by M. Skye
“That bastard.”
“What?”
“That bastard is still causing problems from the grave. You listen to me. You are nothing like him. You may share his blood, and you may even look like him, but you are more of a man than he would have ever been. Has your mother ever told you why Grandpa never liked him?”
Shaking his head, Tyree focused in to listen to her story.
“Your mom is our only child, our pride and joy, and she could have been anything. She could have done anything she wanted, and she was her father’s best friend. They were close, and she shared everything with him until your father came along. Her first year at that school she called home every day, kept her father in the loop on everything, but after she met your father, she changed. She started with the secrets, and then he convinced her to get married. We didn’t even get to see it. Our only daughter got married, and we didn’t even get to be there.”
He hadn’t known this. Tyree had always been told that Akio wouldn’t talk to her because she hadn’t married the man he picked out. “What about her engagement? What about the man you guys picked for her?”
“We may have wanted her to marry him, but she agreed to the engagement on her own.”
“So why did it take you so long to see her again? It wasn’t until I was born that you spoke to her.”
“Your father called Grandpa and asked to marry her. He was stunned because he didn’t even know they were seeing each other. We came to that school right after and found they were already married. He called us to ask for something he had already done. They didn’t even have the decency to give us the truth. All we ever wanted was for her to be happy and she couldn’t see that. She only saw that we were trying to keep her from the man she loved, but your grandfather and I saw something in him that wasn’t genuine. I never saw in him what I see in you.”
“Why did you help him? What changed your mind?”
“You did. Your grandfather took one look at you and your brother, and you won him over. He loved you so much that no matter how he felt about John, he could never not make sure you had the life your mother had. He wanted you to be taken care of.”
Now it all made sense. He had often wondered why the company was transferred to only him and his siblings when they were of age. He always wondered how his father got no part of it when they took over. “He made sure we would end up with the company because he still didn’t trust him, didn’t he?”
“He never trusted your father with you kids or your mother, but if he pushed any harder, we would have lost all of you. We couldn’t take that chance.”
“Grandpa was smart to do so. I think Dad loved us at one point, but he let his greed overtake him. I never want to let that happen to me. I find myself getting so angry now, and I don’t want to lose control and do something I can’t take back.”
“You love your wife, despite everything that has happened. You love and cherish her. When you speak of her, I see this light in your eyes, you glow when she’s around, and you can’t keep your hands off her,” she chuckled. “So you see, you’re different from him. Even though he was trying to convince us he loved your mother, I never saw half the love in him I see in you. For you, it’s real, and I can’t imagine you will ever let that go. You married her to protect her when you were so young, and I see you haven’t let any of that love die. You fought your way back to her against all the odds. You and Mia, you’re destined for each other. She’s your destiny, honey.”
“From the moment I saw her, I knew we would be something. Even as a kid, I never thought I would spend one day without her in my life. But I’m not able to give her what she needs. We went to an appointment with one of the top ob-gyns in Atlanta, and we’re having trouble. They ran some tests, and we might not be able to conceive. They say her body might not be able to handle it. We want another child so badly, and I don’t think I can give her one. At least not naturally, the way she wants. Things have been tense, but she’s not saying it to me. I don’t know what to say to make things right.”
“It’s simple: you love the woman, and you make sure she knows it. Children don’t always come the traditional way. There are so many children in the world who need homes. You and Mia would be great for a kid who truly needs you. Think about it.”
Her words put things in perspective for him, and he leaned over, giving her a firm hug. “You are just as good as Mom with this.”
“What are you talking about?” Karen asked from the corner. “She’s much better.”
He could tell by her smile that she had been watching for quite a while and heard most of their conversation. He stood to hug her, and she pulled him into her warm embrace.
“Mom, I’m sorry I overreacted at the restaurant.”
“You really shouldn’t let that ass get to you. She’s your wife. You won.”
“I know I won. I’m a hero. I saved the day.” He smiled teasingly.
“Smart ass.”
“I love you, crazy lady.” He hugged her for a second longer and turned to his grandmother. “Thanks for the talk, Gran. I love you too, pretty lady.” He scanned the room and then turned back to them. “I have a while before I need to be at work. Can I take you ladies to breakfast?”
When they both agreed, he escorted them to his car and helped them inside. “Hey, where’s Rock? Maybe he wants to come.”
Karen looked to Kiyoko, and she shook her head no. Tyree knew there was something they weren’t sharing and went to probe further when Karen spoke up. “Rock is at the office. He has been working a lot since our dinner.”
“Is something wrong? Why didn’t you call?”
“You had your own things going on, and I knew you and Mia needed the time. After he dropped you off, he got the call.”
“Is this my fault? Did he get called in because he was protecting me?”
Karen slid her hand into his lap and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “No, sweetheart. You know Rock has been looking for Richmond, and his unit thinks they may be onto something. Don’t stress about your actions. Rock loves you.”
“You know, Mom, I’m glad you married Rock.” He loved the smile that lit up her face. “I know at first it was weird, and you tried to pass off this ‘just friends’ thing, but he has been your husband for years whether you realize it or not.”
“What do you mean?”
“All that time you knew what Dad was doing, you confided in Rock, right?”
“Yeah.”
“He protected you and talked you through everything, didn’t he?”
“Yeah.” She smiled, getting where he was going in his line of questioning.
“I know he definitely made us feel like we could come to him. I talked to him more than I ever talked to Dad. He was already a part of my family before you married him.”
“I was nervous about how you guys would take it. I mean, I knew you all loved Rock, but loving him and having him married to your mother are two different things.”
“Stop stressing, crazy lady. We want you happy, and he does the job, so I’m all for it. You’ve given up so much of your happiness to ensure ours, and whatever you need, you can have it. I would give you the world.”
“I love you, baby. You kids are more than I could have ever dreamed. You make me so proud, and I would do anything to spare you an ounce of pain. I always will.”
Tyree grinned at his mother and then shifted his eyes to the woman in the back seat. He knew she was responsible for making his mother the loving, caring, selfless person she was, and he couldn’t wait for more time with her. He wanted to know so much more about this special woman who was responsible for his happiness. He knew that without her, his life wouldn’t be what it was.
* * *
“Aunt Mia,” Jude called out, poking his head around the corner of their dining room. He had come over early before going to the office, and she could tell by the tone of his voice that something was weighing on him. He had called her early, even before she had gotten out of bed, and she go
t up and fixed breakfast for them and Kyan, who had been dropped off by Miguel thirty minutes earlier. She was sitting at the table, listening to her son go on about his upcoming science fair, and she smiled. He was so bright, way smarter than she was at that age.
“Yeah, Mama. I swear it’s going to be great! You are coming, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t miss it. Did you ask your dad?”
“I didn’t get to, and he was gone this morning.” He paused for a minute and looked up at her. “Are you and Dad happy?”
Jude was watching quietly and took a seat at the table, tuning in for her answer. “Yeah, why do you ask?”
Kyan looked at Jude, and he nodded, signaling for him to go on. “I know you both want another baby. I’ve seen you crying about it.”
Mia let out a deep breath and grabbed his hand. She wasn’t aware that he had been paying so much attention to them. “Yes, Dad and I want another baby, and it does make me sad sometimes, but we are happy. I just think when it’s time for us it will happen. At least we have you. You’re the best kid in the world.”
“You’re laying it on thick, Mama,” he laughed. “I don’t like it when you’re sad. When you get sad, you guys fight more, and I don’t want us to move again. I thought . . . When I woke up and he wasn’t here, I got scared.”
“We are fine. We are not always going to agree on everything, but we love each other. We’re not going anywhere.”
“Is he coming home soon?”
“He was home earlier. He just left to see your grandmother. He will be back after work.” She could tell he still wasn’t all the way convinced, and she brushed her hand over his cheek. “You know what you need?” He looked into her eyes and shook his head no. “You need a day with your dad. How about I call him and tell him to clear his day tomorrow afternoon and you guys spend some guy time together?”
“He can do that?”
“Sure he can. He’s the boss,” she giggled.
“Actually, you’re the boss. We just do whatever you say to keep the peace.”
“All right, silly boy, finish your breakfast and Abel will drive you to school.” She turned away from him and looked up to see Jude smiling at them. Kyan took the last few bites of his food and kissed her cheek before jumping up and racing toward the stairs. After he was gone, she turned to Jude, and he grabbed her hand.
“Wow, that was intense.”
“That’s my little man. God, where did the time go? It seems like I was just changing his diapers and now he’s doing science fairs and worrying if his parents are happy.”
“Are they? I know what you told little man, but are you happy, Aunt Mia?”
“I’m . . . Jude, why did you ask me that?”
He held up his hands and sighed. “I don’t know. I thought that maybe Jake being here was causing problems. I’ve never seen Uncle Ty lose it like he did the other night, and then Whit told me he was out of it yesterday. I worry about you, that’s all.”
“I’ll admit, Jake being here isn’t pleasant, but we will be okay. There’s just some stuff we have to work through, nothing big.”
“If you need someone to talk to, call me.”
“I thought that’s what you came here for. Come on, tell me what’s going on with you.”
“Changing the subject,” he laughed. “Yes, I came for your advice.”
“Well, talk. I can’t imagine you came over here to talk about me and Tyree, so tell me what’s going on.”
“Can we take this over to the couch? It’s a little complicated.”
Mia took her coffee and walked over to the living room, taking a seat. She saw Kyan making his way down the stairs and blew him a kiss as he left with Abel on his way to school. Jude took a seat next to her, shuffling his hands nervously. She could tell whatever he was about to drop on her was serious, and she wanted to brace herself.
“What’s going on?”
“Things aren’t going the way I thought they would when I first proposed. I kind of feel like maybe it wasn’t the best decision.”
“It’s only been a month, Jude. You have to give it some time.”
She saw his eyes shift, and he swallowed hard. “Aunt Mia, I don’t think it’s going to work out. She’s different. She has been since . . . She’s just not the girl I love anymore.”
“I know a little something about being with someone you don’t love. It never works, but the difference between me and you is you do love her, or at least you did. What changed that, and how did it change so quickly?”
“I don’t know. I think maybe I brought her here hoping things would get better, and they seemed to, but ever since the engagement party, things have gone from good to terrible. The only thing I can think of is that there’s someone else.”
Mia was taken aback. This was the last thing she expected to hear. She always thought Jude and Whitney were so in love. She would have never guessed she would be cheating. “She can’t be with someone else. You’re the only boy she’s ever loved, the only one she has ever been with. How could she—”
“I’m not the only one.”
“She’s cheated on you before? Why would you ask her to marry you if you knew she was cheating?”
“She didn’t cheat. Look, I don’t know if I should say anything. I promised I would keep her secret.”
“Secret? Jude, that’s my niece. If something is wrong, I want to know about it. Maybe I can help her.”
She saw him contemplating it and realized when his decision was made. “Just before we left school, Whitney was raped. She went to this party and had too much to drink, and some bastard took advantage of her. I hate myself for not being there, and I think she has finally gotten around to hating me too. It’s bad at our house. She leaves, and I don’t even know where she’s going most nights. When I ask questions, I get this shitty response or no response at all. I’m worried.”
Mia was silent as she looked at Jude. She wasn’t sure what to say or what to do. She wanted to comfort him, she wanted to make it better, but she wasn’t sure how. Things were just too foggy in her mind. “Who did this?”
“I don’t know. She doesn’t remember.”
“Did he use protection?”
“We had her checked, but because we had sex afterward, nothing could be determined. She came up clean for STDs, but she was damaged in other ways. You don’t know how bad it was. I had to drag her out of all kinds of crazy scenes, and it was getting exhausting.”
Mia’s shaky hand went over her lips. “How did we not know any of this? Her parents, they would have gone to the ends of the earth to find out who did this. Why didn’t you guys tell us?”
“I promised, and I thought I could handle it, but it’s too much. I don’t want to lose her, but I feel like I already have. I swear there has to be someone else. I can just feel it.”
“I want to talk to her. Maybe she will open up to me.” She saw Jude’s eyes widen and knew there was more. “What is it?”
“You can’t say anything. Whit already feels like you like me more than her. She says you always take my side.”
“That’s nonsense. Where would she get an idea like that? I love her.”
“I know you do, but you have to understand, you are the one her dad trusts. You’re the one he always confides in. She just feels left out from you guys.”
“He wanted to protect her. She was so young, and we didn’t want her to live the life we did. Dad almost broke us, and her parents wanted better for their child. I can understand that. If I had been as careful as they were, maybe my son wouldn’t have been kidnapped.”
“She doesn’t see it that way. She only sees that you guys are who her dad trusts, and she feels inferior.”
“We love her. I would never want her to deal with what I did, but I see by trying to shield her, we created more damage. I have to talk to her. I can’t have her feeling that way about us.”
Just as the words left her mouth, Mia looked up and saw Whitney walking into the living room. “
What the hell is this?”
“Whit, just let me talk to you.” Jude stood and walked toward her, and she swung out and slapped him across the face.
“How dare you come to her with my personal business? What in the hell is wrong with you?”
“What are you doing here? How did you know—” He tried to question her, but she cut him off.
“I followed you. I had to see for myself what was going on here, and I guess I was right.”
“Right about what?” Mia questioned.
“He has been telling you everything all along. No wonder you’re always looking down on me and being so supportive of him. I should have known.”
“Wait,” Mia interjected. “You’re wrong, sweetie. We’re worried about you. You can talk to me.”
“I can’t talk to any of you.” Mia watched as Whitney paced the floor and threw her hands up in the air. “God, Jude, what were you thinking? They didn’t need any more reasons to think I can’t do the job. You know what I’m up against!”
“What are you up against? I’m confused,” Mia interrupted.
“You! You’re perfect, and everyone loves you. They never question you or second-guess the things you say. People respect you in a way they will never respect me. You have it all: a son who loves you and a husband who thinks you hung the damn moon. You even have Jake still chasing you like a lost puppy. After everything that’s happened, even he still loves you. I could never compete with that.”
“It’s not a competition between us. We’re family. We’re supposed to look out for one another.”
“You have everyone! You have my dad, my mom, Uncle Ty, and now you even have my fiancé eating out of the palm of your hand. Why do you have to be so damn selfish?”
“Selfish?” Mia hissed. “Me, selfish? I gave up a hell of a lot for this family. I’ve lost more than you could dream of. You have no clue about loss, little girl.” Mia was boiling. She had tried to remain calm during Whitney’s ranting, but she had heard enough.