The One That Slipped Away

by LaShawn Vasser

  One of the girl’s friends laughed. “Puhleese. We all know, Mia Jamison ain’t black. She only hangs with a hand full of us, and they ain’t really black either except for Sheena. That chick is straight ghetto.”

  How many times had Mia heard that? It drove her crazy. Who couldn’t look at her and tell she wasn’t black? What? Did she need to sing it from the rooftops? I’m black y’all . . . I’m black y’all . . . I’m blacka than black, and I’m black y’all? And, Harrison? She wasn’t dating him because of the color of his skin or because of some stupid validation thing.

  Mia didn’t even have a type—that was her parents. They wanted the strong, educated, black man for her. She, on the other hand, just wanted there to be a strong attraction and for the guy to treat her the way she wanted to be treated. If they could do that, they would have a shot. It wasn’t complicated. Well, at least before she started dating Harrison. With him, they had been friends first and just clicked.

  Why was she standing there justifying her dating choices in her head? Probably because her blackness still touched a nerve.

  “Mia!” She turned and looked up into the smiling face of Harrison calling her name. She could always rest easy in him even with all the girls vying for his attention. He’d always made her feel as if she were the only woman in the room. Even before they started dating.

  Harrison waved her over as he stood next to a man and a woman. They were probably his parents.

  Mia took a deep breath. She hoped this wouldn’t be like an episode of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.

  Chapter 13

  Harrison beamed proudly. “Mom and Dad, let me introduce you to my girlfriend, Mia Jamison.”

  Mr. Haughton smiled warmly and reached to shake her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  Mrs. Haughton stood there with a frozen smile on her face. She blinked a few times before Thomas gently placed his hand on the small of her back nudging her to speak. “Oh . . . my manners. Mia?” She turned questioning eyes to Harrison. “You said her name was Mia?” As if Mia wasn’t standing there.

  Harrison pulled her body closer to his side and wrapped his arm tightly around her waist. “Yes, mom. This is Mia.”

  Catherine Haughton shouldn’t have been surprised, considering Harrison was attending a black college. It certainly, hadn’t been her first choice.

  After an awkward few seconds, she turned her attention toward Mia and widened her smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “You as well, Mrs. Haughton.” Mia wanted to die. This was terrible. Harrison should have prepared his mother for her.

  Mr. Haughton clapped his hands together. “Well, now that the introductions are out of the way, I’m starving. Let’s go get something to eat and celebrate one helluva football game you played out there!”

  Harrison turned to Mia to get her approval. “You hungry?”

  Her smile was forced. “Starved.”

  As they walked out to the car, Harrison and his father talked nonstop. Mrs. Haughton hadn’t uttered another word.

  Mia couldn’t help but think that this dinner was going to be worse than the one in the movie.

  *****

  She’d been right. Mrs. Haughton hadn’t said too much. She smiled gracefully and answered questions thrown her way with one syllable words, but that was about all she’d been able to muster.

  Catherine had eaten a spoonful of her dinner before she spoke. “Harrison, have you heard from any of your friends from back home?”

  “Um . . . yeah. Andrew and Tyler came up last week for the game. I wish they could have met Mia, but she was doing some fancy weekend workshop with her parents.”

  “Oh? That was nice that the guys were able to come up. Have you heard from Liberty?”

  The air was sucked out of the room, and all eyes turned toward Mrs. Haughton. She continued to speak as if she hadn’t said anything wrong. “I hear she’s doing big things and has a new modeling ad campaign starting in the fall.”

  Mia slowly put her spoon down on her plate and placed her hands on her lap. It was pretty obvious, Mrs. Haughton wasn’t going to give her a chance.

  Harrison was pissed. His tone clipped. “No. I haven’t talked to Liberty. I can’t see any reason why I would.” He reached out for Mia’s hand under the table and squeezed it.

  “Catherine.” Mr. Haughton’s voice sounded like a warning.

  Mrs. Haughton’s eyes darted over to Mia’s. Her faux concern was Oscar worthy. “Oh. I’m sorry. I-I didn’t mean anything by asking about Liberty. I really didn’t. It was just a natural slip of the tongue. Harrison and most of the kids from back home have been friends since grade school. They’re like family. I won’t bring her up again.”

  Mia smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. If Liberty didn’t matter to Harrison, then she guessed nothing else should bother her – even if she were important to his mother. Despite her feelings being hurt, Mia smiled through it. “It’s fine. I hope her ad campaign is successful.”

  Great. Mia had never met Liberty but knowing she was modelesque wasn’t good for her ego.

  Harrison attempted to break the tension at the table. “My Mia is on par to graduate summa cum laude. I would never have passed economics without her.”

  Mr. Haughton chimed in. “That’s fantastic! I’m sure Thurgood Marshall would be proud of your accomplishments.”

  “I’d like to think so would Patricia Roberts Harris, and my mother who is the President of this institution.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Your mother is Avery Jamison?”

  “Yes. You know her? And, my father is—“

  “Dr. Ellis Jamison. Yes, I’ve heard of both your parents. They are very impressive people in their own right, and it seems their daughter is walking in their footsteps.”

  Harrison gazed into Mia’s eyes. He couldn’t have been more proud. “Yes, they are, and I can’t wait to meet them.” He lifted Mia’s hand and gently placed a kiss on her knuckles. “What I love most about this woman though is her heart. I probably wouldn’t be back on that football field without her encouragement.”

  Mia blushed. She wasn’t sure how one minute her heart felt as if it would shatter into a million little pieces and the next it was so full. “Your will is strong. You would have been back regardless.”

  Catherine Haughton watched the interaction between Harrison and Mia. Her son seemed to be extremely infatuated. She could only pray that Mia was a passing phase.

  Chapter 14

  It was Mia’s turn to play meet the parents. The ride over to their home was more than a little nerve-wracking. She needed to have an important conversation with Harrison before they went inside. Mia should have had this talk well before tonight’s dinner, but she didn’t have any idea how to bring it up. Now, she’d run out of time to think about the best way to say what needed to be said.

  The radio had been playing, and Harrison turned it down. “You’re fidgeting like crazy.” He took her hand, his bronze and hers toffee, and linked their fingers. “Whatever happens tonight won’t change anything between us.”

  Mia had been nervously biting her bottom lip. “Harrison, I . . . I need to tell you something.”

  Briefly, he took his eyes off the road, then calmly responded. “Okay.”

  “My parents, they are really good people, but in a lot of ways they can be very old fashioned.”

  He laughed. “You’re an epic overachiever. I can only imagine that they have very high expectations and only want the best for you. I’m fully prepared for your dad to be at the door with a shotgun.”

  “More likely my mother, but he’ll certainly back her up.”

  Harrison grinned. “I promise, my parents taught me manners. I’ll be on my best behavior. Don’t worry, Mia, everything will be fine.”

  She didn’t know how to say what needed to be said, so she blurted it out. “My parents won’t approve of us.”

  Harrison remained quiet and only nodded.

  Mia watched his every movement for clu
es to what he was thinking, but his face remained impassive as the moments stretched into more moments of silence.

  Finally, she couldn’t take the quiet any longer. “Please, say something.”

  Not taking his eyes off the road, he lifted their hands and kissed the back of Mia’s. “I already told you, whatever happens tonight won’t change anything between us.”

  Mia’s words were rushed. “I don’t want you taken off guard when you meet them. I don’t know how to say this, so I’m just going to say it.”

  Before Mia could utter another word, Harrison spoke. “They won’t approve of me because I’m white.”

  She couldn’t face him, and her eyes drifted low. She whispered, “Yes. How’d you know?”

  “I’ve been trying to meet them for a while. You’ve come up with a million reasons why it wasn’t a good time. It wasn’t too hard to figure out.”

  “Harrison, I want them to know you’re my choice. That’s why we’re having dinner with my mom and dad. Making a decision independent of them will be the most difficult part for my parents to handle, but I want you to know that I really want us.”

  He turned into Mia’s family’s driveway and parked. Then, he faced her as he placed a kiss on her lips. “That’s all that matters to me. Whatever else happens, happens.”

  Drs. Ellis and Avery Jamison had been shocked when they opened the front door, and Mia walked in with Harrison.

  “Mom and Dad, this is Harrison Ethan Haughton.” Mia smiled lovingly at him, and he returned her smile.

  “Nice to meet you, Dr. Ellis and Dr. Avery Jamison.” He handed Mia’s mom a gorgeous bouquet of yellow roses and her father, a very expensive bottle of bourbon. Some of the best according to his own father.

  Their voices were flat when they both responded in unison. “Thank you.”

  Avery spoke first. “Please come on in.” She led Harrison and Mia to their large living room. “Mia, would you mind following me into the kitchen. I was hoping you could help me with something?”

  Mia didn’t want to leave Harrison alone with her father and nervously glanced from him to Harrison.

  “Your father won’t eat him, Mia.”

  She nodded. “Sure. Of course not,” she said and followed her mother into the kitchen.

  As soon as they were alone, Avery snapped. “After all your father and I have tried to teach you; I can’t believe you had the nerve to bring that man into this house.”

  “That man? Do you mean Harrison?”

  “You know who the hell I mean. What is wrong with you? My god, you can’t be serious.”

  “We are very serious. He loves me, and I love him. He happens to be white, and I happen to be black. It’s as simple as that.”

  “You naïve girl,” Avery whisper-yelled,” nothing is ever as simple as that!”

  *****

  Harrison wanted to make a good impression with Mia’s parents. He knew it might not go down well but hoped for the best now that the initial shock of seeing him with their daughter was over.

  Dr. Ellis Jamison hadn’t known what to expect when Mia called to say she was bringing someone special over for dinner. When someone who didn’t look like them came through his front door, surprised was an understatement.

  Nothing could have prepared him for it. After all the conversations with Mia about the importance of loving herself and respecting the black culture, he couldn’t believe his daughter had the nerve to enter his home with a white man. They’d taught her better than that.

  “Please, have a seat.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Harrison sat down.

  Ellis took a seat opposite him and crossed his legs. His hard glare was focused squarely on Harrison. “Mia is a highly intelligent woman. She can pretty much write her ticket to any university in the nation. As a matter of fact, she’ll be graduating with her Master’s degree next spring and I believe she’s planning to complete her Doctorate at Oxford University. What are your plans after . . . What is it you do again? Play football?”

  Ellis didn’t pull any punches. Harrison cleared his throat. “I’m a great collegiate but would only be a moderately decent professional player. That’s not the life I plan for myself or Mia.”

  “So, you’re planning a life with her?”

  Harrison nodded. “Yes, sir. I believe I have a lot to offer. It may seem like I’m just an athlete, but I’m a lot more than that. Next year, I’ll be graduating with my Master’s Degree too. She and I both will have accomplished it in five years. I’ll take my degree and continue to build what my father started over twenty years ago at Haughton Telecom.”

  “Your intentions are to marry my daughter?”

  “Eventually, sir.”

  Ellis’ eyes narrowed. “Eventually. What does that mean?”

  “It means, I love Mia and plan to do right by her.”

  Before Ellis could fire off another question, Mia, and her mother, came out of the kitchen. Harrison stood. It was obvious that Mia’s conversation with her mom had gone just as well as his had with her father.

  Stiffly, Avery announced. “Dinner is ready. We can move to the dining room.”

  Mia went over to Harrison and leaned into his ear. “We don’t have to stay. We can leave right now.”

  “Let’s finish up dinner with your family, and then we’ll go.” He gave her a reassuring smile. He held her hand as she guided him into the dining room.

  During dinner, the conversation had been very quiet, almost nonexistent. It was during dessert that Harrison decided to break the ice. “This was a great meal, Mrs. Jamison.”

  Her icy stare and even chillier response put Mia on edge. “The roast and pasta are from an old southern recipe passed down from generation to generation dating all the way back to our slave ancestors.” She took a small bite of her pasta.

  Mia had had enough. She’d never seen her parents behave this way. To say she was embarrassed was an understatement. “Really, mom? The slave ancestors? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “Watch your tone, Mia!” Avery banged her finger on the table. “I don’t know what they do in his family, but we respect our elders in this one.”

  Mia turned toward her father and pleaded with her eyes to no avail.

  Instead, he took it upon himself to say what he’d been thinking since he and Harrison talked earlier. “I’m done dancing around this issue. I asked him what his plans were for you.” Ellis spoke as if Harrison weren’t even in the room. “He said he wanted to do right by you, what the hell does that mean. I’m assuming marriage.”

  Harrison attempted to respond, but Ellis waved him off and gave them both a death glare. “Have either of you given any thought to children? Do you plan to have any, and if so, do you have any idea what it would be like for them growing up as a biracial child? Things haven’t gotten that much better since the sixties.”

  Mia wanted to say that they hadn’t given much thought to what it was like being the only black child growing up in a mostly all white environment but decided not to make matters worse.

  She didn’t have to say anything, Harrison did. “Sir, we are not naïve enough to think race is not still an issue. We experience a great deal considering I’m attending a historically black college. I can say I know what it’s like being in the minority, at least here on campus. Please don’t misunderstand, I am not trying to minimize the black experience. All I am trying to say is we’ve experienced our share of hate from people who don’t want us together. I think I’m safe in saying we’re both up for the challenge. We’ll make our relationship work. If it doesn’t, it will be because of us, not outside influences.” Harrison’s last statement was firm, almost hard. He wanted to make it very clear to her parents that it included them as well.

  Ellis was pissed. “I’m just going to say it. I don’t approve of this relationship.”

  Harrison nodded. “I can respect that. You’ve put all your cards on the table, and I’m sorry you feel this way. However, let me also be frank, if I may? I
love, Mia. Nothing is ever going to change that including your disapproval. It won’t keep me from wanting to or attempting to build a life with her.”

  Mia hated what was unfolding right before her eyes. The rise and fall of her chest was painfully obvious. She’d never stood up to her parents like this, and she’d never been with anyone who had either. Her love for Harrison as he fought for them only grew more.

  She felt she should say something. “Mom, Dad, my decision to be or not to be with Harrison is my decision alone. I choose him. I want to be with him. When we graduate next fall, I plan to move back to Chicago with him.”

  Avery almost had a heart attack. Her eyes widened in alarm, and the clicking sound of her dropping her spoon into her dessert bowl was loud but not as loud as her voice. “Are you crazy? What about Oxford?”

  Mia was determined. “I can finish my Doctorate at Northwestern. Harrison and I have already discussed it.”

  Ellis sat up straighter in his chair. “Let me get this straight. My daughter is going to give up a once in a lifetime opportunity to attend Oxford to go and shack up with some man who hasn’t even promised her marriage?”

  Mia stuttered. “I-If that’s the way you want to look at it, Daddy.”

  “That’s the way it is, Mia! I’ve lost my appetite.” He stood, threw his napkin on the table and walked out.

  Avery was less dramatic but more effective in her argument. “You do realize that if you continue with this nonsense, you will be cut off from any financial support from us, right?”

  Mia knew her parents would be upset, but this took it to an entirely different level. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “If that is how you choose to deal with my being in love with Harrison, then yes. I’m prepared for whatever those consequences are.”

  Her mother hadn’t been expecting that response. “I hope your tutoring money will pay all of your bills because you won’t get another dime out of us.” She stood from the table. “Please lock up on your way out. I’ve suddenly lost my appetite as well.”

  Mia watched her mother and father leave. She hadn’t known what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t this. As the tears welled up in her eyes, Harrison pulled her into a tight embrace. They stood to leave.