By the end of the evening they’d shared their dreams, exchanged wishes, and had realized that they could do and be more together than either could have ever begun to imagine. Suddenly his impotence and her convictions about children seemed irrelevant in the larger scheme of what they wanted from and with each other. Darwin had known beyond any doubts that they had surpassed what he had wished for and he had admitted that his big brother had been right all along.
He reached an arm around Mac’s shoulder and gave him a hug. Mecan tossed him a quick smile, then turned his attention back to the pastor. Darwin looked down to the little girl sleeping so soundly between them, her father’s large palm gently caressing the waves of curls atop her tiny head. He was suddenly overcome with emotion, knowing that he’d been blessed with an incredible family and with Bridget beside him, things would only get better with each passing day.
He shifted his gaze to Bridget’s face and met her stare. Her expression was caressing as she smiled at him, joy shimmering in her dark eyes. Darwin’s stomach tumbled with anxious energy and he was suddenly impatient for the service to be over so he could make his way to her side and simply hold her hand. As if reading his mind Dr. McKinney concluded his speech, gesturing for the choir to grace them with one last song as he led the congregation in benediction.
Outside, the two men stood patiently, waiting for their women to catch up. Alexa lay against her father’s shoulder, oblivious to everything around her.
Darwin grinned. “They must have worn her out in Sunday school this morning,” he said, laughing lightly.
His brother laughed with him, waving his head. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with this girl.”
“What can you do except love her to death.”
“So, you and Bridget seem to have worked things out.”
“Yeah. I think so. In fact, I want to ask you a favor.”
“What’s that?”
“Will you be my best man?”
Mecan grinned, a wide smile filling his dark face. “You know I will. When? Have you asked her yet?”
Darwin shook his head no. “I think I’m going to do it tonight. And if she’ll have me, I’m hoping she’ll want to do it soon. Like next week soon.”
“That’s really soon.”
“I’d marry her today if I could.”
“Well, that’s not going to happen,” Mecan said, rolling his eyes.
“Why would you say that?”
“Bridget won’t even think about getting married if Roshawn isn’t here. And Jeneva wouldn’t allow it. Those three sisters would have a fit if you even thought about it.”
Darwin chuckled. “I know that’s right.”
Mecan nodded as he shifted his daughter against his chest. “Just like I couldn’t marry Jeneva until you were there. It just wouldn’t have felt right.”
The two men exchanged a look and smiled. Both turned as Jeneva called out Mecan’s name, she and Bridget moving to their sides.
“Hey, you,” Bridget whispered as she lifted her mouth to his and kissed him.
Darwin wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. The other couple stood staring at them as Jeneva pressed a hand against her baby girl’s back.
“That was a sweet solo you sang this morning, Miss Jeneva. Very sweet,” Darwin said, leaning to kiss his sister-in-law’s cheek.
“Why, thank you,” she gushed, clutching her husband’s elbow.
Mecan agreed. “You were beautiful, darling. I’m very proud of you.”
“Well, I was scared to death.”
“But you did it,” Bridget interjected. “Who knew you could sing like that. Had the whole church tearing up.”
“You sure they weren’t tearing up in pain?” Jeneva said with a laugh.
The others shook their heads.
“You know better than that,” Mac said. “You were great.”
Jeneva smiled as she hugged him warmly. “So, where would you good folks like to go eat lunch?” she said, turning back to Darwin and Bridget. “I’m hungry.”
At that moment Alexa lifted her head, looking around as she wiped at her eyes with her tiny fists. “I want macaroni,” she said with a wide yawn.
Everyone laughed, shaking their heads.
“Uncle Darwin knows just the place for macaroni, girlie,” he said.
Mecan was still chuckling. “Lead the way, little brother. We’re right behind you.”
Ella didn’t bother to slow her vehicle or stop for the security guard at the gates. Racing over the speed bumps, she took the quick left and right turns toward the eastern cul-de-sac, screeching her tires as she pulled her vehicle to a stop in Ava’s driveway.
Ava was standing in her front yard, mulling over the new foliage planted by her landscaper when her sister just missed slamming into her garage door. She braced herself for the tirade she knew would be coming and just as she expected, Ella jumped out of the car ranting like a wild woman.
“Why haven’t you called me? I know you’ve been here. How can you treat me like this? What kind of sister are you?”
Ava slowly eased her gardening gloves off her hands. She met her sister’s intense stare with her own look of annoyance. “What do you want, Ella?”
“What do I want? What do I want? What do you mean what do I want?”
Ava sighed, rolling her eyes skyward. “Exactly what I asked, Ella. What do you want from me?”
Ella swore, a string of colorful expletives filling the warm afternoon air. Ava looked toward her neighbors’ yards, relieved no one was outside to witness Ella’s meltdown. She turned her back on the woman, heading toward the rear yard of her home. Ella moved behind her, close on her heels, still spewing venom about absolutely nothing.
Ava was used to her sister’s tantrums, the childish tirades when things weren’t going her way. Their family had endured them more times than anyone had cared to count.
As they entered the home through the back door, Ava could only shake her head, already weary of what would prove to be a very long afternoon. She pulled a pitcher of cranberry juice from her refrigerator, poured two glasses full, then took a seat at the granite counter. Turning to stare at her sister, she waited for Ella to pause knowing that at some point the woman would tire, take a deep breath and shut down long enough for her to get a word in.
She slowly sipped her drink and waited. Ten minutes later her glass was empty and Ella was quiet, staring back at her sister as she waited for Ava to speak.
“Ella, I love you. You’re my sister and I will always love you. But I can’t do this anymore. Our relationship is too toxic. It’s killing me and I can’t…no, I won’t…I will not do this anymore,” she said firmly.
Ella twisted her face, her upper lip curling in a snarl as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Oh, don’t be so melodramatic!”
Ava’s eyes widened at the absurdity. “I’m sorry. You’ve just spent the last half hour screaming at me and I’m the one being melodramatic?” She rolled her eyes.
Ella sucked her teeth. “I just need to know what we’re going to do about Darwin Tolliver.”
“We aren’t going to do anything. He’s suing me. Not you. I plan to tell the man the truth, offer an apology and hope I can settle this for less than six figures. I’m meeting with him and his attorney on Tuesday. Then I plan to take a long vacation away from everybody and try to build a normal life for myself. Maybe even meet a man who’s interested in marrying me and having a family. I don’t have a clue what you plan to do, Ella. And, since we’re being honest with each other, I don’t much care.” Ava took a long, deep breath.
Ella cussed again, cutting her eyes in the opposite direction. “You’re a fool, Ava.”
Ava shrugged her thin shoulders. “I have been foolish about a lot of things, Ella. But no more. That’s why I’m not doing this with you ever again.”
Ella tossed her hands up in frustration. “You can’t tell them I planned this. No one can ever know I was ever involved, Ava!”
The two women sat staring at each other. Before Ava knew what was happening Ella had picked up the second glass of juice and flung it across the room, throwing it against the cherry cabinets with all her might. Ava didn’t flinch, having expected some sort of violent outburst from her sister. She didn’t move, grounded in her seat as her gaze remained frozen on Ella’s face.
Ella came to her feet, moving toward the door. She hissed between clenched teeth. “You’d better not tell, Ava. If you know what’s good for you, you will not say one word.”
Ava moved to her sister’s side. She leaned to give the woman a quick hug, a teardrop rolling past her lashes onto her cheek. Ella refused to hug her back, standing with her arms locked at her sides, her body stiff and cold. Reaching for the door, Ava pulled it open and held it as Ella moved back outside.
“Don’t come back here, Ella. You’re not welcome anymore. And please, don’t call me. I’m not going to take your calls.” She pulled the door open wider. “Be happy, Ella.”
Ella stared at her sister, her eyes narrowed to thin slits. As she stormed back to her car, Ava dropped to the kitchen floor, drained of emotion. It had taken every ounce of her energy to get through those few minutes with her sister. Ella always managed to drain her energy and leave her spirit feeling battered and bruised.
She closed her eyes, pulling her knees up to her chest as she wrapped her arms around her legs. She leaned her cheek against her kneecaps, her torso pressed into her thighs. She didn’t have any friends to call. She’d invested so much of herself in trying to be friends with Ella that she’d never bothered to build any lasting relationships with other women. She would have given anything to have a girlfriend she could call, whose shoulder she could cry on and who would tell her everything would be well.
There were a few men she was close to who might be consoling, but she understood that it wasn’t the same. She didn’t think her male friends would really understand the hurt she was feeling over Ella. She didn’t understand the pain herself and had no words to even begin to explain it to anyone else. But she did hurt. She hurt for all the things she’d hoped to share with her sister. She hurt for the relationship that had never been anywhere close to what she’d imagined it could be. And mostly she hurt for Ella, knowing that in the end she would be fine and well, able to move on with her life, but that her sibling would probably not be so lucky.
Ava sighed, a low burst of breath blowing over her lips. She stretched her body up and outward, then came to her feet. Crossing over to the other side of the room, she reached for the telephone and dialed.
“Joshua, hello. It’s me, Ava. What do I need to do to get a restraining order against my sister?”
This wasn’t the first time Ava had told her to go away. Ella had heard it many times before. There was something different about it this time though, she mused. Something she couldn’t see in Ava’s eyes. Poor, sweet Ava may have actually grown a backbone, Ella thought to herself, remembering the chill she’d felt from her sister’s icy stare.
Time would tell, though. On average it would only take a month or two for her to get back into Ava’s good graces. Maybe this go-round it would take just a bit longer.
She pulled her car to a complete stop, looking left and then right in the intersection as she waited for the red light to change to a shade of green that she liked. She could still turn this around, she theorized. As long as she could keep Ava from exposing her, she could turn this around. As she thought more about it, she figured some clever manipulation might even help her to get her job back at the television station. Ella’s eyes darted from point to point as she talked herself through a number of possible scenarios that would have them all apologizing for their mistreatment of her, begging her back into all of their lives.
Tears streamed down Ella’s face, confusion sweeping over her spirit. Even if Ava did squeal, she could fix this. Convincing Darwin that she’d only done it to help him and his career would be easy. She could find the words to convince him just what she’d been able to do all for him. She could show him if she worked it just right.
Ella tightened her grip on the steering wheel, maneuvering her way through the Sunday traffic. A wide smile filled her face. It would take some work, but she could do this. By Tuesday, she’d be on top of her game again and no one would be able to say a thing. Ava wasn’t the only daughter who could shine.
Chapter 19
Laughter resonated through the entire house as Darwin and Bridget relaxed on his enclosed patio with their feet up, reclining on his wicker settee. They sat basking in the simple beauty of the evening’s sunset. The day’s blue sky had disappeared behind striations of gold, saffron-yellow and mulberry, colors that were so vibrant, so luxurious that both knew it was a work of art no earthly body could even imagine creating.
As they lay side by side, Darwin’s arms wrapped around her torso, the sun finally disappeared over the horizon, a palette of dark blue and black covering the night sky. The brilliance of sunshine was replaced by a full moon that loomed large and majestic above them. As they inhaled the ambience of the warm evening air, Darwin knew he couldn’t have picked a more perfect moment to ask Bridget to marry him if he’d meticulously planned every single detail.
“Would you do me a favor, please?” he asked casually, shifting upward in his seat as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“Of course. What?” Bridget responded.
“There’s a package lying on my bed. Would you bring it here while I pour us another glass of wine?”
“What is it?”
“Just something I want you to see,” Darwin said with a wry smile.
Bridget came to her feet, eyeing him curiously. “Something good?”
He shrugged, his eyes smiling. “Just something I thought you’d be interested in.”
Bridget smiled back. “Go pour that wine. I’ll be right back,” she said, heading inside toward the rear hallway. Bridget was thoughtful as she eased past the foyer to the other side of the man’s home. The energy between them had suddenly shifted, renewed electricity coursing through the evening air. She sensed Darwin was up to something but she had no clue what that might be.
As she moved into the master bedroom she could hear the man humming in the other room. An oversize item wrapped securely in brown paper lay in the center of the king-size bed. From its outward appearance Bridget was certain that the twenty-six-by-thirty-inch package couldn’t be anything but a new painting for Darwin’s collection. Clutching it securely, she moved back into the family room where Darwin stood waiting for her, an anxious expression gracing his face. Bridget rested the package against the sofa.
“Open it,” Darwin said, gesturing in her direction. “I’d like to know what you think.”
“Did you buy another Holston painting?” Bridget asked as she began tearing at the wrapping.
“No. This one’s by John Holyfield.”
As the last of the brown wrapper fell to the floor, Bridget took a step back to admire the original work of art. Darwin moved to her side and passed her a newly filled glass of red wine.
“It’s called Soul Mates,” Darwin said softly.
Bridget nodded her head, a wealth of emotion suddenly sweeping over her. The image was extraordinary, a beautiful black couple standing one behind the other in a garden of flora and butterflies beside a body of calm water. It was a wonderful depiction of love and the sheer joy of two people lost in the bliss of each other.
“It’s absolutely beautiful,” she said, her voice almost a whisper.
Darwin watched as she continued to stare at it. A sly smile crossed his face as she lifted her glass to her lips to take a sip of her drink.
“I was thinking that this would be a wonderful piece for our new home,” Darwin said nonchalantly, his gaze focused forward.
Bridget cut an eye in his direction. “Our new home?”
Bridget giggled. “How much wine have you had to drink?” she said, taking another sip from her own glass. It was then that she noticed the shimmer of white gold floating in the sea of red spirits.
“What…what’s this?” she said, stammering.
Darwin gave her a dull look, feigning ignorance. “Something wrong?”
Bridget grinned, reaching two fingers into her crystal goblet. “There’s something in my drink.”
Darwin shrugged as she pulled a two-carat, blue-diamond engagement ring into her hand. “How’d that get there?” he said smugly.
“Darwin!”
The man grinned, pulling her drink and the ring from her hands. Setting the goblet onto the coffee table, he dropped down onto one knee in front of her, pulling her left hand into his. Bridget pressed the fingers of her other hand to her lips, fighting back a rush of tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
“Bridget, I love you. You complete me and my soul would still be lost if it weren’t for your love. You are my soul mate and I want to spend the rest of my life loving you, and protecting you, and bringing you as much happiness as humanly possible. Would you do me the honor of being my wife?” he asked as he slipped the ring onto her finger.
Bridget’s head waved up and down as the first tear trickled past her lashes. “Yes,” she whispered, dropping down to wrap her arms around his neck. “Yes, yes, yes,” she chanted over and over again.
The couple was laughing and crying as Darwin hugged her tightly. He couldn’t begin to expound the emotion spinning through him. It was as if every ounce of doubt, every moment of discontent that had consumed him weeks before was slowly dissipating into oblivion. He stared down at her, inhaling every inch of her as if she were the source of all his oxygen, the lifeline that would keep him standing.
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