Tears kept flooding down my face despite my best efforts to keep it together. With a grief-stricken face, Joseph moved about the kitchen continuing to prepare food. I was sure inside he felt as hopeless as I did, but he pushed on with his work to feed the packed restaurant. At that moment, I wasn’t as strong as he was. I was slowly breaking apart inside.

The restaurant staff worked around where I sat on a stool in the kitchen. Whereas not an hour before, every eye was on me, no one would look at me now. I retreated to the buey cave to avoid everyone’s uncomfortable regard and to stop seeing my brother’s distressed face as he worked.

In the cave, I sat in a small chair in the back corner. In the dim light, the hanging buey cast shadows, stretching across the walls and floor. I hung back in the shadows wishing they would swallow me whole.

I needed to strategize my next move. Without a doubt, I planned on dropping out of school and devoting all my time to the restaurant. Without my father, there was no conceivable way the restaurant could go on if I was in school. Plus, Joseph wasn’t going to be able to keep up his current rigorous schedule. He needed more rest. I would need to spend every waking minute in the restaurant.

The only problem was the buey. My father raised the buey on his own. He thought of it as his sole responsibility. Joseph and I had little to do with the oxen on the farm. It wasn’t for lack of interest. My father always said for us not to worry about the oxen. It was his job.

A sinking feeling rushed around me. The number one thing that made our restaurant rise above the rest was the buey. Without our father, how would we manage? I regretted all the years I hadn’t insisted to my father he teach us his husbandry methods.

My mind scrambled for a solution. But nothing came to me.

Suddenly, the door opened, and my father appeared in the doorway. I sprang to my feet, in relief. He walked forward to me with his arms open. “Jasmine, I’m so sorry.”

I ran into my father’s arms. “Dad, I’m sorry too. Thank God you came back.”

He pulled away from me, gripping my shoulders with his hands. “Alex came to the house.”

“He did?” Another rush of relief fell over me. I hadn’t lost Alex after all.

“He made me see how foolish I’ve been. How selfish. For a young man, he’s wise. I’ve been so afraid of losing you and your brother.”

“You won’t lose us, Dad.”

“I see that now. Alex helped me realize that.” My dad looked at me thoughtfully. “He loves you. I can see that clearly. He loves you so much.”

My shrunken heart began to rise and swell in my chest in joy. I took a deep breath. It was time to come clean with my dad. “Dad, I’ve been taking classes at UF. I’m majoring in Food Science.” Bracing myself for an explosive reaction, I squinted my eyes.

Instead, my dad embraced me again. “Jasmine, I’m so proud of you!”

“You are?” I asked hesitantly relieved.

“Yes. You should have gone to school right away when you graduated from high school. You were valedictorian. I was selfish for not letting you go. This is wonderful news.”

I felt myself opening up like a flower, petal by petal. “I’m learning so much, Dad. Things I can use to expand the business.” I’d never talked to my dad this freely since I was a little girl. “I’m taking Biochem, Intro to Food Science… And next semester, I want to take Animal Science Lab to learn about livestock.” Feeling more relaxed talking to my father, I decided to go for it. “I was actually hoping you could teach me about the oxen too.”

My father smiled, a tear trickling down his face. “Yes. I’d love to teach you. I should have had you and your brother out there on the farm all this time.”

I threw my arms around my father joyously. “This is great, Dad. I can’t wait.”

“I want you to keep going to school. I’m going to hire a general manager to free up your time so you can focus on your studies and have an easier schedule like Nia’s.”

I was shocked. A new general manager?

“Are you sure, Dad? A new GM?” I searched my dad’s face. He nodded sadly. “Yes. It’s time. Our old GM is not coming back for her job, and it’s time for me to accept that.”

I hugged my dad tightly with tears welling in my eyes. I realized then that I hadn’t completely accepted my mother wasn’t coming back either. I held onto the idea that once she was done getting her degrees, she’d come back, but she was already done with her Ph.D. and we hadn’t heard from yet.

“Do you think Joseph wants to go to school?” my dad asked.

I nodded. “He hasn’t talked about it, but I think he would love the opportunity. He was the reason I started going. He encouraged me.”

“You’ve got a great little brother,” my dad said with pride. He looked up at the buey. “It’s settled then. There are going to be some changes around here. First one, Alex is welcome here anytime.”

I squeezed my arms around my dad again. “Thank you, Dad.”

“He earned my respect today. Thank him for me when you see him.”

I smiled. “I will.”

He gently pushed me to the door. “It’s okay. Go to him. He’s part of the family now.”

I turned back to my father, hugging him and giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, Dad. I love you.”

“I love you, too, Jasmine.” He pulled away from me. “Now, get out of here. Alex is waiting for you.”

Ecstatically happy, I drove to Alex’s apartment, trying not to speed. My knuckles rapped on his door swiftly. I couldn’t wait to see him. When Alex opened it, I kissed him on the lips before he had a chance to say anything.

My happiness swirled around me. I couldn’t contain it. “My dad came back to the restaurant. He said you went to our house to talk to him.”

He nodded and led me inside. “I did.”

“I don’t know what you said, but you convinced him to stay. He even supports my decision to go to college.”

“You told him about school?”

I nodded. “Yes. And he’s proud of me for going. He also said he respects you for what you did today. We don’t have to sneak around anymore. You’re welcome anytime.” I beamed, words of joy flying out of my mouth.

Alex picked me up and spun me around the living room. “I’m so happy, Jasmine!”

As he lifted me up, I looked down at his grinning face. “I love you, Alex. I want to move in with you if you still want me to.”

“Yes!” Alex put me down and kissed me. “Of course, I do. Nothing would make me happier than to have you here with me.” He scooped me up in his arms, carrying me to the bedroom. He laid me on the bed, brushing strands of hair out of my face. “I would love for you to move in here. You sure?”

I smiled at him happily. “I’m sure.”

Alex kissed me passionately, pulling off my clothes. When I was fully naked, he pulled away from me and took a long look at my body. He smiled admiringly. “You’re so beautiful, Jasmine.” The way he looked at me, I felt so beautiful. Alex made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.

I sat up to pull Alex’s shirt off. I ran my hands down his muscular arms and chest. “You’re beautiful, too.” Alex’s body was strong and perfectly sculpted.

He laid me back down while swiftly yanking down his pants. I smoothed my hands down his strapping back to his toned ass. Alex kissed my neck sending a tingle down my spine. When he pushed a finger inside my cunt, I gasped in delight.

He nestled his thumb on my clit, moving it in a circular motion. His mouth found mine. His tongue danced in my mouth, tasting me. Within moments, an orgasm shook through me. Moaning, I clenched Alex’s ass with my hands.

When my shuddering stopped, all I wanted was Alex inside me. Quickly, I grabbed a condom lying next to us. Grabbing Alex's cock, I slipped the condom down on his shaft. With a determined hand, I shoved him inside me. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I squeezed my pussy tightly around his dick.

Surprised by the rapidity and resolve in my actions, he gasped in pleasure. “Jasmine!” Rocking my hips back and forth against him, I watched as his face contorted in bliss. I loved seeing him enjoying himself. Alex pushed into me hard and deep. Grabbing onto his ass, I pulled him into me, plunging his dick deeper inside. With a few rocking motions of my hips, I felt my pussy shudder again forcefully. The orgasm erupted inside of me, leaving me breathless and dizzy.

Alex’s groans grew strained as he thrust faster. I could feel his body tensing until he groaned loudly. Relaxing his body completely, he collapsed down on the bed next to me.

We were both drenched in sweat and breathless. Alex put his arm around me. “I like when you take control.”

I blushed. “I just couldn’t stop myself.”

He kissed the top of my head. “With me, I don’t want you to ever feel restrained. I want you to feel at home here.” He squeezed me close to him. “Because this is our home now.”

I kissed him on the cheek. “Our home.” Exhaling a long slow breath, I closed my eyes resting my head on Alex’s chest. I loved the sound of that: our home.

At least for now, he and I had found our happy ending.