"Our future is created moment to moment based on the visions we have for ourselves."

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𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒂𝒏

I wake up on Saturday to my alarm going off, reminding me I have a phone call with the Mayor.

This waking up early shit might not stick, that's a lifestyle I've dropped since moving to Penshaw, and since Port Ember. But, I am a working woman now, so business comes first at any hour.

"What's that?" Chris's voice strains upon waking up.

I feel bad my alarm is disturbing his sleep, he was so tired last night — we both were— and was looking forward to sleeping in all weekend.

I quickly silence my phone and then kiss Chris's head. I just know what it's like to be sleeping with him and then he gets up to work, it sucks.

"Nothing, baby, go to sleep." I hush him, stroking his hair.

It doesn't take long for him to stop cuddling me and fall back asleep. Men.

I try to wake myself for this call, knowing it'll be a lengthy one, with a shower. After, I wash my face, brush my teeth, and change into some loungewear.

I make myself comfortable in the living room area of the deluxe suite and ready myself for this meeting, knowing he'll ring me any second.

There's a noise that makes me snap my neck and hope it's not Chris I've waken up for good this time, so I peek around but there's nothing?
Oh, I'm just hearing things because I'm hardly awake at this point.

Seven o'clock on the dot, my phone rings with a call from Mayor Nate Dillon.

"Good morning, Miss Bennett!" His old voice is far too loud and enthusiastic at this time.

I have to adjust to his energy, but I like it, that's who he is.

"Uh, good morning, Mr.Dillon, how are you?"

"I have no complaints, how about yourself?"

I pick the corner of my eyes and fight off a yawn.

"I... I am up." I laugh, getting one out of the Mayor as well.

"I hear that. Listen, as a business owner— especially with one like this— you will have early mornings, long, hard days, and late nights. Are you ready for that?"

I bite down on my acrylic nails and let out a breath.

This is what I've been wanting - a hobby, my calling, something to do.
I'm not just doing this to cure my boredom, or even to contribute to society, but because if there was something like this for Callie and I growing up, and Kailyn, maybe we all could've been different. . .

"Yes," I exclaim after a pause. "I am so ready!"

"'Atta girl! Now, let's revisit your business plan—"

9:02am

Mayor Dillon is cracking up over a little story I told him about Callie feeding me candy for dinner once when I was nine. It resulted in me passing out, from too much sugar apparently, and a visit from the ambulance.

"Where is she now, your sister?" Asks Mr.Dillon.

I rake my fingers through my hair and then feel my jaw rotate, killing my smile.

"She's dead. She died."

"I'm sorry."

I stand and start to pace over to the window to enjoy the view. Bird Valley is beautiful, I started getting ideas about how I wanted to spend two more days and nights here.

"Well, uh, Miss Bennett, I'm not going to keep you any longer. Do you have any questions for me?" Asks the mayor.

I see Chris stalking out of the bedroom so I look over my shoulder and wave good morning.

"Nope," I reply on the phone, "not right now, but I will let you know if I think of any."

"Alright, you take care, enjoy your weekend. Hey, if you're doing brunch, there's a spot in the valley called 'Nick's 1800,' tell them Nate sent you; Nick's my son, make sure he gives you the best seat in the house; tell 'em it's your anniversary, and enjoy bottomless mimosas on me."

"Aw, thank you, Mr.Dillon, that's very sweet of you!"

"Alright, enjoy. Thanks for giving me your boyfriend's business card, too, my sister-in-law wants to build her own house, only she doesn't know where to start." He laughs and I just smile, tired of talking to him after so long.

He goes on about how his sister-in-law got a divorce and won a bunch of land that she plans to build the house on, and blah blah.

Chris comes over to me and grabs my waist. I immediately feel a pit in my stomach at his touch and it amazes me that he still has that effect on me after a year.
His lips are warm against every inch of skin he kisses and I shudder.

"Okay, Mr.Dillon, I'll see you on Monday at the meeting. Yup, nine o'clock. Thank you, uh-huh. Bye." I rush him off the phone.

Finally.

Chris slaps my ass and it hurts good. I press my lips against his and grin against them.

"Taking work calls this weekend, huh?" He mocks me. We agreed no work on this trip, but that was mostly aimed at him. Now I'm the working one who can't put their phone down.

I take a whiff of his signature musky scent and smile, throwing my arms around his neck.

"Good morning." I kiss him again. "Happy one year. Please tell me I can open my gifts now."

Me clapping ecstatically makes Chris laugh but he removes himself to fetch all of the things I watched him haul in last night.

I sit on my knees on the couch and go bright-eyed at everything he presents me with.

"It's like Christmas, wow." I beam when the gifts keep coming.

"I didn't know what to get you." He says, stretching.

"So you got me everything?" I laugh small. "But thank you, this is too much."

"I can take it back-"

"No, no, no, no, no..." I giggle, pulling his arm back from packing everything up.

Chris chuckles and pulls my body close for a kiss.

Our lips smack and I bite his.

"Oh? Is this my gift?" He smirks, walking backwards until we fall on the couch.

I just shake my head and push off his chest so I can stand and go get his present from the closet.

My bare feet pitter patter atop the cold floor before I return with an ear-to-ear smile and hover over Chris's body.

He snatches the bag, making me laugh, and digs through it. I also didn't know what to get him, so I got him everything.

In the large bag: a pen that was expensive for no reason, a robe and pair of slippers, a box of premium cigars, a sheet of pictures of us that he can put into his wallet like old times, a silver Fendi Roma ring because I like when he wears them, a pair of low Nike Dunks since he has so many but wore his favorite pair out, also a pair of Alexander McQueen's so he can wear them formally instead of Converse to his meetings, and finally, a calendar I had made for him.

He seems hung on the calendar, and for good reason, it brings a smile to my face seeing him drool over my racy DIY photoshoot.

I chew my lip as he tilts his head to see one full photo of me for the September- the month he was born.

"Wow." He mouths, having to close it.

I giggle. "You like?"

He opens it immediately again and freezes on the July spread. That one was my favorite, too. I had nothing but ring lights, lingerie, our bed, a tri-pod, and the motivation to see this exact reaction.

"I love it," he rasps, "come here."

I settle back onto his lap and melt into the kiss.

Chris's hands squeeze my ass and I almost lose myself.

He's sucking my neck and tries getting me out of my shirt, but I pull away.

"Later," I assure him. "but first, brunch."

~~~

Mayor Dillon was right, brunch at his son's restaurant was so good. So good in fact, that since we couldn't figure out where to eat for dinner, we wound up at Nick's 1800 again.

Our day's been beautiful, it's consisted of art museums, pottery, wine tasting, taking a cooking glass together, and a ride on a two-seater bike, how romantic.

My satin dress is long with a thigh slit, cowl neck, and black with spaghetti straps and backless. I wear my hair blown out with curls at the ends and neatly parted slight to the side, more than usual.

Chris has assured me all day that I'm as beautiful as I feel. He's done a one-eighty since our last little break, and I can't be happier. Plus, with the way he handled the Jasmine situation, I see a lot more growth.

The restaurant has a certain ambiance, it's hypnotizing with the same gripping attraction as a casino and seems to be for the rich. Everyone laughs with their noses up and holds their pinkies out. Chris looked like he fit right in— we both do aesthetically, anyway— but he's taken a liking to such exclusive places, materialistic things, and lifestyle.

We're almost finished the top shelf red wine after our meal. It was good, not better than brunch, but good. Chris, of course, got the steak and I joked with him that he'll turn into one one day.

"Happy anniversary." Our waiter leaves us with complimentary fried ice cream and devil's food cake.

I smile as he walks off, reminding us to let him know if we need anything else, but this dessert is more than enough.

"What is that?" Asks Chris, hesitant to dig in unlike myself.

I clear my spoon and remove it from my lips. "Fried ice cream!"

His face is blank like he doesn't know.

I slouch and huff. "You never had fried ice cream? Callie showed me how to make it; it was Quinn's favorite."

Chris puts his hand on mine that's resting on the table. He wears this look, it's almost uninterested yet still pitiful, the same look everyone gives me when I remember my sister and niece.

I change the subject. "Can you believe it's been a year?"

Chris just sits back with a smirk. He looks handsome in his all black, hair brushed back into a ponytail in the middle of his head, leaving the back out on his neck.

"No," he says with the shake of his head. "seems like just yesterday you were getting on my nerves."

"That was yesterday." We say together and laugh.

I scoop of some chocolate cake and then ice cream and feed it to Chris. His eyes lock on mine as he licks the spoon clean.

I bat my eyelashes and smile with red cheeks.

"Chris, do you think we'll always be together? Like, when we're old?"

He licks his lips and pauses to think just for an extra second.

"I hope so."

"You hope so?"

He chuckles, spinning the spoon in the ice cream. "If you don't leave me again."

"Stop, don't say that." I feel bad and start to frown.

"I was fuckin' miserable." Chris admits low. He laughs but looks serious and that makes my face fall.

My eyes look between his as he goes on to say, "I don't want that to happen again. So, yeah, we'll be together forever."

"That's how I felt when you left. I had to think of what I would do if you never came back. Not only did you help change my life but I was wondering how I'd ever find someone who loved me like you did."

"I still do-"

I cut him off quickly. "I don't doubt that, but it was different."

"How?"

"I can't explain it."

"Why not?"

I finally look up from the cake to meet his inquisitive eyes.

My jaw slows as I finish chewing and swallow hard.

I pop my shoulders, hands now holding my elbows atop the table. This isn't the polite way to sit at the dinner table, especially one so fancy, but I stop caring.

"Before, everything was so intense. It just don't need to be anymore."

"Don't?" Chris mocks me with this exaggerated southern accent.

I laugh and slap my hands to my cheeks. "I'm buzzed." I change the subject.

Chris calls the waiter over, ready for the check.

"Hmm. One-seventy." I guess the total.

Before Chris looks at the bill, he takes his guess. "Two-hundred." He looks confident per usual, but I think I'm right.

Chris finally takes a look at the bill and reads it aloud. "Two-fourteen."

"Sheesh." I make myself sound cheap. At least the food is worth it, but I remember the days when I would spend seventy dollars at a restaurant for a meal and think that's too much.

When our waiter returns to wish us a good night and collect his tip, he brings my chair off of the table and lends a hand to help me up.

"Oh." I blush. "Thank you."

He bows and then scurries away with a glare from Chris who then raises his eyebrow at me.

"Jealously is so hot." I giggle, giving Chris a hard time.

"Shut up." He rolls his eyes and I just find him cute, latching onto his arm as we walk towards the exit.

~

"Mmm." I purr in Chris's ear.

I straddle his lap as he drives. Err, the Tesla drives itself rather.

Chris's lips leave my neck and I miss them there, expressing that with a soft frown.

"What?" I ask, flustered.

"Look." He says, turning left into some development.

"What?" I bark. "Look at what?" I tuck the hair behind my ear and peer out of the tinted window, underwhelmed.

Chris slightly pushes me off of his lap and I roll my dress back over my legs to sit properly in the passenger seat. I'd be lying if I said I didn't just catch a major attitude.

"Baby, what are you doing? Where are we? Don't tell me we're about to meet someone else, I'm really horny." I whine, leaning forward to kiss his neck.

Chris weakens at my touch and palms my face, staring at my lips.

"Just wait," he says, pecking my lips. "I want to show you something."

I smile against his lips and then follow Chris out of the parked car.

"Where are we going?" I whisper-yell in the night, trying to catch up to my boyfriend who's practically speed-walking down the road.

I finally take his hand and click along the pavement in my heels.

"My feet hurt." I complain, not even a minute into the walk.

Chris just huffs and stops to let me get on his back. I kick my feet happily as he hoists me up and carries me with ease.

Okay, attitude gone.

I kiss his cheek and then have a look around, finally noticing how huge these houses are.

"Wow." I gasp.

"Right." Chris agrees.

These houses are exquisite, like the ones you see on your Instagram feed or those renovation shows. I feel less than as we take a tour.

"Okay, we should leave before Neighborhood Watch shows up." I joke but am kind of serious. Black people have gotten shot over being in communities they "don't belong in," sad but true.

"Wait, it's right up here." Chris insists we keep going and I don't argue.

These houses, I think, must be owned by doctors, judges, lawyers, and engineers - not people like myself.

This is my favorite past time, though. Callie and I used to spend nights riding around different suburbs to marvel at these types of houses, too, houses neither of us ever thought we'd be able to afford.

Chris let's me down and stands, mouth agape, outside of one particular home for sale. It's breathtaking.

It's not something you see in say, Callabassas, no - not that luxurious. It looks like where you'd want to live and raise a family, have a free dogs running around.

As I stand and stare, I start to imagine my life years from now living inside the home, or one like it.

"Remember that dream I told you about? Me, you, the kids?" Chris mentions, still looking forward at the architecture.

"Yes," I answer quickly. "how could I forget?"

He cocks his head to the side and smiles crooked before wetting his lips and then turning to face the house again.

"Well, this is almost exactly what it looked like."

"Really?!"

He nods. "I found it online and drove out here one day when I just needed to clear my head. I'm gonna buy it one day. We're gonna live here."

"What?" I almost scoff, but am just caught off-guard.

"Can't you see it, Ann?" He asks, wrapping me in his arms. "Me, you, a couple mini us's, Stevie and Duke and their puppies?" He chuckles in my ear and I start to warm up to the idea.

This time, I'm not even triggered by the baby talk because his hope for the future is enough. I can wait.
The excitement for him to want to start a family again is clear and it makes my heart happy, now I believe that he has grown and all that was said in the past is behind us.

I press my lips against his but once and pull away slowly.

"That'll be nice." I tell him lowly.

He locks his fingers with mine and starts back down the sidewalk so we can go back to the hotel finally.

"One day..." Chris repeats, looking back at the house. "One day."