Alexandria’s eyes grew wide. “You spoke with PJ’s grandfather?”
“Yep.”
“That’s amazing! I can’t wait to tell PJ about this.”
“I know it’ll make him happy. Now you go on and get some rest.”
Allene could see that Alexandria wanted to probe and ask more questions about PJ’s grandfather, but she knew it was a conversation best left for another time. She blew a kiss to Allene and then walked back into the house.
Allene relaxed and took a deep breath, once again enjoying the warmth and beauty of the night. But her peaceful moment was interrupted when she heard a car drive up. She looked down the long walkway and saw Christian headed toward the house. He was holding his arm around the small waist of an attractive woman sporting a large afro.
“I can’t believe I’m standing on the grounds of the Small property,” the young woman said. “And I’m actually going inside the house!”
Allene could see the woman’s excitement from where she sat, and she immediately knew that not only was Christian going to cause more drama, but, unbeknownst to him, he was bringing trouble to his family’s doorstep.
“Believe it,” Christian said with a sly smile. “My great-grandfather had this house custom built.”
“Yes, I know. I’ve lived in Nedine my whole life, and I’ve heard so many stories about your family and how y’all were the richest black folks around.”
“We still are,” Christian said with pride. “My family still has vast real estate holdings in this area.”
Allene wished Christian would close his mouth and not say another word because he truly didn’t know what he was doing at the moment. He’d been snorting more cocaine and drinking tonight, and was liable to give away family secrets if he talked too long.
“Now that’s impressive,” the woman said. “This place is so beautiful on the outside; I can’t wait to see what it looks like inside.”
Christian smiled. “Hopefully you’ll like what you see enough to spend the night.”
Allene wanted to intervene so badly, but as she’d told Alexandria, everything had a way of working itself out the way it was supposed to, including the big mess that Christian was going to find himself stuck in when the sun rose.
Chapter 24
Victoria
Victoria felt sluggish as she gathered mixing bowls, frying pans, cooking utensils, spices, and a countertop full of food she would need to prepare a big breakfast for her family. Even though she was tired after having only two hours of sleep last night, she knew that being in the kitchen, doing something that she could control, would help her feel better because right now she felt powerless to what was going on around her.
She’d thought that once she and Ted returned to their bedroom after Parker had left last night, they would talk and work out their growing problems. But that didn’t happen. Ted was furious and couldn’t be reasoned with.
“Damn it, V. I trusted you,” he’d said.
“As well you should. I haven’t done anything wrong. I told you, Parker came here to drop off PJ’s cell phone and I happened to be outside to see him. He walked me back up to the house and that was it.”
“What did he say to you?”
Victoria blinked twice and bit her bottom lip.
“Please answer me.” Ted was breathing so hard Victoria could feel his heated breath. “What is it that he told you not to forget?”
“He said he’ll always be there for me. That’s it.”
“There for you? . . . for what?”
“He knows the problems Christian is going through and he offered to call a few of his colleagues to get recommendations for treatment centers.”
“Bullshit. He wants to help with treatment all right . . . special treatment from you.”
It was late, Victoria was tired, and she’d had enough. “Oh just stop it! I’m sick of defending myself after all these years. If you think I’d be stupid, uncaring, and flat out disrespectful enough to do something with Parker right here at the house you must not know me at all.”
Ted looked away from her. “Right now I don’t know what to think.”
Neither of them said a word as they climbed into bed and went to sleep.
Now, as she prepared breakfast, Victoria’s mind was heavy with worry. “My son is walking a dangerous path and so is my marriage,” Victoria said to herself. “As God is my witness, I’m going to find a way to save both of them.”
She looked up when she saw Ted enter the room, and she could see that he was just as tired as she was. When their eyes locked they both spoke without saying a word. Ted walked over to where she was standing by the stove.
“I didn’t sleep at all,” he said.
“I managed to get about two hours.”
Ted rubbed the morning stubble coating his chin. “I don’t want to start today like we ended last night.”
“Me either.”
He pulled her into his arms. Just as they’d done last night, neither of them said a word. But this time it was different because they were connecting on a different level. His hand on the small of her back said, I love you, and his arm that embraced her shoulders whispered I’m sorry.
Victoria looked into his eyes. “I want us to work things out.”
“Me too. I love you, V.”
“I love you, too. We need to have a serious talk about what’s going on with us. I’m confused and I really need some answers.”
Ted nodded. “I know. There’s a lot I need to share with you, and the one thing I want to assure you of is that I have no intention of leaving you and I don’t want you to leave me.”
“Leave you?” Victoria said with surprise. “I can honestly say that not once since we said I do have I thought about leaving you. But lately I’ve felt that you want to leave me. When a man becomes distant and no longer desires his wife . . .”
“V, please don’t say that. It’s not true.”
“Yes it is,” she said as she pulled away.
Ted drew her back into his arms and kissed the side of her neck. “Please trust me when I say that I desire you more than you know. This isn’t the time to talk about it because you’re making breakfast and we have a busy day ahead of us. But we’ll talk tonight when we get back, okay?”
Victoria kissed him softly on his lips. “Okay.”
“Now let me help you get breakfast going.”
Victoria and Ted got busy preparing a small feast for their family, working together in the kitchen side-by-side.
“Daddy really loved this house,” Victoria said as she carefully arranged thick slices of hickory-smoked bacon in the frying pan. “I remember the year before he died; we came down here and went over plans with the contractor to update all the bathrooms as well as this kitchen. He told me that some of his best memories were in this house and right here in this kitchen where his mother used to cook all their meals.”
Ted nodded as he juiced an orange. “It’s a beautiful place and you’re lucky to still have possession of the home your father grew up in. He left a great legacy.”
“Yes, he did.”
“We’d still have my parents’ house right now if Charlie hadn’t pissed it away, right up from under our noses.”
Victoria shook her head. Ted was referring to his older brother, Charlie, who was as unscrupulous as anyone Victoria had ever known. Unlike Ted, and his sister, Lilly, Charlie had always been sneaky, conniving, and a charlatan at heart. He’d stolen money from his own mother before she’d passed away, and then tried to feign sorrow at her funeral.
She sighed, knowing that raising children was a job that never ended. Although hers were grown, she still worried over them just like she had when they were kids. She was proud of Alexandria, and even though Christian had disappointed her in many ways, Victoria still had hope for him. She knew that once he became clean and sober he would do great things in the business world. Thinking about her children, she smiled at Ted. “We haven’t gotten up early like this and cooked
breakfast since Alexandria and Christian were little.”
“No, we haven’t. This feels like old times.”
“I want the two of us to get back to old times, too,” Victoria said.
Ted put the orange he’d been juicing to the side and walked over to Victoria. She let out a small moan as he stood close behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her softly on her neck. “Oh yeah. This is definitely like old times,” she purred.
“Y’all need to take that back upstairs,” Maxx said with a laugh.
Victoria laughed too. “Good morning, Uncle Maxx. How did you sleep? Was your bed comfortable?”
“Yes, it was. I slept like a baby wit’ a full belly. I sure am glad your daddy turned that extra room in the back into a guest bedroom. There’s no way I could’ve made it up those stairs. I got everything I need down here. I even came in here and got a snack last night.”
“I’m glad to hear you slept well, and that things were comfortable for you.”
“It don’t take much to please me, ’specially these days. Every mornin’ I open my eyes is a good day.”
Ted smiled. “I feel the same way, Uncle Maxx. You want some fresh squeezed orange juice?”
“If you can pull yourself away from my favorite niece long enough, I’d love a glass. Uh, and put a lil shot of somethin’ in it.”
Victoria had to smile. She adored her uncle Maxx. He’d always been supportive and kind. Even after her mother’s family had shunned Elizabeth and basically hadn’t had anything more to do with her once she married John, whose complexion had been too dark for their taste, Maxx had never stopped being a loving brother to Elizabeth and best friend to John. Victoria was thankful that Uncle Maxx had lived this long and she knew it would be hard on her once he passed away.
“This is good,” Maxx said as he drank from the glass Ted had given him. “Nothin’ beats fresh, homemade cookin’, and juicin’ wit’ a lil kick.”
Ted nodded and gave him a wink. “Glad you like it.”
“Yes indeed. This’ll get me goin’. And once I eat some of that delicious food Victoria’s cookin’, I’ll be ready to get out and about. We got a lotta visitin’ to do today.”
“Are you sure you’re up to it?” Victoria asked. “You had a pretty long day yesterday, and today is going to be just as long.”
“Don’t worry ’bout me. This is why I wanted to come on this trip. Bein’ here in Nedine’s like breathin’ fresh air for me. I haven’t felt this good since I was in my seventies.”
“And you still look like you’re in your seventies.”
Uncle Maxx smiled. “I would say it’s from good genes and good livin’, but that ain’t true. Your mama was the only one in our family that didn’t show her age, and as far as good livin’, well, let’s just say I could write a couple books ’bout what not to do in life.”
“But you’re still here, looking good, and kicking,” Victoria said.
“Praise God.”
Just then Alexandria and PJ walked into the kitchen. “Mom, that bacon you’re cooking drew us out of bed,” Alexandria said. She walked over and gave Uncle Maxx a kiss on his cheek and sat on one of the bar stools at the long granite island. “You sure this seat is comfortable enough for you, Uncle Maxx?” she asked. “Maybe you should sit in one of the cushioned chairs at the kitchen table over there.”
Victoria loved that her daughter was so thoughtful and always concerned about the comfort, safety, and well-being of others. She’d been that way ever since she was a little girl.
“I’m good right here, sweetheart,” Maxx said with a grin. “But thanks for tryin’ to look out for an old man.”
“Old man.” She laughed. “You looked like a schoolboy last night. You had people flocking around you at the festival like you were a celebrity.”
“Shoot, I guess that’s ’cause most everybody probably thought I was dead. All those folks was comin’ over just to make sure it was really me.”
Victoria shook her head. “Uncle Maxx, you’re a mess.”
“Well, it’s the truth if I ever told it. Everybody, and I mean everybody that I knew from the good ol’ days is layin’ out in Butler’s Cemetery. All those folks I was talkin’ to last night was the sons, daughters, grandchildren, and even great-grands of the folks I grew up with. That’s one of the things nobody tells you ’bout livin’ a long time.”
Maxx shook his head and sighed, pausing for a moment as a sad look came over him. “Everybody you know passes on, and then you look around and it’s just you, livin’ in a new world and a new time that seems to pass you right on by while you standin’ still.”
“That’s what Grandma Allene, says,” Alexandria told him and touched his arm. “You’ve lived a good life, Uncle Maxx, and you’ve made every day count.”
“Thanks, Alex. Your grandma was a good woman. I’ll be seein’ her real soon.”
Victoria started whisking a bowl of eggs as she spoke. “Not too soon. You still have some more living to do.”
“I’ve experienced and seen so much, I feel like I done lived three lifetimes. I love life, but I’m all right wit’ leavin, too,” Maxx said to Victoria.
Alexandria nodded. “Grandma Allene said she felt the same way when it was her time.”
“Can we not talk about death first thing in the morning?” Victoria said. “Nobody’s going anywhere. Today is about family, celebration, and new beginnings.”
Maxx nodded. “Okay, but I’ll tell you one thing about your Grandma Allene, she was a great woman. She was like a grandma to me when I was growin’ up, and I remember folks always talkin’ ’bout how she had the gift. I witnessed some things she talked about that ended up happenin’ so I know it was true. And Alex, you the same way. Been prophesyin’ ’bout stuff since you was a little girl. Your grandparents used to talk about it all the time.”
Victoria nodded. “Mom used to always say that Alexandria was an old soul, and had been here before. She knew about her gift, even before I did.”
“I remember her telling me that,” Alexandria said. “And Grandpa John used to just nod and smile. I’m so thankful that I have a family that accepts who I am.”
“We got your back,” Tyler said as he walked into the room with Samantha and Chase trailing behind him. “Plus you got skills. Can you hook a brotha up and tell me who’s gonna win the Super Bowl? I can make a nice spread on the odds.”
Victoria shook her head. “You’re always joking around.”
“I’m serious,” Tyler said with a grin. “I’ll even give you a cut.”
Everyone laughed as they gathered around the kitchen island like one big happy family. Victoria removed a stack of plates from the cabinet in preparation for their breakfast buffet. Bacon, sausage, eggs, home fries, jalapeño cheese grits, buttermilk biscuits, fruit, and Ted’s freshly squeezed orange juice.
“Dig in!” Victoria said.
But the happy family breakfast came to a screeching halt when Christian walked into the room. “This is a regular Norman Rockwell scene,” he said with a big smile on his face. “Mom, Dad, you guys really outdid yourselves. All this good food and fresh squeezed orange juice. Now this is living!”
Victoria had to pause and stop herself from catching an attitude because she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Christian was standing in the kitchen with a young woman whom Victoria had never seen. But what was worse than the fact that he’d apparently invited a complete stranger to spend the night in a house that wasn’t even his, was the fact that he was wearing a T-shirt and boxers, not even dressed, and the attractive afro-clad woman had donned nothing more than one of Christian’s T-shirts and a huge smile.
Chapter 25
Alexandria
Alexandria knew her brother was a lot of things, but until now, she’d never thought that stupid was one of them. But he’d just proven her wrong because not only had he hooked up with a complete stranger whom he’d met last night; he’d brought the woman to the house. And if that weren
’t bad enough, he was now parading her in front of the family—both of them half-dressed—like it was no big deal. She knew drugs could make people do things they’d normally never dream of, and this was definitely the case with Christian.
Alexandria took one look at her mother’s face and could see that Victoria was livid. And she couldn’t say that she blamed her one bit. She knew that her mother wasn’t a prude by any measure, and that she was fairly liberal and open minded about most things. But this situation with Christian was about a matter of simple respect, and as her mother had said many times, carrying oneself with pride and protecting your family.
Alexandria knew that her mother had put up with a lot of things from Christian over the years, from him sneaking out the house during his teenage years to hang out in clubs, to him getting in trouble for trying to buy alcohol with a fake ID. But now his life was out of control. This wasn’t teenage rebellion; it was him playing Russian roulette with his life.
As she looked around the room, she could see that everyone was visibly upset, except Chase, who was looking at the young woman’s shapely thighs, which Christian’s shirt barely covered. Alexandria shook her head at the hot-blooded teenager. If the situation in front of them weren’t so potentially disastrous, she’d tell Chase and his parents the truth about his possible paternity. But right now she had to focus on the drama her brother had just created.
Alexandria couldn’t believe that Christian had the nerve to stand in front of everyone as if what was happening was perfectly okay. Aside from the fact that sleeping with a complete stranger and bringing her into the house was in poor judgment and taste, the woman could be a stark raving lunatic for all he knew. Alexandria was pissed that Christian had taken it upon himself to invite the woman to sleep under the roof of the house their family was sharing, not even thinking or caring that he could possibly put others in danger, all for the sake of his own pleasure.
Between his behavior yesterday afternoon, last night, and now this morning, Alexandria had had enough. She was tired of her brother always causing or being in the middle of trouble, and she was now ready to give him a piece of her mind. “You know you’re wrong, don’t you?”
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