Free A Cold Piece of Work by Curtis Bunn

Michele. Let me make it up 2 u.”
    Michele: “U can’t live long enough 2 make it up 2 me.”
    Solomon: “U should let me try. I’m betta than what I showed u. That was a long time ago.”
    Michele: “Seems like yesterday 2 me.”
    Solomon: “I’m not proud of what I did, Michele. I’m embarrassed. But I want to make it up 2 u. I can—if u give me the chance.”
    Michele: “I don’t know of any reason to give u a chance. I don’t even believe u want a chance. U just feel guilty.”
    Solomon: “I do feel guilty. But that’s not y I want 2 make it up 2 u.”
    He set Michele up to ask him “why.” And she knew it. So she didn’t.
    Michele: “Whatever ur reason, what’s done is done. I have moved on. And I’m sure u have 2. I got over u. I got over being dogged by u. I’m happy with my life w/o u.”
    Solomon was disappointed Michele did not take his bait, but not deterred. He decided he’d stay on task, no matter what her responses were.
    Solomon: “I’ve been happy w/o u 2. But I have not been whole. I felt whole with u, Michele. I did. I didn’t know how 2 handle it. I was young and dumb—and scared. But I’ve grown up. I want 2 be more than happy. I want 2 be whole. U can make me whole.”
    Michele put the TV on mute. Solomon had gotten to her. She had actually told her cousin the exact same thing, using the same words, about how she felt with Solomon. “I can’t say I’ve ever felt whole with a man,” she said to Sonya. “This relationship, this man, makes me feel whole.”
    Of course, that was before Solomon vanished.
    But her feelings for him remained; she could not believe all the emotions he conjured up in her were not real. Michele was anidealist, someone who wanted to believe the best in people. So, even in her borderline depression, she held on to what they shared, if only to believe it was possible.
    When Gerald came along, she was able to focus her attention and throw all her love and time into her little boy. With the father nowhere to be found, she did not get out of sync. She pressed on.
    Michele contemplated so long how to respond to Solomon’s text that he sent her another one. It read:
    â€œ???????”
    She did not know what to write, so she decided to go with the truth. She was tired of playing coy.
    â€œSolomon, that sounds great. But how do u expect me 2 believe u?”
    â€œJust let me prove it to u,” he wrote back. “I believe in action over words anyway. But I PROMISE u, I will not let u down. I have seen the light.”
    Michele: “Very funny.”
    Solomon: “I’m not joking. I just wanted u to smile. I’m very serious about this. I remember everything about our relationship.”
    Michele: “Oh, now it was a relationship? Back then u didn’t want a title. U wouldn’t even say u loved me. Now I’m supposed to believe after all this time that u did?”
    Solomon: “I know how it sounds. But I can’t do anything but tell u the truth now. And here’s another truth: I feel closer to u thru ur son.”
    He struck another nerve with Michele, a very sensitive nerve. She was consumed with little Gerald. She tended to his every need. And he tended to hers without even knowing it. He was her “man” when there was no man around, which was most of the time. She hugged and kissed him not only because she loved him so much, but also because she had so much untapped affection in her.
    But her affection had the potential to make him soft. That’s why she got him into sports. And that’s why she was so excited that “Coach Money” had a positive influence on him.
    â€œWell,” Michele texted back, “I was glad he had a male figure n his life.”
    Solomon: “What happened 2 his father, if u don’t mind me asking?”
    Michele: “I’d