My father’s voice cut through. “Not a day has passed that I haven’t missed you. And not a day has passed when I haven’t been filled with regret for creating the hole your absence left in this family.”
I hugged my father. Then I stood and scooped my mother up into a hug. That made her laugh, which was a magical sound. Almost as magical as Daisy’s laugh.
After a long time of us just standing there hugging my father spoke again. “So . . .” My father drew out the word in a clear attempt to change the subject, making my mother and me laugh again in the process. “What are your plans for tonight? I was thinking we could have a little father-son time. We have a game to finish.”
My mouth dropped in disbelief. Before I’d left, my father had been teaching me to play chess.
I trailed behind him to the family room and sure enough the board was set up precisely as it had been. Next to it was another board with pieces lined up. My father motioned to it. “I tried to teach Charlie but he’s rubbish. He’s got too much energy to focus and be deliberate.”
I felt a little—okay, a lot—choked up at the thought that my father would be so dedicated to the idea that we’d finish our game one day that he’d purchased another board to play with my brother.
My father stood looking at me as I stared at the pieces, almost afraid to touch them.
And I realized he waited for my answer. “Father-son time sounds perfect, Pop.”
We spent the entire night playing games. When Charlie came home from school we played a game of Monopoly that sent Jules to jail and my mother to skid row while my father and I split the middling properties and my brother bought Park Place and Boardwalk.
That night around nine the phone rang and I dashed to the kitchen and picked up before anyone could grab the call.
“Trevor?” Daisy’s sweet voice came through on my line. From somewhere in the house I heard Jules shout, “UNO! OUT!” followed by my little brother’s, “Cheater!”
“Daisy,” I responded, unable to keep the grin off my face. Daisy and I hadn’t been able to see one another every day since we’d been in Green Valley but she’d call me or I’d call her daily. We chatted for a minute, and she told me of the small pieces of her day that I’d missed. The jokes Odie made, the heads James turned. Julian was in for a world of trouble with that one. And then I told her all about my own day. It was miracle because of the smallness of the thing. I didn’t want or need anything for Christmas; it was a gift to share in her day and to have her want to share in mine.
Over the next few days and weeks my parents and I had lots of conversations. We began to mend our relationship and I began to regrow roots in Green Valley.
Through it all, Daisy had been my joy.
After I told her all about my conversation with my parents, she made it her mission to be my “official Green Valley homecoming guide.” Her words. For me, she became a memory-jogger and historian. She was the thread sewing me back into Green Valley society, one stitch at a time.
Instead of introducing me to the locals the same way she did for the rest of our friends, she’d say something like, “You know Trevor, the Boone’s oldest boy? Would you believe he and I both ended up at the best HBCU in the world? Must be something in the Green Valley water! I persuaded him to drop into Green Valley for the holidays.”
The other person would look at me blankly at first. After recognizing my name, they’d offer me a hearty handshake, and then they’d ask after my parents or my brother. Or they’d ask about my grades and tell me what a good student my father had been. The number of times I’d been told that they hadn’t seen me since I was “knee high to a grasshopper” was astounding.
And during each conversation, Daisy would take the time to discreetly explain who they were and how their family history intersected or totally diverged from mine.
That’s Eugene Lee, who your Grandaddy Toby couldn’t stand. Said he cheated in cards and you couldn’t trust him. Those are the Donners. They own a local lodge in town, and rumor has it they’re thinking of adding a bakery.
There was genuine southern charm—the kind Daisy showed when we sat in her kitchen and she insisted we have just one more of her delicious lemon and nutmeg glazed doughnuts—and there was southern charm as performance art. Daisy had mastered them both.
She planned trips for all of us to the local haunts. When we’d gone to the Green Valley Christmas Market we’d eaten pretzels, corndogs, popcorn, and drank ale until we’d just about burst.
Just a few days ago we’d all gone shopping downtown. Daisy and Dolly pointed out which store was best for which type of gift while all of us dipped in and out of stores, discretely purchasing presents or trinkets.
We all became especially enamored with Scratches Records and Cassettes. It’d been there that I’d found my Christmas gift to Daisy. I’d taken a deep breath at the price but it was a signed copy. I’d forked over the cash and then made an excuse so that Julian and I could leave before Daisy could see it. He’d been more than happy to leave, only pausing to stop once at Shutters. I waited outside. I had no idea what Julian would want in a camera store.
All in all, my time in Green Valley had been restorative. I still had a way to go but my path forward with both my folks and Daisy was mostly clear.
Julian, on the other hand, had been wracked with guilt. His working theory was that his parents, his mother especially, intentionally kept me apart from my parents because she wanted me as a playmate for him.
I had no idea if that theory held water and I didn’t care. I needed to work through my anger at my own pace, but for now, in this moment, May and Marcus couldn’t have any of more of my headspace. They’d already taken too much time from my life.
Speaking of time, I didn’t want to waste any more of what I had with Daisy. Tonight, her family was hosting their annual Christmas Eve cocktail party and we were all going. I would find time to tell Daisy that she had my heart. I would beg for hers.
James and Odie would head to South Carolina to spend the rest of break with Odie’s folks early tomorrow. Interestingly enough, Julian had offered to chauffeur them. I don’t know if Jules felt terrible and wanted to let me spend time with my family or if he wanted to spend more time with James. I suspected it was a little of both, although Julian denied there was anything going on between him and James. “We’re just friends. That’s all we are and that’s all we’ll ever be.”
In my opinion, he doth protest too much, but it was none of my business. Either way I’d tried to make it clear to him that there was no need to shoulder any of the blame for his parents and that I was in no hurry to be rid of him.
Jules peeked his head in my room just as I was slipping into my jacket. He whistled as he theatrically brushed off my shoulders. “Whoo-whee! You clean up nice!”
I laughed at his antics. We were both decked out in formal attire; I was in a navy blue herringbone suit with brown leather pockets and elbow patches. Julian’s tux was black with a notched lapel—Italian and bespoke, as always.
We headed out around eight fifteen. My little brother, looking adorable in his tuxedo, trailed after us trying to adjust his cufflinks.
“Hey guys, wait up! Trev—can you show me how?” I spun on my heels, quickly fastened his cuffs, and then patted him on his head.
“Charlie, there is no way in H-E-double-hockey sticks Jules and I are letting you ride with us. Go wait for Mom and Pop.”
He bounced on the balls of his feet. “But, but . . .”
Jules and I laughed as we walked out the door.
“Man, little brothers are great. I may have to borrow him sometime,” Jules quipped.
“You can take ‘em, just make sure you bring ‘em back.”
Jules eyes widened and I realized what I’d said. “Julian, I’m sorry.”
“Got it.”
I would have to be extra careful. Jules had a habit of getting addicted to guilt.
When we arrived the party was already in full swing. The house had
been decorated with garland sweeping the front porch. There were red bows on the railing and candles shone in each of the windows.
Entering the house, I found myself grateful to Daisy again as I was able to greet everyone by name, ask about their work at the Mill or at the Piggly Wiggly, or inquire after their family.
I was there for about ten minutes before I began to get antsy.
I landed against the bar and watched with a schadenfreude-like fascination as Julian spotted James descend the stairs, wearing red from head to toe.
I sidled up to my best friend who had turned red as a Christmas ornament. “I don’t know who’s redder.”
“Shut up, Trevor.” Julian was looking everywhere but at the stunner. But James had other plans. She sauntered right up to him and twirled. “Julian, do you like my gown?”
He threw me a pleading look, his hands fisted at his sides.
I shrugged, nodded a hello to James—who grinned like she knew exactly what she was doing—and walked away, on the hunt for Daisy.
Julian started playing with that fire. I hoped he wouldn’t get burned.
I found Dolly and Odie, both wearing black and gold, milling about in the room where Dolly played the violin for us my first night home. I couldn’t help but quip, “Nice colors.” Dolly laughed.
I asked after Daisy, but neither of them had seen her in a while.
“You might try near the ugly Christmas tree,” suggested Dolly.
“There are like, twenty Christmas trees in this house. Which one is the ugly one?”
Dolly narrowed her eyes. “Trevor, are you calling my house poorly decorated?”
Realizing I’d stepped in it, I quickly clarified. “No! Of course not. I’m saying none of these trees look ugly.”
“Oh well, the ugly one is ugly. It has tinsel and garland and every single homemade ornament we created as children. We put it up in the family room.” I’d just left their family room and I hadn’t seen a tree that looked like that. Or Daisy.
“The upstairs family room,” she clarified.
She motioned for me to come closer so I leaned my head down. “No one is allowed past the second level. But my sister is crazy about you. You will go and spend some quality alone time with my sister, and Trevor? If you even think about hurting my sister again or disrespecting my father’s house tonight, I will personally hunt you down and make you a one-nut-Chuck. Are we clear?”
“Crystal!” I said, stepping back. Daisy was right. Dolly was a little scary sometimes.
I followed Dolly’s instructions and took the back stairs until I spotted Daisy in a darkened room off a long hallway.
Daisy stood in profile staring out the back window. Backlit by the glow of the Christmas tree, I didn’t think I’d ever seen her look more beautiful.
She wore a long, deep blue gown with pleats at the bottom and a satiny looking fabric wrapping her bosom. Her curls were free and fell around her shoulders, caught back by a gold headband that looked like it was made of laurel leaves. The effect made her look like a queen or a goddess. If God made words for how beautiful she looked I didn’t know them. I stood there speechless, watching her until I saw a coy smile pull at her lips and she said, “How long are you going to watch me?”
I laughed. “How long have you known I was here?”
“A while,” she answered.
“And here I thought I was being sneaky.”
“You can’t be sneaky around me.”
I walked to her, allowing the fullness of my joy to overtake me. “Yeah? Why’s that? You use your fairy powers to put a tracker on me, Daisy?”
She smiled ruefully. Then her smile dropped and she looked at me with those mahogany eyes. “I can always feel you when you’re near.”
That did it.
I leaned down to capture her lips.
I smiled at her responsiveness, at the way her breath caught.
I skimmed all that soft, warm bare skin, from her shoulder blades down to the dip of her waist on display for me and suddenly I was so hard it hurt.
Daisy trailed her hand down my shirt, reached down, and pressed her hand against my bulge and suddenly I was the one gasping.
“Wait, wait, wait.” I stumbled back, rock-hard and off-kilter from Daisy’s exploring fingers.
She looked up at me wide-eyed and curious. “Did I do it wrong?”
Definitely not.
I shook my head but didn’t say anything and then walked to the window to try regain some of my sanity.
Daisy was at my back a second later, her hands running along my shoulder blades, her melodic voice husky in my ear. “What's wrong, Trevor?” She nipped my ear and I shuddered.
Daisy was making me mindless and I could not afford to lose my mind. Or any other body part. Dolly’s words rang through my ears.
“What’s wrong is I want you so badly I can hardly think straight so I’m trying to catch my breath but the gorgeous, insanely sexy love of my life keeps touching me and it’s driving me out of my mind.”
“What did you say?”
I turned to see her shocked expression and then ran my words back again.
Oh God. I stepped away from her and hung my head.
“Trevor, what did you just say?”
I took a deep breath and looked up. My eyes moved over Daisy and she didn’t look upset or angry the way I’d expected; her eyes were lit with excitement.
Interesting. Maybe this wasn’t so bad after all. I said it and she was still here.
I tested my theory. I took a half step back and Daisy took a half step forward coming into my space. I tried to hide my smile.
“Uhh, I’m not sure. What did I just say?”
I stepped back again. She stepped forward and warned, “Trevor!”
“Are you talking about the part where I called you gorgeous?” I took a step back.
Daisy took two forward. “No.”
“The part where I called you insanely sexy?”
I took a half step back and my back hit the wall.
She looked at me from underneath those coal black lashes. “Maybe.”
I laughed. Then I looked down at Daisy with every ounce of tenderness I could muster. “Or maybe you mean the part where I called you the love of my life.”
Her smile was brighter than all the twinkling lights of the tree. Brighter than the stars that shone in the sky.
But I was the one who lit up when she looked at me and whispered, “I love you, too.”
Epilogue
May 3rd, 1976
Trevor
When James and Odie had asked me during Christmas break to help in crafting their confession letters, I’d immediately agreed. On one condition: they had to tell Daisy.
That was the rule. There would be no more secrets between Daisy and me ever again. Therefore, on Christmas morning before they hit the road, the girls had told Daisy and she’d been livid with both them and with me. It was too late though; the confession letters had already been mailed.
We’d had our first fight that morning. The best thing about fighting as a couple with Daisy?
Making up.
Once we returned to school in mid-January, the three of them had stood before the disciplinary council. I’d been allowed to watch the closed-door proceedings as moral support. I suspected that her father, who hadn’t been able to make it, pulled some strings to allow me in there.
Dr. Gwinn had served as a character witness for Daisy, much to her surprise, but not mine. When Dr. Gwinn was in your corner she was really in your corner, and you couldn’t help but love Daisy.
Well, most people couldn’t help but love Daisy.
Therefore, when the Dean of Student Affairs announced that all three would be expelled, my heart plummeted.
And then something strange happened.
Mrs. Dot stood slowly, and strolled—in the way that only old ladies could—up to the lectern at the front of the room. She began speaking without permission or preamble.
“Nawl, we
not goin’ put chil’ren outta school for tryin’ to get some books. They gonna earn off what they stole from my pantry.”
The Dean of Student Affairs objected. “Mrs. Bushnell, I appreciate your concern for our students but these three violated the code—”
“Don’t talk back to me, Leonard. I know what they did. Was you the one tryin’ to make the cookies when there were no chocolate chips? Thinkin’ you were goin’ senile in your old years and worried you couldn’t do the orderin’ no more? Was that you or me, Leonard?”
The man looked like a chastened little boy. Obviously put out, Mrs. Dot added, “I fed you when you was here. And you’re not goin’ to listen to me? Do I need to remind you of all the things I caught you doin’ when you was here, Len? We got that rule about changin’ cups for a reason. Now they stole from me and they gonna come earn it back from me. I got one that I s’pect was involved with all this and he is earnin’ it back as we speak. Would it be fair to let the ones confessed go, and keep the one that kept his mouth shut?”
Dr. Gwinn spoke up. “I agree with Mrs. Dot.”
The other four members of the council also sided with Mrs. Dot. And the Dean of Student Affairs sighed.
“All three of you are on academic probation for the next four semesters. If there are any further infractions you will be expelled. You may continue to be enrolled here, but you will pay the University back what you owe by working gratis for the University Dining Services.”
He gaveled out the meeting and Daisy jumped into my arms with joy.
My sweet girl had taken her punishment like a champ. After her first week of work, she’d finished the day talking a mile a minute.
“Trevor, this is actually the best opportunity. Mrs. Dot said that if I continue to do well on tables, she’s going to move me up to serving, and if I do well on that, then next semester she’ll move me back to the kitchen. And she said that I could come in this Sunday and she’d show me how to make her recipe for smothered chicken fried steak! I could never get the gravy right when I tried it on my own.”
Upsy Daisy: A First Love College Romance Page 38
