He nodded. “I can imagine her company is picking up the tab for most, if not all, of the living expenses.”
“You got it. That’s why it made so much sense for the kids to join them.” She went on to tell him all the activities Kenneth and Mary Margaret had planned.
“I would enjoy a trip like that.”
“So would I,” she said. “But there was no way I could afford it. The best I’ve been able to do is take the kids to Disney World in Orlando for a week.”
“I bet they enjoyed it.”
She smiled. “They had a ball. It’s easy to entertain them at their age.”
“You’re a good mom,” he said.
She met his eyes. “I try, but it’s not always easy.” He’d been open with her about his life so she decided to open up a little to him. “I just want so much for them.”
“From the looks of them in those pictures, they’re both healthy and happy. Everything is gravy.”
“I know,” she said, “but I want the gravy.”
He chuckled. “I’m getting lost in the analogy. What’s the gravy?”
“Right now it’s a house in Gwinnett County. That’s why I’m working extra jobs this summer.”
“You want to move?”
She nodded. “Kenneth convinced me to enroll the kids in a school in his school district. It was the right decision since the school did have a better report card than the school they would have gone to here. But we spend a lot of time traveling between my house, Kenneth’s house, and the school. It’s a lot for the kids and for me. It would be much easier if we lived closer to the school.”
He nodded. “Or the kids could live with their father during the school week. I guess that’s not an acceptable option for you.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s not. Of course, Kenneth has suggested it. I see his point but I don’t see my kids living away from me. That makes my best alternative moving to the district. I’ve already found a little house that’s perfect for us. I have until August first to go to contract with the owners.”
“Are you going to make it?”
She nodded. “It was touch and go for a while, but with my extra work, I’ll be able to swing it.”
He met her eyes. “You know, the loan program was made for situations like yours. You’re—”
She began shaking her head. “Don’t even offer. If I hadn’t been able to find extra work, I would consider your offer a godsend. But since I have found work, I couldn’t take money that some other family might need.” She smiled at him to let him know she wasn’t offended by his offer. “I will be one of the first people to enroll in the personal finance workshop though.”
“I’m glad,” he said. “I ought to enroll myself. It makes sense that we both attend a full session. We can learn something while we’re evaluating the session.”
“Makes sense to me,” she said, jotting down the idea.
He looked at his watch. “It’s getting late. Do we have anything else?”
She closed her folder. “No, that’s all I have. Unless you have something, I think we’re done for the day.”
He leaned forward. “I do have one more thing. Given his work at HR Solutions, I spoke with Phil Harris about supporting these programs in some way and he had a great suggestion. He is a member of the DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce and is involved in the Southside Business Council, which includes the community surrounding the church.”
She nodded. “I’ve heard of it.”
“Well, they’re having an open house and reception next Saturday night that he thinks we should attend. It will be a good way for us to make some connections in the community, connections that might be useful with this program and with the church as a whole. I’ve already spoken to Gavin about it and he’s on board with us going as church representatives.” He leaned closer. “I’d like you to attend as my date, not just as the church representative. I’d like to make it up to you for having to cancel last Sunday.”
Instead of giving a straight answer, she said, “I guess it’s formal.”
“I have the invitation right here,” he said, pushing it toward her. “It says cocktail attire.”
“Cocktail attire,” she repeated, mentally going through her wardrobe for the perfect dress.
“So will you go with me?”
She nodded. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“Good. Phil and Bertice will be there as well. Phil mentioned going out to a jazz club or something afterward. How does that sound?”
She smiled. “It sounds like we’re about to go on a real date. It’s sorta scary.”
He shook his head. “Nah. It’ll be easy. I promise.”
Chapter 25
DESTINY HELPED HER MOTHER CLEAR THE TABLE.
“So you’ve told Kenneth and his wife that I’m coming with you?” her mother asked.
Destiny nodded. “Yes, I told them and I also told them that I wanted to surprise the kids. They agreed not to tell them we were coming.”
“That was nice of them. What’s on the schedule for the time we’re there?”
“We’ll hit some local tourist spots that the kids haven’t visited yet. They haven’t done Disney, so we get to do that with them. Kenneth and Mary Margaret are also trying to get tickets to one of the kids’ TV shows filming this summer. I hope we get to take in a taping of one of their favorite shows. It’s going to be a short trip, so we won’t be able to do a lot. We’ll leave here on Friday night and get back on Monday night. Barely just enough time to see the kids and give them a big hug.”
“You’re right about the short time frame,” her mother said. “I wish we could stay longer. I’d like to make it to one of those game shows myself. Maybe I’ll look into it.”
Destiny nodded. “Go ahead. It can’t hurt and it may work out.”
“Would you go with me?”
“Of course I would, Mom. It would be fun.”
“I think so. I’ll definitely look into it. Is there anything else I need to do?”
Destiny shook her head. “Everything’s covered.”
“You’ve already booked the hotel and you’re buying the tickets soon?” her mother asked.
“Yes, I’ll book them tonight.”
“I’m paying you back for everything,” her mother said, beginning to wash the few dishes they had used.
“I know, Mom,” Destiny said. “I’ll put the tickets on my credit card. When I get ready to pay the bill, I’ll let you know.”
“You’d better, Destiny. I want to pay my way.”
Destiny rolled her eyes when her mother wasn’t looking. “I’ll keep track of everything I spend on you so you can pay me back.”
“Okay,” her mother said. “Now get a towel and dry these dishes. We should be finished in no time.”
Destiny did as she was told.
“I’m glad you came over tonight,” her mother said, handing her a plate.
Destiny took the plate and wiped it with the towel. “I told you I was going to visit more.”
“But I know you’ve been busy, so I appreciate your looking in on your old mom.”
Destiny wanted to laugh at her mother’s reference to herself as old. The woman was anything but.
“How’s school?” her mother asked, handing her a pot to dry.
Taking it, Destiny said, “You may have been right, Mom.”
Her mother stopped washing dishes and turned to her. “What did you say? Did I hear you right?”
Destiny rolled her eyes again. This time she knew her mother saw her. “You heard me. I said you may have been right. Somewhere along the way I think I turned into a good student.”
Her mother turned back to the dishes. “You always had it in you. I’ve always said so.”
Maybe she had been capable back then, Destiny considered. Or maybe she had a different perspective now. Like Mrs. Robinson had told her, having a purpose for her studies made doing the studying much easier.
“How’s the job at the church?
” her mother asked. Finished with the dishes, she pulled the plug to let the water out of the sink.
Destiny leaned back against the counter and watched her mother clean the counter. “It’s going well, too.”
Her mother glanced back at her. “So you’re working with that new pastor?”
Destiny refused to ask how her mother knew. “Yes,” she said simply.
“I hear he’s a handsome devil. Single, too.”
Destiny knew where her mother was going. “We work together, Mom. That’s all,” she said, refusing to bring up the open house and reception she and Daniel were attending together next week. She’d hear enough about that from Natalie. She didn’t need her mom’s two cents. Besides, what she and Daniel were starting was new and fresh and she wanted to keep it between them for a while.
“You’re an attractive woman, Destiny,” her mom said. “You could have a man if you halfway tried.”
Oh no, Destiny thought. Her going back to college was not enough. Now her mom thought she needed a man. And if her mom was true to her nature, she’d harp on this point the same way she’d harped on school. Her mom was never satisfied. “Did I tell you that I’m also going to work on getting my natural hair care license?” she offered as a change in the topic of conversation.
“Natural hair care license? Where did this come from?”
Destiny was able to keep from rolling her eyes this time. “You know I do hair.”
Finished with the kitchen cleanup, her mom turned to her. “I know you enjoy doing hair, Destiny, but you need to focus now. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.”
“I’m not, Mom,” Destiny said, realizing that there were few safe topics for her and her mom. They all seemed to end in conflict.
“When do you have time to work on getting a hair care license? You have a full-time job, you’re working part-time at the church, and you’re going to school. Everything is going well now. I just don’t want you to mess it up.”
Destiny wanted to believe her mother didn’t intend to be negative. It just seemed to always turn out that she was. “It’s not going to be too much, Mom. I’m going to work as an apprentice at a shop nearby. I’ll continue to do my friends’ hair. The only difference is, I’ll do it at the salon and get credit toward my license.”
“I don’t know, Destiny. Are you sure that’s going to work? How can you get a license that way?”
“It’s going to work,” she said.
“Well, I hope you’ve researched it. I’d hate for you to spend all that time and have nothing to show for it.”
“I’ve researched it, Mom,” she said. “Mrs. Robinson, the counselor at the college, told me about it. It’s her shop and I’m going to be her apprentice.”
“Mrs. Robinson?” her mother asked.
Destiny nodded. “Yes. Annie Robinson. Do you know her? She says she’s been at the college for about ten years.”
“The name sounds familiar,” her mother said. “Then again I’m sure there’s more than one Annie Robinson in Atlanta.”
“Probably so,” Destiny said. “This one has been really nice to me. She helped with my classes and she gave me some tips on how to be a good student. I don’t know why, but she has gone out of her way to assist me.”
“That’s what counselors are supposed to do, Destiny. I wouldn’t read too much into it. The woman is only doing her job.”
Destiny thought her mother was wrong about Mrs. Robinson. Destiny knew the woman was going beyond what was required in helping her. Natalie and Bertice saw it as God working all these things together for her good. Why couldn’t her mother see them that way?
“Well, I hope this woman knows what she’s doing. I still think focus is important when you’re in school and working two jobs. Nobody can do everything.”
“I’m not trying to do everything,” Destiny said, wondering what her mother would think if she knew she was working the third job with HR Solutions. “I want to do these things. They’re all related anyway.”
Her mother folded her arms across her midsection. “I don’t see how they are related and I don’t see how you can do them all. It’s too much.”
Destiny thought about trying to explain it to her mother and then decided against it. “You’ll have to trust me, Mom, when I say they are.”
“It’s not about trust, Destiny,” her mother said. “It’s about wisdom. You have all this on your plate and you’re getting ready to take some time off to go to California. Can you even afford to do that given all your commitments?”
“I can afford it, Mom,” she said.
“You know I’m not talking dollars and cents,” her mother said.
“I’ve taken care of my responsibilities,” Destiny said. “Besides, it’s only for one weekend. I’m not going to get behind on anything while I’m away. You really do have to trust that I know what I’m doing.”
Her mother didn’t look convinced but Destiny was glad she let the matter drop. Grateful for the lapse in conversation, she said, “Well, I should be getting home. I have some homework tonight and I want to read ahead a bit so I don’t have to worry about studying when I’m in California.”
“Okay, dear,” her mother said. “You drive carefully.”
“I will,” Destiny said, giving her mother a good-bye hug and a peck on the forehead.
“And don’t forget to book those plane tickets,” her mother called as she walked out the door.
Without looking back, she lifted her hand and said, “I won’t, Mom.” She couldn’t wait until the end of the summer and she and the kids moved into the house in Gwinnett County. Maybe then her mother could see that she was capable of making good decisions.
Chapter 26
PATRICIA MADISON WAITED PATIENTLY FOR HER THREE-THIRTY meeting. They had agreed to meet for lunch at a restaurant near the campus. Patricia had chosen the time and place because of the low likelihood they would run into Destiny, who was at work at Marshalls, or any of Destiny’s friends. It was important that Destiny not learn of this meeting.
“Hello, Patricia.”
Patricia looked up and laid eyes on Annie Robinson for the first time in more than twenty years. “Hello, Annie,” she said. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. Please have a seat.”
Annie looked down at her as if she was going to reject her offer. Instead she sat. “I would say I was surprised when you called, but I’m not. In fact, I’ve been expecting it.”
Patricia nodded. “I can only imagine.”
“The last time we met like this you threatened me.”
Patricia remembered that day clearly. She’d been so arrogant and full of herself back then. “I was young,” she said. “We were both young.”
Annie looked as if she were remembering the day as well. Then, as if shaking off the thoughts of the past, she said, “So why did you want to see me?”
“You know why. Destiny told me she met with you at the college. I didn’t know you worked there. I didn’t even know you were back in town.”
“Why would you?” Annie said. “You made it pretty clear that I was never to show my face again. Wasn’t that what you said?”
Patricia could only nod. “If I had it to do over, I hope I’d do things differently, but, honestly, I really don’t know that I would. I made the best decision I could make at the time.”
Annie shot hot eyes at her. “You took my child,” she said. “You took my baby.”
Patricia shook her head. “I didn’t take her. You gave her away. You abandoned her.”
“I came back for her.”
“She was a baby, not a pet you’d left at the kennel while you went on vacation. You weren’t ready to be a mother. You didn’t want to be a mother.”
“You don’t know what I wanted. How could you?”
“I know you wanted my husband,” Patricia said coldly. “I know you had an affair with him. And I know you tried to blackmail him with a baby that wasn’t his.”
Annie looked away. “I made a
mistake,” she said, “but that didn’t give you the right to take my child.”
Patricia took a deep breath. “I didn’t ask you here to rehash the past. I want to know what you want with Destiny.”
“She’s my daughter,” Annie said. “I want to get to know her. I deserve the chance to get to know her. I did what you asked and I stayed away. I didn’t come into her life. She came into mine and I can’t turn her away. Don’t ask me to turn her away.”
Patricia ached at the pain she heard in the other woman’s voice. “I’m not going to ask you to turn her away. She needs you.”
Annie’s eyes widened and Patricia knew her words had surprised her. “Well, we agree on something.”
Patricia nodded. She reached in her purse and pulled out a book. Then she handed it to Annie.
“What is it?” Annie asked.
“It’s Destiny’s life, or a snapshot of it. I’ve been keeping it for you since she was a baby.”
Annie opened the book and began to thumb through her daughter’s life. “Why?” she asked, looking over at Patricia. “Why did you do this?”
Patricia shrugged. “You’re her mother. I knew you’d come back for her. I expected you to get your life together and come back and fight for her, but you never did. I didn’t understand that. If I had been fortunate enough to have a child, I couldn’t have left her the way you did and never come back for her. I couldn’t have done that. How could you do it? How could you stay away?”
Annie looked out the window. “My life was a mess. If you thought I was in bad shape the last time you saw me, you should have seen me after. You scared me when you threatened to have me locked up. Then I went and did something stupid and ended up locked up just the same. I spent ten years in prison.”
“Ten years? What did you do?”
“Does it matter?”
Patricia nodded. “It matters because you’re back in Destiny’s life and soon you’ll be back in the lives of her children. I don’t want to see any of them hurt. I won’t let you hurt them.”
The Summer of Me: A Novel Page 15
