Steppin’ On

By Tina Truitt

Sabrina is a small-town girl with strong family values. She has her head on straight, but shes nave, which is why she falls in love with the handsome and charming Mark. Things start out fine in their marriage, but soon, Sabrina begins to realize her husband is an abusive narcissist who loves to cheat.

She deals with his infidelities for the good of their children, but his lies take their toll. Sabrina has to make a decision: does she stay with Mark for her childrens stability, or does she leave bravely on her own, perhaps at the detriment of her offspring? Its an impossible choice no mother wants to make.

Still, Sabrina is exhausted by Marks constant needs. He needs her to clean the house, have dinner ready, and raise their children with no thought to her own well-being. Its time to make a change. Its time to step out on faith and become the strong, independent woman she never knew she could be.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jun 10, 2015
• ISBN: 9781491768525

Tina Truitt

Tina Truitt holds a bachelor of arts degree in English from William Paterson University and a master’s in education from The College of New Jersey. She teaches preschool and is a member of the International Literacy Association. She lives in southern New Jersey with her three children.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Sabrina remembered the words of her mother. Go to school and get a good education. Then get married, buy a house, and have your children. Don’t have no kids before you get married. If Sabrina didn’t listen to anything else her mother said, she listened to that. Sabrina wasn’t sure why her mother said that, but the fact that she kept on saying it meant it had to be important.

Sabrina was taught to value the opinion of her parents. Their opinion weighed heavily in the decisions she made. Her father told her that one day she would have to make her own decisions without considering their opinion. She considered her parents to be wise people and thought that they, themselves, led good lives, so why not listen to them? Sabrina wasn’t sure when the day would come that she would actually make decisions without considering what they had to say. She had depended on them for so long. She was twenty-one and stepping into womanhood now, although it didn’t feel like it. At that very moment, Sabrina wished she were a kid again so that her parents would make all the decisions for her.

Sabrina sat in her dorm room thinking about her graduation ceremony, which would be taking place the next morning. She couldn’t help but think about her father. This was one of the most important days in her life, and her father would not be there to share it with her. Sabrina’s eyes began to tear up. She didn’t want Andrea, her roommate, asking questions; she needed space to sort her emotions out. So she grabbed her keys and said in a hurried voice, I’ll be right back!

She closed the door, and tears began to roll down her cheeks. She wiped them and quickly walked to the elevator. Sabrina rushed off the elevator and dashed through the lobby to the doors that led outside to the courtyard. She was glad she didn’t see anyone she knew. She was in no mood to talk.

She walked along the roads of the campus until she noticed the stadium already prepped for the graduation ceremony. She walked onto the football field, where her graduation would be taking place. She entered through the gates on the north side of the field and slowly walked around the track. She imagined all the people that would be there in the stands watching their loved ones graduate. She walked about a quarter of a mile around the track and turned right onto the field, between the rows of chairs, to the stage. She walked up the stage steps toward the podium. She imagined them calling her name, and she pictured herself looking out to the crowd to see her entire family cheering for her. She could hear her father saying, Go, Sabrina! You did it! That’s my baby girl!

Sabrina fought back the tears. Tomorrow would be a bittersweet day. She wondered how many more days she would face in her lifetime that would leave her with such a lost feeling.

Chapter 2

Graduation day was finally here, and Sabrina had no idea what was in store for her after that. She had been surrounded by her friends and family, and it truly was a memorable day! Although her senior year was both challenging and fun, she had a lot on her mind. Sabrina was a dreamer and was ready to tackle life. She gave medical school some serious thought but decided she’d had enough of school for the time being. She was proud to be the first person in her family to graduate from college. For her, that was achievement enough.

Leaving college would mean saying good-bye to her friends and her one true love, and that was the sad part. The late-night study sessions and research projects she truly would not miss. Sabrina had formed a strong bond with four friends. She was cool with lots of others, but these four would prove to be lifetime friends. She knew no matter where she went, they would always be there for her. Sabrina cried while sitting through the graduation ceremony because she kept thinking about Anthony, Sherrell, Andrea, and Tanisha.

While listening to the commencement speeches, Sabrina daydreamed about when and how she met her friends. She thought about the first person she met, her roommate. Andrea was from a town not too far from New York City. She had two younger brothers and no sisters. She grew up in a single-parent home. Andrea did not know her father and seemed to despise him because of it. This was actually a sore spot for her. Sabrina couldn’t fathom not knowing her father. She felt bad for Andrea.

Andrea and Sabrina would soon meet up with Tanisha and Sherrell, who were also roommates. Tanisha was friendly in her own way. She had given a partial smile as Andrea and Sabrina sat down next to her table in the cafeteria on campus. Tanisha lived about an hour away from the college. She was raised in a two-parent home until her parents divorced when she was in the eighth grade. She had three older brothers who taught her how to stand up for herself. Sabrina could talk to Tanisha and always count on an opinion, even when one wasn’t warranted.

Sherrell, on the other hand, was quiet and shy but nice. She was not outgoing and preferred to stay close to home. She lived pretty close to the college and went home every weekend. She did not mind being by herself because she was an only child who was raised by her mother. Sherrell was a great listener and rarely spoke her opinion. Sherrell was always the peacemaker.

These four young ladies soon became close friends. Although they were different in so many ways, they were alike in many ways too. Tanisha and Andrea had more in common than anyone else. Sabrina and Sherrell often made jokes about how the two of them should have been roommates. The four of them spent lots of time together. They would often study together since they all had the same major.

The commencement speeches were long and drawn out. It seemed like they had been sitting in those seats for hours. Sabrina heard bits and pieces of each speech from the highest dignitaries to the valedictorian. Her mind drifted off again to one day near the end of spring semester. She played back the years in her mind as if it were yesterday. She remembered it so vividly because it was the day she met Anthony. She and Andrea were hanging out at the student center on campus, sitting in the lounge area talking, when suddenly they were interrupted.

Excuse me, ladies, but where is the student center?

When they looked up, they saw a young man who stood about six feet two inches tall. He had a thin build, wavy hair, a dark complexion, and brown eyes.

Sabrina laughed. Are you serious?

Why do you say that?

Because we are in the student center. Did you read the sign in front of the building or the sign on top of the building before you entered?

I guess I didn’t. So, what’s your name?

I’m Sabrina, and this is my friend Sherrell.

Nice to meet both of you. I’m supposed to meet one of my boys here. I just transferred in.

That explains it, said Sabrina. What’s your name?

Anthony.

Nice to meet you, Anthony, said Sabrina.

Hi, Sherrell said shyly.

So when is your next class?

Why? You want to treat us to lunch or something? Sabrina just wanted to see Anthony’s reaction. He appeared to be a nice guy, but she didn’t know anything about him.

I wish I could, but I have a class in about thirty minutes. You stay on campus?

Yeah, why?

If you give me your dorm number, maybe I can stop by and see you, and we can talk about this lunch. Sabrina wasn’t sure what Anthony’s agenda was, but she gave him her room number, and he happily accepted it and told her he would definitely be by to see her really soon.

He showed up the very next day. She didn’t think he had meant that soon. When she opened the door and saw it was him, she laughed.

What’s so funny?

You are. You are a very funny guy. That’s what I’m going to call you from here on out.

Anthony laughed and said, So, I’m funny to you, huh?

Yes, you are. I just met you yesterday, and here you are at my door the very next day. Sabrina was still laughing.

You have a nice laugh and a very pretty smile too. You gonna invite me in, or you gonna talk to me through the door?

I don’t know. You might be some mass murderer.

Well, isn’t your roommate here? It’s two of you and only one of me. I’m sure—

Just then, Andrea came over to the door. Who’s this, Sabrina? I haven’t seen you before.

This is Anthony. Anthony, this is my roommate, Andrea.

Hi, Andrea. It’s very nice to meet you, Anthony said, reaching his hand out.

You too. I’ll be here for a few minutes, and then I’m going to class.

Sabrina jumped in because she knew Andrea would ask him a million questions. So, who is your friend you were waiting on yesterday? Did you ever catch up with him?

Yeah, I did. You might know him. He’s a sophomore here. Steve—

Stevie? Stevie Jackson from Philly? Andrea chimed in before Anthony could finish his sentence.

Yeah. You know him?

I sure do. That brother can dance. He’s real nice. You said you’re friends wit’ him?

That’s my boy. We grew up together in Newark. He moved to Philly when we were in high school. He told me I should transfer here, so I did.

Sabrina butted in again. Uh, didn’t you say you had to leave in a few minutes because you had to go to class, Andrea?

Yeah, girl. I’m goin’. See you later, Anthony. Then, in a sexy voice and with a huge smile, she said, Tell Stevie I said hi!

Sabrina was embarrassed. I’m sorry. Please excuse her. She is in love with your boy Stevie, and he doesn’t even know it.

Sabrina and Anthony busted out laughing.

Sabrina affectionately called Anthony T, but everyone else called him Tony. Anthony was not as light as Sabrina. He always poked fun at her, in a loving way, and said he was dark skinned compared to her. Anthony kept his hair cut close. Most times he sported a fade cut. His hair was of a thicker quality, but it was nice. He always had on stylish clothes and was neat and clean-cut. Instantly they connected. He was genuine and treated Sabrina like gold. For T grew up in one of the roughest neighborhoods in Newark, New Jersey, and even though he came from a two-parent home, he took refuge in the streets. He knew the lifestyle he was living was wrong, and if he didn’t change it, he would end up either in jail or dead. He saw two of his close friends die on those streets, so he made a decision to do something different. Although he took refuge in the streets, he never let the streets take refuge in him. He was a kindhearted person who, like Sabrina, was also a dreamer. He knew how to make Sabrina laugh and wanted nothing more than to make her happy.

She thought about the day that Anthony made it very clear to her that he no longer wanted to be just her friend. This would be the start of a three-year relationship between Anthony and Sabrina. Sabrina and Anthony became college sweethearts and would eventually find out that they were soul mates. They spent so much time together and had tons of fun; it was as if they could conquer the world. Anthony pleaded with Sabrina to stay and attend graduate school so they could continue seeing each other and spend even more time together, but Sabrina was adamant about going home. She’d had enough of school. Anthony did not express to Sabrina how much he was in love with her. He loved her, but his ego wouldn’t allow him to say the words—something he would one day regret. She was in love with him but didn’t think he loved her. She kept her feelings to herself because she knew Anthony wouldn’t say it back to her.

As Sabrina continued to daydream, she thought about how this day would be the start of a new chapter in her life. Her relationship with Anthony would end on this very day. Sabrina thought about a long-distance relationship, but that was not what she wanted. Anthony was not happy with the breakup, but he respected Sabrina’s decision.

Sabrina’s face kept changing. One minute she looked happy, and the next she looked puzzled and then excited. She didn’t realize she was making these facial expressions until the girl sitting next to her at the graduation ceremony leaned over and said, Hey, are you okay?

Sabrina snapped back to reality and replied, Oh, yes, thanks for asking. I was just reminiscing.

Well, whatever it was, it sure had you deep in thought. You must have had some good times here. You should never let go of those kinds of memories.

You are right! This is a great accomplishment for us! How about you? Are you excited to be graduating?

The girl leaned over and whispered, Most definitely! The world is waiting for us!

Sabrina pondered that thought: the world is waiting for us. Sabrina knew she would be stepping into the unknown, and she hoped the world would embrace her.

Chapter 3

The summer after graduation, Sabrina found a job as a cashier at the local pharmacy in her hometown. Riverton, New Jersey, was a small but quaint town. The population was a little less than three thousand. It sat on the border of the Delaware River. Victorian homes and gas lamps lined the streets and added charm to the little town. Main Street was where all the mom-and-pop stores and businesses were located. The pharmacy where Sabrina worked was on a corner on Main Street. Not too far away was the Riverton Yacht Club where one could see sailboats lined up along the dock.

Sabrina had sent out more than three-dozen resumes looking for a job in her field but was unsuccessful. She was not thrilled about this job but kept telling herself it was only temporary. She graduated with a bachelor of science degree in psychology. She had no idea how to put this to use. Sabrina had assumed that there would be plenty of jobs for her once she graduated with her degree: sadly, she was wrong. She searched and searched but could not find this high-paying job that everyone talked about having once you earned a college degree. She wondered what the point was in even going to college in the first place.

At the pharmacy, she met the man of her dreams. Sabrina had worked a late shift this particular day and was on her way out the door when in walked a tall, handsome man. He gave Sabrina a long gaze and a big smile, which was quickly followed by a smooth How you doin’?

She smiled back and said, Fine. How are you?

What’s your name? You live around here? he asked.

My name is Sabrina, and yes, I’m from around here.

That’s a beautiful name. I’m Mark, and I live not too far from here, but I’m originally from New York. I’m a car salesman.

Well, Mark, what brings you to this small-town pharmacy?

I heard about this yacht club. I wanted to check it out for myself. I see there’s a restaurant down there too. Is it any good?

"That is a great