The One That Slipped Away

by LaShawn Vasser

  Mia avoided her mother’s scrutiny by leaning over and tearing the bacon on Autumn’s plate into small pieces. “It was like any other benefit I suppose.”

  “Hmm . . . that’s interesting because your father said Michael called him this morning.”

  Her eyes darted up to her mother’s. “For what?” The set of her lips and the deep creases in her forehead left no doubt that Mia was pissed.

  “He’s a lawyer, Mia. He was doing his due diligence and pumping your father for information about Harrison.” Avery stared hard at Mia as she finally took a sip of coffee before putting the cup back down on the saucer. “I wonder why he would do that?” The sarcasm wasn’t lost on Mia. Like she was talking to a small child, Avery continued. “What did you tell that man?”

  Renee, curious, turned toward Mia too. “Girl, what did you tell your new man about your old man?”

  Mia could kill Michael. Did he really go behind her back and run to her parents? Her parents! As soon as she got in the car, she was going to call and let him know in no uncertain terms that that behavior was unacceptable. “I only told him what I had to tell him.”

  Avery’s face twisted. “And, what was that?”

  “Mom. I really don’t want to talk about this with you.”

  “Really? With me?” She huffed. “The woman who raised you and took you in after that boy put you out?”

  Renee knew her sister was getting worked up. She tried to diffuse the situation. “Avery. If Mia doesn’t want to discuss her personal life, she’s an adult; she doesn’t have to.”

  Aunt Renee always had Mia’s back, and that was what she loved about her. Mia pressed her lips into a firm line before she responded. “Thank you, Aunt Renee, and that’s not what happened.”

  “This is my daughter, Renee. Not yours. Sheena didn’t run home to you broken, abandoned, and pregnant by a man who was only using her as his personal plaything.”

  Renee pursed her lips. “Avery, you need to stop.”

  Avery cut her eyes from her sister and back to Mia. “That’s how I remember it.”

  “Mom! In front of Autumn?” Her daughter didn’t fully understand what was going on, but she looked back and forth between her mom and grandmother.

  Mia turned to Autumn and looked into eyes that reminded her daily of Harrison. “Go grab your jacket, okay? We’re going to get ready to go.”

  Autumn got down from her chair and walked slowly out of the kitchen like she didn’t want to leave. No one said another word until she’d gone through the kitchen doors.

  Avery was getting angrier by the second. “That white man used you up and then threw you away when he was finished. If you had listened to me, you wouldn’t be raising Autumn by yourself. You better not be getting involved with him again. I won’t have it.”

  Mia threw her hands in the air. “If you must know, we ran into each other at the benefit last night, because he’s Michael’s new client. That’s all. Not that I should have to explain that to you because I’m an adult who can make her own decisions. There’s also no need for you to get worked up because there’s nothing to get involved with Harrison about. However, if there were, I would choose not to get involved with him, not you.”

  Aunt Renee accidently spilled her coffee on the table. She reached for napkins trying to wipe up the dark liquid before it ran all over and off the tabletop. She mumbled under her breath. “Lawdamercy.”

  The grim look on Avery’s face confirmed she wasn’t reassured by Mia’s answer. “You’ve played enough games. You need to set your wedding date with Michael. He’ll be a good father, a great provider, and he gets it.”

  Mia had had enough. “First, I can provide for myself. Secondly, It, mama? What exactly is it? Please spell it out for me.”

  “I don’t have a problem spelling anything out. I’ve never bit my tongue in my life. A white man will never see you as anything other than a black woman, beneath him, only to be used whenever he wants. He’ll sleep with you but won’t give you the respect of his name. Harrison is a prime example of that. He never even called you after Autumn was born, never sent you one damn dime for her!”

  Forcefully, Mia pushed herself back from the table and stood to leave. “He didn’t because he doesn’t even know about her!”

  Avery Jamison was rarely shocked by anything, but she was floored. Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped. “What are you talking about?” When Mia didn’t immediately respond, her eyes narrowed. She asked the question again. “What are you talking about, Mia?”

  Agitated, Mia rubbed her forehead. “I never told him about Autumn. Harrison has no idea she exists.”

  Renee wasn’t shocked because her daughter, Sheena, had already told her. However, Mia’s mother shook her head in utter disbelief. “All these years, you let me think this man had abandoned his child.”

  Mia was somewhat ashamed. She dropped her head. “That was not my intention. When I came back home, I just wanted to forget about everything and start over.”

  Avery was silent but not for long. “That was probably the smartest thing you’ve ever done. It's best he doesn’t know. It would make an already messy situation worse.”

  Renee was shocked. “Avery!” For her to be the sister who was supposed to be the smarter and more well-rounded of the two, she was acting like a fool. Renee thought her sister had allowed her social status to go to her head.

  “Mama, I’m leaving. I can’t do this with you.”

  “There you go always running away from the truth.”

  Mia took a deep breath. “I’m not running. I’m leaving because if I don’t, I’ll say something disrespectful!” Mia snatched up her keys and left the kitchen.

  Once she was gone, Avery got up from the table and walked over to the counter to warm her coffee. “Can you believe that child?”

  Renee folded her arms across her chest. “What I can’t believe is you? What the hell was that?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “That? With Mia? The White man talk? All of it.”

  “You don’t understand all the politics and bull that, as a professional, I’ve had to put up with because I was both black and a woman. You’re just a nurse. I have to deal with these white people who don’t respect me or consider me an equal. I’ve had to fight for everything I’ve ever had just to get half of what their privilege allows them. So, don’t look at me with those judgmental eyes.”

  Renee stood and went over toward Avery. She planted one hand on the counter as she stared into her sister’s eyes. “Let me tell you something, Avery Jamison. I’m a nurse and damn proud of it! Don’t you ever talk down to me just because you have a little money.”

  Avery smacked her lips. “You know that’s not what I meant.”

  Renee pointed her finger in her face. “Well, that’s what you said. Let me be very clear; you’ve accomplished a lot in your life, and I’m proud of you for it, but you can stop acting all brand new with me. You are not the only one who’s had to put up with bullshit. We all have to a certain degree, but what we don’t all do is go around labeling an entire race of people for how some ignorant folks behave. I’ve never understood how another black person could do that when we know firsthand how it feels. Is there injustice and systemic racism? Yes. But, you . . . you hated Harrison the moment Mia introduced him to you.”

  Avery turned away and added more cream to her coffee. “That’s not true.”

  “Sister dear your memory is failing. You called me the moment they left, the night Mia brought Harrison home. You didn’t tell me anything about him personally, all you talked about was why in the world this white boy would attend an HBCU. I won’t lie. I’d love to know the answer to that myself.”

  Avery rolled her neck and shoulders. “Maybe I do remember. I was a tad bit curious about why he wanted to attend my college.”

  “Yes. You were very interested. This is my question, what the hell did you expect? You are standing here sounding like the old Malcolm X and that child
had to go to an HBCU just to have a black experience.” Renee counted on her fingers. “You lived in the suburbs where there were barely any other people of color. You were either one of or the only one. You put her in mostly white schools, mostly white activities, and would never let her spend the night at my house with Sheena because my neighborhood was apparently too hood. Honestly, what kind of man did you think she would bring home?”

  “Don’t make it seem as though I didn’t expose Mia to her own blackness. I just wanted to give her the best. I made sure she was aware of who she was as a black woman.”

  “Through books and maybe a hairstyle, Avery! Not through life. You second-guessed every decision she’s ever made and crucified her when she made mistakes. No wonder her confidence is shot.”

  That seemed to get through to Avery. “That’s not true.” She said it as a statement, but it came out more like a question.

  “You’re my sister, and I love you, but you push, push, and push. Mia is amazing in her own right. She’s a great mom, has an incredible career, and went back to school to accomplish everything on her own, but you would never know it talking to you. Yes, we would have all liked for her to have been married before she moved in and started a family with Harrison. She didn’t. The relationship didn’t work. So what? Marriages don’t always guarantee success. Mine certainly didn’t, and that doesn’t make me any less of a person.”

  Avery continued to stir her coffee. “I tell Mia all the time I’m proud of her.”

  “Do you?”

  Avery thought about the last time she’d done so but couldn’t remember.

  “You didn’t speak to that child for almost a year because she defied you. It was silly then, and it’s silly now. You picked Ellis and mama hated the man. So, you need to climb down from your high horse and start to appreciate the accomplishments of your daughter before one day you push so hard that you push her completely away.”

  Renee sauntered back over to the table and sat down. “You’re over here clowning this early in the morning, and now my eggs are cold.” She looked up at Avery who seemed to be lost in thought. “Come on over here and get something to eat. You have plenty of time to figure out how to meddle in Mia’s business, but you might want to work on your own problem first.”

  Avery walked back over and took a seat. “What problem would that be?”

  Renee took a bite of cold eggs. “Your white boy problem. It feels a little racist to me.”

  Chapter 6

  Six Years Prior

  Freshman year

  Mia sat at a corner table in the back of the student lab and checked her watch. . . again. Her four o’clock was twenty minutes late. Aggravated, she mumbled, “That’s what happens when you break your own rules.”

  “What rules?”

  She looked up, and her heart stopped. Mia stared into the dreamiest pair of slate gray eyes she’d ever seen. She couldn’t tell, but they might have had hints of blue in them.

  He asked again. “What rules?”

  Her mind was mush, and she couldn’t think of one thing to say especially when those dark locks fell over into his face. His raven colored hair was wet like he was fresh from a shower or something. He’d walked up so quietly that Mia hadn’t heard or seen him.

  He smiled revealing a perfect set of white teeth and deep dimples. Those eyes and that smile had Mia gawking like a fool. The paper she received from the Student Office said his name was H. Haughton. Well, Mr. H. Haughton was the walking . . . talking . . . definition of sexy.

  Mia blinked a few times to gather her composure. After feeling her mouth go completely dry, she realized it was hanging open. Embarrassed, she closed it then started to pack up her books. She’d never before experienced an immediate attraction to anyone, and it freaked her out.

  Mia swallowed before responding and prayed her voice worked. She would die on the spot if she spoke and it came out as a squeak. She did her best to mask her moment of temporary insanity. “I normally don’t tutor athletes, and you’re a prime example of why.” Checking the paperwork that she received from the Resource Center again for the hundredth time and looking in vain to find his first name on it, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Who listed their first name as an initial? H. Haughton? He wasn’t a celebrity. Just like most athletes . . . this one was an arrogant jerk.

  Mia didn’t even try to hide her irritation which, at this point, was more with herself than him. “Look . . . this isn’t going to work out.” She told herself that it wasn’t because he was hot but because he was disrespectful. The truth, Mia was lying a little to herself, and she knew it, but so what. People did what they had to for self-preservation. Still, Mia reminded herself that most athletes were self-centered jerks. That had been her experience, and she had no problem stereotyping them.

  Angrier than she should have been, Mia asked herself who did he think he was waltzing into the lab late as if her time wasn’t valuable—and making her stomach do summersaults?

  “Whoa . . . I’m sorry for being late. Practice went over a little.” He plopped his bag down on the table.

  Mia ignored him while continuing to put her things away. “Sorry, not my problem.”

  In an almost panic, with outstretched arms and open palms, he did his best to turn on the charm. “Mia? It is Mia Jamison, right? That’s the name the Resource Center gave me.”

  Funny how she could give him her full name, but he wasn’t courteous enough to list his. She didn’t answer.

  A little anxious, he attempted another apology. “I’m sorry. I promise if practice runs late again, I’ll call. Can we start over? I’m . . .” He extended his hand to hers and was just about to introduce himself when he was interrupted by a teammate.

  “Yo . . . Harrison?” Some big hulking dude yelled at him from way across the room.

  He glanced up and grimaced as the other students glared and shushed them. His teammate, Big Tony, was always yelling. Irritated, he whisper-yelled back, “What’s up, man? I’m a little busy.”

  Big Tony ignored everyone and spoke like he was at a football game rather than in a learning lab. “Just wanted to remind you, we’ll be kickin’ it in my room tonight at seven.”

  Harrison nodded. “Got it.”

  He turned back to Mia. “Sorry about that. I’m . . .”

  She cut him off. “I heard, and so did everybody else. You’re Harrison. I guess that’s what the H. stands for Harrison Haughton.”

  He winced and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I kinda hate that name which is exactly why the team uses it being a freshman and all. I’d rather you use my middle name.” He laughed a little.

  “You didn’t list that on the form, so I didn’t know what to call you. At this point, it doesn’t really matter.” Mia had packed all of her belongings and hoisted the bag over her shoulder.

  Harrison needed to up the charm in a major way. Otherwise, he was going to lose out on one of the best tutors on campus. He was quick and gently reached out to hold onto the strap of her bag. When his barely-there touch made contact with her shoulder, Mia’s knees turn to jelly. Her eyes followed his hand. But, it was looking up from his fingertips into those eyes that weakened her resolve.

  It was like an electrical current had zapped them. Harrison felt whatever connection had been made and couldn’t get his words right. “Mia, I . . . um . . . could really use your help.” He paused. Sincerity was written all over his face, and his eyes never left hers. “I’m hoping we can start over.” His voice lowered. “Sorry about being late and not calling.”

  Mia was drawn to him like a magnet. She noticed that he seemed to feel the same current running between them. The butterflies in her stomach turned into bees as the corners of her lips twitched upward.

  A hidden smile threatened to explode all over her face because he seemed off balance. Maybe now they were on somewhat of an equal footing. More importantly, Harrison appeared genuine.

  Mia had to admit she was a little amused by the look on his face
when Big Tony called out his first name. Still, in her decision to tutor or not, she had to consider if his supermodel good looks would be a distraction. And, would her attraction be a problem because there was no way Harrison Haughton could be a dating option.

  Then, he did it again but bolder this time. Harrison flashed that million-dollar smile. It was potent. Whether Mia would ever admit it to herself or not, that smile probably had something to do with changing her mind. She ignored that little voice in the back of her head telling her RUN. As a matter of fact, it had been screaming at her all along. For a while there, Mia thought she would listen. But, at the last second, she ignored it and returned his smile with one of her own.

  “Okay, Haaaarrrrrison.” She teased. “I think I like the way your name sounds. Doesn’t it just roll right off of my tongue? Harrison.” Her smile faded just a bit as she turned serious. “I’ll tutor you, but if you’re late one more time without a phone call, that’s it—I’m out.”

  Harrison extended his hand to hers again. This time, Mia took it. “Deal.”

  There was no way she could ignore the tingle that went straight up her arm.

  Harrison felt it too but decided to ignore it. “I’m ready if you are for my lesson from the best econ tutor on campus.”

  Mia shrugged. “I don’t know about that.”

  Harrison pulled out her chair, and she sat down. “You’ll need to be the best because I hate economics.”

  “You’ll pass as long as you take it seriously.”

  Harrison flashed that lazy smile then sat down next to her. “I can do that. I have my pencil, paper, and calculator. For the next hour, I’m yours.”

  She smirked. “Actually, the next half hour. Our session ends at five. But, just in case you didn’t know, you’re still paying me for the entire time.”

  Chapter 7

  Mia’s head had been stuck in her literature book for most of the day. Her neck and shoulders were protesting and on fire from being in the same position for such a long period of time. She rolled them to relieve some of the pain.