Abilasha

      It was nine o’clock on a Friday night and I’d put both girls to bed when they finished their Jonas Brothers marathon.  Elizabeth was determined on having a sleepover with Ava and since Jason didn’t have a problem with it, I’d left their well being in his capable hands.  I was in the process of cleaning up the living room where the girls had camped out in front of the large flat screen when I heard Jason’s deep chuckle from behind me.

      “Just how many pairs of sweats do you own?” he questioned.

      I smirked and shrugged self consciously.  “You’d be surprised.  Are you just getting in?”

      “Another long day at the office,” he spoke as he placed his briefcase on the sofa.

      Over the past couple of months he and I had formed an easy friendship.  He didn’t delve too deeply into my past and I didn’t question him about his.  It might have been a little...impersonal for some people, but the boundaries worked for us and made for a solid working relationship.  Of course, my feminine influence on his impressionable daughter also helped quite a bit.  She was getting to that stage where she noticed boys beyond that of a vessel for cooties and I’m sure it was easier for her to talk with me about those things than questioning her father.

      “You have some mail,” he spoke and handed me a few envelopes.  Most of them were bills with an exception of my bank statement and a formal invitation.

      “You have got to be fucking kidding me,” I mumbled to myself as I took in the return address.

      “What’s wrong?” Jason asked with a frown.  

      It wasn’t like me to curse...at least verbally and so that had to immediately catch his attention.  I couldn’t really be bothered to care as I opened the envelope to make sure that my assumption was true.  Sadly enough it was.  “Nothing.”

      “That wasn’t ‘nothing’ Abilasha,” Jason spoke.

      “If you must know, this is an invitation to my ex husband’s wedding.”

Jason

      “Are you serious?” I asked her.  What sort of heartless person would do that to someone?

      “As a heart attack,” she answered as she threw the invite in the trash.

      “Now wait a minute,” I argued and pulled the cream and gold invitation out of the trash.  “Don’t be rash.”

      “What is there to consider?” she asked with an arched brow.  “I hope you aren’t insinuating I that I go to this wedding.”

      “I think that you need some closure and why not show them the woman your ex is missing out on?” I asked.

      “I’m pretty sure he knows what he’s missing and he was quite happy to get rid of me,” she answered self depreciatingly.

      “And what person do you think it is that he sees in you?” I asked with a small frown.

      “Look at me!” she spat.  “I’m not the prettiest girl nor am I the smallest.  And sure, I enjoy what I do but it’s not like it’s the most exciting career out there.  All I really have going for me right now is my little girl.  That’s it.”

      “You really don’t see it, do you?” I asked her with a curious glance.  What did this guy do to her?  “Come with me,” I ordered as I grabbed her hand and led her into the half bath near the kitchen.

      “What?  Jason-”

      “Don’t argue with me Abilasha.  Just come.”

Abilasha

      I followed Jason into the bathroom with a huff and crossed my arms over my chest as I routinely avoided my reflection.  He stood behind me and used his fingers to pull my hair out of my face.  I had to stop the shiver that crept up my spine as his fingers caressed my scalp during the completion of his gesture.  With his free hand he cupped my chin and forced me to look at my reflection.

      “Tell me, how is it that you can’t see your own beauty?” he asked.

      “My eyes are too far apart-”

      “That makes you unique,” he interrupted firmly.

      “My face is f-” I started, but paused when I realized that it really wasn’t.  As a matter of fact, my face was thin now.  I turned to the side and took in my prominent high cheek bones...cheek bones I hadn’t really seen in years. 

      “What else about you makes you think you’re inadequate?” Jason questioned me.

      “I’ve gained too much weight over the years and Omari, that’s my ex, didn’t find me arousing anymore,” I answered.

      “I hate to break it to you,” Jason started as he released my hair, grabbed the edge of my baggy tee and pulled it up until my belly button was visible, “but you’re hardly fat.”  

      I bit my lip as I took in the body I’d been avoiding for the better part of two years and couldn’t believe what I was seeing.  The last time I looked at myself, I was snugly fitting into my size 16’s.  In fact, it was for that reason that sweatsuits became my everyday attire.  I wasn’t teeny-tiny, by any means; I had too much breast and my hips were too wide for that, but I was definitely within a healthy weight.  Something I hadn’t been for far too long.  Jason released his hold on my shirt as he continued speaking.

      “While the way you went about your weight loss wasn’t the most healthy, you are at a healthy weight right now.  I won’t pretend to know what you’re thinking or how you feel about yourself, but you have to see that you’re a beautiful woman and you’re doing yourself a disservice by thinking otherwise.”

      “I still don’t see why you think I should go to the wedding.  Hell, I don’t even have anything appropriate to wear,” I mumbled as I played with the hem of my shirt.

      “Well, I guess that just means that we’ll have to go shopping,” Jason replied with a devious smirk.  “I’m thinking tomorrow are you game?”

      “Am I “game”?” I asked with a disbelieving expression.

      “Yeah.  I promised to get Elizabeth these sneakers she wanted and I have a business trip scheduled for this Monday so if we’re going to get you ready to show out, we have to do it tomorrow.  Are you ready?” he asked.

      Against my better judgement, I nodded my agreement and watched him leave the bathroom with an extra bounce in his step.  Oh God, what did I just sign myself up for?

      An 8.  I’m exactly half the size of what I used to be and it’s unbelievable.  Jason had called ahead and had gotten a personal shopper to pull some things for me and make the most out of my experience while he catered to Elizabeth.  I had never tried on so many things in my entire life...so many beautiful things.  Evelyn had pulled Dior dresses, Armani suits, and beautiful hand crafted Italian shoes.  Even though I was too scared to ask how much any of this cost, because I knew of the department store well enough to know that I couldn’t afford a damn thing in it, I felt like a princess.

      “You look nice mommy,” Ava’s impressed voice called from her seat near the mirror.

      “You think so?” I asked as I turned sideways, staring at my reflection in the mirror.

      “We know so,” Jason’s baritone added.  I spun around to see him and Elizabeth standing there with a large Foot Locker bag.  “That’s the one,” he told Evelyn before asking me to change into something more appropriate.

      I walked back into the dressing room to find my sweats had been removed and replaced with a few things I’d tried on early.  I peeked my head out the door and asked Evelyn where she put my things.

      “I had her throw them away,” Jason spoke as if that was nothing.

      “What?!”

      “It’s not like they even fit anymore,” he spoke, waving off my concern.

Jason

      When she came out the dressing room that final time I had to smile.  This was the Abilasha she needed to show the world.  The one who stood tall, with her shoulders back and her head high.  It’s amazing what a few compliments and a new wardrobe could do for a person.  The low cut fitted jeans clung snugly to her small waist, which flared perfectly into wide child baring hips.  The thin paint splattered linen shirt accentuated her chest, but flared away from her body in a loose tunic-like style and brought in the pop of color that matched her moccasins.

      “So...” Abilasha questioned as we walked out of the department store, “where are we going now?”

      “Wherever you want to go.”

Priscilla

      “Please tell me you didn’t,” Adrian begged.  “Please tell me that you weren’t that damn vindictive.”

      “I didn’t send her an invite to be mean or nasty.  I know Omari wants his daughter to be at his wedding and how else would that happen if I didn’t send the woman an invite?” I asked Adrian as I stepped into my comfortable flats.  The gown I’d chosen was long enough to afford me this bit of comfort.

      “Let him be a man and discuss that with his ex himself,” Adrian argued, shaking her head.

      “Well what’s done is done.  Either she’ll come or not,” I replied shrugging it off.  I was not going to let this ruin my day.  I’d planned for and spent too much money on this ceremony to allow that to happen.

      Adrian didn’t say another word.  She didn’t have to though.  I’d known her long enough to decipher her expressions and she clearly didn’t like the way I’d done things.  That was fine.  She didn’t have to like it.  She just had to accept it.

Abilasha

      “You look really beautiful now that you’ve stopped fidgeting,” Jason commented as he used his fork to poke at the chicken we’d been served.

      “You’d be fidgeting too if you were wearing close to a million dollars in diamonds!” I whispered back, pressing my right hand against the necklace he’d presented me with earlier that afternoon.

      “Don’t be so dramatic,” he rebutted.  “You’re only wearing a little under five hundred grand.”

      I choked on my water.  Only a little under half a million?  He was ridiculous.

      “Abilasha?” I heard a voice call.  “Is that you?”