Hey, guys! Here y'all go! I see all the gems being contributed and it touches my heart. My health is getting better, too! Have a lovely day or night, whenever you get this, and... God loves you. He really does. I love y'all, too đ„șđđâ€ïž
"You know Christ?""I do.""Who helped him carry the cross?""A man called Simon. Simon of Cyrene.""Who is our savior?""Jesus Christ.""He is the almighty, yes?""Yes.""But even he needed help... Because he was made flesh. Flesh cannot survive on its own. When you pray to God to assist you, he answers and sends you help in the form of man. I needed help when I lost my Benjamin. I refused it, but I needed it. I drowned in guilt. I thought I had robbed my family of a very much loved child, and I drowned in guilt again because I knew that my state of guilt was killing my husband and Brandon. After so long, I felt like I needed to do something right. I needed to come out of that stupor. For my family. For me. And to do that, I had to accept their help. For every time Brandon sat with me and I accepted my child's shoulder, he was helping me see what my guilt didn't let me see... I saw that my family still needed me. Someone as guilty as me. The least I could do was step up. For everytim
"Yeah. I've been keeping her company, that's it. She was only in my bed yesterday because after the gala we attended together, I decided to crash at a hotel and she followed. When she knocked on my door with red eyes and a wet face and begged to sleep with me, I agreed. I was only offering whatever comfort I could. I was only woken up by Beth's call. Nothing in-between.""Nothing happened?" Sherlie asked after a long minute of silence."Nothing happened."With how strong, unwavering and calm he sounded, he gave off an air of sincerity. But..."Brandon, if you are lying to me...""Sherlie, If Megan and I were having sex, I won't lie about it. I won't lie about sex."She knew that was true. Brandon wasn't loudmouthed about such things, but he didn't hide it, either. "That's sex. Have you ever kissed her? I know that Beth and you are not together anymore, but-""Sherlie, as far as I am concerned, Elizabeth is my woman. Elizabeth. Not Megan, not anyone else. Elizabeth.""But you said tha
Byron suddenly clapped and jumped off his chair. "I knew it! No one knows my old boy better, I tell ya!" He hollered to whomever bothered to listen. Returning back into his chair to meet the amused face of Brandon, he let out a calming breath and confessed,"I never thought I'd see the day.""What day?""The day a woman humbled you.""And you know i'm humbled, how?""The fact that you were already delivering a heavy speech earlier on what she is, what she isn't and what I should and shouldn't regard her as isn't reason enough?"Brandon rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, you have made your point. Anything else?""Brand?" Brandon caught the gleam in Byron's eyes. The one that spoke of numerous years of experience. "Yes, dad?" "Nothing good comes easy. Remember that."Brandon nodded once, holding eye contact with his father. "I will.""Whatever ride life takes you on... Enjoy it while it lasts, but never let go of what really matters. You have made me so proud, Brandon Oscar Wade. So proud
"Oh." Her head fell back against his chest and she didn't fight it, and neither did he. His hand continued patting her back like she was his child."He was such an energetic kid. Always wanting to be where the action was, even though he was as shy as they came."That caught her attention. She looked up at him, gobsmacked."Brandon was shy?"She watched him nod, a nostalgic smile on his face. "He was." He then looked down at her. "Is he still shy?"Having not expected that question, Beth blinked, startled. "Uhm... I- I don't know, Byron. He's your child.""He's your man."Her eyelids fluttered. A telltale smug smile lined his lips before he turned his head back to the sky. She rose an affronted and amused brow. He had just wanted to see her shaken, hadn't he?"He broke out of his shy phase when he was fifteen. He is still a bit reserved, though."Beth's head was moving up and down in agreement before she even knew it. "How he broke out of it, it was in the funniest way.""How?" She co
Beth woke up to the blaring of her phone. As the events of a few hours ago barraged into her mind, she hurried for her phone and answered. "Hello?" "His family wants to press charges. They claim assault," Frederico's voice hit her ears. Her heart jumped. "Assault? What?! He assaulted me!" "That's why the Wades are fighting back." "Oh my goodness." She ran shaky hands down her face. "Frederico, he touched me inappropriately. I didn't do anything wrong by defending myself, did I?" "No, but his family has power. But, so does Brandon." Her heart stilled. "Does he know?" Her voice came out in a whisper. "Turn on the tv," was all Frederico said. With dread licking at her heels, she dashed out of her room, her eyes quickly scanning over Sherlie's, Brian's and Colby's pensive faces before turning the the tv. Her face was pasted all over it. The news of what had happened at the function was what was being broadcasted. 'It has been reported that Benedict Rutherford, son of the owner o
Elizabeth blinked and blinked again."What?"She felt like there was a haze over her eyes. "I-is it because I haven't been to work in a long time? You told me to stay till the heat died down and-""Elizabeth, it's not that--""-and you even refused to have me work from home. I don't get-- what did I do?""Nothing." She watched him fully turn to face her and for the first time, saw regret flash through his eyes. "You didn't do anything.""So?!" She bit out, desperate for an answer. Lola whined from behind Beth's room door. "What, then? What happened?""I just--""Business happened." Beth's wide eyes flew to the intruder and she frowned, confused and suddenly feeling cornered. Her eyes darted between them. When the alarm bells in her head went from ringing to clanging, she rose slowly."Why are you here, Valentina?" Caldwell growled, his voice carrying hints of subdued anger. With an oh so confident smirk on her face, Valentina Williams slowly spun around in a circle, eyes examining
Adamant on staying partially erect till she'd said her piece, Brandon gave up on trying to get her up and just sat on the ground."And-and so tiny." Her wavering voice reached Brandon's ears. Applying gentle force, he grabbed her shoulders and eased her away. Tears leaked down the sides of her face and cheeks. She looked up at him with pleading eyes, her mouth in a pregnant, childish pout."What's wrong, persik? Why're you crying?""Frederico never wears tights," she sputtered.Brandon blinked, frowned, then blinked again. "Uh...""Tink-tinkerbell wears tights," she got out on a sob. "And shoes with pompoms. Frederico doesn't even wear dresses."Even whilst confusion gnawed at him, his lips began curving up in a rougish smile, prompted wider by Frederico's muted words of annoyed disagreement. "You want him to wear a dress?"Frederico's declining yell was all too amusing. Whimpering sadly, Beth nodded. "And shoes with pompoms?" "And tights.""Then he will."Her eyes instantly grew t
Lola's eyebrows rose and fell with the movement of her eyes as she watched the two humans, her head on her paws. Elizabeth's eyes remained trained on Brandon. If he was nervous at all, he didn't show it. Asides the tiny smile that remained on the ends of his lips, his face remained expressionless. "There is nothing to be allowed, Brandon," she dropped, got up and began for the kitchen. "Why is that?" She looked back to see him following her. Turning back, she shrugged. "You're with Megan. I'm not your home." "I'm not with Megan." That caused Beth to stop. She turned to face him, her brows turned down. "You two broke up? What happened?" Brandon rose a brow at the concern he heard in her voice. "We were never together." He watched her eyes take on the hue of confusion. "What?" "We were never together." "But... That can't be right," she mumbled to herself. "It is. Megan and I were never together." Beth's eyes found his and after a few seconds of staring, crossed her arms a