Why's Sammy acting bitchy?" I asked.

"You mean bitcher than normal? I don't know, but you better go get her. She got one more time to talk crazy-" Rocky warned.

"And what? You can't do anything while you're pregnant. Speaking of which, when did you tell Brandon?" I asked.

"I haven't told him yet."

"How does everyone know but your baby daddy?" I asked.

"Every time I try to talk to my child's father  he dodges my calls. I got his stuff out of my garage. He'll be here sometime this week to pick it up. I'm telling him then. I have my doctor's appointment too. 10am if you still want to come" Rocky informed me.

"Of course I do!" I wanted to question her telling Brandon without someone else being here, but Forrest joined us. I turned to my grilled corn, squeezing lime juice on it.

"I wanted to apologize. I wouldn't have forced you out in Shreveport if I would have known." He apologized to Rocky, looking at her stomach, then back up to her face.

She gave him a soft smile. "No, I'm fine. I'm glad you did." She assured him.

I looked back and forth between them, wondering why I felt like an intruder in the conversation. I cleared my throat loudly.

Rocky and Forrest finally noticed I was still there. "I'll take Trevor his food." Rocky said, leaving.

"Thanks." I turned to Forrest when she left. "What was that?"

"Nothin'. I talked her into going to a lounge when she said she was tired. I wouldn't have if I woulda known." He clarified.

"Hmmm..." I said, scrutinizing him while slathering mayo on my corn.

"What are you doing to that corn?" Forrest asked me, avoiding my eyes.

"Fixing it up." I said, sprinkling on red crushed pepper. "Have you tried Mexican street corn before? This is kinda like it."

"Never."

I went to the refrigerator and grabbed some Parmesan cheese. I put it on the corn before handed it over to him. He took a bite and toppings and juice went everywhere. I grabbed him a napkin as he chewed.

"Good right?" I asked him, handing him a napkin.

He nodded and swallowed. "Delicious." He agreed, wiping his hands.

"It's all in your beard." I laughed, getting another napkin.

"Did I get it?" He asked, wiping the wrong side.

"No." I wiped his face for him.

"Thank you." He said as I cleaned him up.

"No problem."

We both looked up when Trevor joined us in the kitchen.

"I need a beer." He announced.

"I have your beer. I was coming, but Forrest stole my corn." I smiled at him.

Forrest chuckled. "It's good corn, but not worth stealing."

I laughed and made myself another piece of corn before we went back out to the living room.

As Trevor and I ate, everyone told us about their weekend. Will took the kids to Sandy Lake Park, an amusement park, with Megan, Dave, Ethan and EJ. When I asked about Serena, Amber said she had to work with air quotes. I ignored her drunken antics and looked over Trevor's shoulder as he flipped through pictures on Sammy's phone of the party in Austin.

Sammy told us everything went smoothly except when Ron, her boss, found out the event was being filmed. He was flying down Wednesday for a meeting to discuss it.

"I don't know what he's going to say. All the girls and I signed off on being filmed. I have no idea why he wouldn't want us on TV." She shrugged.

"Probably has to do with the brand. He controls that." Corey offered.

"Aren't you smart? Why don't you tell them how you spent your weekend?" Sammy countered.

Corey ignored her while Sammy continued to glare at him.

"Ok... Florida was amazing. How was Shreveport? Did Lily miss much?" Trevor asked.

"There isn't much to miss besides casinos but I hope y'all had a good time." Forrest replied, looking over at Rocky for a response.

"I did. Josh lounge was great. Old school music, jazz and no teenagers running around." Rocky added.

Forrest smiled. "I told you would like it. It's only for the-

"Grown and sexy." Rocky finished with Forrest before they both laughed.

I looked at Rocky, expectantly. When she stopped laughing, she explained. "Every time the DJ would get on the mic, he kept saying this next song is for the grown and sexy only in a fake, Barry White voice."

"I can't believe y'all left me at the casino." Jackie pouted.

"You left me first in the room to go to the casino." Rocky pointed out.

"Because you didn't wanna go. I would have went to the club!" Jackie declared.

"You wouldn't have liked it." Rocky waved her off.

"You still could have asked." Jackie argued.

"We tried." Rocky said.

"I'm sure you tried really hard." She snapped.

"We really did. Peyton found a Wizard of Oz game and wouldn't leave. We couldn't even find you and you weren't answering your phone." Forrest defended Rocky.

"Well, maybe next time." Jackie said, all sugary sweet."Everything was fabulous. Forrest showed us a great time." She said, turning and resting her hand on Forrest's leg Her demeanor changed so fast it made me wonder if she should be on medication. Or in a padded room. Maybe both.

"I loved Cajun Daiquiris. Drive through daiquiris shops. It looked like ICEE machines, but with alcohol. It was amazing!" Peyton raved.

"How many times did y'all drive thru? I was close to turning my phone off after all your drunk texts." Chris admitted while we laughed.

"That was at the casino. Free drinks!" Peyton laughed.

"Lily... tell us about Florida." Amber asked.

"It was amazing like Trevor said." I said, smiling.

"What part did you go to?" Forrest asked.

"The Keys. We drove from Miami to Key West." Trevor said, wrapping his arm around me.

"That sounds so beautiful." Amber gushed. "Pictures! You hadn't posted anything!"

"I literally didn't look at my phone unless it was to take pictures, it was that much fun." I handed Amber my phone. The girls minus Jackie, all huddled around her to see. "Trevor planned a wonderful weekend for us. We were discussing making this a regular thing- weekend trips."

"All these food pictures." Sammy commented about the pictures with a smirk.

"That was the highlight of my trip." I replied.

"Really? We went parasailing and on a sunset cruise, but that was your highlight?" Trevor asked me with a grin.

"Yeah. Hi, I'm Lily. I love food." I said, holding at my hand to him. "Nice to meet you."

He grabbed my hand and pulled me back in his arms in a hug. I laughed and hugged him back.

"Ohmygod, how romantic! Look at the sunset and you and Trevor. And the white dress. You look so bridal!" Amber gasped dramatically.

"I don't know about the dress, but getting married on the water crossed my mind." I laughed.

"Why didn't you ask her to marry you?" Amber asked Trevor, demandingly.

Trevor stiffened, holding me tightly in his arms. He was speechless. Drunk Amber was confrontational, nosey and kinda rude. I didn't know if I should be impressed or offended.

"Amber, come sit down. You can't tell a man when to propose. He'll propose when he's ready." Will asked her.

"He's ready! What happened?" She turned back to stare at Trevor.

"My dad promised his blessing after a year of dating. Don't expect an engagement until after then." I answered for Trevor, sending him an apologetic look. I felt so bad about Amber putting him on the spot like this. I had no idea what got into her... oh, yeah, tequila. Never mind.

"And you're going along with that?" Amber interrogated me.

"Yes." I said simply, trying to end the conversation.

"When did y'all start dating again?" Amber questioned, sitting down looking confused.

"Officially, New Year's. Well, a couple days after New Year's." I corrected myself, looking at Trevor for confirmation. He just nodded, still holding me rigidly.

"You should propose on New Year's Eve then." She told Trevor. Her eyes then brightened. "Oh! Then get married New Year's Day! It can be like a secret wedding!"

"How can it be a secret if you told everyone?" Rocky smiled at Amber, good humored.

"Yeah, stop talking, you sound stupid. You're cut off." Sammy added, grabbing the tequila bottle and moving it from her. Amber frowned up.

I looked up at Trevor and smiled. "Well, my dad wouldn't know..."

He blinked a few times before answering me. "Are you serious?"

I shrugged. "It's something to consider. I mean, we would be following his rule and reminding him he can't control my life at the same time. It's a win win."

"I don't think that's what Covey meant..." Forrest commented. I laughed at him.

"Wow... you wanna get married to spite him." Trevor shook his head. I turned back to him.

"No, I wanna get married because I love you and I want to start of lives and our family together. Spiting him with be the icing on the cake. And don't act like you never thought the same way. Remember your first proposal?" I teased him.

"First proposal?" Chris asked, confused.

"Oh yeah, when he proposes, it will be the 3rd time." I responded.

"If." Trevor corrected me and everyone laughed.

"When!" I said, confidently before giving him a kiss.



We spent the rest of Labor Day outside with the kids and Justine as they played in the sprinklers. Rocky and Forrest played some old-school r&b and hip-hop while Jackie complained about it. I normally would too, but I couldn't agree with Jackie, so I shut up and enjoyed it. While Corey and Trevor where talking among themselves, I took the opportunity to pull Sammy aside.

"Why are you mad at Corey?" I asked her.

"He went to a bar this weekend with high school friends, including Tori." Sammy said bitterly.

"Did something happen?"

"Yeah, he hung out with her!" Sammy said, matter of factly.

"Other than that?"

"That's enough. He has no business hanging out with his ex."

"Not everyone thinks like you about that. You have to trust him. Do you really think something else happened?"

"Hell no. He wouldn't cheat on me."

"Then let it go." I lectured her.

She rolled her eyes. "We'll see."

"You need to come to my boxing class with me. Let out some anger." I suggested to her.

"I don't play fight."



Will took the kids home as soon as the sun set. Amber stayed to help clean. I told Trevor I would see him at home as he left along with Forrest, Corey, Peyton, and Chris.  As we finished up, Rocky pulled me into her room, saying she had something for me. I followed Rocky into her room.  She returned the present I got her for her birthday: a wedding planner and bridal magazines.

"While I was cleaning out my closet, I found these. When Trevor asks you, you'll be ready." Rocky handed them to me.

"I'm not even going to be mad at you for  re-gifting my own gift. I got you some Apple Crown too..." I remembered.

"That Crown has been gone. How do you think I got in this situation?" She asked dryly, waving over her stomach. We both laughed and rejoined Sammy and Amber in the kitchen.

"C'mon Sammy. You don't have to be anywhere tomorrow..." Amber was pleading to Sammy.

"That don't mean I wanna babysit you. I'm taking you home and you owe we $20." Sammy shut her down.

"You're charging to take her home?" I asked, puzzled.

"No, she lost a bet." Sammy answered.

"What bet?" Rocky asked.

"She said Lily was getting engaged last weekend. I told her Trevor was just trying to keep Lily's ass away from Forrest. I won" Sammy grinned.

"You both are wrong. He just wanted to surprise like he always does. I already told you Trevor is not worried about Forrest. It's obvious Forrest is interested in someone else..." I said, looking at Rocky.

Rocky shook her head. "I'm focused on me and my child. I don't want or need a relationship anytime soon and nether does he. We both had engagements end: it's just nice having someone to talk to."

"Good, because I'm all over it." Jackie said, with a smile.

Eww. I made a mental note to myself to shut that down before I went home to Trevor.

When I got home, I assumed Trevor would be in bed because he had to work the next day. He was up on his laptop. I put my bags away after grabbing the souvenir I picked out for him. When I sat on the couch with him, he closed his laptop. I grinned and put the sailor hat on his head before moving to his lap.

"You got me a souvenir too?" He asked.

"It's really for us. I wanna role play." I smiled.

"Role play huh?"

"Yes. Like we're back in the ocean, on a boat alone. You're the captain and I'm the first mate."

"Ahoy Matey." He said, in pirate accent.

"Not a pirate." I giggled.

"Are you questioning your captain, scallywag?" He continued in the same voice.

"Nay." I smiled.

"Nay who?"

"Nay captain." I corrected.

"C’mere, me beauty." He said, swatting my ass. "To the back of me ship so we can rock the boat."

"Aye aye captain!"

Sea of Love

"Do you remember
When we met?
That's the day I knew you were my pet
I want to tell you
How much I love you
Come with me my love
To the sea 
The sea of love
I want to tell you
How much I love you" Sea of Love by Phil Phillips" (I love The Honeydrippers version)

By the time we boarded the plane, I figured out we were headed for Miami, Florida. I was so excited to spend the whole weekend with him, it didn't matter where we were. When we arrived in Miami, Trevor led me to pick up the rental he reserved. After Trevor signed the necessary paperwork, another salesperson took us to a silver Chevrolet Corvette.

"You couldn't get a red one?" I said with a wide grin as he popped the trunk to put our bags in.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "You know how long it took to find any convertible for this weekend?"

"No way. Convertibles are popular in Florida?" I said, teasingly.

"I know, who woulda thunk? I thought it was only popular in California." Trevor said, in an exaggerated accent.

I laughed. Our first interactions in college consisted of Trevor teasing me. At first, I didn't know know what to make of a good looking, charming guy paying me attention, but I enjoyed it. That changed when I saw how super friendly he was with everyone. It hurt the little pride I had, but it also made me comfortable enough to speak to him.

Our earliest conversation was small talk about where we were from. He made a silly comment about me having a convertible and living on the beach because I was from California. I informed him I didn't live on the coast and I would love to have any car- convertible or not.

In return, I asked him the name of his horse and what kind of truck he drove. He laughed at me and it was the start of our beautiful friendship. Friendship turned into a full blown crush for me. That crush turned into a torturous, unrequited love. Now, he was whisking me away for surprised trips instead of partying with his friends.

Who woulda thunk indeed.

We got in the car and I offered to plugged in the address on the GPS while Trevor figured out how to put the top down on the corvette.

"Key Largo?" I said, reading the address out loud. "Oh, Key Largo!!!" I exclaimed, thinking of the Kokomo song.

"Yep, we gonna take a trip through the Keys. Starting in Key Largo ending in Key West." Trevor informed me, starting the car

I leaned over and gave him a hug. "I hate that you missed your Austin trip, but I'm so glad that you did. This is going to be amazing."

"Austin will be there and spending time with you is always amazing." He put his arm around me.

I moved in closer and gave him a kiss. "I appreciate this so much... thank you."

"Thank you for coming with me." He said.

"You didn't give me much of a choice. You made my friends leave me." I said, sarcastically.

"They'll be there when we get back." He winked at me.

When I tried to look up and plan stops for the drive to Key West the next day, Trevor stopped me and told me he had it under control.

"We're going with the flow. No plans, let's just see what we find." Trevor urged me.

I conceded and decided to make a beach playlist for our drive instead.

We arrived at our hotel in Key Largo around 2am Saturday morning. We got checked in and went to our room.

"Are you tired?" He asked, sitting on the bed.

"No. I think I'm too excited." I replied.

"Wanna show me what you had planned for Sunday night?" He asked, letting me know he saw the note I wrote him.

I pretended like I was thinking about it. "You ruined all my plans with your impromptu trip." I said as I straddled his lap.

"I'm sure we can come up with something else." He smiled up at me.

"Let's hope so." I said as I leaned in for a kiss.



The next day, we didn't wake up until right before check out, which was good considering what time we finally went to sleep. We got dressed, grabbed some fruit for breakfast, and started our road trip. We put the top down, played my Beach playlist and enjoyed the warm weather, the wind whipping through our hair and the scenery. We stopped in Islamorada for lunch. We went to this great place on the docks. They did boat rentals and charters but also had a restaurant/bar and a tourist shop.

Trevor ate a fish sandwich and I devoured meaty conch fritters with an ice cold beer. I wasn't a fan of the pelicans hanging around the tables, so I ate quickly. On the way out, Trevor made me bypass the shop to purchase a bucket of bait to fed the tarpons. We both got a shock of our lives when one shot out of the water and latched onto Trevor's hand to get the fish.

After it returned to the water, we both cracked up laughing. I pulled out my phone to record the next time he fed the fish. When it was my turn, I was much more prepared. I released the bait and moved my arm away as soon as the tarpon popped up.

We were driving through Marathon when Trevor pointed out a sign for a tourist shop. He stopped there for me. It was a huge store filed with Florida, nautical, and ocean themed souvenirs. I automatically started shopping for my friends.

30 minutes in, Trevor was rushing me along. I sent him away to get jewelry for Krista and April while I looked for a gift for Robbie.

"I got shell necklaces for the girls. You're getting Robbie candy?" Trevor asked when he rejoined me.

"No, I was looking for something for Forrest. I got Robbie a blow up beach ball." I told him.

He looked down at the Apple watch I bought him. "We gotta get going Lily. We're running behind."

"What for? What happened to go with the flow T-Rev?"

"We need to speed the flow up." He countered.

"Sorry. I'm on island time." I said, smiling at him.

"You're not going to have time to get ready for tonight."

"What's going on tonight?" I asked heading to the front to check out.

"It's a surprise."

I stopped shopping when he promised me we would have time Sunday to shop in Key West. We drove across the 7 Mile Bridge that connected Marathon to the Lower Keys. I took so many pictures as we drove across. It was gorgeous. Trevor didn't make anymore stops and we drove straight to Key West. Unfortunately, we got caught in traffic stemming for an accident. Trevor kept checking the time on his watch and the dashboard.

"Babe, relax. I don't need any more surprises. This trip was enough." I said, resting my arm on his shoulder. He nodded but didn't say anything. It wasn't like him at all to be so high strung. I massaged him when I felt how tense he was. He was the one saying go with the flow. Why was he freaking out so much?

Escape came on and I turned it up.

"I hate how catchy this damn song is."

Trevor looked over at me. "What do you have against pina coladas?"

"Nothing. It's the lyrics I don't like. The couple was trying to cheat, found each other out and laughed it off."

"What?"

"Yeah. Have you listened to the lyrics?"

"Not really."

I started the song over and turned it up. At the end, Trevor grinned at me.

"I never paid attention. Kinda funny they found one another."

"No, not funny. They both deserved to be punch in the face."

Trevor chuckled. "Your solution to everything is punching someone in the face."

I shrugged. "If it works."

"Why did you put it on your playlist?"

"I needed beach music besides Bob Marley and the Beach Boys."

"How bout Margaritavile? Two Tickets to Paradise? Or Summer Breeze?" He suggested.

I immediately added them to my playlist and Trevor sang along to the songs I didn't even think about. The traffic and Trevor's mood greatly improved. We got to Key West early in the evening, but still too late for what Trevor planned. As I checked us into a lovely Victorian style bed and breakfast, I overheard him asking about rescheduling on the phone. Apparently, he was able to for Sunday. We had the whole evening open now.

"Can we do a food crawl again?" I asked him as I unpacked the new jumpsuit I bought in our suite.

"Yeah, we can do that."

I took a quick, ho-bath in the sink. I felt bad already about delaying Trevor's plans; I didn't want him waiting on me. I wiped myself down with a soapy towel before drying off and spraying myself with body mist. I left my hair down, the natural wavy texture of it in the humidity hopefully passing for beach waves. I skipped make-up all together besides a little gloss and put back on my flip flops.

Trevor was in the front house, speaking to the concierge while waiting for me. Sally, the concierge, was giving Trevor directions to places close to us. We thanked her and started off. There were a ton of different shops, attractions and restaurants on the waterfront. Our first stop was my pick, an oyster bar. I had mine raw while Trevor ordered his fried. We also took advantage of the happy hour, trying a Key Lime martini and a Key West sunset lager.

Trevor's pick was a rooftop restaurant that boasted a new-island cuisine. I tried, and loved, lobster gnocchi and Trevor had a steak with a bacon bourbon sauce. I made fun of him for ordering steak, on an island, but I ate my words when I tried the sauce. I would have licked it off his plate, if we weren't at a public restaurant.

The roof top had a bird's eye view of Mallory Square. Sally informed us of a sunset festival that was taking place there. We took a break on our food crawl to check it out. At the square, there were vendors selling food, drinks and trinkets and street performers from musicians to jugglers.

We wandered around, checking out the performers and vendors. We sampled coconut water straight from a coconut and munched on fresh guacamole and chips while watching a variety show. It featured a man and his dog riding unicycles. Trevor and I joked about training Justine. We both knew there was no way: my baby was so spoiled, she didn't even sit when ordered to. I found her a squeaky turtle and also a cute stuffed turtle for Rocky's unborn baby. There was so much to do and see, I was kinda glad we missed whatever Trevor had planned. I thought going with the flow was working out for us just fine.

We tried to find a spot to view the sunset, but we would have been better staying at the rooftop restaurant, thanks to the numerous boats and ships; They blocked the view from the ground.

"Stupid ships." I complained.

"C'mon. Sally recommended a place for dessert."

The mention of dessert perked me up. The name of the place promised outstanding desserts. After seeing the crowd at Better Than Sex Desserts, I hoped it came through on it's promise.

A long wait later, we were seated in the red room at a private booth next to one another. The walls were red and gold furnishings and sensual art adorned the room. It was dark and intimate with a sexy vibe. I took a quick selfie before Trevor and I looked over the menu that was on an IPAD.  The menu was enough to make me blush. Gyration, Slip Inside, The All-Nighter- and that was just the drink menu!

I ordered a Klimax- red sparkling wine with a rimmed-job: a champagne flute rimmed with white chocolate. Trevor ordered a Grown-up Guzzler- hard root beer with a dollop of Irish Cream. Just one sip of my drink was worth the ridiculously long wait.

We ordered Kinky key lime pie, Fork-You Fondue (cheesecake fondue with donuts holes) and Better Than Sex bread pudding to try. I also got a second drink, caramel over me- Moscato in a Caramel dipped wine glass. Wine in a regular glass would never taste the same to me.

We took turns feeding each other. There was no way we could finish all the desserts even though they were delicious. We ended our desserts with a money shot- coffee liqueur in a shot glass with whipped cream. We toasted each other before we downed them.

The shot went down smoothly, warming my insides. I grinned at Trevor, giddily.

"I think you've had too much to drink." He said, with an amused smile.

"Not at all. " I told him, running my finger through his soft, blonde curls. He normally wouldn't let his hair grow out long enough to curl up, but I was glad he did. It reminded me of college when all I wanted to do was play with his hair and kiss him over and over again.

The childish obsession I had on him then was nothing compared to how I felt about him now. I now understood the feeling of being drunk in love- I felt that way about Trevor. Everything about him was intoxicating. I pulled him to me for a long, deep, lingering kiss. It was way too passionate for a public place, but I couldn't help it.

"Lily-" He panted, breathlessly when he pulled back.

Before I could respond or he could continue, the waiter came and asked if we needed anything else. We declined and paid the bill before leaving. I was admittedly more intoxicated on the alcohol than love as we left. I held on to Trevor as we made our way back to the bed and breakfast.

When we got to our room, I pushed him on the the bed. I giggled as I fell down with him. He laughed too before pulling me close for a kiss. We drunkenly made out, his caresses causing shivers up my spine as he ran his hands over my body. They became urgent as he groped at my clothes.

"Jesus- take this fucking thing off. Why do you wear these?" Trevor exclaimed as he struggled with my jumpsuit.

"Potty mouth." I giggled, breaking away, kneeling on the bed so I could removed my clothes. He did the same then pulled me back down on the bed. I gasped out loud as entered me as we laid side by side. Our playful embrace turned passionate as we made love. He lifted my leg up and draped it over his. He thrust into me, gripping my hip to pull me closer. My mouth found his automatically and we exchanging hot, lazy kisses. Afterwards, in his arms, his deep breathing lulled me to sleep.

The next morning, Trevor woke me up entirely too early to eat breakfast. Apparently, we had plans, meaning I couldn't sleep in. I was grumpy until we were seated in the garden of the bed and breakfast. The sight of the lush beautiful greenery grabbed my attention. The smell of coffee combated my tiredness. The sound of the birds singing around us acted like a natural alarm clock. The taste of the light and fluffy banana pancakes gave me reason to be awake. I got over my lack of sleep(and possible hangover) and enjoyed the great start of our day.

It only got better from there. Trevor planned an all day water excursion us. A crew took a group of us out on a boat. Trevor listened carefully as the instructors explained the snorkeling gear to us. It was his first time. I been a couple of times before and I was more concerned with making sure he was covered in sunscreen.

The water was warm, the coral was colorful and pretty. The fish swam in huge groups and came super close to us. Experiencing it with Trevor just made it that much more fun. His amazement at it carried over to me. I had the best time.

We got back on the boat and showered off before finding a spot on the deck to dry off. We made friends with two other couples that were from Miami as we enjoyed a lunch buffet, wine and beer. We sailed to a floating playground in the middle of the Caribbean water. There was a huge ass water mat, a slide,  floating trampolines, jet skis, paddle boarding, kayaking, banana boats, and parasailing.

Trevor and I went for the things we hadn't done before. Parasailing was the first thing on Trevor's list.  I never had a fear of heights, but my heart raced when we were finally in the sky. I never felt us rising. It was like, all of a sudden, we were in the air. I looked over and saw Trevor. It felt like we were the only two people in the world up there and it instantly calmed me. The ocean was so many different colors of the purest blues. It was spectacular.

Afterwards, we rode banana boats with our new friends before jumping on the floating trampoline. Trevor and one of the guys had a backflip competition, but I wanted nothing to do with that. We slipped and slid on the water mat before we found a spot to lay out and relax before it was time to return.

We got back to our suite with an hour to get ready before whatever surprise Trevor had planned. I took a hot shower to removed the ocean water. I tanned from laying out in the sun and I really didn't feel like doing my make-up so I stuck with bronzer, liner and a red lip. I pulled on the little white dress I bought in anticipation for my date night with Trevor. I put my hair half up in a top knot and the rest down over my shoulders. I put on the only other shoes I brought- nude wedges.

"Wow... you look amazing." Trevor said, looking me over slowly when I came out the bathroom.

"Thank you. So do you." I grinned at him. He looked cute in a white button down and khakis.

We drove the rental this time to the same watercrafts I was complaining about the night before. Trevor booked us a sunset dinner cruise on one of them. After we climbed aboard, we headed to the deck with the other passengers and had rum runners while we waited for everyone to board. The boat set sail and everyone was ushered into the main cabin to eat. There was a buffet of Caribbean and American food. While we ate, the drinks flowed and the live band played Calypso music. Trevor lifted his champagne to toast me.

"Happy Labor Day Lilypad." Trevor started, "Everyday with you is like a holiday."

"Stressful and completely not worth it?" I said, with a teasing smile.

He shook his head. "I was thinking more happiness and fun, but even if it's stressful, as long as you spend it with someone you love, it's always worth it."

I stared into his clear blue eyes. They shone so bright, even in the dimly lit room.

"Thank you for giving me so much happiness and fun in my life T-Rev." I said, clicking my glass with his.

We could view the sunset from the windows in the cabin, but Trevor and I finished eating to go to the upper deck. We found a spot near the railing. Trevor wrapped his arms around me as we enjoyed an unobstructed view of the sunset over the water.

We could faintly hear the music of the band. They switched to popular pop music with an island flare. Trevor hummed along as they played Sailing. I made a mental note to add it to my playlist.

"Why didn't you tell me this song for my playlist?" I asked him when it was over.

"I just remembered it." Trevor smiled.

A new song came on and Trevor told me to add it to my playlist too.

"What is it?" I asked, at the unfamiliar tune.

"Sea of Love" he answered, before singing along softly. Maybe it was being on the water and the serene setting, or Trevor's voice reciting such beautiful lyrics, but I fell in love with the song instantly. It would always remind me of Trevor. I would go with him anywhere. He opened me up to new experiences and adventures all the time and I knew there was no one else I would rather share them with. There was no one I could love or trust more.

"I want to get married to this song." I declared, looking over my shoulder at him when it was over. "Maybe on the beach or a boat."

Trevor smiled down at me. "So I guessed you liked it?"

I turned around to face him. "I'm serious Trevor. I can't wait to be married and share a home and a family with you. Everyday will be a holiday."

"Lily-" He began, softly, but I stopped him.

"I know you gave my dad your word, and I understand that. I appreciate it and I'm fine with waiting. Just don't promise him how long we can be engaged." I smiled at him.

He nodded, before he pressed his lips into mine. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him back as we sailed on the ocean.







***Hey everyone! I know there were a lot of questions regarding why Trevor changed his mind. This post didn't get into why, but like one of the comments read last week, this post is from Lily's point of view. We don't know what's going on in Trevor's head unless he tells her. Please keep that in mind this week!

Kokomo

"Off the Florida Keys, there's a place called Kokomo
That's where you want to go to get away from it all
Bodies in the sand, tropical drink melting in your hand
We'll be falling in love to the rhythm of a steel drum band
Down in Kokomo
Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take you to
Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama
Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go
oh I want to take you down to
Kokomo, we'll get there fast and then we'll take it slow
That's where we want to go, way down in Kokomo" Kokomo Kermit the Frog Version

Wednesday morning, I woke up early and made breakfast for Trevor and me. Surprisingly, Trevor was up early too and helped me in the kitchen. He said he was feeling better. I took the opportunity to scheme- I mean, plan- for Labor Day.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, but we still don't know what you had. Maybe you should take it easy this weekend." I said as I flipped an omelet. I knew Trevor had his heart set on going to Austin, but I really did not want to go to Christian's party.

"I'm fine." He replied, his back to me as he made toast.

"Amber was saying there's a stomach virus going around. If that's what you had, who knows if your still contagious. We should have a stay-cation. Get a hotel room, relax." I suggested. It sounded like a lame excuse even to myself, but I had to try.

Trevor saw right through me. "Why do I have a feeling this is about you not wanting to go to Austin?" Trevor asked, trying to study me.

I focused on finishing the omelet to avoid his gaze. "It has nothing to do with me not wanting to go to Austin. We're not attached at the hip. If you feel up to it, you can go without me. I just wanna make sure you're ok."I lied.

Trevor gave me a kiss on the forehead. "I'm great. 100% recovered, I promise. I'm going to leave Friday, be back Sunday and we'll still have time for a stay-cation if you don't want to come."

I forced a smile. "Sounds great."

Urgh, it sounded awful! I didn't want to go nor did I want to spend our weekend apart, even if it was only half of the time. I got annoyed with myself for being the type of girl who couldn't spend time away from her boyfriend. That decided it for me. I was going to happily let Trevor enjoy his time with his friends and reach out to mine about hanging out.

I got back on routine with my workouts: running with Justine and boxing classes. Dominick was there; we worked out together and he told me how he got into MMA. Afterward, I went home to get ready for work. Amber texted me, informing me her schedule hadn't changed for the holiday: the only day she would be off was Sunday. Rocky said she would have a small gathering at her house if we couldn't come up with anything else. She already invited Peyton and Jackie. I replied, telling her that sounded good and I would call her when I got off work to discuss the details.

On my lunch break, I texted Forrest to see if he had plans for the weekend. I wanted to invite Corey to hang out with us since he wasn't going to Austin, but I figured he wouldn't want to be surrounded by a bunch of girls. Besides, Forrest lived by Lake Lewisville now- maybe I could get him to host instead of Rocky!

Forrest: Thinking about driving to Shreveport this weekend to visit my fam. What are you up to?

Me: Trying to figure out what to do while Trevor is in Austin :-(

Forrest: Why aren't you going?

Me: Principal. Don't ask.

Forrest: lol why are you so difficult?

Me: I said don't ask lol I was hoping you would host a party at the lake. Break in the new furniture.

Forrest: I don't do big bodies of water. Y'all are welcomed to come to Shreveport. I can show y'all around and there's always the casinos.

Me: Wait... what? Why don't you do water? Did you have a near death experience?

Forrest: No, I can't swim. I stay away from water so I don't have one.

Me: OMG Forrest! I'm teaching you how to swim!!!

Forrest: lol, I don't need to.

Me: yes you do. You want kids, right? Every responsible parent should know how to swim.

Forrest: My kids won't be in water deeper than 6ft

Me: =:O
How long of a drive to Shreveport?

Forrest: 3 hours.

Me: I'll let you know.

Forrest: Try to find out tonight. The casinos book fast on holiday weekends.

Me: ok

As soon as I got off from work, I called Rocky. Neither one of us had been to Shreveport, Louisiana and she was willing to check it out. She got off the phone to call Peyton and Jackie to see if they wanted to make it a girl's weekend trip.

As Trevor and I sat down for dinner, Rocky texted me back. She told me she had the rooms booked at the Horseshoe Casino Resort in Shreveport, Louisiana for me, her, Peyton and Jackie. I text Forrest the news as I filled Trevor in.

"What's in Shreveport?" Trevor asked me.

"Casinos for sure. I'm assuming seafood and Cajun food which is good enough for me. It's where Forrest is from. I'm sure he'll know some fun spots." I said, putting down my phone as I finished my text. "Are you staying with Bilal in Austin?"

"Yeah..."

"Can you take Justine with you?"

"Yeah."

Trevor and I were watching American Ninja Warrior on the couch when Forrest texted me back.

Forrest: I'll wait to leave on Friday so y'all can trail me out

Me: Yay! I'm so excited! Make sure you pack your swim trunks. The hotel has a pool ;-)

"Swim trunks?" Trevor asked me, reading the text over my shoulder.

"Yeah. He can't swim. I plan on teaching him."

Trevor nodded and went back to watching the show. My favorite contestant was on.

"That stunt man is going to win the whole show." I said, when he passed his stage.

"No, he took too long. I think the hippie dude is gonna win." Trevor argued.

"No way. He's too scrawny. Wanna put $20 on it?" I wagered.

"Bet." He said, and we shook on it.


On Thursday, I went through my closet deciding what clothes I should pack to take to Shreveport. It was harder not knowing what all we were going to do. Trevor was unusually quiet as I fretted over what to pack. In fact, he was quiet the entire evening. Over dinner, I asked if he was ok. He said he was, but I knew better. I could tell something was off.

"Do you still wanna have a stay-cation? " I asked from the closet. I kept talking when he didn't reply right away. "Check out at the casino is on Sunday at 11am, which puts us back in town before 3. I know it's one night, but we can go to downtown Dallas."

When I didn't get an answer, I turned to look at him. He was sitting on the bed, engrossed in whatever was on his laptop. He hadn't even looked up.

"Trevor?" I called him, snapping him out of his trance.

"Yeah?" He said, looking up at me.

"Sunday. Do you still wanna get a hotel room?" I asked again.

"Yeah."

"Can you look into that? I was thinking Downtown Dallas. I'm not sure which hotel, but a really nice one. It can be our last splurge before we get serious and buy a house." I smiled.

"I'm on it." He said, returning his eyes to his laptop.

"Babe, what's up? You seem... I don't know... distracted." I said, lost. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. I just felt it.

"Nothing's up. Just working." He told me.

I nodded and let him get back to work while I finished packing.



Friday, I joined Sammy shopping as she bought a few last minute things for Austin. The party was on Saturday, but Sammy was leaving that afternoon just to make sure everything was in order. She just found out Christian's girlfriend, Noelle, would be there filming for her show. That meant Sammy had to upgrade her outfits. I wanted to find a new dress, not for Shreveport, but for me and Trevor's night in Downtown Dallas. He had been so distracted lately; I wanted something that would guarantee his focus on me.

"Trevor's cool with you going to Shreveport with Forrest?" Sammy asked as we tried on dresses.

"First of all, if Trevor wasn't ok with it, do you think I would be going?  Second of all, why wouldn't Trevor be cool? He doesn't have a problem with Forrest. Third, and last of all, I'm not going with Forrest- Rocky, Peyton, Jackie and I are following him out there. He's showing us around. That's it." I explained.

"First, and only of all, bullshit! Doesn't matter if y'all are just friends or if he has a problem with him. Trevor's jealous." Sammy said, smartly.

"He trusts me like I trust him going to Austin." I told her, pointedly.

"I didn't say he didn't. Trust and jealousy are different. He can trust you and be jealous. Besides, you know I'm going to be in Austin. He won't try anything."

"He won't try anything because he loves me just like I love him. Now shut up and hand me that jumpsuit. It makes you look shorter."

"Fuck you Lily. Giraffe looking bitch" She snapped, but she took it off and gave it to me.

"Thanks shorty." I smiled before trying it on. It wasn't what I was looking for, but it looked good on me so I bought it (to spite Sammy a little too).

When we were done shopping, I gave Sammy a hug and wished her a safe trip and successful party. I packed a bag for Shreveport and an overnight bag for Dallas when Trevor and I came back. Trevor was leaving as soon as he got off. I wrote him a note telling him I loved him, drive safe and don't party to hard because I had plans for him on Sunday. I put his note in the bag he hadn't finished packing. I put my Shreveport bag in the car and went to work.

Dr. Fahri pulled me into his office when I came in. He told me that his new position started in October and I could expect to be interviewed in the next couple of weeks. I thanked him before I reported to Dr. Clayton.

I was thrilled when Dr. Clayton told me we were going to start closing down after our last appointment. Technically, the clinic was still open till 6, but he didn't anticipate any last minute appointments with the holiday.

After Adil left around 4, Dr. Clayton worked with my clients while he had me start the huddle board for the next week.

As I finished the board, Dr. Charles, or Vince, the guy I had onboarding training with, joined me.

"How well do you know Dr. Fahri?" He asked me as I pulled up the appointments for the following Tuesday.

"What do you mean?" I asked, curiously. I didn't know if anyone else made the connection that Adil and I went to graduate school together. I didn't think it mattered, but I wasn't advertising it at the same time.

"I don't know. You two seem familiar and he's always pulling you aside to talk. I think you're the only person that had set hours in probation."

"I had morning and evening shift. How is that set hours?" I asked, not pausing from what I was doing.

"I interned here. I know how coveted the morning shifts are. Kinda weird you got it off the bat." Vince illustrated.

"Dr. Charles, your client is ready for ultrasound." Dr. Clayton said, joining us at the huddle board.

"Yes sir." Vince said before leaving.

"As soon as you're finished with the board, you're good to go." Dr. Clayton told me.

"No, I'm gonna stay to closing." I declined. It was tempting to leave, but I figured I should show my commitment to my job by sticking around. "I'm sure Vince will want to leave."

Vince did leave early and Dr. Clayton and I closed the clinic. He gave me helpful hints and advice for supervising if I got the promotion. When I left, I called Rocky to let her know I was on my way to her house. The traffic got me at Rocky's house around the normal time I got home from work.

There was a taxi sitting outside of her house. I watched it curiously as I got my bag out the trunk. I was beyond confused when I saw Trevor walking out the house.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"We're going on a real vacation." Trevor said, grabbing the bag from my hand.

"What about Austin?" I wondered out loud as he lead me to the taxi.

"I'll go when we come back." He opened the car door for me.

"But Shreveport..." I stopped by the door.

"Too late, they left without you."

"Justine? Where is-"

"Amber is going to take care of her. I have your other bag. All you need is your ID. Anything else, we can buy. Let's go or we're gonna miss our flight." Trevor cut me off.

"Flight? Where are we going?" I said, excitedly.

"Let's go and you'll find out." He repeated.

I got in the taxi and stopped asking questions. That is, until the driver took off.

"Can I get a hint? I mean, I packed for Shreveport. I kinda need to know where we're going."

"You packed a swimsuit, right? Really, that's all you need." Trevor grinned.

"No passport?"

He rubbed his chin like he was thinking about it. "I hope not."

"Just tell me where we're going!!!" I demanded him.

He pulled out his phone. "This inspired the trip. That's all I'm telling you."

I looked at the phone. It was Kermit the Frog singing "Kokomo".

"He said like 4 different places...is Kokomo a real place? " I laughed at him.

"Guess we'll find out." He smiled.

It's A Man's Man's World

"Man thinks about a little bit of baby girls and a baby boys
Man make them happy
'Cause man make them toys
And after man make everything
Everything he can
You know that man makes money
To buy from other man
This is a man's world
But it would be nothing, nothing
Not one little thing
Without a women or a girl
He's lost in the wilderness
He's lost in bitterness
He's lost" It's A Man's Man's World by James Brown

Monday since I already did my grocery shopping and laundry, I had the whole morning to relax. It was raining and the perfect excuse to lounge and be lazy. I started the recipe for chicken and dumplings in the crockpot and went back to bed. Justine played around in the bedroom while I got some more sleep.

I went to work, fully rested and in a great mood. Before my lunch break, I was finishing patient charts when Adil approached me.

"Can I borrow you for a moment?" He asked.

My great mood faltered. I had no idea what he wanted, but I figured it couldn't be good if we had to speak in his office.

I got up and followed him. When we got to his office, he motioned for me to have a seat as he closed the door.

"Do you know why I wanted you to work with me?" Adil asked after he sat across from me at the desk.

I sighed, inwardly. I hated rhetorical questions. It reminded me of my dad. It also made me remember how arrogant and condescending Adil could be, especially when he thought he was right about something. Why didn't I remember that before I came to work with him?

"No, why Dr. Fahri?" I asked, feigning interest when I realized he was still waiting for a response.

"You're the only person whose work ethic is as strong as mine. Our careers were our first priority. Remember how hard we pushed one another?" Adil asked.

"I assure you, I'm not that competitive anymore." I said, with a little smile. I knew how much he hated to lose to me.

"I hope you are still dedicated. We need that in a team lead and I plan to recommend you for the job."

I looked at him, puzzled. "What?"

"I told you we were restructuring when you accepted the job. Dr. Tran created a new position. One of our biggest challenges is keeping the surgeons, trainers and therapist on the same page. That will be my job as a field supervisor: I will work as a liaison between the hospital and the clinic. Dr. Clayton wants to move to day team lead because it works out better for his family. I want you to take his spot as evenings team lead."

I let that sink in for a moment- I really wasn't expecting that! "That's an incredible opportunity. Thank you so much for recommending me."

"My pleasure. To be honest, I was surprised you weren't managing already. I assumed it was because you relocated to Texas. Is it really by choice?" He asked, leaning back in his chair.

"No. I definitely want to advance. I haven't been at one job long enough. I hoped I would here." I answered quickly.

"The position requires a bigger commitment. It's not only the clients you are responsible for, but your team too. More often than not, the job has to come first. I need to be sure you are prepared for that before I recommend you. Without getting too personal about your family, are you willing to make that commitment?" He asked, watching my reaction.

"Of course. I'm committed to my career. I'm ready to manage. If given the chance, I know I can handle those responsibilities." I answered, truthfully.

He gave me a smile. "That's what I thought. I needed to be certain. I'll keep you updated on the changes. As soon as I know something, I'll let you know."

"Thank you again  Adil-er, Dr. Fahri."

I was thrilled the remainder of the night. I just wanted to be good at what I did. A promotion was proof that I was. I was a little concerned that a family emergency made Adil question my commitment, but I was confident I was ready for the next challenge.

I got home, bursting to tell Trevor the good news. He was in the bathroom when I arrived. I changed into a tank top and boxer basketball shorts in anticipation for my workout and run with Justine. I went to check the food. As instructed, Trevor added the cut up biscuits and turned the crock pot to low. It didn't look like he ate yet though; he must have been waiting for me. I made 2 bowls of soup and let them cool. I was pouring us lemonade when I heard the bathroom door open. I waited for him to join me. When he didn't, I went to the bedroom to see what was taking him so long.

He was curled up in bed and I immediately became concerned.

"Baby, what's wrong?" I asked, walking to his side of the bed, sitting down next to him.

"Nothing. Just something not agreeing with my stomach. I'm fine." He answered strained.

"Are you in pain?" I asked, feeling his forehead. He turned away, but I could tell he didn't have a fever. That was a plus.

"No..." he said, before he got up and rushed back to the bathroom.

I went back into the kitchen to get him something to drink. I was surprised when I saw water bottles and Gatorade in the fridge. He must have bought some today. It made me wonder how long he been feeling bad.

I took the bowl of soup and a Gatorade to the room. When he came out, he looked at the bowl warily.

"I can't eat that. I don't wanna risk it. Can I just have the broth? And ice?" Trevor asked.

"Of course." I told him.

I strained the vegetables, chicken and dumpling out of the soup. Trevor has a thing for Sonic's ice, so I put some ice cubes in the blender and pulsed them until they were smaller pieces. I returned to him with the food and he thanked me.

He spent the entire evening and night making trips to the bathroom. At one point, I woke up to find him with a pillow in the bathroom. I wanted him to go to the Emergency room, but the moment I suggested it, he vehemently said no. He didn't have a fever and it was probably just food poisoning so I didn't push it. When it was time for him to get up and got to work in the morning, I woke him to see if he needed to call off or if I should do it for him.

"I already did." He mumbled before going back to sleep.

I skipped my workout in favor of staying home to monitor him. When it was time for me to get ready to go to work, I was hesitant about leaving him. He urged me to go, saying he would be ok. I didn't trust that if he was feeling really worse, he would overlook his fear of hospitals and go to the Emergency room. He promised he would and I couldn't help but think of how calling in would affect my promotion; I decided to leave.

I asked Dr. Charles to switch breaks with me and he agreed. I took my break early to call and check on Trevor. He didn't respond so I waited by my phone my entire lunch for him to call me back. No response.

Hoping he was just sleep, I checked my phone constantly, calling every hour until 6pm. I finally had a missed call from him and a text.

Trevor: I'm fine. Just sleeping.

I breathed a sigh of relief and worked the rest of my shift, hurrying through my charts so I could get home as soon as possible. I even started the huddle board for the next day while Dr. Clayton was in a meeting with a client. Thankfully, he didn't mind and we left on time that evening.

When I got home, Trevor was sleeping, but his frequent trips to the bathroom stopped. I made sure he had a fresh Gatorade and a water bottle next to him. I heated up leftovers and pulled out my phone. I hadn't got a chance to tell Trevor about my possible promotion at work but I called the next best person.

"Hey bro!" I said, cheerfully when Cam answered his phone.

"Hey sis. So your phone does work." Cam started in already.

I rolled my eyes but smiled. "The phone works both ways Cam. Besides, I've been busy crushing it at my job."

"Bullshit."

I laughed. "It's true. A team lead spot is opening up and my boss is recommending me."

"Congratulations Lilypad. You know dad would be thrilled to hear that. When's the last time you spoke to him?" Cam asked.

"You can pass on the news. I'm not in any mood to talk to him."

"What's going on now?"

"Did you know about the one year deal he made with Trevor?" I questioned him.

"The question is, how do you know?"

"Trevor got drunk and accidentally told me." I replied.

"You're driving him to drink?" Cam joked.

"Ha ha, not funny. It's fucking bullshit."

"Hey, don't get mad at me. I didn't know about it until after the fact." He defended himself.

"You should have told me."

"No. It wasn't my place to. If Trevor wanted you to know, he should have told you."

"How would you feel if someone dictated when you could marry Jenna?"

"I wouldn't like it, but Trevor agreed to it."

"Dad went to Trevor because he knew he could manipulate him! He knew not to pull that on me."

"That may be true but it was Trevor's choice. As a man, he made a deal and needs to honor it. I support that, even if I don't agree with it." Cam said.

"Well, fuck that and y'alls fucking man law."

Cam laughed. "It's not man law. It's common law. Stick by your words."

"Whatever." I had no other arguments so I let it go and we caught up. I was chatting with my brother about how the 49ers looked when Trevor emerged from the room. I got off the phone to see how he was doing.

"Better." He answered, groggily as he raided the refrigerator. I made him sit down and got him some food. He ate a bowl of chicken and dumplings while I made him a grilled cheese sandwich. When he devoured it, I made him another. I was convinced he was on the mend. Whatever he had must have worked through his body and he was just catching up on sleep and food.

After he went back to sleep, I cleaned the kitchen. I decided to stay up a little longer and play on Facebook and Instagram. I was so glad I did. I got to take part of the hilarity that started when Amber re-posted a meme on Facebook.  It was a man in the kitchen cooking with the words:

Men cooking... because our generation of women don't know how to.

Amber captioned it:

I had to re-post this nonsense. I won't name names, but the WOMAN who posted this is stuck in the 50's.

There were already comments so I read through them.

Rocky: Um, how bout he knows how to cook because he wants to eat?

Dino: My dad cooks better than my mom. #RealMenCanCook

Sammy: Men cooking... BC you can't keep ur wife in the kitchen with yo McDonald's paycheck. #BossBishesWifin'Dudes#MakeSureYouHitEmWithAPrenup!

Serena: {crying laughing emoji} Step your game up men...or go get me a beer lol

I laughed out loud at Sammy's and Serena's comment. Men started to comment now.

Forrest: The situation ultimately depends on what you're looking for in a relationship. Matter of preference. Some men and women prefer a traditional relationship.

Corey: Why you gotta go there Sammy?

Brandon: That's the problem with women. Tryin to be a man. No man wants to be with another man #NoHomo

Sammy: I don't have a problem with traditional relationships @Forrest. Just don't sit here and post stupid shit bc I'm not 4 it

Cuz it's da truth @Corey

And if a woman being a boss makes you wanna fuck a man, that's ur issue @Brandon

Patrick:Shots Fired! #TeamFuckAMan {rolling on the floor laughing and eggplant emojis}

Brandon: No real man wants to be emasculated by a "boss bish". Pay attention to your own "man's" issue @Sammy #MissMeWithThatGayShit

Jackie: Damn, I posted this picture. I ain't stuck in the 50's @Amber. I think it's a shame when a woman don't know how to cook. It's the way to a man stomach's #MissMeWithThatFeminismShit

Sammy: My man don't have issues, that's why I don't have to cheat @Brandon

And you don't have a man @Jackie. Does that mean you can't cook?

Brandon: That's what's up @Jackie
And congrats for not being a ho... now ur a bish@Sammy

Rocky: Women are more than "bishes" and "hos". How would you like it if someone referred to your mom like that?

The whole "our generation of women" crap can go. We are still struggling to get paid as much as men, but you're concerned about this generation of women's cooking skills? Smdh@Jackie.

Amber: Exactly. A man and a woman can both work, but it's the woman's job to cook and take care of the kids. Why?

I posted a comment before they started arguing again.

Me: I agree with Forrest- it's a matter of preference. There's nothing wrong with a traditional relationship; just like there's nothing wrong with a man being able to cook.

Blake: Next time you want a door opened or gas in your car, I prefer not to do it for you #Preferences

Serena: I do all that myself. #SelfSufficient

Me: lol me too @Serena

Blake: Not surprised, y'all won't let a man be a man. Y'all wanna wear the pants in the relationship.

Me: My man wears the pants.... after he washes them himself :-)
Goodnight everyone! Chores in the AM, work in the PM. My generation does it all!

I smiled to myself and got the fuck off Facebook before going to bed and checking on Trevor.