Fall Black In Love 1: When Henry Met Millie (17 page)

  “Good morning to my pretty wife.” He kissed her neck.

Millie turned in his arms. “Good morning.” She kissed him softly.

  “You’re going to make me burn your food,” he said returning her kiss.

Hugging him she said, “I’ll come and help then we both can have breakfast in bed.”

Henry followed her back into the kitchen with his arms around her waist then Millie glanced at the infamous table before turning quickly back at Henry.

Frowning, she watched him move to the stove to finish breakfast. “Can I ask you something?”

He turned at her tone. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “When I got you from the jail, we came here after…”

Henry paused and nodded.

Millie continued. “I made you dinner and we ate at that table.” She pointed to the table in question.

  “We did,” he agreed folding his arms, wondering where this conversation was leading.

  “Did you have other girls on that table?” she finally asked.

  Henry looked down into her questioning eyes. “Millie, you’re the first and only girl who has been in this apartment,” he assured her.

Millie folded her own arms. “How do you know to do all those things you taught me?”

Henry turned back to the stove. “I had girls in Mississippi, Millie.”

Her heart froze. “Was there a girl there waiting for you?” she demanded.

  When Henry had checked everything, he turned back to her. “Do you always wake up spoiling for a fight?”

  “Is that why you don’t want to take me there?” she questioned angrily.

Millie watched as Henry’s eyes narrowed and she took an involuntary step back.

  “I don’t want to take you to my town Millie because I don’t want some white man to take you and do whatever he wants to you! I don’t want you to see me or any other black man hanging from a tree! I don’t want you to have to use an outhouse in the field or have a white woman spit in your face!”

  “That’s why I won’t take you to my home, Millie! Not because of another girl.” Henry walked out of the room to calm down.

  Millie watched as he left the room and leaned back against the counter. Henry usually wasn’t very talkative about his hometown and now she understood why. Is this really what black people were enduring still today? What else had Henry seen?

Millie had never seen Henry angry, at least not this angry and not at her. She decided on the spot that she would make sure she rarely, if ever, saw it again. Millie went about the business of completing breakfast and putting it on plates. Carrying both on a tray, she found Henry in the bedroom sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands.

Millie placed the tray on the dresser then took a seat next to him. “Henry?” she called softly.

  “I’m sorry Millie. I never want to yell at you,” he apologized without lifting his head.

  She rubbed a hand down his back. “No, I’m sorry Henry. I guess I was spoiling for a fight thinking about you and other girls.” Millie rubbed the back of his head. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories for you.”

  Henry lifted his head and looked over at her. He took her hand that held his rings. “I love you Millie and I don’t think about any woman but you. I think about spending my life with you, living our dreams and having kids and grandkids.”

  “I think about keeping you safe and making you happy. What I did in Mississippi, I left in Mississippi. My life is here with my very pretty, very jealous wife,” he finished.

  Millie looked away. “I got scared and then I got a little crazy.” She caught his gaze. “Because I love you Henry Patterson, so much.”

  Henry reached over and kissed her gently. “I don’t want to fight with you on our first day of being married.”

She smiled slightly. “I don’t want to fight with you at all Henry.”

Henry lifted her onto his lap. “I’m going to make sure that I wake up next to you prepared to put you in a good mood in the mornings.”

Linking her arms around him, she asked, “How’re you going to do that?”

  Henry slid a hand up her smooth leg and underneath her short nightgown. “I know some things,” he whispered into her mouth as he laid her on the bed.

  “Mmmm…I like being your wife Henry.”

Chapter 17

  Two months after their wedding, Millie was set to graduate from the Nursing program and Henry couldn’t be more proud of his wife, who boasted one of the highest grade averages in the class.

  Since the wedding, the pair had adjusted well to living together as a married couple. When they had returned from their honeymoon in Canada, Henry had paid a visit to Bill’s home. Imagine his surprise when he’d found out that Bill had packed up and left town. Apparently without a job and Henry’s threat on his life, his family had sent him to Ohio to live with some relatives and to work in one of the steel mills.

  Henry was happy that he hadn’t had to whip on Bill again. Hopefully the guy would get his life together and forget about Honey because she was taken…forever. Since their first fight, they’d not had another and Henry made sure that Millie was very happy in the mornings.

  Today, Henry was waiting outside the auditorium where Millie’s class was practicing for the graduation ceremony. He’d gotten off work and then driven directly to the venue. Looking at his watch, he figured she would be coming out soon so he sat back and relaxed.

  Henry didn’t realize he’d dozed off until he heard knocking on the window. Turning he saw Millie on the passenger side smiling at him. Quickly he exited the car and rushed around to get the door for her. He kissed her as he opened it. “I’m sorry.”

Millie kissed him back. “It’s fine Henry.” She climbed inside and waited for him to join her.

  Henry chastised himself for not being awake when Millie came out. He hopped in the car and turned to her. “I should have been looking out for you.”

“You’re tired,” she touched his face. “You have to stop making me happy in the mornings.”

He laughed softly. “That’s not the problem.”

Millie looked concerned. “Then what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong pretty woman, don’t start worrying.” He winked at her then started the car.

  As they were driving home, Henry noticed some new construction on the way to their apartments. “Look Millie, they’re building new houses over there.”

Millie looked out the window. “Wow, those are really pretty. I wonder who’s going to live there.”

  “You wanna go look at them?” he asked. Millie loved looking at houses and dreaming of one day having one of her own.

  “Can we?” Millie asked as Henry slowed the car.

Henry shrugged. “Whatever my pretty woman wants.”

  Millie smiled impishly. “Let’s do it.” When she stepped out of the car, Millie looked at the newly built homes in awe. She’d never been inside a new house and admired the pretty windows and doors.

  “Aren’t they pretty Henry?” she asked.

Henry nodded and frowned. “Looks like they cost a lot of money.”

  “Yeah, they do.” Millie agreed. “I can’t wait until I start working, then maybe we can look at houses like this.”

Henry smiled. “I’m so proud of you getting hired at Detroit Memorial. I knew you would.”

  “Thank you Henry. Those nursing journals you bought me made a world of difference. I was able to score very high on my tests,” she said happily.

“Hi, may I help you?” a voice greeted them and Millie looked at Henry.

“I just brought my wife to see your houses. She likes the way they look,” he explained.

The man smiled. “Well, I’m Peter and I’m the realtor for this development. Let me show you around.”

  Millie smiled and Henry shrugged. “Okay, why not?” he told Peter before the man began giving them a full run down on the homes.

  On the impromptu tour, Peter let them inside one of the completed homes and told them to take their time looking around. When the door closed, Millie turned to Henry.

  “Oh my god Henry! Look at the floors!” Millie exclaimed.

Henry nodded. “They’re very nice.”

  As they walked through the rooms, Millie caught her breath in each one. “This is a beautiful house Henry.”

  “It is Millie. One of the finest houses I’ve ever been in.” He turned to her. “I’d like to buy you a house like this one day Millie.”

  She smiled and hugged him. “I don’t need a house like this Henry. I just want somewhere we can call our own and live happy.”

Henry returned her embrace. “That’s why I love you Millie.”

Millie reached up and kissed him. “I love you Henry. We should go home so you can get some rest.”

Peter met them on the porch with a smile. “Did you two like the house?” he asked earnestly.

  “It was beautiful,” Millie answered.

  Peter smiled. “Let me get you some information to take with you to look over.” He hurried to his car as Millie turned to Henry.

  “We really shouldn’t take his things,” she said watching the man. “He thinks we might really buy a house.”

Henry agreed. “I’ll talk to him and meet you at the car.”

  They walked down the porch and Henry went to speak with Peter while Millie stared longingly at the beautiful home as she made her way to the car. She stood outside the door looking over the newly formed block and waited for Henry to finish with the realtor. Millie wondered how people got to live in nice houses like these. What did you have to do?

  When he met her at the car, Henry could feel her longing and turned to look at the neat row of homes. He looked down into her face. “I shouldn’t have brought you here.”

  “No, it’s fine.” Millie said touching his arm.

Henry touched her face. “I don’t want you to be sad Millie.”

She put on a smile. “I’m not sad Henry. I just wonder what kind of people get to live like this?”

  “People who want to live like this,” he answered. “And don’t settle for less.”

  “We won’t settle,” she said confidently looking back at the homes.

Henry agreed. “Never.”

  Millie turned to the car and Henry went to open the door for her. He stopped and snapped his fingers before digging in his pants pocket.

  When he produced a silver chain and placed it around her neck, Millie froze. She stared at the key that  dangled on the end.

  “Tell me you didn’t do this!” she said breathlessly as tears began to choke her.

  “Here’s your key, pretty woman.”

  Millie put her hands to her now damp face. “Nooo! Henry!”  Removing her hands, she threw herself into his arms. “Is this real?”

  “It’s your graduation present that’s going to take thirty years to pay for,” he said holding her while she tried to compose herself.

Millie raised her face. “Is it the one we looked at?” she asked hopefully.

  “Yes ma’am. That’s your house.”

  She let out a loud scream and Peter looked over at the pair smiling. Millie pulled on Henry’s shirt to get his attention.

  “Can we go back inside?” she asked excitedly.

  “It’s yours Millie. You can do whatever you like,” he told her.

  Millie grabbed his hand and pulled him along as Peter watched them laughing at her excitement. Inside the home, Henry locked the door behind them and waited as Millie ran through each room…screaming as she entered and exited.

  When she finally made her way back downstairs, she ran to Henry and catching him off guard and they both tumbled to the carpeted floor. He laughed as she landed on top of him.

  “I take it you’re happy?” he asked looking up at her.

  Millie sobered. “I love you. I love you. I love you Henry Patterson!” She kissed him slowly. “I don’t know what you did or how you did it but I’m so thankful.”

Her tears began to flow again. “I never thought I would live anywhere like this.”

  Henry wiped the tears from her cheeks. “My wife told me she wanted to finish school, travel and have her own house to live in. That was my job.”

  “I wasn’t your wife when I told you that.”

Henry smiled. “I knew you were going to be Millie.”

  Millie stared at him in awe. “Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, dining room and beautiful kitchen!”

  “I hoped you would like it.”

  “Like it?” She kissed him again. “I love it!”

  Henry laid back on the floor in relief. “I’ve been looking at houses for weeks trying to find the perfect one to surprise you,” he told her. “I didn’t know if I’d find one in time for your graduation.”

Millie stared down at him. “That’s why you’re so tired…” She laid her head on his chest. “Oh, my Henry.”

After a few minutes, he asked, “Are we just going to stay on the floor?”

She burrowed deeper into his body. “Maybe…I don’t want to leave.”

  Henry turned them over and looked down at her. “You can stay here the rest of your life, Millie. I promise no one will ever take it away from you.”

  “
oHow

How did you do this Henry?” Millie asked quietly.

  “A mortgage guy came to the job who was offering special deals for the employees,” he explained. “I was able to qualify for one of the houses and I picked this one for my pretty woman.”

Millie smiled. “It’s the most beautiful one.”

Henry gently stroked her hairline. “Just like my Honey.”

  They kissed until he lifted his head. “I was thinking we could have your graduation party here,” Henry told her.

  “I’d like that,” Millie agreed. “Or we could just celebrate your birthday.”

Henry glanced away. “You don’t have to do that Millie.”

  Millie sat up and looked at him. “Henry Patterson, surely you don’t think that I’m not going to celebrate my husband’s twenty-first birthday.”

He stood then helped her to her feet. “It’s not a big deal.”

“It’s a big deal to me,” she told him. “A very big deal.”

“We’re not about to fight Millie.”

Millie folded her arms. “I think we are Henry.”

“I don’t need a birthday party,” he argued.

Millie lifted a brow. “I didn’t need a house, but I got one.”

Henry started towards the door and Millie rushed in front of him to make him stop.

  “Why don’t you want to celebrate your birthday?” she asked confused.

He looked down at her. “I don’t want you fussing over me.”

Millie’s face softened. “You’re supposed to let me take care of you too, remember?”

“I’m not a man that requires a lot of attention.” Henry pulled her into his arms. “We can celebrate alone,” he whispered in her ear.

She held on to him smiling. “I can bake a cake for you?” she asked.

  “Yes ma’am.” He slowly rubbed her back moving down to her bottom. “And you can feed it to me in bed.”

Millie looked up. “I can do that.”

  “Thank you.” Henry treated her mouth to a delight while squeezing her behind.

  The pair returned home and Millie called her mother while Henry showered. Excitedly she relayed her day and Henry’s incredible surprise. Gina shared in her daughter’s happiness as they talked on the phone. Millie ended her call then quickly called Irma and gave her the news as well.

  “Are you serious?” Irma complained.

Millie laughed. “Yes, Irma. Henry bought me a house. A beautiful new house.”

  “I knew I shouldn’t have given him up so easily,” Irma told her.

  “You know, if I didn’t know that you were really my friend, I’d be very worried,” Millie commented.

  Irma laughed. “Honey, you know Henry Patterson don’t see nobody but you. I’m happy for you and I can’t wait to see this new place.”

  “I can’t wait for you to see it either,” Millie said happily. “Henry wants to give me a graduation party.”

  “That’s going to be so much fun!” Irma exclaimed.

  Millie settled back on the sofa. “I know! I can invite the entire class and we can have a barbecue in the backyard.”

  “I’ll bring a dish, just let me know.”

“My momma will put together a menu,” Millie explained. “Then I’ll let you know.”

  Millie watched as Henry entered the room. He sat on the other end of the couch then put her feet in his lap and began to massage them gently.

She smiled at him and quickly ended her conversation. “Okay Irma, I have to talk to you later.”

  “Oh, Henry’s in the room with you,” Irma surmised.

  “He sure is. Bye, Irma.” Millie replaced the receiver then looked at Henry.

  “You didn’t have to get off the phone,” he told her.

  “That was just Irma. I told her about the house and she was excited too,” Millie told him.

Henry focused on her feet. “We can move in when we get some more furniture.”

  “We have our bed and a couch and table,” Millie said. “That’s all we need for now.”

He looked up at her. “You’re anxious?”

Millie nodded quickly and Henry laughed.

  “If you want to take our stuff here to get started, I can get us moved this weekend,” he conceded.

Her face lit up. “I know you’re tired but I’ll help.”