"Hey babe," he said when he answered.
"Hi David. I'm so sorry I didn't call you sooner. I know it's late there, but I wanted you to know that I'm okay."
"I wish you would have let me come with you. I feel bad you're there all alone. I'm your man and I should be there comforting you through this."
"You are so sweet, but you just received your promotion. I know how busy you've been and how hard you worked for that promotion. Plus, all those crazy hours you keep at the bank. How would you have found time to come with me?"
"You're right, baby. I just wanted to be there for you. You know how much I love you, right Alyssa?"
"Of course, I do and you know how I feel, too. Listen, I'm going to get off this phone and I'll see you when you pick me up at the airport tomorrow."
Disconnecting the call, I sat on the edge of the bed and removed my heels. While taking off my clothes and putting on pajama bottoms with a matching T-shirt, I thought about David. He was a little shorter than Drake. And, where Drake was dark, he was just the opposite. He was the color of cafe au lait with green eyes and curly hair. You could tell he was of mixed heritage just by looking at him. He was dependable and I felt blessed to have him in my life.
Upon going back out to where Drake sat patiently waiting with our drinks poured, I saw he had a glass of wine for me. For him, he had something dark in a glass with no ice. His suit jacket and tie were on the arm of the sofa. I hoped he was not getting too comfortable.
"Now that we are nice and comfortable, let's talk," I said sarcastically.
He took a healthy swallow of his drink and sat the glass down on the table in front of him. I took a seat on the other end of the sofa and reached for my glass of wine and began sipping.
"First, I wanted to say that I was so sorry I didn't make it back here when your dad died. I really wanted to be here for you. I was on the road and there was no way I would have made it in time for the funeral."
"I still miss dad a lot. I admit that sometimes I feel so alone in this world without him around. But, you had a wife and a child to take care of. Denise and Weston never left my side. If it hadn't been for those two, I don't think I would have made it."