“Well, I hope you know I didn’t do it. I would never do anything to hurt you.”
She took his hand and squeezed it. “I know that.” She released his hand. “There’s Johnnie Mae and Pastor Landris.”
“You can cross them off the list, too.”
She smiled. “I already did.”
“Of course, there’s Lawrence and his friend William.”
“I don’t see Lawrence doing that since he’s been trying so hard to shut his daughter down on this whole situation. He wouldn’t dare do himself in like that.”
“Trying hard, unsuccessfully, I might add. Although I believe her learning that Andrew was my lawyer may have effectively put a nail in that coffin.”
“So she knows Andrew is representing you?”
“Yes. According to him, he told her today before she came over.” Gabrielle began to play with her hands as she spoke.
“Then he must have also told her you’re Jasmine’s birth mother. Maybe that was his way of shutting her down before this court stuff went any further.”
“I asked him. He said he didn’t tell her that.”
“So, do you believe him?”
Gabrielle pressed her hand to her chest. “In my heart, I do. But my head keeps trying to tell me that my heart could possibly be wrong.”
Zachary laughed and placed his hand on her hand still over her heart. “Personally, I’d say go with your heart. So far, your heart hasn’t steered you wrong.”
“So you don’t think Andrew told her?”
Zachary shook his head. “I don’t. I think he really sincerely wanted to help you. I don’t see him stabbing you in the back like that. I don’t.”
Gabrielle forced a smile. “Thank you for that. I was starting to question my heart and to question whether I’d really heard from God.”
He took her hand and gently caressed it. “Don’t. Don’t question your heart and don’t question when you know God has told you something. Things don’t always work the way we think. But if God speaks it, even when the devil tries to do us in, God will use it for our good. I truly believe that.”
Gabrielle smiled and nodded. She wiped her eyes. “Now I just need to figure out who told Paris. I wouldn’t put it past William Threadgill. He just might be a double-crossing snake in the grass. He has those shifty eyes. And he talks fast when he’s trying to pull a fast one on you.”
“I don’t think it was William. If William was going to use it to double-cross Lawrence, he would likely use it purely for financial gain. He would leak it to the press or Lawrence’s opponent.” Zachary shook his head. “I don’t see it being him.”
“The only other people I’ve told are Fatima and Tiffany. That night when we had that slumber party for Jasmine, the three of us were talking about babies . . . more to the point, having babies. I became emotional. I told them what I’d done; they promised not to tell anyone.”
“You know: The thing about a secret is the way people will tell that secret to someone else as their little secret. The best way to keep a secret from ever getting out is to keep the secret to one’s self.”
“So you’re saying I shouldn’t have told them?” Gabrielle stared into his eyes.
He took her hand and lovingly planted a kiss on it. “No, that’s not what I’m saying. Everybody needs someone they can share things with. But that’s my point. We all have a need to share something that bothers us or eats away at our insides. It’s good to get it out, but then the person who has that information may have a need to share and get it out of them with someone else.”
“So you think either Fatima or Tiffany may have told someone, only as a secret for them not to tell anyone?”
“Precisely. Not maliciously. Not to gossip. But let’s say they’re talking to their respective husbands and they happen to share that tidbit of information with them. They’re not thinking that their husbands will tell anyone. Most wives I’ve spoken with wonder if their husbands are ever even listening.”
“If Tiffany told Darius, I wouldn’t put it past him to tell it or sell it. He was the one who was spreading the information about my past as an exotic dancer throughout our church last year. Do you think it might be him?”
“I don’t know. But what I would do is ask both Fatima and Tiffany to see if they told anyone. But you just need to be careful in how you do it. Many great friendships have been broken up because of secrets shared among friends and the aftermath that arises when those secrets are breeched and the friends confronted.”
“That’s just what Johnnie Mae was telling me.” Gabrielle looked at Zachary. “I’m so thankful that God sent you into my life. I really am.”
He took her hand and kissed it, this time holding his lips to her hand. He then sheepishly looked at her. “When you marry me, I’ll know that you really mean that.”
She smiled. “Soon.”
“Promise?”
“Cross my heart and hope to live with you for the rest of our lives here on this earth.” She pulled her hand away from his and made a cross sign with her index finger over her heart.
“Dr. Z?” Jasmine said in a quiet voice.
He quickly turned in the direction of Jasmine. She ran full-out into his arms and started crying. “It hurts, Dr. Z. It hurts so much.” He stood up and rocked her. “Make it better. Please, make it better,” she cried.
Gabrielle stood and placed her hand on Jasmine’s back. She held it there without saying anything or doing anything to interfere with their moment together.
Chapter 38
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
—Ephesians 6:15
Gabrielle called Fatima first. They’d become really close over the past year. She didn’t want to do something like this over the phone, so she asked if she could come over.
Both Fatima and Trent owned a house when they married in May. Fatima talked Trent into selling his house and moving into hers, which was the bigger of the two. So she still resided at the same address. Fatima was in the kitchen cooking dinner when she arrived. They hugged and proceeded to perform all the usual niceties and courtesies.
Gabrielle sat at the kitchen counter in a tall metal-back chair while Fatima rinsed off broccoli in the sink. Fatima dried her hands and came over to the other side and sat in the chair right next to Gabrielle. “Okay, Gabrielle. I can tell something is bothering you. Tell me what’s up?”
Gabrielle smiled. “You know me too well.”
“I know you well enough. So tell me what’s going on.”
“I need to ask you something, but I don’t want you taking it the wrong way or thinking that I’m accusing you or anything like that.”
“Okay.”
“You remember at the slumber party when we were talking that night, girl talk?”
“Yeah.” Fatima beamed. “That was a great time. And the talking helped me so much. It made me look differently at whether or not I wanted children this late in the game.”
Gabrielle smiled. “I’m glad. I enjoyed it as well.” Gabrielle swallowed hard.
“Gabrielle, whatever you want to ask or say, just say it. I promise I won’t take whatever it is the wrong way.”
Gabrielle gave a nod. “That night, we talked about Jasmine being adopted and I told you and Tiffany that I was, in truth, her birth mother.”
Fatima nodded. “Yeah. Now that really took me by surprise. I didn’t know exactly what to do with that information. I’ve never heard of such a thing. By that I mean: giving your child up for adoption and then years later being in a situation where you’re about to adopt your own child back. That was mind-boggling.”
“It is sort of mysterious, isn’t it? But God works in mysterious ways. He has a way that will blow our minds, if we’ll only allow Him the opportunity to do so.”
“I know that’s right. Okay, so you told us that. What’s going on?”
“Paris came to my house yesterday afternoon.”
“Paris? Paris? Who is Paris? Oh, wai
t, I know you’re not talking about the woman trying to take Jasmine from you? That Paris?”
“Yes, that one.”
“Why did she come see you? Is she ready to drop this whole nonsense?”
“I believe she is now.”
“Well, praise the Lord! That’s good news. Right? Why aren’t you celebrating? You don’t appear to be celebrating.”
“That’s because I’m not. Paris somehow found out that Jasmine is my biological child. There’s other stuff to this story that I won’t get into right now. But the end result is: She accused me of giving away my child because I didn’t want her.”
“What? You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“Nope. I wish I were. But that’s not even the worst part. The worst part is that Jasmine overheard her.”
“Oh, my goodness! You poor thing.” Fatima stood up and hugged Gabrielle. “I understand why you’re so distraught. How is Jasmine?”
“Jasmine’s not taking it well at all. She doesn’t want to talk to me. She thinks I didn’t want her. She’s hurting.” Gabrielle started crying even though she had vowed not to. “I’m sorry. I thought I was all cried out, but I guess I’m not.” She fanned her face to stop the tears. Gabrielle reached over and tore off a sheet of paper towel, thankful that it was the good kind, soft enough to use to wipe away her spent tears.
Fatima sat back down. “How did she find out about you being Jasmine’s birth mother and giving her up for adoption? Do you know?”
“That’s why I’m here. I don’t know. It’s not in any records for her to find out that way. Not any she could get her hands on anyway. She told me she’d gotten the information from someone in my inner circle.”
“She’s claiming someone close to you told it?”
“Yes.”
“Well, it wasn’t me. I don’t even know the lady. And if I did, after what she’s done and put you through, there would be some words exchanged, and believe me: They wouldn’t be ‘God bless you’ and ‘Praise the Lord.’”
Gabrielle placed her hand over Fatima’s. “I hate to do this, but I have to ask you. I’m not saying that if you did it, it was done intentionally to hurt me. But did you happen to tell anyone. . . anyone at all, about me being Jasmine’s birth mother?”
Fatima recoiled from Gabrielle’s words. “No. I’m telling you, whoever it was, it wasn’t me.” She leaned in closer to Gabrielle. “I value our friendship too much. You were there for me when my mother passed away. I’ll never forget how wonderful you’ve been since we’ve become associates and then friends.”
Gabrielle touched Fatima’s hand. “And you are a good friend to me. But is it possible you may have mentioned it to Trent?”
“No. I didn’t even mention it to him. I wouldn’t do that. I wouldn’t. You have to believe me, Gabrielle. If I had, I would tell you the truth. He’s my husband, and if I had told him, I wouldn’t have a problem telling you I’d done so.” She shook her head. “But I didn’t. I didn’t.”
“I didn’t think that you would. But as you said, Trent is your husband. We all need someone to confide in. I can see a wife telling her husband something and not thinking she’s divulging anything wrongly.”
“If that were the case, I’d agree with you. But in my case, it didn’t happen.”
Gabrielle leaned over and hugged her. “Thank you. I hope you understand that I had to ask.”
“So, have you talked to Tiffany about this yet?”
“No. She’s the final person on my list. If it’s not her, I have no clue where it could have come from because there are only about a handful of folks who know.”
“I don’t mean to start anything. And the Lord knows I don’t want to be viewed as a gossiper or a talebearer. But that husband of hers, Darius . . . I wouldn’t trust him with a ten-foot pole.”
“I’ve kind of picked up that you don’t care for him much. It almost borders on hate. After what he did last year by spreading what he did all over the congregation about me, I can understand if he’s ever done something like that to you.”
“Darius is a snake and a two-timing dog, that’s all I have to say about the man.”
“Wow, Fatima. You say that as though you truly know of which you speak.”
Fatima stood up and paced around the kitchen for about a minute without saying a word. She stopped and looked straight into Gabrielle’s awaiting eyes. “Listen, I have something I need to get off of my chest. It’s been eating away and eating away at me, and I need some release. I need to tell somebody.”
Gabrielle stood up and went to her. “Okay. Come and sit down.” They sat down at the kitchen table. “I’m here if you’d like to talk to me about it.”
“You have your own problems, Gabrielle. You don’t need me dumping my garbage on you. Not at this point.”
“Fatima, we’re sisterfriends. Remember? So tell me.”
“I don’t know how you say something like this.”
“You just open your mouth and say it. I promise: Whatever it is, I’m not going to judge you on it. I love you, Fatima. You really are like a sister to me.”
Fatima was crying now. She snatched up a napkin out of the holder on the table. “Really? Because that’s exactly how I feel about you.”
Gabrielle nodded. “So please tell me. Get it out of you. I’m here.”
Fatima sucked in a deep breath, then exhaled slowly as she said, “I had an affair with Darius Connors.”
Gabrielle jerked back from Fatima.
“See, I knew I shouldn’t have told you.”
“When?” Gabrielle leaned closer and took her hand. “When was this?”
“Oh, it’s been some years back. I broke it off for good in 2005. It was hard; I’m not going to lie. But God was with me every step of the way. Then God sent me Trent.”
“I take it Tiffany doesn’t know anything about this.”
“Do I look like a fool to you?” Fatima said, then chuckled slightly. “Of course she doesn’t know. I didn’t even know her at the time. The affair lasted for about three years. After I broke it off with him, I met Tiffany. Because of the dance ministry, Tiffany and I ended up becoming friends. I certainly couldn’t tell her something like that then. When is the right time to tell a woman you care about and you don’t want to hurt that you once had an affair with her husband? Even if it was before we met.”
Gabrielle shrugged. “Good question.” But Gabrielle was thinking: When is the right time to tell a one-time friend that you once slept with her father?
“I know what kind of a person Darius is. He’s a liar and a cheat. And those are his good qualities. Tiffany has no idea. She thinks he’s a good man. But I know better.”
“Well, he might have changed since you knew him,” Gabrielle said. “People do change. Look at me: I changed.”
“Yes, people do change. But I see the same slick guy, if not more so, that I knew back when. And he’s still getting over on Tiffany. Sometimes, I just want to grab her up and shake her and tell her to wake up and see what’s going on right before her eyes.”
“She probably knows. On some level, she knows. My friend, Clarence Walker, busted Darius right in front of her once. It was last year, when Darius was spreading that information about me being an exotic dancer throughout the congregation. Clarence let her know that her husband had been hanging out at the strip club, paying his hard-earned money to see me and women like me.”
“I’m sure Darius lied his way out of it.” Fatima looked at Gabrielle with intensity. “So what do you think we should do? What can I do to help if anything? I don’t want to accuse anyone of anything, but in my gut, I think Darius may be at the heart of this information getting out by way of Tiffany.”
“First, I’m going to ask Tiffany because I don’t want to indict her without giving her a fair hearing. Maybe she did tell him. And maybe he somehow found a way to tell Paris. That part I still can’t quite figure out.”
“While you’re asking her things, ask her where her husband works
. That’s if he really does have a job, which I’m starting to question by the way she changes the subject if anyone asks her about it. That could be a clue. If he’s really working, maybe there’s a tie-in there somewhere. You never know. If not, maybe he found a way to sell the information either to this Paris directly or to someone close to her.”
“You’re right. You never know.” Gabrielle stood up. “Well, I’m going to get going. Zachary is so great. He’s with Jasmine. I think he’s trying to get her to see things in a better light. I can’t get her to talk to me at all. She’s shut down on me completely. If I try to talk to her, she won’t even look at me.”
“You need to go on and marry that man before he ends up getting away.”
Gabrielle smiled. “Trust me: I have every intention of marrying him. But I can only fight one battle at a time. And believe me: His mother is not going to be an easy battle. She says she likes me just fine, but she just doesn’t want me marrying her son.” Gabrielle shook her head. “Yep. Another battle for another day. For now, I have to settle things with my baby girl.”
“At least you have your priorities in the right place. Jasmine needs you. Although, from the way Zachary acts when he’s around you, that man needs you, too. He is so in love with you.”
Gabrielle hugged Fatima. “Thanks for everything. Pray for me.”
“Always. Let me know what you find out,” Fatima said.
“Will do. Oh, and Fatima?”
“Yeah?”
“Your secret . . . the one you just shared . . . it’s safe with me.”
Fatima hugged her this time around. “Thank you.” She released a loud sigh. “I feel so much lighter now that I’ve gotten that off my chest and out of my head. It can be heavy carrying around something like that and never feeling like you can tell it.”
“That’s the way the truth works, I suppose.” Gabrielle walked over to the door. Fatima opened it. “The truth will make you free.” She hugged her. “Bye now.”
Chapter 39
If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
The Other Side of Dare Page 21
