Time Traveling Tea Cake

The day my then boyfriend, now fiance dropped to one knee in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park is a core memory.

He handed me my dream proposal pup. I knew this little guy was sent straight from the stars.

Inspired by my favorite love story, Zora Neale Hurston’s “Their Eyes Were Watching God.” I named my pup Tea Cake. His bright, yellow-green eyes captivate like the sunrise over Cairo.

So, you think Michael Ealy is fine? Just wait til you see my pup! They say comparison is the thief of joy. But, did we ever name the chief of joy? Tea Cake may be a good fit for the job. His superpower is his ability to smile through every bit of adversity.

Tea Cake’s thunder thighs hold hind legs that jump for joy. You are reminded of jabber jaws when he smiles. A cutie patootie, the way his tail wags is a precious pity.His love and energy are as pure as his chocolate coat. He’s a mythical pup. His spotted avatar arrow shines when he raises his chin toward the sky to smile.

What other magic can we expect from a proposal pup?

In two years, he’s grown 80 pounds heavier and we can’t lap up any more. Tea Cake, news flash-- you’re not a little teapot. My Tea Cake is as sweet as his name implies. Those eyes are what let me know that Tea Cake is more than a sloberry backyardigan. Yes, the mouth breathing takes some getting used to. His pupils flood wide when I sing along to Paw Patrol. But nothing’s cooler than his mid-back mohawk that raises when he thinks needs to be strong. His heart beats boldly for what he believes in and there’s nothing in this world that can make him feel ashamed of who he is. Trust me, I’m taking feverish notes.

In the book, Mama Zora made Janie’s final love interest a man named Tea Cake. These two meet right when Janie thought she was all alone in this world.

Together, they lived out loud, regardless of what the town had to say. Tea Cake gently reunited Janie with the open heart she buried 20 years prior. Her role as the mayor’s wife dimmed her light down to a dull, shadow trophy bride. When she let Tea Cake in, true love had won.

When I let Victor in, true love had won all over again. To him, I said yes. With my Tea Cake, I am forever blessed.