by Judith Keim
Five more days until she held her baby girl in her arms. The thought of it brought tears to Grace’s eyes. It had been too damn long, too damn painful a time without her.
CHAPTER EIGHT
LYNETTA
Lynetta checked her watch. Jackson had said he’d be home by five, and it was almost five-thirty. She went to the closet and pulled out her winter jacket. If that fourteen-year-old boy thinks he’s going to get away with partying with other kids in the apartment complex, he has another think coming, she fumed.
She opened the front door and came face to face with her son. She glared at him. “You’re late!”
“I’m sorry, Mom. The movie didn’t get over until a few minutes ago. I had to see the end.”
“Where’s your cell phone?” she asked.
He pulled it out of his back pocket. “Here. Why?”
“You should have called me,” Lynetta said. “Then I wouldn’t have had to worry about you.” She held the door open for him.
Making a face at her, he stepped inside.
“Don’t you be going and lookin’ at me like that,” she said, feeling the last of her patience ebb. Being the single mother of two teenage boys was the toughest job she could imagine. Tough and lonely. Sometimes she felt like a failure. All she did was harp at the kids, trying her best to keep them in line. But at times like this, she knew she was right to do it.
Martin walked into the room. “You’re in trouble,” he said to his younger brother with a smirk.
“Yeah? Well, are you going to tell Mom about your call to Dad?”
Lynetta’s heart bumped to a stop. She turned to face her oldest son. “You called your father? At the prison?”
“Yeah,” said Martin, shuffling his feet. “I wanted to see if I could go visit him.”
“And?”
Tears shone in Martin’s eyes. “He told me not to come. Said he didn’t want to be bothered; those days were behind him.”
Lynetta wrapped her arms around him. “Oh, hon, I’m sorry. I really am. He’s not a nice guy, hasn’t been for a long time now. Not since he got into drugs and had all these ideas about how I’d kept him from being the big shot he always wanted to be.”
“You mean how we all kept him from being the big shot he wanted to be,” said Martin, giving her a penetrating look that showed he knew the truth.
Her heart aching, she nodded. The boy she’d married had turned into a man she didn’t know at all. It would be best for her boys to stay away from him. He had a way of convincing people around him that he was a better person than he was.
“Can I have some money to buy a Christmas present for one of my friends?” Jackson asked, removing his jacket.
“How much money have you earned lately?” Lynetta asked.
Jackson threw his coat down on the floor. “You know I can’t get a job around here.”
Lynetta arched her eyebrows at him. “Tiffany Wright offered to pay you for helping her move things around in her garage. But, as I recall, you told her you were too busy.”
“You’re so mean, Mom,” Jackson wailed at her.
“Thank you, son,” she responded, knowing it would irritate him.
“Mom,” he growled at her, “if I don’t buy Melissa a gift, she won’t let me come to her New Year’s Eve party.”
“What planet are you living on, bro?” said Martin. “You’re not even supposed to be over at Melissa’s place.”
“I’m never going to have any friends,” shouted Jackson. He stomped into his room and slammed the door.
Lynetta let him go. She was too tired to chase after him and make him apologize. Truth be told, she couldn’t wait to get back to the office where she had a much more structured life.
CHAPTER NINE
GRACE
Grace sat with the other women of the Fat Fridays group inside Anthony’s Pizza. In small-town Williston, the restaurant choices were limited, but Anthony’s, known for its wonderful, garlicky, cheesy pizzas, was her favorite place to eat.
“Monday’s the big day, huh?” Sukie said to her. Her eyes lit with pleasure.
Grace could feel her lips spread into a smile. “Yeah. I can hardly wait to see Misty, but I should tell ya, I’m scared. It would be different if she were excited to see me, but I’ve forced her to come here.”
“And rightly so,” said Lynetta. “That girl owes you more than she knows.”
“We’re going to make sure she does know,” said Tiffany. She wiped Vanna’s nose, and when she continued to fuss, patted her back. “Good thing we’ll all get to see Misty at Sukie’s party.”
“And the day after Christmas, y’all are coming to my house for a holiday luncheon. Right?” said Carol Ann.
Grace nodded with the other women. She wanted Misty to spend as much time with her friends as possible. Then maybe she’d understand everything better.
“What should we order?” Grace said, checking the clock. She hated to be late getting back to work.
“How about the veggie special pizza?” Sukie said. “Without the onions.”
“Suits me,” Grace said, waving the waitress over to them.
As she chatted comfortably with the others, Grace wondered what her life would be like if she hadn’t decided to stay in Williston. Without her friends’ support, she might still be on the run. Too bad her bastard of a husband couldn’t get it through his thick skull that Misty really was his child. But drugs had messed up his mind and his soul. God, she was glad he was dead!
Their pizzas came, and Grace’s attention was brought back to the present.
“What can we bring to the party, Sukie?” said Carol Ann. “I’ve got a new recipe for miniature quiches.”
Grace smiled. Now that Carol Ann was living on her own, she was cooking all kinds of new food.
“Just bring yourselves,” said Sukie. “I’m so glad you can come. It’ll be a nice celebration of Cam’s and my first Christmas together.
After they’d finished their meal, Grace checked her watch. “Guess we’d better go.”
They paid the check and got up from the table to leave.
As Grace headed to the door, Sukie held her back and faced her with an earnest expression. “Good luck with everything. If you need anything, anything at all, call me.”
“Thanks,” said Grace. But nobody else could take away the tingling of her nerves or make the situation any easier.
###
Inside the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport terminal in Atlanta, Grace stood at the top of the escalator leading up from the trains below. The flight-display board indicated that Misty’s plane had arrived. Grace’s fingers, her toes, her entire body tingled with anticipation.
Grace stared at the people on the escalator rising to her level, becoming more and more nervous as time passed, and she still had no sight of her daughter. She’d imagined many times what Misty would look like at sixteen. Kate hadn’t sent pictures of her as Grace had asked, so she was left to wonder.
“Are you Grace?” a voice asked from behind her.
Grace whipped around and came face to face with a small, thin girl dressed in what looked like some kind of school uniform. “Yes?”
“I’m Misty.”
Grace knew she was gawking, but she couldn’t help herself. This girl didn’t look at all like the images she’d conjured up in her mind. The sixteen-year-old girls in town wore torn jeans, lots of makeup and loved boots of any kind. With her black, pleated skirt, white blouse, prim white cardigan, and black flat shoes, this girl looked like she was a model for a 1950s catalog. Her look of uncertainty was heartbreaking.
Grace swept her into a warm embrace and then burst into loud sobs.
Misty’s shoulders stiffened. She broke out of Grace’s embrace and faced her. “Don’t do that. You’re making a scene.” She glanced around and straightened her sweater. “Mom said you might get emotional.”
The frustration of the past several years boiled up and out of Grace. She gave Misty a direct look. “Let’s get
something straight. I’m your mother. Not Kate. She knows that very well. We agreed that she’d take care of you only until it was safe for me to come get you.”
Misty shook her head. “We’ve prayed and prayed on it. She’s my mother now.”
Prayed on it? She’d known Kate was heavily involved in an unorthodox church. Maybe Kate had used that kind of persuasion to convince Misty to accept her as her real mother. Maybe that was why Misty was dressed like a ten-year-old. Grace’s stomach filled with acid.
Forcing herself to speak kindly, Grace said, “Come. Let’s get your luggage, and we’ll go home.”
Misty obediently followed her, a careful two steps behind.
Grace’s mind raced. She turned to Misty with a smile. “We’ve been invited to a party tonight. I think we have just enough time to stop and get you a special outfit to wear. How would you like that?
Misty frowned. “I’m not allowed to wear fancy clothes. It would make people in church unhappy with me. Then Kate would be upset.”
Hiding her dismay, Grace put an arm around Misty’s shoulder. “We’re not going to worry about that now. How about while you’re here, we live by my rules?”
A glimmer of a smile crossed Misty’s face and disappeared. “And Kate doesn’t need to know?”
Grace shook her head.
This time, a smile stayed on Misty’s face.
###
Grace hurried Misty into the store hoping they could shop and get to Sukie’s party on time. It amused her to see how eager Misty was to get something new. On the way to the mall, she’d told Grace that her clothes were hand-me-downs from another girl at church.
In the teen department. Grace and Misty looked through racks of clothing. Some, they dismissed immediately. Grace held up a pair of black slacks. “How about these?”
“Kate doesn’t like me to wear pants,” said Misty.
“Do you like them?” Grace asked, furious to think of what had become of her fun-loving, attractive daughter.
Misty’s smile was telling. “I love them.” She pointed to a pale blue sweater with a sparkly twist knitted into the fiber. “That too.”
Carefully they selected several items for Misty to try on. Grace decided she didn’t care what it cost; Misty was going to be free to look and act like a normal teenager while they were together. If the price was going without for herself, she’d gladly do it.
Black boots, a pair of jeans, a couple of knit tops, the sweater, and slacks were all bundled up to take home.
Sitting in the front seat beside Grace, Misty held the large bag in her lap.
“You can set the bag down, you know,” said Grace, smiling at her daughter.
Misty shook her head. “I want to hold them.”
Others might think this shopping trip was a bribe, a way to get Misty to see what she’d been missing, but Grace didn’t care. She saw nothing wrong with wanting Misty to look nice when she met her friends.
Grace pulled into her parking space outside her apartment building. “Here we are. Come on inside. We’ll change clothes and get ready for the party.”
Misty held onto the bag, grabbed her little canvas bag, and got out of the car. Grace took hold of Misty’s small suitcase and carried it inside, where they climbed up to the third floor.
Unlocking the front door to the apartment, Grace wondered if Misty would ever know how often she’d hidden inside, wondering if Buck was outside, gleeful he’d found her at last. It now seemed a safe place, but for months it hadn’t been that way at all.
“I’ve fixed a room for you,” said Grace. Sukie had given her a double bed and a bureau, and with the new bedding she’d bought, she was excited about showing it to Misty. Grace set down the suitcase. “I hope you like it.”
At a cry from Misty, she turned to her.
“Where did you get that?” Misty pointed to the stuffed dog on top of the bed. The color had drained from her cheeks.
“I’ve carried that with me for years, waiting for the day when I’d see you again,” said Grace, feeling her eyes water. “Do you remember how much you loved Spotty? I sent you to Kate’s with your doll and Fluffy, your little stuffed kitten. But we were in such a hurry to leave, I forgot to give you Spotty. He’s been a comfort to me.”
Misty glared at her. “You’re lying. You never gave me the doll and the kitten. I didn’t have one thing to remember you by.”
Grace grew light-headed. “What about the pictures of you and me? I left at least six of them with Kate to give you. She was to tell you how much I loved you, how sorry I was to have to leave you behind, but that it was the only way to keep you safe.”
Misty shook her head. “You’re lying again. Kate told me you left me with her because I’d be in your way.” Her lips trembled. “She told me you didn’t want me.”
Grace staggered back as if the words had physically wounded her. “Oh my God! Kate’s the liar. Not me.”
Misty ran out of the room, through the living room, down the stairs, and out the front door.
Grace followed her as best as could, blinded by tears. “Misty! Come back! Come back!”
Outside, Grace turned in circles, uncertain where to go.
“Misty! Come here! We need to talk!”
Silence answered her.
Grace looked around frantically but didn’t see her. She’d been with Misty for only a few hours, and now her daughter was gone. Panic seized her. What was she going to do?
Shaking, Grace collapsed on the curb and buried her head in her hands, heartbroken by her cousin’s betrayal. Pain tightened her throat, turning her heartbroken sobs into silent screams.
A hand touched her shoulder. She flinched and turned around.
A policeman stood there, a grim expression on his face. Misty stood at his side, her face wet with tears.
“Are you keeping this girl here against her wishes?” he asked Grace.
She struggled to her feet. “She’s my daughter. We were having a disagreement, but she belongs here. She’s come home to me at last.”
He turned to Misty. “Anything you want to say about this?”
Misty shook her head.
“Okay, I’ll leave the two of you to settle things.” He turned to Misty. “You’re a lucky girl. It’s obvious your mother cares about you.”
“But ...” Misty began and then quieted.
After giving them each a steady look, the policeman said. “Good thing I happened to be going by. You two need to work things out.”
“Thank you,” said Grace. “Come on, Misty. Let’s go inside. We need to talk about a few things.”
CHAPTER TEN
SUKIE
Sukie checked the living room. All was in order. Fresh pine greens, interspersed here and there with battery-lit, flickering white candles, filled the mantel of the fireplace. Nearby, the Christmas tree was decorated with a number of brightly-colored, glass balls offset by wooden ornaments she and Chloe had painted together. The tiny white lights Cam had strung among the tree’s branches reflected off the glass balls and created arcs of color. It was, Sukie decided, one of the prettiest trees ever.
Cam came into the room, smiling. “Look what I found!” He came over to her and held a sprig of mistletoe above her head. “Thought we needed this for our first official Christmas together.”
She smiled as his lips met hers. He was such a sweet man.
“What are you doing?” said Chloe, dragging a stuffed reindeer behind her.
“Just kissing,” said Sukie, pulling away from Cam. “What are you doing?”
“Taking Deery for a walk,” Chloe announced proudly.
Sukie laughed. “We’d better take you and Deery for a walk right up the stairs to get dressed for the party. People will start arriving soon.”
Chloe’s face lit up. “I can wear my princess dress?”
Yes, it’s time to put it on.” Sukie loved that Chloe was such a girly girl. Her daughter, Elizabeth, had never been concerned about dressing up. With an older broth
er around, she had been more interested in trying to keep up with him and his activities.
Sukie took Chloe’s hand, and they climbed the stairs. Inside Chloe’s room, a dark-green, velvet dress lay on top of the bed. It’d been an extravagant purchase, but having been given a second chance at being a mother to a small child, Sukie considered it her right to splurge now and then.
She helped Chloe into white tights and then slid the green dress over Chloe’s blond curls.
“Perfect,” Sukie murmured.
“Am I pretty, Mommy?”
Sukie hugged her. “Oh, yes, Chloe. More than that, you’re a sweet girl.”
Chloe wrapped her arms around Sukie’s neck. Holding her, Sukie wondered how she could be so lucky to have both Cam and Chloe in her life. At first, she’d been afraid to take a chance on Cam, years younger than she. Now, she was so glad she had.
###
Downstairs, Sukie moved through the crowd that filled the first-floor rooms of her house. She’d invited friends and neighbors to the holiday party, and it looked as if everyone had accepted. It was, in many respects, a housewarming—the first, big social event for her after marrying Cam.
Her son, Rob, and his wife, Madeleine, moved toward her. Sukie’s gaze focused on Jonathan, in Rob’s arms. At six months, he was a bright-eyed, round-cheeked cherub whom Sukie adored. She greeted all three with kisses. “So glad you could come. There’s plenty of food in the dining room, and a bar has been set up in the kitchen. Help yourself.”
Rob smiled. “Quite a crowd here. Elizabeth will be along later. She just got in from New York.”
“Great. It’s so wonderful to have her here with all of us for the holidays.”
“She looks terrific,” said Madeleine. She leaned over and whispered in Sukie’s ear. “I think she’s in love.”
“Oh? You’ll have to get all the news out of her and share it with me.”
Madeleine laughed. She and Elizabeth were sisters of the heart. Sukie loved them both.
Sukie looked up and noticed Carol Ann in the crowd. “See you later,” she said to Madeleine and went to greet Carol Ann.
