As I continued to vent to Rhonda, I could hear her brushing her fingernails against her nail file. She either rolled her hair between her fingers or filed her fingernails when she was in deep thought, so I knew she was just as stressed out as I was. As far back as I could remember, no matter what Titus did, she had never spoken a bad word about him. She liked his 'rough around the edges' style and was impressed with the money he made. The fact that he was from the streets was a plus, in her book. His ability to take care of me was something that she admired. She loved Titus like a brother, so I knew she wanted to see our marriage survive. That was just how real of a friend she was.
"Ronnie, I guess we did all of this for nothing," I told her, feeling hurt and ashamed that we spent hours shopping and preparing the backyard earlier that day.
I thanked God for her, as most of the decorations came at her suggestion. I looked longingly out of the sliding glass doors to the intimately decorated, lakeside yard. Our Victorian-style house was positioned on the most prime real estate in Pine Mountains. The sight was a bit too much for me to digest at that moment, so I turned my back on it. Immediately, unwanted memories of my fifth wedding anniversary rushed upon me. Last year, the week before my anniversary, Ronnie and I took a vacation in Maui - just us girls. Upon returning home, I was pleasantly surprised to be welcomed by Titus holding a blindfold.
My husband held me tightly around the waist and led me into my new completely renovated kitchen. Everything was done with French style décor, including the best stainless steel appliances. I walked around turning on the oven and other gadgets. I was so filled with joy that my sentimental butt cried for the next hour. He knew that I loved to cook, so the fact that he upgraded the kitchen with the best was the gift of the decade.
What a difference a year makes.
"It's all good. I will do anything to help you," Rhonda said, interrupting my flashback. "But, don't be so upset with Titus. You know he has to be out there making things happen, so you can live the way you do. Either he will make money and bring it home to you, or it will be the next chick that gets it. 'Cause we both know he ain't about to stop making money. Shit, I wish I had a man like that." Rhonda loudly popped the bubble gum in her mouth, and asked, "Don't you like living on Society Shores?"