“What did you and your mother talk about?” she asked. “You called her a second time, and now your entire attitude has changed. So what’s up?”
Phillip chuckled and shook his head. “That’s one of the things I like about you, Donetta. You’re smart and you get right to the point.”
“Thank you, but that still doesn’t answer my question.”
“I told her about you.”
“About me, as in what kind of person I am? Or about me, as in, her name is Donetta Pierce?”
Phillip stared back at her with an intensity that matched hers. “After you went to your bedroom, I thought you were going to come back out here after my phone call with my mom ended, but you didn’t. While you were gone, it gave me a lot of time to think about all the feelings and emotions going on inside of me. I couldn’t make sense of some of the thoughts running through my mind, so I called my mother because she’s literally the smartest and most compassionate person I know.
“I told her everything, which was a first for me. I’ve always kept my relationships to myself, and it’s the only part of my life that my mom and I don’t discuss in detail. Like I told you, I’ve been with a lot of women, and even though I’ve always been honest and up front in my relationships, my lifestyle has bothered my mother. She’s a woman who was cheated on throughout her marriage, and I guess she’s afraid that one day I might hurt someone like she was hurt, or that someone might get mad and hurt me . . . like she did my dad, which I’m sure you probably heard about.”
Donetta nodded. “News travels fast.”
“Especially bad news. Anyway, my mom allowed me to vent without interruption, which is a skill we lawyers have to master. After I cussed and fussed, she asked me a lot of questions, mainly about how I felt about you before you told me that you’re trans. She helped me work through some things, not everything, but what we talked about was significant.” He paused and smiled. “She has a lot of respect for you, Donetta. She likes you—a lot.”
“She does?” Donetta was in shock about nearly everything Phillip had said, and especially about his mother having respect for her and liking her. Donetta knew that Charlene was one of Geneva’s most loyal clients and that the two had become close ever since Charlene had generously offered to help Geneva with legal advice and emotional support after Johnny had been murdered. Donetta knew that Charlene had always been courteous to her, as she was with most everyone, but she didn’t know that the councilwoman respected and liked her.
“Yes, she does,” Phillip continued. “My mother’s a very open-minded person, and she doesn’t judge. But when it comes to her children she’s very partial, so she naturally had some concerns, which she’d have about anyone I started dating. But she knows you.”
“Even though she comes into the salon every week, I’ve never had a one-on-one conversation with her.”
“Maybe not, but she said—not to my surprise—that you’re quite the conversationalist and you have strong-willed opinions about everything.”
Donetta began to relax and actually smiled. “Yeah, that’s me.”
“She thinks you’re smart, beautiful, funny, and a stylish dresser.”
“Coming from your mother, that’s a great compliment, and I can say the same thing about her. As a matter of fact, I’d love to raid her closet,” Donetta teased.
“It’s amazing to me how women always size each other up when it comes to looks and clothes.”
Donetta noticed that Phillip was talking to her as if he fully accepted her for who she was. And even though she’d prayed he would, she knew there was no way his emotions could ping-pong back and forth so quickly without there being underlying fears, anger, and emotions that still needed to be addressed. She always believed in attacking situations head-on, but this was one time when she decided it was best to take things slow.
“I know this has been hard for you,” Donetta said, “and I’m truly, truly sorry that I told you the way I did . . . when I did. But, Phillip, I wasn’t trying to deceive you, and I hope you believe me when I say that.”
“I do. And you’re right, it’s been hard on me, but I now understand that it’s been hard on you, too. After I talked with my mom, I used your phone to find out more about trans people because it’s a world I know absolutely nothing about. After surfing the net and reading blogs and listening to women tell their stories in YouTube videos, I was able to get a glimpse into what you’ve had to live your entire life. Not once have I ever questioned my manhood, so again, it’s foreign to me, but I want to understand, and if we’re going to do this, I need to.”
Donetta looked at Phillip and smiled. When they’d first started their conversation she’d thought he was trying to kill her, and now he was saying he actually wanted to be with her. She knew she should feel surprised and shocked, but she didn’t because if there was one lesson she’d learned over the last two days it was that absolutely anything was possible. “I have so much to share with you,” she said, “and I’m sure you have a lot to share with me, too.”
“We’ll learn together.”
The next two hours flew by like two minutes as Donetta and Phillip talked, and began a journey to a place neither of them had ever been before. They confided, confessed, and consoled. At some points she cried, and at all times he listened. They agreed that a long distance relationship would be tough, and that they would take turns traveling to see each other, every other week. Phillip told her that he would attend her support group meetings when he was in town. And even though he’d said it didn’t bother him, she’d told him that she would continue to work on toning down her cursing, which she’d already curtailed over the last two days.
As the night drew on and the temperature dropped, Phillip put more wood on the fire and they returned to their spots in front of the fireplace. Donetta was overjoyed that Phillip had fed her soul, but now she needed to feed her stomach. She eyed the sandwich still sitting on her plate that had gone untouched for the last two hours.
“Are you okay?” Phillip asked.
“No, I’m so damn hungry I could eat paper right now.”
She and Phillip shared their first laugh together since the night before, and it felt better to Donetta than the warmth coming from the fire.
“Let’s dig in,” Phillip said. “I think you’ll like it. I make a hell of a sandwich.”
“I can’t wait to find out!”
Just as Donetta was about to stand up and reach for her plate, Phillip pulled her into him and delivered the softest, most gentle kiss to her lips, another first they’d shared since last night. He held her close to his chest with a tight hold that nearly made Donetta lose her breath. Slowly, he looked into her eyes and smiled.
“I love you, Donetta.”
“I love you, too.”
They shared another passionate kiss, this time longer than the first, and then they devoured their sandwiches by the light of the fire.
Chapter 32
GENEVA
Even though Geneva had been snowbound like most of the residents in Amber, the last three days had flown by in a flurry of activity at her house. After their lights had gone out a few days ago, she and Samuel had come to appreciate what a valuable commodity electricity was, especially given that they had a baby and houseguests to deal with. Geneva’s main concern had been how to keep Gabrielle warm and fed, and Samuel’s main focus had been keeping his wife worry-free, his child safe, and his parents comfortable.
Geneva had also been worried about Donetta. After the power outage had caused her to cut her conversation short with Charlene Harris on Thanksgiving Eve, Geneva had pulled herself together and called Donetta to tell her that Phillip was Charlene’s son. But her call had gone to Donetta’s voice mail, so she’d left her friend a message, telling Donetta what she’d learned. Geneva had figured out from her conversation with Charlene that Phillip was already at Donetta’s house, snowed in, and she prayed that if Donetta decided to tell him about her background, that it had gone well.
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br /> Geneva had worried that entire night, and all Thanksgiving Day, because she hadn’t heard a word from Donetta. But she’d breathed with relief later that night when Donetta had called her and explained the roller-coaster ride that she and Phillip had taken. Geneva had been happy when she’d heard the excitement in her friend’s voice.
“We’re officially a couple,” Donetta had said. “It’s not picture perfect and we’ve got hurdles to overcome, but it’s a beginning.”
“No relationship is perfect,” Geneva replied. “The main thing is that you were able to tell him the truth and he’s accepted it. Honesty is the bedrock of any relationship, and now that you’ve established that, you can work through the rest.”
“You’re right, and I have to credit his mother for raising him to be the type of person he is.”
Geneva admired the councilwoman even more knowing that Charlene had given Donetta and Phillip her blessing. Donetta had talked to Charlene by phone, and Charlene had told her that while she had certain concerns about Donetta and Phillip’s relationship, as any caring parent would, she would nonetheless support them as a couple in any way that she could.
Geneva had wanted to call Charlene back to tell her about the blue box that Johnny had had the night he’d been murdered, but she decided against it because the woman had been dealing with more pressing issues. As an elected official, Charlene had to manage and respond to the concerns and complaints of frustrated, snowbound residents. She’d been providing support for her daughter—whom Geneva had learned from Donetta—had dropped out of medical school, was pregnant, and would be back in Amber living under Charlene’s roof. And all that was on top of learning the news that her playboy son had been reformed by a trans woman. When Geneva added all those things together, she knew that her story about a blue box in a dream about a dead man could wait a few days until things calmed down in Charlene’s life.
Now it was Monday morning, and Geneva and Samuel were at the airport. His parent’s early morning flight was still running on time, and Samuel was inside the terminal, making sure they got their bags checked and tickets assigned, while Geneva sat in the parking deck inside their SUV, feeding Gabrielle her breakfast. She didn’t know if Joe was at the airport or stuck in his hotel room because they hadn’t heard from him since he’d left the house, and after the havoc he’d caused, no news seemed like good news. No one worried about Joe because if there was one thing he was good at, it was looking after himself above anyone else.
Geneva thought about how ironic it was that Phillip and her in-laws were scheduled to leave on the same flight. When she’d talked to Donetta last night and had learned that his Sunday morning flight had been rescheduled to today, she’d told Samuel’s parents, who’d said they would make sure to be on the lookout for him at their gate so they could introduce themselves. As Geneva held Gabrielle while she fed her a bottle, she wondered if Phillip would actually make it to the airport at all.
Donetta’s neighborhood had been hard hit, and snowplows had been scarce. Donetta had called Geneva this morning and told her that she’d kissed Phillip good-bye on her steps as she’d watched him make his way through the snow in the early morning darkness en route to his car, which was still parked off her exit. Donetta had also told her that Phillip didn’t have the use of his cell phone, and Geneva said she’d already told her in-laws he was on their flight and they’d let him use their phone so he could call her and let her know he was safe.
Geneva smiled as she looked at her baby and thought about the fact that no matter how complicated situations could become, having people in your life whom you loved and who loved you back, made everything worthwhile. After all the emotions she’d experienced over this holiday, she was thankful that she’d had her family and that she’d come so far—and that made her think of Johnny.
Geneva burped Gabrielle and put her back in her car seat as she drifted off to sleep. “I guess I should call Charlene now and finish telling her about the blue box that the real killer took after she murdered Johnny.” She hit speed-dial on her cell phone.
Chapter 33
CHARLENE
Charlene was glad she’d survived the holiday weekend, which had been no small feat considering the onslaught of drama she’d dealt with. Her fellow city council colleagues had nearly buckled under the pressures that had resulted from the massive snowstorm, but Charlene had looked at it as child’s play when compared to the real chaos that had been brewing in her personal life.
Charlene had been driven to drink and even take sleeping pills as she’d tried to deal with the stress of Vivana’s claim of new evidence. She’d tipped the scales of stress after she’d e-mailed Shartell, asking the gossiper to contact her because she had a juicy scoop for her, only to sit by her computer without receiving a reply. That was when Charlene knew for sure that Shartell was probably already at work on a story about who really killed Johnny Mayfield. Then, if that hadn’t been bad enough, Geneva had called her on Thanksgiving Eve and told her about a dream that Charlene knew had to be real because she’d lived it. Geneva had abruptly hung up when her lights had gone out and had never called back, which Charlene hadn’t been too concerned about because she’d had bigger concerns.
For Charlene, the threat of life in prison took a backseat to the happiness of her children. Lauren and Phillip had each come to a pivotal crossroads in their lives over the weekend, and Charlene had had to put her own issues to the side to help them get through it.
Charlene had spent each day and night talking with Lauren about her and her unborn child’s future, and slowly, the reliable, focused, and determined young woman whom Charlene had raised, started to return. Because Lauren had packed everything she owned and brought it home on the plane, there was no need for her to return to Baltimore, so Charlene had helped her get settled in for the long haul. She’d even called her good friend and OBGYN, Dr. Valerie Bell, and scheduled an appointment for Lauren on Monday morning, right after her meeting with Leslie Sachs.
Charlene had actually become more concerned about Phillip than she’d been about Lauren. Her daughter would be under the same roof with her every day, and she’d be able to keep a watchful eye on her so she could help when needed. But Phillip lived a plane ride away and had become involved in a relationship that would force him to come up against hurdles of discrimination that neither his nor Charlene’s legal background would be able to protect him from. But even with that challenge, Charlene found comfort that her son was in love with someone who possessed good character and a kind heart, and for that she was grateful.
Now it was Monday morning and she was about to have one of the most important meetings of her life, and although Charlene was tired, she was ready for battle. Because she didn’t know how the roads would be once she got out and she didn’t want to run the risk of going back and forth in the snow, she decided to have Lauren ride with her and stay in the car with the engine running while she met with Leslie. Then after what she knew was going to be a short but intense conversation, she’d head over to Dr. Bell’s office to make sure her grandchild was progressing nicely.
“Are you okay, Mom?” Lauren asked from the passenger seat. “You look tired.”
“I’m fine, baby,” Charlene replied. “I just have a lot on my mind, but I know that everything will all work out.”
“I really appreciate everything you’re doing for me, Mom.”
Charlene smiled. “That’s what mothers do, as you’ll soon see.”
Charlene came up to a four-way intersection. As she looked in all directions, she tried to anticipate some of Leslie’s questions. She turned down the street that led to Leslie’s house and felt her stomach jump. Leslie had called her an hour ago and asked Charlene to come to her house instead of the coffee shop.
“Are you able to get out of your neighborhood?” Leslie had asked after she’d labored through the niceties of post-holiday greetings.
“Yes, my street is passable. How about yours?”
“My str
eet is fine, however, there’s a five-foot snowdrift blocking my garage,” Leslie had said. “But that’s not the issue.”
“What do you mean?”
“My garage is on the side of my house where the snow hasn’t been plowed, so I can’t get out.”
“Would you like to reschedule for later in the week? The weather won’t be an issue then.”
“No,” Leslie had said in a definitive tone. “Charlene, the matter I’d like to discuss with you regarding the new evidence I’ve uncovered in the Mayfield murder case is of particular concern to you, for legal reasons, and as you know I can’t discuss it over the phone. Can you come to my house at the scheduled time?”
Charlene had known since last week that Leslie was going to try to trap her in a web, and now she’d confirmed it when she pulled up to Leslie’s house and saw that the woman’s garage was in plain view, and the huge snowdrift that Leslie spoke of had been shoveled to the side. Charlene even saw tire tracks leading from where Leslie had obviously driven her car out.
“Mom,” Lauren said with a quizzical look on her face, “I thought you said you needed to meet Ms. Sachs at her house because she couldn’t get out, but look.” Lauren pointed her finger toward Leslie’s garage. “The snow is gone and her garage is clear.”
Charlene measured her breathing in an effort to remain calm because she didn’t want Lauren to know how she really felt. “I see. I guess she must have gotten some help from one of her neighbors.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and reached in the back seat for her handbag. “This shouldn’t take long . . . ten minutes, tops, and then we’ll head over to Dr. Bell’s office.”
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