The Christmas Promise

by Sean D. Young

  Faith leaned closer to them. “Hey, let’s talk about how Uncle Henry is all up in Margaret’s face like they’re in high school.”

  Margaret Montgomery was Faith’s soon-to-be mother-in-law and partner. She was an excellent seamstress who’d taught Faith how to sew when she was a young girl. The widowed mother of two grown children had lived across the street from the McClendons since her son Michael was seven years old.

  Jennifer rolled her eyes. “What happened?”

  Faith pointed in Margaret’s direction. “When that song by the Emotions started playing ‘What Do the Lonely Do at Christmas’, he grabbed her, pulled her into his arms and held her like she would break. They were dancing like they’d been together for years. He’s been in her face since she walked in the door.”

  “I checked him out at Thanksgiving dinner. I was sitting two people down from them and they talked the whole time. I’d wondered if they remembered that everyone else was there, but they sure didn’t act like it,” Patrice said.

  All the girls folded their arms under their breasts and leaned against the wall. “This is going to be interesting,” Faith said. They watched the older couple laugh and have a good time.

  “Shoot, I don’t know what y’all talking about, Uncle Henry is a good catch,” Patrice said.

  Jennifer didn’t think there was anything wrong with her uncle being interested in Margaret. He had been a widower for some time now and her parents’ neighbor Margaret had been a widow for more than twenty years. “You know what, girls? Love is love in my eyes.”

  The rest of them nodded in agreement.

  It seemed as if no time had passed before Patrice came around to tell everyone that they were getting ready to serve the food. Russell asked them all to gather around the wide-open space near the stairs. Jennifer rushed over to turn the music down, so everyone could hear what her father was about to say.

  “Can everyone hear me?” Russell asked, standing midway on the staircase, as the room quieted.

  “Wherever you’re standing and whoever you’re standing next to, grab that person by the hand, please.”

  Russell closed his eyes and with a booming voice, he thanked God for the gathering of the two families, for the healing of Simeon, their prosperous future and for the food. Once he was done everyone gave a hearty “amen”.

  Simeon appeared at the landing and the entire family erupted in spontaneous applause. Jennifer’s eyes sparkled with tears as she watched while each person showed him love as he descended the stairs with a touch, hug, kiss, or pat on the back. He walked down the stairs in his crisp white Bugatchi shirt, Diesel jeans, and a Rolex watch that dangled on his wrist like a bracelet. Even though his face was thinner, it still didn’t distract from his handsome features, and the joyful expression on his face couldn’t be bought or paid for. It was as natural as breathing and Jennifer was so grateful as he smiled at everyone as they continued to cheer.

  Hitting the bottom step, he took several more, walking into his mother’s arms. Tears trickled down Barbara’s face and everyone surrounded them, feeling the love between mother and son.

  Jennifer looked over at her mother, who was watching the interaction between Simeon and his mother. Jennifer saw the sadness that suddenly covered her mother’s face and started to worry. She maneuvered through the people to get to her.

  “What is it?” she asked, pulling her mother close.

  “I was thinking about your brother…wishing he could be here,” Myra said.

  Jennifer continued to hold her mom, hoping it would bring her solace.

  Her sister Patrice was standing close by and came over. Jennifer looked at Patrice as she mouthed the words, “What’s wrong?” Jennifer responded by mouthing, “Laurence.”

  Patrice nodded her head in understanding. She hugged their mother as well. “Have you heard from him at all, Momma?” Patrice asked.

  Myra hunched her shoulders. “I haven’t heard a word from my baby.” Her eyes glazed.

  Jennifer blinked several times to control her own tears. She’d been so busy with her life, she had forgotten that the last time they’d heard any news or spoken to Laurence was right before Thanksgiving. He was supposed to come home but had gotten called away for a special task force in Afghanistan and they hadn’t heard anything since. But knowing Laurence like she did, Jennifer knew that he was doing everything he could to try to stay alive so that he could come back to them.

  Faith and Renee must have seen the exchange and rushed over. “Don’t cry, Mom,” Faith said, using her thumb to catch the runaway tear. They all hugged her for a minute longer, before Jennifer stepped back.

  “Hey, I believe in my heart that Laurence is okay and he wouldn’t want us to be sad. He’d want us to have a good time tonight,” Jennifer said.

  Patrice nodded. “Yep, and when he comes back, we need to throw him the biggest party this community has ever seen.”

  Renee threw her hands up in the air. “Now, let the party commence.”

  Each of the girls hugged their mother once more before they all went their separate ways to mix and mingle with the rest of the family.

  Starting in the dining room, they formed a single line and filled their plates with the many food options that had been prepared. The table consisted of barbecue ribs and chicken, beef roast, mashed potatoes, plantains, red beans and rice, candied yams, jerk chicken and fish with sourdough bread and jerk salad.

  Once they got their food, Jennifer made sure the older family members were able to sit at the kitchen and dining room tables while the younger folks found a comfortable place to enjoy their meal. Jennifer went to look for her own children, who were being passed around from relative to relative being cute and adorable. She found both Micah and Mariah with Simeon’s mom and dad who were proudly showing them off to the rest of their family.

  Next, she went searching for Simeon to make sure that being in the crowd didn’t overwhelm him. She found him sitting at the kitchen table laughing and talking with his brother and sister-in-law. By the looks of the plate in front of him, someone had prepared it and he’d already eaten most of it. It was now time for her to get a bite for herself. It seemed that the gathering was a success and she couldn’t be happier.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Simeon watched Jennifer as she approached the table with a plate of food. She carried out the job as hostess and lady of the house perfectly. He hadn’t heard any negative comments concerning her attitude. She had been gracious and charming to every member of his family.

  The burgundy fitted dress she wore clung to her curves just the way he liked it. Her hair flowed down in the back and curled around her face in the front, making her look perfect.

  Jennifer put the plate down on the table and sat down next to him. She reached over, caressing his neck. “How are you feeling?”

  “Just a little tired,” he said, looking at the swell of her breasts as she bent over the table to pick up the salt and pepper shakers.

  “Do you want to go upstairs to rest?” she asked.

  “In a little while. You go on and eat your dinner.”

  Jennifer picked up her fork and knife then cut into a tender piece of jerk chicken. “Can you believe we’ve literally got a house full of people?”

  Simeon smiled. “Yes, baby, it’s wonderful. Both of our families are here together.”

  Jennifer nodded. “This is unforgettable.”

  Simeon didn’t know about anyone else there, but he knew that this Christmas was going to be one he’d never forget. “Yes, and Micah and Mariah seem to be the stars of the show.”

  Jennifer giggled. “Yes, they’ve been passed around so much today, they are going to be asleep on their feet after a while.”

  “They’ve never had this much attention,” Simeon said.

  “They get enough attention, believe me.”

  “You go
ahead and eat, love,” Simeon said, wanting her to enjoy her food and not let it get cold. He turned to his brother Charlie and struck up a conversation.

  Suddenly Simeon’s mind wandered as he thought about proposing to Jennifer while with both of their families were present. He glanced over at her and noticed she was about done with her meal.

  “Love,” he called out to Jennifer.

  Their eyes met and held before she answered. “Yes, baby.”

  “I think I’m ready to go upstairs now,” he said pushing his chair away from the table.

  Jennifer stood up. “Okay, I’ll go up with you.”

  When she said that, Simeon knew exactly how he was going to propose. He got up from his seat and they walked through the kitchen and down the hall to the front of the house. As they ascended the stairs, he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close.

  “Thank you,” he said, planting a kiss on her cheek.

  Jennifer captured his arm around her waist. “This was good for us all, so no need to thank me.”

  They walked inside the master bedroom and Simeon sat down on the side of the bed before he opened the top drawer of the nightstand.

  “Are you going to be okay?” Jennifer asked.

  “Yes,” he responded, watching her.

  Jennifer turned to leave. “I’ll check on you later,” she said, walking toward the door.

  “Jenn, wait,” Simeon said, standing. “Wait, love.”

  She turned back around and went over to him. “You’re not in any pain are you?”

  Simeon sat down and patted the empty space next to him. “Come and sit with me for a minute.”

  She obliged. “What’s wrong?”

  “I wanted to give you an early Christmas gift,” Simeon said, then smiled as he handed her the foil-wrapped box.

  Jennifer gave him an under-eyed look. “Simeon, what is this?”

  He hunched his shoulders. “I think you have to open it to find out.”

  Jennifer pulled the silver bow from the top of the box, then the ribbon. She sat for several seconds with the box lying in her lap.

  Simeon nudged her. “Love, don’t be afraid. Open the box.”

  Jennifer nodded. “I’m opening it. I just didn’t want to mess up the ribbon.”

  “Girl, open the box,” he said jokingly. He realized that Jennifer was nervous, but he wanted to get on with the proposal.

  Tearing the wrapper off, letting the remnants fall to the floor, Jennifer flipped the lid up on the box and Simeon heard her gasp. She looked at him and then back down at the ring.

  “Simeon, this is simply beautiful.”

  “I know, just like you. When I saw it, I immediately thought of you.” He lifted her chin, so he could look into her eyes. “You are an excellent mother. I love the way you love our children.”

  He could see tears glistening in her eyes. “You are so strong, so resilient and I admire your bravery.”

  He loved the fact that she never left his side while he was ill. She didn’t turn her back on him and that on top of everything else made him love her more.

  Jennifer rested her head on his shoulder, silence between them, staring at the diamond. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say yes,” Simeon said. “You can say that you will be my wife, now and forever.” They had been to hell and back and it was time they moved on to the next phase of their relationship.

  Jennifer sat up straight, handed the box back to him, and then held out her finger. “Yes, I will be your wife, now and forever.”

  Simeon took the ring from the cushion and slid it on the third finger of her left hand, fitting nice and snug. “Now, that’s what I’m talking about. I told you that you’d be mine.”

  Jennifer rested her forehead against his. “I’ve always been yours, Simeon.”

  “I knew that too. You were the one that needed convincing.” He softly kissed her lips.

  “We have to plan a wedding,” she said with excitement in her voice.

  “Yeah, but if I have anything to do with it, it will be a quick. I would like to get married on New Year’s Eve.”

  Jennifer stood to her feet. “You mean like next week, New Year’s Eve?”

  “Yep,” he said, moving his head up and down.

  Jennifer shrugged her shoulders. “Okay, next week it is.”

  Simeon stood as well, surprised that she agreed so fast to his statement. “Love, you don’t mind getting married so quickly?”

  Jennifer kissed him. “Nope. I want what you want.”

  “But every woman dreams of having a lavish wedding. Isn’t your sister Faith planning a wedding?”

  Jennifer nodded. “Yes, she is, but she and Michael aren’t getting married until next Valentine’s Day. I don’t want to wait.” She stepped closer to him, reaching around his back to pull him closer to her. “Like you said the other day, we’ve got to get on with the business of living.”

  He kissed her. In his eyes, they had wasted enough time. Reveling in her embrace, he devoured her mouth, then rained kisses down the side of her neck as they caressed each other. “If we didn’t have a house full of people, I’d make love to you right now.”

  Jennifer’s attention went to the bedroom door. “I don’t think we want to take that chance. We might traumatize one of those kids if they walked in here on us.”

  They both laughed.

  “Well, go get Charlie and ask him to gather everyone around the stairs, so we can share our news with the family.”

  Jennifer headed for the door.

  “Oh yeah, and have Treecie get their attention so everyone can hear. She’s got a big mouth, they’ll listen to her.”

  Jennifer laughed as she walked out of the room.

  Once word got around that Simeon had an announcement, everyone was eager to hear what he had to say. They flocked as close as they could to where he was standing on the staircase. He could see everyone really good from up there. He waved his hand at Jennifer, beckoning her to come to him.

  “Bring the kids with you,” he shouted over the noise.

  You could hear the simultaneous conversations until someone blew what sounded like a whistle to get everyone to quiet down.

  Jennifer held Micah, and Faith came with her carrying Mariah up the stairs to where Simeon was standing. Faith handed Mariah to Simeon and went back down with everyone else.

  Simeon cleared his throat. “I want to thank everyone for coming to celebrate Christmas with us. We hope that you’re having a wonderful time. I wanted to take a minute to share some news with you all.” He glanced at Jennifer and smiled.

  Steadying Mariah in one arm, he grasped Jennifer’s left hand in the other. “I love this lady,” he said.

  He could see Jennifer tearing up already, but he continued on. “Some time ago, I made her a promise to never let her go again. I want to keep that promise, so I asked her to be my wife.”

  Simeon didn’t complete his sentence because the crowd erupted in applause.

  “She said she’s ready to make a promise to me ’til death do us part.”

  He could see the smiles on their relatives’ faces and some tears from their parents. Then someone shouted, “When’s the wedding?”

  “Next week!” Simeon shouted back, pulling Jennifer to his side and then he kissed Mariah on her forehead.

  “New Year’s Eve?” Myra shouted.

  Simeon and Jennifer descended the stairs to talk with Myra and Barbara. He figured they would have a lot of questions, so he wanted to get everything straightened out now.

  Micah reached for Russell who was standing next to Myra and he took him from Jennifer.

  “Jenn, baby, are you sure you want to get married next week? You know what we’ve got going on then,” Myra said.

  Russell nudged Myra. “Baby, if they want to
get married now, who are we to stop them?” he asked, trying to move Micah’s hand away from his mouth.

  “I don’t want to stop them from getting married. I want her special day to be only about her. That’s all.”

  Simeon grabbed Jennifer’s hand for support before she answered her mother. “Mom, I don’t have to have an elaborate wedding like what Faith is planning. I just want to get married. Simeon and I have lost so much time, we just want to be a family with our babies.”

  “I can understand that, baby, and I’m with you one hundred percent. Only if you’re sure that is what you want to do,” Myra responded.

  Jennifer nodded. “Yes, that’s what I want to do.”

  Russell extended a hand to Simeon. “Congratulations, son.”

  Simeon shook his hand vigorously. “Thank you, sir. I promise to take very good care of your daughter.”

  Russell smiled. “I have no doubt about that,” he replied, handing his grandson back to his mother. He patted Simeon on the back as he walked away.

  Simeon kissed Jennifer on the lips. “Love, I’m going to go and talk to my brother. Do you want me to take Micah?” Simeon took him from her, as they shared a kiss. He walked away with the twins, happily waving at their mother.

  Later that evening after all the other guests had left and the house had been cleaned, Jennifer felt it was an appropriate time to talk about the wedding planning. Her parents and sisters were there and so were Simeon’s parents and siblings.

  Jennifer asked everyone to gather in the family room.

  “So what time are you wanting to get married on New Year’s Eve?” Myra asked, wasting no time getting to the topic. She pulled out a notebook and flipped it open, ready to jot down her notes.

  “I was thinking that we could have Pastor Singleton marry us in his study at the church,” Jennifer said, sitting on the floor with her legs tucked behind her near the sofa.

  Simeon came in with the children, putting them down on the floor, so he could sit next to Jennifer.

  “Why don’t you get married here at the house?” Renee suggested.

  Everyone was quiet at first, but the longer Jennifer thought about it the more she liked the idea.