DEIRA
Leave it to Cassius to make a dramatic entrance, I reflected as I stared at him from afar. Whether it was barging into my steam room or crashing into my car or running through the airport yelling my name, he never did anything subtly. I looked at him, standing there breathing heavily. Had he run through the airport looking for me?
I glanced back at Dani, and she raised an eyebrow. She didn't have to say anything more for me to understand the question she was asking. That raised eyebrow said, well, what are you going to do? It might as well have said, well, Deira, what do you want? I hadn't expected to have to answer that question at the airport, right before we went through security, but apparently, that's what was happening. Now I had two choices.
I could turn my back on Cassius, take Makayla's hand, and walk through the security gate toward a totally new life, or I could go over to Cassius and ask him why he was here. I could give him one last chance to be part of my life. It felt like I was standing and staring at a fork in the road. Which to choose? If I was honest with myself, though, I already knew the answer. I knew it as soon as I heard Cassius call my name. Because when I heard his voice, my heart leapt. His voice calling my name made me want to turn and run to him. Even with everything that had happened between us. So how could I not go to him? I sighed.
"Can you stand here with Makayla for a minute?" I asked Dani. She rolled her eyes.
"You know I will," she said. "Go get your man."
"Dani!" I admonished, even as I knew she was right. But I straightened my shoulders and composed myself before I walked over to him. I was going to give him a chance, but he was going to have to prove that he deserved it.
"Deira," he said once I got close to him. He was still breathing hard. "I thought I was going to be too late."
"Too late for what?" I asked.
"Too late to apologize," he replied. I blinked in surprise. To apologize? Before I could even ask what he was apologizing for, he stepped up to me and took my hands.
"Deira, I'm so sorry. About everything. I'm sorry about losing Makayla. I'm sorry about how Mr. White treated you, and that I didn't believe you when you told me." He paused as if thinking about something, and then continued, "That's over, by the way. Scott investigated him and discovered he's been doing things like this for years. We fired him."
"You what?" I gasped. I really hadn't been expecting that.
"I fired him, and I promise, I'm never going to doubt you again. Deira, this past week... My mom got hurt. I thought she wasn't going to wake up," he said. His voice cracked, and I instinctively drew closer to him.
"Cassius, I'm so sorry. Is she okay?" I asked, wanting to hug him and comfort him but aware that an increasing number of people were staring at us.
"She's fine. She's going to be fine. But it made me realize something. I let that relationship with my parents fall apart. And it took something really terrible happening for me to realize that I wanted a relationship with them. It also made me realize that I want a relationship with you. You and Makayla, you're my family. Please, tell me I'm not too late," he said, his voice pleading.
I could already feel my heart melting, but when he said that and looked at me with those hazel eyes of his, the last of my reserve vanished. My heart swelled with affection for him.
"Mommy," said a voice at my side, "He said sorry, so that means you should forgive him." I looked down to see that Makayla had run over to us. Cassius crouched down next to her.
"I have to apologize to you, too, Makayla," he said. She tilted her head, confused.
"For what?" she asked.
"For not keeping you safe. And for not paying enough attention to you," he told her. "But I promise, from now on, you're the priority. Being a good dad to you is my most important job."
I opened my eyes wide and blew air up into them to try and keep myself from crying when he said that. In my wildest fantasies, I'd maybe imagined someone saying all those things that he had just said to me, but I'd never dared to dream I could find someone who would love Makayla the way that I did.
"Is that okay with you?" Cassius asked Makayla.
"That's okay with me," she said, then she smiled and hugged him. He returned the hug and picked her up, hugging her tightly as he turned to me.
"Deira? What about you? Is it too late?" he asked softly.
I shook my head, blinking away tears.
"No," I whispered, "it's not too late." His face broke into a grin, and he leaned down to kiss me. The crowd around us cheered, and we both looked around, embarrassed. I'd forgotten that anyone was here but us.
"So," Dani said at my side, "we're not getting on the plane, huh?"
I laughed.
"No, Dani, I'm sorry. I think I'm going to have a fresh start right here."
"Oh, by the way," Cassius said, still hugging Makayla, "my parents want to meet you."