Kayla POV

"I wrote a new poem...it's about you."

Kayla could not believe how shy she felt telling her boyfriend of months that she did something as silly as writing a poem about him. Her writing was for her, she never shared it with anyone, but suddenly, she wanted to share it with Isom.

"I would love to hear it."

Now she was nervous. She wanted to share it with him, but she was afraid.

"Actually, I wanted to read some of them at this open mic night at Maggie's café down the street. Have you heard of the place?" Maggie's had an open mic night every Thursday and she had gone on her own a few times, stayed in the back, and become inspired by hearing others.

"Of course I have. When are you going to do it?"

"Uh...tomorrow."

They were at his place, cuddled up on the floor. She was used to not having furniture now. While still weird, it was a cool weird to her. Never once had Isom tried to get into her pants. That was a good and bad thing. She wanted him in that way and wondered if he was not sexually interested in her. The subject had not come up.

They would kiss, but that was as far as things went.

"And you're just now telling me now?" He rubbed her cheek with soft fingers and she blushed. "You don't want me to come?"

"I do! I just...what if everyone boos me or something? I might get stage fright."

"And it's okay if you do, especially since you've never done anything like this. But I will be there with you."

And her friends. She invited both Amari and Sharynn. They were excited, as they were the only two who ever read her poems. She tried with her mother, writing some for her once for Mother's Day, but her mother brushed it off as sounding like a fake Hallmark card.

She still had not spoken with her mother since that dinner fiasco. She knew she had to get over it and reach out to her mother at some point. They may never had a loving, close mother/daughter relationship, but she still was her mother.

For her poetry reading, she dressed in a black pantsuit with a red belt tight around her waist, emphasizing her hourglass figure. In the last few months of eating right and walking more, she lost a lot of weight, but she was still thick. She liked her body as is and was not looking to lose more weight. She appreciated that she did not have to be a ten or less to look good.

That took a lot of growth to realize that when she looked at her size zero friend Sharynn and perfect size six Amari. At least she had the booty girls paid for.

There was still a long way to go for her in self-acceptance but she was a lot better than a few months ago when she hated everything about herself.

"You're about to set the place on fire!" Amari said to her, who brought along Calvin with her.

"Thanks, soror."

"Good seeing you again, Calvin," Isom said to him, giving him a brother hug.

"Yeah, we need to hang out more," Calvin stated. "And uh...where's Trenton?"

Had Amari not told Calvin that Sharynn and Trenton broke up? Even though Kayla thought her friend was making a mistake, it was not her business. Trenton seemed like the perfect guy for her. She was crazy to dump him and see what things would be like with Richard.

Sharynn only shrugged it off. "We're not together anymore. I tried to invite Richard...but he was not interested."

Of course not. If a millionaire playboy showed up to her poetry reading, all the attention would be on him. Richard was a major player in the St. Louis area. Anytime he showed up at events, his pictures would be splattered all over every St. Louis media page. It was always speculated who was he dating.

Girls would line up at spots they thought he would be, just to get a photo op with him.

What did her friend see in him?

"Are you nervous?" Isom asked her.

"No." That was a lie. She was sweating so hard she was sure it could be seen through her jumpsuit, although it was short sleeves, and the black could hide the sweat well.

Maggie's was a café slash bar type of place. Very hipster in that it was simply a downtown hangout for the twenty-somethings in the area. A bar to one side that served every drink under the rainbow. A stage on the opposite end of the place. There were several tables with chairs to sit and listen to live music on Wednesdays and Fridays. Thursdays were open mic night for anything from poetry to book readings, to up-and-coming singers and rappers.

The rest of the day Maggie's was open for meetings for various organizations to host activities. Her sorority used it once or twice for events. She wondered if any of her other sorors would be there.

It might not have been a good idea to invite her friends. Doing it incognito where no one knew her, if she bombed, she would never show her face again and that was that. Instead...her friends would now see if she flaked out.

"I need a drink or two," Amari said, smiling at Calvin. "Can you go get me something, sweetie?"

"Sure babe. Ladies, do you want anything? On me."

"Vodka and lemonade for me," Sharynn said.

"Diet Coke for me...I need to focus."

"I'll get you." Isom kissed her cheek before following off with Calvin.

"Ooo girl! That man loves him some Kayla." Amari giggled after the guys left. "You two are going strong. I have a good feeling for you two...unlike this one and dropping Trenton for Richie Rich."

"Fuck you, Mari, just let it go."

"You two, not tonight. I want to be calm and free before I hit the stage." She smiled at them. "I'm going to confess my love for Isom with my poem."

Amari's mouth dropped open. Sharynn simply nodded.

"That's a way to do it then! Well all right!" Amari shouted out.

"I'm happy for you."

Kayla only hoped Isom felt the same way.

When she finally hit the stage, it felt like things went into slow motion.

"Hi, my name is Kayla. The selection I have for you tonight is called, Mr. Destiny."

God chose him for me

Not a perfect man, just a man

A man who knows his Creator

A man who has made my life complete

Together we can do all things

My Mr. Wonderful.

I can not see me without him

All that I am blessed with,

I want to share

In my heart and in my mind,

No one can take his place.

My one and only

My Mr. Amazing,

Few words can say,

Just how much you mean to me.

There when I need you, there when I want you

Truly you are meant for me

My Mr. Destiny.

I love you

She gulped as she finished to a quiet room. Was it too cheesy?

Then there was an outbreak of claps and finger snaps. The accolades did not matter to her, all she cared about was one person.

"Kayla, that was...amazing!" He grabbed her in a hug once she walked back to their table.

Her body was still on a high from all the accolades of people cheering her on. Was it good, or were they just egging her on? Poetry was subjective, like any art. It wasn't for everyone. All that mattered to her was that Isom appreciated what she was trying to say.

She did not know what to say to Isom after all the words she spewed out.

"Girl, you did yo thang! So proud of you," Amari said.

"Yeah, you need to keep going at that. Write a full poetry book, very romantic, sweet love poems," Calvin said to her.

"Girl, and get rich with it. I'll handle your money," was Sharynn's reply.

"You know I only do this for fun. I love teaching."

"Nothing wrong with a side hustle," Sharynn said.

"Can you all excuse us, I want Kayla and I to have a little private time." Isom stood and reached for her hand which she took.

"Ooo, it's like that," Amari said. "Well go on you two. We're staying for a few more performances."

She had a feeling after her poem that Isom would want to talk. As soon as they walked out of the café, the cool fall air whipped her in the face. It was the perfect weather. Since Maggie's was a few blocks from their place, they walked.

"Did you mean all of that in your poem?"

"Of course I did, I wouldn't have said it if I didn't."

"Well." Isom stopped walking. "Kayla, you're the woman of my dreams. I knew it when I first met you in the lobby of our building. I'm thankful we've had the chance to grow our relationship, slowly. Makes me love you even more. I know I'm not perfect...I've had to change some of my ways, but you've helped me grow as a person. Never change who you are because of me."

She nodded. "I too have learned so much from you. Never judge a book by its cover. Try new things. Live a simpler life. Just be me."

He moved closer to her. "I don't want sex to change what we have. So if you don't mind, can we wait a little longer?"

"I've waited this long, I can wait forever for you."

"You really love me?"

This was not their first time saying those three words, but it felt like now it mattered more. "Yes, I love you, Isom."

"I love you, Kayla. Forever and ever."