by Eunice Hart
Granny Pat smirked. “I’m just watching out for you. You’re my daughter, in case you’ve forgotten. You’re lucky I don’t ask you how the sex is, my friends keep asking me to give them details…”
Elena nearly choked on the chocolate chips she was munching. “What?”
“What?” A feigned look of confusion came over her mother’s face. “Did I say something?”
Elena swallowed her chocolate chips.
“Anyway,” Granny Pat said, whisking the bowl out of reach before her daughter could steal any more chips, “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something…”
Please let it be work, Elena prayed desperately. Let it be work. Or something trivial.
“…when are you and Justin going to get married?”
Why did it feel like everyone was out to get her today? First Madison, now Granny Pat. If someone else brought up this topic today, she was going to lose her mind.
She shrugged as casually as she could manage. “I don’t know. We haven’t talked about yet.”
“And why is that?” Granny Pat turned to face her daughter.
“I don’t know,” Elena said again, just as a pale cat strutted into the kitchen and leaped onto the kitchen table. “Maybe it’s just not time for that yet.”
Her mother gave a roll of her eyes. “Oh, don’t be silly, dear. You’ve been dating for months. He bought you a car. From everything you’ve told me about this man, I feel like he might be interested in marrying you.”
“So why hasn’t he brought up the topic yet?”
“Maybe – get out of here, Jeremiah!” Granny Pat suddenly yelled at the cat, who was making his way towards the tray of cookies, a rather mischievous gleam in his eyes. Jeremiah let out a meow, then leaped to the floor and, shooting Elena a look that seemed to say, I’m more important than you, strutted out of the kitchen.
“Good,” Granny Pat said, stuffing the chocolate chips in the cookies. “Now, where was I?”
“You named your cat Jeremiah?” Elena said in disbelief.
Her mother grinned. “I named a couple of other cats Isaac and Isaiah – you know, because of the eyes.” She snorted at her wit. “And then I guess I got carried away. That’s why another of my cats is named Ezekiel.”
“Please tell me not all your cats have names like that.”
“No, of course not, there’s Fluffy and Patty…don’t change the subject. As I was saying, maybe he hasn’t brought up the topic of marriage yet because he’s not sure where you stand on the matter.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Let me ask you one question, dear: do you want to marry Justin?”
Just like that, Elena was struck completely dumb. It was the first time anyone had asked her that question. She loved Justin very much – almost as much as she loved Madison – but the idea of Marriage? Well…
“I don’t know,” she said honestly.
“Maybe it’s because you’re afraid getting married to Justin that will make him walk out on you, leaving you where you started.”
“Actually, I never thought of that, but now that you mention it –”
“Forget it,” Granny Pat said, lifting the tray of cookies and placing it into the oven. “That’s not a thought you want to linger in your mind. It’s unrealistic and will only cause you pain. The fact that Darrel walked out on you doesn’t mean Justin will. It only mean Darrel walked out on you.”
She shut the oven door and faced her daughter. “Now, I want you to talk to him about marriage. See what he thinks about it. You’ll never know if you don’t try. Oh, look – Madison is here,” she said brightly, just as Madison’s pretty little head popped into view in the kitchen doorway. “You want some chocolate chips, honey?”
***
Over the next couple of weeks, Elena didn’t bring up the topic of marriage with Justin. Not even in their most intimate moments. The thought kept bugging her, but her reluctance to talk about it was a lot stronger. Luckily, Madison hadn’t talked about it, either. That eight-year-old was becoming smarter by the day. Elena didn’t want to think of what else she might come up with.
With Christmas drawing nearer, everyone seemed to be getting into the spirit of the season. More people were forced into The Sparkling Spout by the cold, so business was better than ever. Giselle and Martha dressed up as Santa’s elves at work, their clothes skimpy enough to make a grown man cry. When Gary laid his eyes on them, his jaw nearly hit the counter. Elena simply put her usual work clothes, with a fur coat on top.
“You look ridiculous in that outfit,” said Gary, who’d dressed up in a Santa suit several sizes too large, obviously with the hopes of drawing Giselle and Martha to himself. “Why don’t you dress up like your friends over there?”
Elena, who was getting his order, shrugged. “I’ve got a boyfriend. I don’t need anyone else looking at me.”
Gary gave a grunt. “Boyfriend, huh. Are you getting married anytime soon?”
Elena stiffened for a moment. Then she grabbed three beers and placed them in front of him. Gary’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I only ordered one beer,” he said, gesturing at the two extra bottles.
“They’re on the house,” Elena told him, almost snappishly. Anything to keep him shut about her and Justin or their marriage.
Justin was thrilled at the idea of attending the play at Madison’s school. It was on a Friday night, just a week before Christmas, which meant Elena would have to leave the bar rather early. That night, they drove to the school and made their way into the auditorium with other parents and families, picking the best seats they could find. There were so many people talking at once, Elena could barely register a thing. When Justin laid a hand on hers, though, she regained focus and gazed at him.
“What’s going on with you lately?” he wanted to know. “You’ve been…different.”
“I guess I’m just excited about Maddie’s play,” she told him. “It’s amazing how many families are here tonight.”
“It sure feels good to be here,” Justin replied. “We get to see our little girl perform tonight.”
Our little girl. Elena’s heart nearly skipped a beat. Did that mean what she thought it meant?
“Sorry,” he said quickly, looking embarrassed. “I meant your little girl.”
“It’s okay.” She gave his hand a squeeze, trying not to show how embarrassed she also was.
Luckily, at that moment, the noise died down a notch as the curtains parted and the play began, the many characters milling about on the stage. There were more of them than necessary, in Elena’s opinion. Sure, there were the kids playing Mary and Joseph. And then there were the three wise men – three wise children, Elena thought with a smile. But most of the characters on the stage just seemed unnecessary. Like the boy in the sheep costume walking on two feet.
“Where’s Maddie?” Elena wondered, craning her neck. “I don’t see her anywhere.”
“She’s got to be somewhere,” Justin told her. “Don’t worry, you’ll see her.”
The play went on for the next couple of minutes, but Madison was nowhere to be seen. Then they got to the scene where the shepherds got visited by an angel – a little dark-skinned girl suspended on an almost invisible robe, wearing a white robe, large, butterfly-looking wings attached to her back – and Elena’s eyes grew wide as dinner plates.
“There she is!” she practically shouted, causing several heads in the seats around them to swivel in her direction. “There’s my little girl!”
At least they know angels can be black, she thought. She watched, awestruck, as Madison the angel, all smiles, was lowered onto the stage, not too far from the nearest unimpressive impression of a bleating sheep. Madison sang a few lyrics, then spoke to the shepherd boys and was instantly lifted from the stage, her voice filling the auditorium until she was out of sight.
Laura Lindsey, the girl who got to play Mary, looked as though she was trying not to show how jealous she was. Elena could
only imagine Madison smirking. Who needed to be Mary when you could be an angel?
“Well, you were right about one thing,” Justin said suddenly.
Elena turned to face him. “What’s that?”
“Your daughter is an angel.” He smiled. “Remember when you told me that?”
Elena remembered quite vividly. She’d told him that about Madison on their first date, moments before her daughter got in trouble for punching boys at school. It was a bit surprising that Justin remembered that. And rather…sweet. She found herself smiling with him.
The rest of the play went well – or maybe Elena just thought so because she’d gotten to see her daughter perform. At the end, all the characters returned to the stage and sang in unison, Madison hovering above them all. She caught her mother’s gaze and beamed even more brightly, her voice rising above the others.
Her daughter had been right. This was a surprise. And a pleasant one, for that matter.
***
The ride to the restaurant to celebrate was not silent. Nearly all the way, Justin and Elena kept showering her daughter with compliments, telling her how proud of her they were. Madison sang a number for them and they both cheered.
“She has such a marvelous voice,” Elena said to Justin, who grinned.
“You and I know who she gets that from,” he told her, keeping his eyes on the road.
How much time had gone by since they arrived at the school? An hour? Maybe more? It didn’t really matter to Justin. A thousand years could have gone by and he still wouldn’t have forgotten what happened in that auditorium. And not the play – the dumb thing he’d said about Madison being their little girl.
What the hell had gotten into him? Why had he even said that? Now Elena probably thought something must be wrong with him, or that he was getting too comfortable in the relationship.
Which, it seemed, he really was. Justin liked to tell himself that there was a first time for everything – a first time to date someone for up to four months, a first time to date someone who already had a child, a first time to be in a relationship for this long and actually enjoy it. It was this first time that made him uneasy with himself. Things seemed too good to be true. Justin couldn’t help the feeling that their relationship was a ticking bomb, just waiting for the right moment to blow up into smithereens.
He looked over at Elena, who was still smiling. God, he loved this woman more than anything. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought she cast some sort of spell on him or something. How else could she have captured his heart when other women couldn’t?
His mind drifted over to Madison. That adorable little girl who couldn’t seem to get her mind off ice cream long enough. The mere sight of her was enough to make him smile. More often than not, Justin had found himself wishing Elena had had her with him and not that loser ex-husband of hers. Then his statement tonight at the auditorium wouldn’t have sounded so foolish.
That was all he had on his mind until they got to the restaurant. They all climbed out of the car, Madison still wearing her cute angel costume and beaming like she’d been offered all the ice cream in the world. Together, they made their way into the restaurant, a low building with a lot more windows than was necessary. All the tables were set, waiters and waitresses standing at attention.
None of the tables was occupied.
Perfect.
“What’s going on?” Elena said, frowning at the empty seats. She turned to face Justin, who was now grinning like an idiot, and her eyes widened.
“You did this?” she asked, though he suspected she already knew the answer. “You reserved all the tables?”
“We needed to celebrate Madison’s awesome performance, babe,” he told her.
“Oh, Justin!” Without warning, she rushed at him and threw her arms around his neck, planting a kiss on his lips. Justin closed his eyes and put his arms around her waist, pulling her body against him. It wasn’t until Madison began giggling that they finally pulled apart. Elena’s daughter stood there, staring up at the couple with a huge smile on her face.
“You guys look so cute together,” she said, clapping her hands together. “Like a Mommy and Daddy.”
At her words, both adults stiffened, glancing awkwardly at each other out of the corner of their eyes. Justin was suddenly grateful that they weren’t still hugging; she would definitely have noticed a not-so-slight change in his heart rate.
He spread his arms grandly. “Well, what are we waiting for? The food isn’t going to get any warmer. And, Madison, if we leave on time, we can hit the ice cream parlor before we get home.”
“Yay!” Madison squealed. She grabbed her mother’s arm and led her to one of the tables, Justin following closely behind.
Just like that, the awkwardness seemed to die down. Justin was grateful for that. The topic of marriage was an unspoken one that had been lingering in his mind for quite a while now. He wondered if Elena had been thinking about it as well. And what about her reaction to her daughter’s words? She hadn’t seemed horrified at the idea of them being a husband and wife, but she hadn’t seemed too thrilled, either. Did that mean she wasn’t interested?
He needed to stop thinking like this. He needed to calm down his mind as well as he could. He needed to do something about all of this.
And so, sitting at the desk in his study at home, an hour after he’d dropped Elena and Madison off at their house, he decided to write a letter.
Elena.
It has been wonderful dating you. I don’t recall ever being happier with someone than I am with you. But I don’t think things can work out between us any longer. Long-term relationships are not my thing. I hope you find someone who is able to stay. Send my regards to the little angel.
Justin.
He stared at the letter for a couple of seconds. All he had to do now was put it in an envelope and send it. Elena would receive it and their relationship would be over. He wouldn’t have to hurt her later. She might decide to show up at his workplace. Maybe he’d avoid her like he avoided Alicia Hargreaves.
Could he, really? Could he do that to the woman he loved? He’d been with Elena long enough to know how different she was from the other women he’d been with. That he wasn’t sure things would work out between them did not mean that he was right about it. Those were two different things.
Maybe he should give this relationship a chance. He didn’t have to end it all so suddenly. Not when things were actually going great.
Justin gave the letter one last long look. Then he pulled open the desk drawer and tossed it inside.
Chapter 7
“Someone’s Had Too Much to Drink”
Granny Pat decided to surprise them with a visit on Christmas day. She showed up on Elena’s doorstep, clutching a wrapped parcel, a big smile plastered onto her face. When Madison caught sight of her grandmother, she let out a squeal and rushed to hug her.
“Merry Christmas, little one,” Granny Pat said to her granddaughter, handing her the parcel. “Here’s your present.”
“Yay!” Madison squealed again, sprinting to the couch to unwrap her present. Granny Pat turned to her daughter and hugged her.
“Where’s Justin?” she wanted to know. “I assumed he’d be here, seeing as you two are practically inseparable now.”
“He’s in the kitchen,” Elena said, jerking her thumb just as Justin emerged from the kitchen wearing an apron.
Looking at him, she couldn’t help thinking how much he fit right in. No stranger who walked into the house would ever figure that the man in the apron was someone other than Elena’s husband. No one would figure he was a freakishly rich dude – unless, of course, they spotted the silver Mercedes convertible parked in the driveway.
“Hello,” Justin said, walking over to meet them and extending a hand towards Granny Pat. “You must be Elena’s mother. I’m Justin Chin.”
“I know who you are,” she told him, taking his hand and shaking it. “My daughter has told me a lot of th
ings about you –”
“Mom!” Elena exclaimed, feeling her cheeks burn.
“What?” Her mother shot her an expression of feigned confusion. “Have I said something wrong?”
Justin let out a chuckle and Elena felt her embarrassment grow. Granny Pat took one look at her and her eyes narrowed to slits.
“Can I see you in the kitchen, dear?” she asked. “You know, mother to daughter?”
Elena frowned at her mother. What could this possibly be about? She had a feeling it wasn’t a discussion she wanted to have, especially with the way Pat suddenly sounded.
She followed her mother into the kitchen. The moment they were out of earshot, Granny Pat rounded on her.
“You haven’t talked to him about it, have you?”
Elena knew exactly what her mother was talking about: the whole marriage issue. But was this really the right time and place to discuss this? Justin was literally just outside in the living room with Madison.
“Mom, maybe we can talk about this some other time –”
“No, I want you to listen to me now and listen good,” Granny Pat said. “You’re dating a wonderful man, Elena. Do you have any idea how many women would literally kill just to be with him? Don’t you realize you’re only wasting time by not talking to him about your marriage?”
Just then, Madison cried out, “It’s a storybook!”
Granny Pat smiled slightly and muttered, “The young black mind needs information, little one.”
“Mom –”Elena began again, but her mother held up a hand to silence her.
“You could lose this man, dear. And it would be for lack of trying.”
“What are you going to do?” Elena wanted to know. A sudden thought popped into her mind and her breath hitched in her throat. “You’re not going to talk to him about it, are you?”
Her mother stared at her as though she thought she must’ve lost her marbles. “Of course not. Do I look like an eight-year-old to you? I’ve been in this world long enough to know when to leave you youngsters to handle your business yourselves. I can only give you advice, not intervene. If you want to continue like this, it’s your problem, not mine.”