by Zi'ere
“You don’t have to be afraid anymore sweetheart, you’re here with me now. And, I’m sure your daddy is awfully tied up which is why he couldn’t answer the phone.” The girls settled on either side of me and soon drifted off to sleep snuggled up close to my body.
I was still awake watching the girls sleep when CJ tiptoed into the room.
CJ spoke in a hushed to as to not awaken his sisters. “I’m so glad we are here with you, they were really scared earlier.”
“This whole situation is frightening for us all.”
“Mom Steph, they don’t know what’s going on but I do. I’m just glad that you are our mom now, we need you now more than ever.” He walked over to the bed, leaned in and placed a perfect kiss on my cheek.
“I know there are more than enough beds in this house but I want to sleep in here with you all to make sure everything is ok.”
“You do what you feel is best, you’re the man in charge for now.” It warmed my heart to know that CJ was being groomed to be just as much of a gentleman as my dad was.
He left out of the room and returned with blankets and a pillow. He settled done on the side of the bed and made a makeshift pallet on the floor.
37
I awakened to the scent of fried bacon lingering under my nose. I crept out of the bed and to get to the bathroom to freshen up. I pulled out sweats to be comfortably dressed no matter what the day brought. When I exited the bathroom the kids had woken up as well. I instructed them to different bathrooms so that they could get freshened up at the same time while I figured out what I would do about clothing for them. I made my way into the kitchen where my mom stood hovering over the stove. Amina and Emani sat at the bar pealing fruit and Samantha was setting the table.
“Oh Baby, you’re up. We didn’t expect you up so early.” All of the women flashed me a smile.
Mama walked over to me and gave me a warm hug. “Good morning my Baby, did you sleep ok? Are the children up yet?”
“Yes, ma’am they are getting cleaned up right now.”
“Steph, I put their bags in the last bedroom on the left.”
“I was wondering what I was going to do about clothing for them, I didn’t know if it would be a good idea to take them home to get what they needed.”
“It’s all taken care of sweetheart; the girls went back to the house last night after you all settled in. Between the maid services I ordered, Serita, and your girls- Ced’s house has been put back in order and the kids each have duffle bags full of things to keep them occupied and dressed for days. Your brothers went grocery shopping after they left the police station last night.”
“Oh ok, where is everybody then?” I immediately brightened up to my man being released and home with us.
“Your daddy and your brothers had to leave the station without Cedric.” My mom spoke in an even tone.
She was obviously choosing the best words that would prevent me from getting upset.
“Without Ced?” I sat down at the bar.
“They placed a forty-eight hour hold on Cedric, that’s all your daddy would tell me.” Her inability to look me in the eyes told me that she really did know more.
“Gramma Anna!” Chyna squealed as she rounded the corner into the kitchen.
Suddenly Mama was receiving love and affection from her newfound grandchildren. The glow of sheer contentment radiated off of her and snapped me back to life.
“Where’s Simone ladies?” I would not let the children see me broken.
I had made a commitment to them and I was going to do my best to take care of them, shielding them as much as I could.
“She was having some pains so we dropped her off at home before we made that run last night.” Emani explained.
“What kinds of pains?” I asked with concern in my voice.
“I really think she was just feeling the stress of everything going on and she really doesn’t need that right now. I’m going to go over and check on her as soon as we’re done with breakfast.” Samantha had stepped into her role as a Haywood woman with grace.
My mom beamed with pride as she listened to Samantha give me her professional opinion. “I’m sure she just needs some rest Baby, nothing to worry about.”
38
After breakfast I got the children ready for school. While we made the journey to their school district to get them to their respective schools I decided to update their emergency contact information with the front office clerks. At first I was met with opposition since I didn’t have legal custody of them but after a call to my attorney Terrell, I was added as a temporary emergency contact. Once I was back inside my truck, I received a call from Terrell instructing me to come to his office to file for petition of guardianship. Leslie had no suitable family to gain custody of the children and they would certainly be turned over to child services if Ced and I did not handle the situation properly.
When I returned home all of my company had left. I found the silence in the house deafening and it made me sick to my stomach. I began to wonder if Ced was really going to be released. What kind of evidence where they working on that they needed two days to figure out if they would charge him? What had Ced done that night, I knew for a fact he didn’t return home until the following morning.
I decided I needed to get busy doing something constructive. My girls had restored my home to its usual pristine condition so there was no cleaning that needed to be done. I went into my office and called my assistant to check up on business affairs. I answered some emails and made my usual Friday stock trades then I moved some money around in my banking accounts. I’d made it to my closet, separating clothing that needed to go to the dry cleaners when my cell phone began to ring. There was no preset ringtone so I knew it wasn’t anyone I regularly talked to. Picking up the phone the screen read ‘private call’.
“This is Stephanie”
“How does it feel to be all alone bitch?” A female voice stated.
“Hello?”
“Get used to this feeling because Ced won’t be back!” the call ended.
I know I stayed in the position of looking at my phone for several minutes. Even though the person on the phone had tried to change their tone of voice I knew without a doubt that it was Angel on the other end. The phone call was proof that Angel had something to do with my man being held in a police station and away from his family for God only knew how long. I stormed through the house making my way to the front door. It was a fine time to have a come to Jesus with Angel. I’d made it to the driver’s side of my car when Darrell pulled into the driveway behind me.
“I need you to move, I have somewhere I need to be and quick!” I yelled out without bothering to speak or explain the rush. I slid into the driver’s seat and put the key in the ignition.
“I know where you are going and I am not about to let you do anything that could potentially get you in a messy up situation. I know what Angel is doing and believe me when I tell you that she will get what is coming to her.” D reached inside the window and took the keys out of the ignition.
“D, I’m sick of her and all this shit she is putting my family through!”
“Baby, I know the situation gets stickier every day. I actually had to explain this mess to Emani and it was the most embarrassing moment of my entire life. Had I truly known she wasn’t wrapped too tight I would have never lowered my standards to try to help her at all. I thought that since you overlooked all her flaws and loved her anyway, maybe I could do the same. I think we’ve both learned our lessons the hard way.”
“She’s got my man facing murder charges and she’s fine with it? And now she’s got the nerve to be playing on my phone, kicked back laughing, while my children are suffering without knowing if their dad is ok! I’m going to stomp a mud hole in that tramp!”
Instead of responding D grabbed my hand and led me back into the house. Once inside he attempted to calm me down again.
“Steph, the only reason the police put a hold on Ced is becaus
e they are trying to get their ducks in a row before he has a chance to clean up any messy ties. If they had anything worthwhile against Ced, he would’ve already been charged with something.”
“I know, but this situation is still killing me and the kids.” I checked my watch to ensure that I had not fumbled the ball the first time at bat by forgetting to pick up my kids from school.
I made a mental note to become more conscious of the time.
“You’re a strong woman just like mom. I watched you yesterday and not once did you flinch or oppose the children coming here with you even though you didn’t know what was going on with Ced. I talked to our big brother earlier and he told me about how you didn’t hesitate to submit the papers for guardianship. I look around this house and you would never know three kids have been here. You’re keeping your family together and it has nothing to do with four to one right now. I’m very proud of the way you’ve handled all of this from day one.” D moved closer to me and slipped me into a head lock.
“As mad as I am right now, you want to play? I will body slam you if you don’t let me go!” I pinched what little skin I could grasp at his side.
“Damn, Baby don’t do that! You know I hate it when you pinch me, that shit hurts!” He hurriedly released his grip as I began to laugh.
“That’s what you get!”
“I love you little sister turned little woman turned grown woman turned wifey turned mother.”
“I love you too big brother.”
“Ok, so what can I do to help you with the kids this evening?”
“I don’t really have anything to do. I’m going to stop at the cleaners before I pick them up from school, that’s the only errand I need to run today.”
“Well it’s Friday and I know you don’t cook on those days, so let me take you and the kids out to dinner? We could go to Dave and Buster’s or something fun for them?”
“Honey, my kids don’t play games like that. My children are refined grown folk in little people bodies. They prefer five stars, son! But, I do need to make sure my popular teenager doesn’t have anything scheduled for this evening first but dinner would be good.”
I retrieved my cell from my bag and sent CJ a text regarding his plans for the night. It didn’t take long for him to respond back that his plans had been cancelled to help me with his sisters. I held out my phone to show Darrell the message.
He responded with an, “impressive.”
We made reservations at a kid friendly five star restaurant and also sent out a conference text inviting Emani and the rest of the family. The Haywood clan was set to meet for dinner at six. I completed my run to the cleaners and picked the kids up from school. I suggested the children call their grandmother Cecilia just because, they completed the task without spilling the beans about not knowing where their dad was. We stopped at a Toys-R-Us to pick up rewards for enduring a hectic school day with grace regardless of the stares and whispers the children told me they’d received for eight hours. After a new doll for Chyna, a new fashion game for Chloe’s Nintendo DS, and a new game for CJ’s PlayStation we were headed to the restaurant to meet the family.
39
The weekend ticked by very slowly for us. We completed one activity after the other in efforts to keep our minds off the fact that we had not seen or heard from Ced since Thursday. Terrell had made every attempt to contact me as often as possible to give me updates on Ced’s status with the police department. Sunday the kids and I attended family dinner at the big house just like normal but the mood was somber to say the least. The entire family was exhausted with worry. Daddy and Terrell spoke in code assuring me something would give with the entire dilemma first thing Monday morning or Ced was sure to have more company in his cell. Before I had the opportunity to respond the door bell sounded throughout the house. When I saw the tip of Ced’s Gucci loafer step into the room I bolted from my seat and jumped into his arms. After showering me and his daughters with kisses and hugs, he pulled his son into an earnest man to man chest fist pound and one armed hug. Ced received love from every person in the room. He made his way over to me and held on to me tight as his plate setting was being laid out by Doris.
After dinner the adults moved to the sitting room where we got a minute by minute account of what had transpired with Ced in the jail. He told us all that by Friday afternoon it was evident that he had been set up to take the fall for Leslie’s murder. In addition to coming across that information the detectives uncovered a plot to have Ced killed as well. The police kept a hold on him as a security measure to ensure his safety. Just that very morning the police had taken Leslie’s current boyfriend, a pro basketball player and Angel into custody for murder and conspiracy to commit murder. My parents were visibly upset after gaining the knowledge that Angel was still up to her trickery with her attempted actions to bring on the downfall of our family.
Since federal and local law enforcement had violated Ced’s serenity in his own home, we decided that he and the kids would move into my home until we could find a bigger house. That night the kids slept in their respective bedrooms and broke the habit of sleeping in my bedroom. After dropping the kids at school the following Wednesday, Ced and I traveled to a neighboring city for Leslie’s home going service. Even after everything that had taken place Ced had taken care of the funeral expenses. He’d also given the kids a choice about attending the services, which they graciously declined. Once we made it back to Chandler, we picked up our kids from school and locked ourselves in the security of our home.
40
Three months had gone by since Ced had proposed to me. The newly formed Goldman family was scheduled to move into our freshly built two story eight bedroom dream home on a Monday. Our wedding was scheduled for the following Saturday. While I performed under pressure to compress two fully decorated and equipped homes into one, my focus was taken off the wedding completely. The new home Ced and I had decided to have built was larger than the big house. The house appraised for five and a half million dollars once it was completed. Me and my fashionista protégé Chloe’ each had closets most women fantasized about. We had taken a trip to Vegas, just the two of us and put a nice dent in her daddy’s credit card attempting to fill our closets completely. I was convinced Chloe’ was going to be a full-fledged diva by the time she was sixteen. I was also convinced that my encouraging her shopping habits were going to come back to bite me. But, I chose to ignore the thoughts and helped her pick out even more outfits.
In decorating the new house I had the pleasure of giving my angel Chyna a baby pink bedroom accented with soft brown plush teddy bears. Angels were painted on her ceiling to give the allusion that angels would watch her as she slept. She was the calmest and sweetest three year old I had ever come in contact with. CJ’s room ending up being a video gamer lofty bachelor pad design. I joked with Ced that CJ may never move out with all the amenities he had available in his bedroom. I really had no desire for him to ever move out and I made my wishes be known to him every day. With the time that had passed he had become increasing protective of me and was nothing short of a true, respectable, gentleman with me and his sisters. I became to realize he had the same relationship with Chyna that I shared with Darrell.
Mom had politely, yet forcefully took over the wedding plans, siting this wedding would be the only one I was going to have so it had to be done right the first time. No matter what time of year she chose for the nuptials to take place, we were still in Arizona; it was going to be sweltering no matter what. Mama was so convinced I would chicken out on the whole thing, she pushed for the wedding to take place immediately. Of course she had the groom’s total support; my thoughts were never desired or needed by her or Ced. My wedding would be the social event of the season. Ced and my parents were sparing no expense to give me the princess wedding little girls dream of. I truly believed Ced was trying to outdo my dad in the spending department.
For some unknown reason I was set to wear two different wedding gowns that da
y; one for the ceremony and one for the reception. I was not allowed to pick either dress. I had grown up letting other’s make decisions for me my whole life this wedding would be no different. My future mother-in-law, Cecilia had to interject on more than one occasion to advise she had money she would like to spend on her only child’s first and only wedding as well. Cecilia fit right in with my parent’s views and status of having old money. She was a warm hearted, sweet, yet proper woman of distinction. After Ced’s father passed away Cecilia managed to snag two wealthy but older men, both passed away leaving her wealthier than the last. She’d recently wed husband number four just a month earlier, of course he was also rolling in money.
I had no idea what the grand total would be for the wedding after our parents had planned, scheduled, decorated, and dressed Ced and I for bridal showers, bridal luncheons, flight and hotel accommodations for 12 bride-maids and groomsmen, rehearsal dinner, wedding party breakfast & lunch, spa day for the women, golf day for the men, the wedding, wine reception, formal reception with a sit down dinner, and our honeymoon to Cabo San Lucas. Every customary bridal gathering had been squeezed into a matter of weeks. The only thing I knew for sure was that I was very overwhelmed, comfort eating, yet losing weight by the day.
41
With so much out of my hands, I was allowed to pick my wedding colors, which were ivory, platinum, and black- my favorite colors. My bridesmaids would wear long, form fitted, silver platinum dresses with stilettos to match. Their dresses are accented with classy Swarovski crystals with the same intricate design on their shoes. By law of my mother, all the ladies would wear their hair up in some type of graceful updo. Their accessories consisted of diamond earrings, bracelets, & necklaces all set in platinum and white gold. The men would wear black tuxedos (without tails) with platinum cumber buns, complete with diamond cuff links set in platinum and white gold. If the men had pierced ears like my fiancé they received diamond earrings as well. Of course the groomsmen consisted of all four of my brothers and two of Ced’s closest childhood friends. My bridesmaids consisted of my sister-in-law Samantha; and Simone, Emani, Amina- my soon-to-be sister-in-laws. Yes, all three had nice weight on their ring fingers now. Chloe’, Chyna, and CJ served as miniature bride, flower girl and ring bearer respectively.
