The Christmas Promise

by Sean D. Young

  As soon as Jennifer got her last client under the dryer, she went to the back office. She pulled the note from her apron with his phone number on it and hesitated. She was supposed to call him, but she didn’t know how to feel about it. As she picked up the receiver from the desk, her hand went to her chest, covering her heart as if to shield it. She finally dialed his number. She prayed that this time they could straighten things out because Simeon had already caused her enough heartache to last a lifetime.

  “Jenn, that was fast,” Simeon said when he answered.

  Jennifer heard the surprise in his voice because he probably thought she was putting him off, but she was trying not to allow what she thought of him to affect her making the right choice for the kids.

  “Yes, I think it’s time we talk,” she replied.

  “Do you have something to do after work tonight?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “Well, we can meet somewhere,” he suggested.

  “I don’t think we should be in a public place for this conversation—a more private setting is required for this.”

  “I would have suggested that, but I didn’t think you were up for it.”

  “Oh, yes, I’m up for it. Why don’t you come over to my place and we can talk?”

  “Will Mariah be there?”

  “No, she’s actually with my parents. It will give us time to have a much-needed chat.”

  “What time should I be there?”

  “Eight o’clock will work for me. What about you?”

  “I’ll see you at eight.”

  Jennifer stared at the phone a long time after setting the receiver on the hook. She felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She was tired of being angry, so she’d made up her mind before she contacted him that she would speak to him in a calm voice. Now they’d arranged to talk and hopefully once he shared with her his story, she would understand.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Simeon pulled into one of the empty visitors’ parking spots and turned off the engine. Closing his eyes for a moment, he said a silent prayer that tonight would be the night that would change things for both he and Jennifer. Even if they weren’t meant to be together, he wanted them to have a peaceful relationship for their daughter’s sake.

  Slipping out the car, he engaged the alarm and walked to the building, pressed the buzzer and announced himself.

  By the time he got to her apartment, Jennifer was standing slightly in the hallway waiting for him.

  “Jenn, how are you?” he asked as he approached her.

  Jennifer stepped back inside the apartment, holding the door open for him. “I’m doing well, how about you?”

  “I’m fine. I’m glad you agreed to meet with me,” Simeon said, stepping inside. Their greeting seemed so formal, but he didn’t want to linger on that too long. The important thing was they were both pleasant to each other.

  Jennifer held her hand out. “Let me take your coat, or would you rather keep it with you?”

  Simeon didn’t know if it was a trick question or not, but he didn’t want to do anything to rock the boat. They were off to a good start, so he removed it and his apple cap then handed the items to her. Maybe with that gesture she’d realize he wasn’t in a rush.

  Jennifer pulled a hanger from the hall closet, placed the coat on it and hung it back inside.

  “Let’s go into the other room so we can get more comfortable.”

  Simeon followed her to the first room down a short hallway. Inside the room there was a large portrait hanging on the wall of Jennifer holding two babies; one in each arm.

  Simeon’s eyes narrowed as anger rose in his throat. Disappointment threatened to choke him as he realized she’d had twins—a boy and a girl. Was she ever going to tell him?

  His gaze rested on Jennifer as he tried to formulate his words carefully. “When were you going to tell me?”

  He struggled to keep his voice down because he was so upset with her, but he knew that if he wanted answers he would need patience. Yelling would never move Jennifer but only make her more defensive and yell louder in return.

  “Simeon,” she said slowly. “I was going to tell you tonight.” She sat down on the sofa. “I promise you, I was going to tell you, today. Now, please, have a seat so we can start from the beginning.”

  Astonished at the sight of the twins, Simeon didn’t know what to think. He kept his eyes on the photo as he moved closer. The little boy looked eerily like his brother Charlie and the little girl had one dimple in her right cheek like his mother.

  “Wow,” he exclaimed.

  Standing in awe, he stared at the poster-sized photograph encased in the mahogany frame. Simeon couldn’t take his eyes off his babies. The two beautiful brown-skinned souls in the picture were his.

  He turned to Jennifer. “What’s his name?” he asked.

  “Micah,” Jennifer said in a whisper.

  “Are they…” He didn’t get the question out before she answered.

  “Yes, they’re twins.”

  “Where are they now?” Simeon asked, looking around.

  “They’re with my parents. I’ll pick them up in the morning.”

  He wanted to be angry with her for not telling him that Mariah had a twin. But he was so elated over the fact that he had two beautiful children, he couldn’t focus on anything else.

  Simeon dropped down on the cushions next to her, his eyes never leaving the photograph. He finally turned to Jennifer and she met his gaze, but again before he could say anything, she spoke.

  “Simeon, why are you acting like this is new to you? I told you a long time ago about the babies.”

  “And I keep trying to tell you that I didn’t get any message or email from you.”

  “I made those calls so long ago, Simeon. All I can tell you is that I contacted you,” Jennifer said, standing to her feet. “The last time we spoke, you told me that you’d call me back once you got settled in your hotel. I haven’t seen or heard from you until I saw you in Macy’s,” she said, her eyes dancing. “Explain that one.”

  “Can you just listen and not interrupt? I want you to hear my side.”

  “Of course, Simeon. I can’t wait to hear what you have to say,” Jennifer said sarcastically, taking her seat on the couch.

  “I almost lost my life that day we last spoke, Jenn,” Simeon said, tears swelling in his eyes. He didn’t want to seem weak, but he was grateful to be alive.

  Jennifer eyed him questioningly. “How did you almost lose your life, Simeon?”

  “I was in a car accident,” he said almost in a whisper.

  Jennifer leaned forward, grabbed her chest, her eyes glossy and her mouth open, stunned. Finally she said, “You what?” before leaning back against the couch cushion, shaking her head. “What in the hell? Accident? When did you have an accident? How did it happen?”

  Her questions were rushing out so fast it didn’t give Simeon enough time to answer one before she asked another. Simeon waved for her to calm down.

  “Hold on a moment, love. I need to take my time and tell you this because I’ve never said the words out loud to anyone else before tonight.” He focused on his rehabilitation rather than the accident.

  Jennifer nodded, resting against the sofa with her arms folded underneath her breasts.

  Simeon rubbed his thighs, palms sweating then rested his hands in his lap to keep from wringing them together. As he recalled the accident, his car slamming into the truck, the fire and intense heat, sweat beaded on his forehead and ran down his face.

  Jennifer got up and grabbed a paper towel from the kitchen and handed it to him.

  He wiped the perspiration from his forehead. “When I got off the phone with you, I got into the car headed to the place they had booked for me during my stay in Brazil.” His voice shook as he continued. />
  He got up from the couch and stood in front by the photograph poster. “It was a narrow two-lane highway, too narrow for reckless driving. I drove the speed limit and as safely as possible, but the other cars were switching lanes, weaving in and out.”

  He cleared his throat and continued. “The drivers would pass the car in front of them on the opposite side of the highway, barely missing the oncoming traffic as they squeezed back into their lane. When a helmetless driver of a motorcycle did it, he weaved in front of me, scraping the front end of my car. I slammed on my brakes, to avoid a collision.”

  Jennifer gasped, threw her hand to her mouth, staring at him silently.

  Simeon wasn’t telling her his story to invoke pity or sympathy from her. He wanted her to know the truth.

  “Unfortunately, not five minutes after that near-collision, a car came from behind trying to come around me, but I guess the guy didn’t look to see if the other side of the road was clear enough for him to pass safely because a huge truck was coming at a high speed. The driver of the car quickly got back over into my lane and I swerved, slammed on the brakes, trying to stop so I wouldn’t hit him. My car fishtailed and the last vision I saw was of my car headed into the side of a fuel tanker.”

  He pressed one hand against the wall and dropped his head. Speaking those words seemed to have drained his strength.

  Jennifer went to him then. Standing directly behind him, she wrapped her arms securely around his waist, pressing her face against his back.

  “I’m so sorry that happened to you,” she said. Tears streamed down her face. “Oh, my goodness, Simeon, you are blessed to be alive.”

  Simeon stepped away, leaving the embrace of her arms. He walked back over to the sofa and took a seat. “The last image in my head was of you,” he said.

  Jennifer covered her chest. “Me?” she asked walking back over to the sofa, sitting down next to him.

  Simeon nodded. “Of course. You were becoming a very special part of my life and I was excited about where I thought our relationship was going.”

  Those words hung in the air, garnering no response, so they both sat silently, Jennifer with her head bowed and Simeon staring at her for a moment.

  “I couldn’t remember everything because I had a concussion. One quarter of my body was burned. I had to have painful skin grafts and had no idea where I was when I finally woke up.”

  Jennifer pushed herself forward on the sofa. “Finally?”

  “Yes, they had to put me in a medically induced coma so my body could heal. I was unconscious for weeks. My family told me that it was touch and go for a while, but I guess I kept on fighting.”

  Jennifer jerked back as if she’d been slapped and searched his face. Reaching over, she placed her hand on his thigh. “Simeon, please don’t tell me any more.”

  He moved away, lifting himself to his feet. “I would have told you all this before, but you were always so upset with me and seeing Mariah made me think that you’d moved on with your life. I didn’t want to intrude if you’d found happiness with someone else.”

  Jennifer exhaled and got up from the couch. “I thought you had abandoned me because I was pregnant.”

  “Jenn, I want to show you something,” Simeon said, pulling his starched, button-down tan shirt from his slacks.

  Jennifer watched intently, standing in front of him.

  Unbuttoning his shirt from the top down, Simeon removed it, then turned around.

  “Oh, my God,” Jennifer exclaimed.

  Simeon was sure that she could see the thick brown scars that started at the top of his shoulder underneath his T-shirt down to the shoulder blade. “I’ve never been in so much pain in my life. You can’t imagine the suffering I had to endure.”

  He turned to face her. “You hear of people getting burned when they touch a hot stove but this was one hundred times worse.”

  Jennifer caressed his face. “Please don’t say anything else. I don’t think my heart can take any more.”

  For several moments, they stood facing each other without saying a word. Simeon knew he still wanted to talk about the children, find out as much as he could about them, but he didn’t know if he should push forward after hitting Jennifer with his story. She seemed very emotional as he gave her the details. But he really wanted to meet his children since he’d lost so much time with them already.

  Jennifer didn’t know what to do with herself after hearing about Simeon’s accident. If she hadn’t seen the scar herself, she wouldn’t have believed it. When he first started with his story, she was leery, but as he moved on, she knew in her heart that he was telling the truth.

  Embarrassment gripped her for the way she’d carried on when he tried to talk to her. She was going to hold his abandonment over him without the thought of forgiveness. She knew it wasn’t right and she was being stubborn. Now that she knew the truth she realized it was all a huge misunderstanding.

  As he stood before her in just his T-shirt, the scar he’d just revealed didn’t diminish his deep rich copper-colored skin. He was still the epitome of masculinity, had a gorgeous pair of brown eyes and one dimple in his right cheek.

  Looking up into his eyes, she could see that the darkness had cleared and he looked more relaxed.

  “I’m so sorry, Simeon.”

  “I don’t need your pity, love,” he said moving closer to the photographs on the wall. “I’m the one that’s sorry.”

  “What are you sorry for?” Jennifer didn’t mean to make him feel guilty, since she now knew there was no way he could have known about the kids.

  “I’m sorry because you had to do all this alone,” he said, waving his hand toward the pictures. “But don’t you worry, I’m here now.”

  Tears streamed down Jennifer’s face even after she told herself not to cry. She attempted to wipe them away, but that didn’t help at all. The more she tried to stop, the faster they came.

  Simeon reached out to her, pulling her into his arms. “Forgive me, love. I know you hated me,” he said, bending to place a kiss on her forehead.

  Jennifer clung to him, hugging him tightly around his waist, ashamed of her behavior and how unfairly she’d treated him. “I was so scared. I missed you so much.”

  All those years of anger and frustration were for nothing. She looked up into his eyes. “I should have known that you wouldn’t have abandoned me. I should have tried harder to find you.”

  “How? You couldn’t have known what had happened to me. My phone was destroyed in the accident and because I’ve changed companies you didn’t have the information.”

  Simeon pulled her into his arms. “Now that I have you back, I promise you that I’m never going to let you go again.”

  Jennifer laid her hand on his chest and glanced up at him. “I would like very much to see where this takes us.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Light snowflakes sifted on the windshield of Simeon’s car as he left the parking lot of Jennifer’s apartment building well after midnight. It took everything in him not to leave her because they were actually making progress, but he didn’t want to stay too long and he knew that he’d given her a lot to think about.

  He was sure she’d held so much anger and resentment toward him that it wasn’t going to disappear after one meaningful conversation. But he was happy that she wanted to move forward with their relationship. He realized it wouldn’t be easy, but the prospect filled his heart with joy. With Christmas coming, he wanted to be sure that both Jennifer and his kids had the best one ever.

  Simeon tried to sing along with Donny Hathaway’s melodic voice. “And this Christmas will be a very special Christmas for me,” he hummed and thought that he wouldn’t have to be without his love this Christmas.

  Stopping at the traffic light, Simeon couldn’t help but reflect on the photo he saw on the wall of Micah and Mariah. It was almos
t like looking in the mirror when he studied the photograph and saw the rich chocolate-brown skin and kind eyes. There was one photo of the twins together without Jennifer that reminded him of one he’d taken with his sister Samantha that hung in his parents’ den. Even though she was younger than Sam, Mariah looked so much like her it was almost scary.

  Simeon couldn’t wait to be able to share the news with his family. The first thing he needed to do was to meet the twins himself and that made him a bit nervous. But he was sure that getting to know them would enrich his life. He already felt exceptionally lucky and now in more ways than one.

  Colorful lights from windows, and on eaves and fences sparkled across the area as he drove through the gates of the community where he lived. His house was the only one without lights, but that was going to change quickly. At first he’d decided not to decorate his home, but now he was excited about sharing that experience with Jennifer and the children. They could do it as a family and he was sure that the children would be fascinated with the bright colors.

  Turning on his street, Simeon drove to the brick house at the end and pulled into his driveway. An overwhelming sense of gratitude washed over him and for the first time since before the accident he felt whole again. He had renewed hope and finally had a sense of peace.

  He pushed the door open to the house and walked inside, turning the alarm off. He walked through the kitchen and could hear the quietness of the home, but smiled as he thought about how it would soon be filled with love, laughter and many memories. He would make sure of it.

  Jennifer didn’t believe how her life had changed so completely yet again in just a few hours. One day she was a single mother raising twins with no hope of any assistance from the father, to him coming back into their lives after she randomly ran into him on the street.

  She stepped into her bathtub, sliding down as far as she could until the soapy water hit her neck. Resting her head back on her bath pillow, she closed her eyes enjoying the hot, soapy bubbles. She needed a good soak to relieve all the pent-up tension and frustration she’d carried. She inhaled deeply through her nose and released it, relaxing her body, but she couldn’t relax her mind.