That morning I was just ready to say my goodbyes! He pleads with me of course… I give in. We stay together, because “deployment is almost over, It’s just the distance that’s hurting us.”
Let’s fast forward again because these are threads not my book.
I’M HOME.
Deployment is overrrr. We’ve been together for 7 months, and long distance.
We finally begin planning to host our first event as a couple. He gives me access to the apps that control aspects of the house and codes to stuff.
Right before my post-operational leave, I get the post deployment feels and hide in the guest room to cry on my lonesome.
He follows me. He reassures me that we are an item, and his home is just as much my home as it is his. We go back to bed.
Let me add here that no sex has been had, period. Probably should’ve been a 🚩
We’d planned a couple’s trip for my leave but he claimed his health wasn’t up to par for the travel. So I went to Cabo San Lucas with one of my sisters instead.
Had a blast despite feelings of anxiety. But I definitely checked the camera app every time the notification at the door came through.
When we return, he meets me inside the airport and I introduce the two of them. She warns him,
“Be good to my girl, make sure you take good care of her.” Of course he agrees. We’re locked in!
At this point we’re fully living together. For military folks, I was an E4 and he is an E8. We meal prepped, juiced and completed chores according to traditional roles. With the exception of cooking.
He loved cooking and he was very good at it. Who am I to kick someone out of their own kitchen?
Our first event as a couple is upon us. Something he’d been anticipating since December ‘23.
It’s Memorial Day weekend ‘24. More importantly, my Nana’s 3rd birthday in Heaven. He knows how important it is for me to celebrate her life and how sad it is for me to not have here celebrating with me.
So I went out to Vibe Bingo with my work family, my sis and one of the lil homies that set us up. While he stayed home to prepare the meats for the cookout. I returned home at a decent time, which was still past his bedtime.
I took a peak at everything he prepped and graciously thanked God for a man that could cook. His culinary skills are impeccable 👨🏾🍳 so I was assigned host and cocktail maker.
The next day, we went to the store to stock up on tequila. I also made Puerto Rican Sangria as a casual drink and to steer guests from taking shots. He spent over $400 on tequila and we agreed which bottles were for drinking and which would be saved for the next event. We set them aside and I tucked away my favorite Anejo so no one could mistake it for a good time.
Now it’s time for me to meet his friends and this girl he kept calling ‘daughter’ 🤗 I was so excited! His best friend, whom I already met, was the first to show up. We kee-keeing on FT with my mama together while he continued cooking. My mama made a face at me and I could tell she was reading but she refrained from making any statements.
The next to guest to show up was an E6. At the ripe age of 32 I figured he’d be the youngest next to me.
Nah.
5 more people showed up all 26& under. In my head I’m like, your only friends are your favored junior sailors dude? 🤔 but I kept an open mind.
UNTIL
One of them, a female who is also Afro-Latina went for her fourth shot of tequila and was veryyyy loud about challenging him to a drink off. At this moment she is clutching my favorite Don Anejo, and poured another. idk when she took it out the cabinet and I didn’t and never feel like it’s a moment to crash out. 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩
Party started at 4pm, it was 6:30ish when they knocked back their 11th shot together. On top of the Sangria. Meanwhile, the rest of us are on shot 5 or 6. My homegirl and his best friend, unbeknownst to me, were eyeing that girl and having a discussion about her intentions.
On their 13th shot, I grabbed his arm. Babe that’s enough y’all are going too hard. She’s 24 and built different, please slow down. I turn to her and say, you don’t have to take care of him I do and you also need to slow down. That’s not healthy.
Side note: this girl had trauma dumped on me earlier in the evening about her mom issues and racial issues as it pertained to not knowing spanish. Her homegirl (the ‘daughter’) didn’t intervene AT ALL. In fact she encouraged all of the drinking and interactions this girl was having with my man. 🚩
24y/o turns to him and states, “mom doesn’t want us to drink anymore”. He locks eyes with me and says to her, “well, I’m your boss so pour another one.”
Star Candelaria 