by Jenna Brandt
“Someone here needs to hear this. God will not fail you. He is with you and He will keep you safe through the trial you are going through, but he wants you to do your part. You need to be courageous while putting your hope in God. Only then, will you be delivered out of the situation you are in. Psalm 31:24 says, ‘So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord.’ The key there is your hope has to be in the Lord, not in your family, not in your friends, not in yourself, but in God alone.”
Celeste glanced over at Roger to see if Pastor’s Greg message had struck home. The tears that were in the corner of his eyes made it obvious that was the case.
Pastor Greg spent the rest of the time talking about how to be brave and what that looked like in a practical way. By the end of the service, Celeste was certain Roger had an arsenal of how to deal with his situation.
As they made their way towards the kid’s area to pick up Marcus, Celeste asked, “So, what did you think of the message?”
“We both know that message was made for me. I can’t believe God had Pastor Greg change the sermon for me.”
“Haven’t you ever heard the parable of the lost sheep?”
Roger’s brows furrowed together as he said, “I think I remember it vaguely from Catechism classes, but it was a long time ago.”
“Let me refresh your memory. In the parable, the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine sheep to help the one that is lost. God will do anything to help us, and right now, He knows you need His help. You need to fully lean into that truth and surrender control of your life completely to Him.”
“It’s so clear God is trying to tell me what to do. I know I need to be bold and stand up for what’s right by claiming Marcus as my son. I can’t hide him anymore.”
“I’m glad you’re finally ready to do what you need to make this right.”
Later that afternoon, Celeste received a call from Lana. Apparently, they were still on their honeymoon, but God put it in Lana’s heart for her to call her friend.
“How are you doing, Celeste? I mean really?” Lana inquired. “I know you’re saying that everything is under control, but if it truly was, I don’t think God would have urged me to call you.”
Celeste let out a sigh before speaking. “If you felt that earlier, it was probably because Roger was struggling with what to do.” Celeste spent the next few minutes explaining the situation.
“Okay, but I still feel like there is something else; something to do with you,” Lana protested. “Is there something going on between you and Roger? Bryce mentioned noticing something at the wedding. Roger basically confirmed it when they talked there.”
Celeste sucked in a breath and held it. She had no idea Roger had talked about her with anyone, let alone his best friend. What did that mean? What did he tell Bryce? Though she had about a dozen questions, she realized it wasn’t fair to ask Lana to divulge what she knew, assuming she knew any details at all. Celeste decided to talk about her own feelings instead. She hadn’t wanted to bother Lana around the time of the wedding, so Celeste had avoided talking about it with her friend.
“It’s all so complicated, Lana. I care for Marcus, and Roger, but I don’t know how to make sense of it. How can I trust him when only a few months ago he did terrible things—specifically to you? Add in the fact that if we decided to try to make a go of it, and things didn’t work out between us, it would hurt a little boy who doesn’t deserve to have any further pain.”
“And you.”
“And me, what?” Celeste asked with confusion.
“It would hurt you, and that’s the real reason you’re unwilling to try to make a relationship with Roger work. For all the years I’ve known you, you’ve never had a serious relationship. I think it’s because of what happened with your mother’s boyfriend. You don’t feel you can trust a man with your heart, but you need to let God heal that broken part of you, Celeste. It’s the only way you’ll ever be able to love someone and have a healthy relationship.”
Celeste inhaled sharply, the pang of the truth resonating in her heart. She wanted to be angry with Lana for bringing up her painful past, but she couldn’t. She didn’t have the right when it was accurate. Celeste had let her issues from the past keep men at arm’s length.
“You know, I don’t want you to use what happened between Roger and me last year to keep you from trying with him. We all make mistakes, Celeste, but after he apologized, he truly changed for the better. Take it for what you want, but I think Roger could be good for you.”
From the other room, she heard shouting and quickly said, “I have to go, Lana. Something is going on. I hope Marcus didn’t get into the crayons again.”
As Celeste exited her room and came down the hall, the arguing voice became louder. Roger was standing at the door, blocking it from someone else who stood on the other side. The closer she got, the deeper the dread crept into her heart, until it took full effect when she saw a tall woman with curly black hair standing on the other side—a woman that looked remarkably like Marcus.
“You can’t come in, Brianna,” Roger stated clearly. “You should have called first. Marcus is taking a nap.”
“Fine, I’ll come back later to get him,’’ the woman stated with a clipped voice. “You better have him ready.”
“I guarantee you he won’t be going with you, not now and not until you change the way you’re living your life. If you’re willing to clean up your act, we can work out a shared custody arrangement, but until then, he’s staying with me,” Roger stated firmly.
“Oh, don’t act like you care about him. You’ve had him for a couple of months—that’s little more than a vacation for you. That doesn’t suddenly make you a father.”
“You’re right, it doesn’t, but the fact that I’ve gotten to know him, and I love him, does. You forced him into my life by your reckless actions, but I won’t have you take him away by more of them.”
“You’re going to regret this!” Brianna threatened, putting her hands on her hips as she shook with rage. “I’m going to get a lawyer and sue you. In the meantime, I’m going to the press and telling them everything.”
“Do what you have to, Brianna, but nothing you can say will change my mind. Marcus comes first, and if that means you go public, so be it. I planned to tell the press myself and claim my son openly.”
Brianna snorted and shook her head. “I highly doubt that, Roger. If you hadn’t cared about keeping a secret, you wouldn’t have paid me all that money over the years. You’re going to regret tangling with me,” the woman vowed before storming off down the hall.
Roger shut the door and slumped against it, filled with frustration and concern. He didn’t care about the press finding out anymore. There was no way he could live with losing his son, let alone let Marcus go back into the unfit environment his mother refused to leave.
“Are you okay?” he heard Celeste ask, drawing his attention to the side of the hall where she was standing.
“Did you hear all that?” Roger inquired.
“I did, and I’m so sorry she came here the way she did.”
“I don’t know what I was thinking. I should have gotten a lawyer involved a long time ago. If I had, I could have gotten her to sign over custody while she was in jail. Now, she’s out—thanks to some strings pulled by a high-profile client—and she can fight for custody of Marcus without any complications.”
“I think there is one huge complication for her. I don’t think a court would give a known prostitute custody of a child when there’s a father with a good reputation willing to take care of him.”
“My reputation is anything but good, or at least it wasn’t up until recently. I’m not sure the court would see me as much of a step up from Brianna. Plus, she’s really good at manipulating people. I could see her going into family court and lying about her profession. Then what happens?” Roger ran his fingers through his hair. “I don’t think I can live without my son now that I have him in my life.”
“Then we have to pray about it,” Celeste offered, coming over and taking his hands in her own. “Dear Lord, right now, we come to You and ask You to intervene in this situation. We know we have no way of fixing this, but You do, Lord. We ask that you help Roger protect his son and keep him in his life. We know You can do anything, and all we have to do is ask. In Jesus’s name, we pray, Amen.”
“Thank you, I needed that,” Roger said, squeezing Celeste’s hands.
“Of course, I’m here for you, Roger, no matter what.”
“I’m glad. If I didn’t have you here, I’m not sure how I could have handled this,” he said, pulling her towards him and wrapping his arms around her waist. “All I know is that I need you in my life as much as I need my son.”
Celeste looked up into his eyes and though she didn’t say it, he could see she felt the same way. Roger leaned down, the urge to kiss Celeste pushing everything else aside. His lips were gentle, probing hers to see if she would accept the gesture. When she didn’t pull away, he deepened the kiss, pulling her in even closer.
When the kiss ended, Celeste smiled up at him and whispered, “That was even better than I imagined.”
“No kidding,” he said with a chuckle. “You exceed my expectations in everything you do.”
Celeste stepped back and said, “I should go check on Marcus, but I think under the circumstances, I should probably move out.”
“Are you quitting on me?” Roger asked with concern, confused by her statement.
“No, but our relationship just moved from friendship to something more. It wouldn’t be right for me to be living here. I’ll still take care of Marcus, and we can spend the same amount of time together. I just need to move back to my apartment.”
“You’re probably right. I’m not sure I can keep my hands off of you with you being just down the hall,” he admitted, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
“I don’t think I would want to make you,” she whispered back as she stared up into his eyes and saw the same desire reflected back. “I’ll move out first thing tomorrow.”
Roger nodded, watching as Celeste headed down the hallway.
Later that night, when Roger retired to his room, his mind was overrun with fear of losing his son mixed with the prospect of starting something romantic with Celeste. He had no idea how to reconcile either; one caused trepidation while the other brought joy. He had only one choice, to pray about both situations until he fell asleep.
9
The nervousness wouldn’t leave the pit of Roger’s stomach. He knew he was doing the right thing, and his lawyer had sent over the list of pre-approved questions, but no matter how hard someone prepared for an interview, there was always a chance of an ambush.
“It’s good to see you, Roger,” Angelina Penn, the Manhattan Magazine’s reporter said with a smile. “My boss told me to go easy on you, so I want you to relax.”
The interview started off with easy questions verifying his basic details, confirming his new position at Boswell Oil.
Next, she brought up his lack of exposure. “You haven’t been seen out on the town lately, Mr. Boswell, like you have in the past. Do you care to explain why that is?”
“I’ve taken on a more active role in my family’s business, and I’m also involved with the church I attend.”
“And what church might that be?” she asked, almost as if she were skeptical it was true.
“Journey Church in SoHo. I’ve been going there for the past few months. My good friend invited me, and I decided it was time for a change.”
“That explains your status as a reformed playboy, but I know there’s more to it than just your job and new faith. Is there any other reason you haven’t been out on the social scene?”
“Yes, my son, Marcus, has recently come to live with me. Making him comfortable has been my priority.”
“I don’t think many people were aware of you having a son.”
“It wasn’t common knowledge. As a matter-of-fact, only a handful of people knew.”
“Is there a reason you kept it so quiet?”
“Because of the way I met his mother,” Roger said, squirming in his seat. This was going to be the toughest part of the interview. “I was young and stupid. My friends talked me into spending time with a woman that turned out to be an escort.”
“I see, and she ended up pregnant?”
“Yes, and when she decided she was having the baby, I helped her financially.”
“But you didn’t have contact with the child?”
“No, not until recently, when my son’s mother was unable to take care of him.”
“And why was that? Why was she unable?”
Roger knew the question was coming, but it still didn’t help. “I’d rather not answer that. I think it’s not my place to speak on her situation.”
“All right, I can respect that.” Changing subjects, she said, “It seems you’ve turned into a real family man. Is there a special woman in your life to complete the picture?”
Roger nodded. “There is, but it’s new. For now, we’re keeping it private.”
“I just have one more question,” Angelina stated. “I was wondering if you would care to comment on the fact your father has Alzheimer’s Disease.”
Roger’s eyes narrowed in anger. He was taken aback by the unanticipated question that hadn’t been on the list. He hadn’t expected her to ambush him like this. “Miss Penn, I’m not sure where you got your information, but I’m not going to comment on anything that has to do with my family’s health.”
“I’m simply trying to establish if that is the reason you’ve taken a more active role with Boswell Oil. Is your father trying to prepare you to take over the family company when he’s no longer able to run it?”
Roger stood up and stated, “Thank you for your time, Miss Penn, but this interview is over.”
Without waiting for a response, Roger took off and left. There was no way he could stick around and pretend what that reporter did was okay.
A half hour later, Roger climbed out of his Town Car and headed towards the door of his apartment building.
“Mr. Boswell,” a man said, drawing Roger’s attention to the side.
“I’m sorry, I’m not talking to reporters at this time,” Roger stated out of habit.
“I’m not a reporter, Mr. Boswell.” The man shoved a packet of papers towards him and added, “You’ve been served.”
“What on earth?” Roger mumbled in confusion.
He opened the manila envelope, pulling out the documents. He scanned through them and with each new sentence, his heart raced with fear and anger. Brianna had followed through on her threat and was suing him for custody of Marcus.
As he rode the elevator up to his penthouse, he silently sent up a prayer, asking God to help him. A peace flooded him and he had a feeling that everything was going to turn out fine.
By the time he came inside to find Celeste and Marcus, he was able to focus on them and not what might happen in the future. Spending time with them, hearing them laugh, and watching them play together was enough to make Roger know he would fight for his family no matter what.
Celeste was more tired than normal. She had a sleepless night flipping between memories of the kisses she shared with Roger and the worry she felt over what might happen with custody for Marcus.
As she watched the little boy play, all she could do was imagine how devastated she and Roger would both be if they lost him. Even though he wasn’t her son, she loved him like he was her own. The idea of Brianna taking him away from both her and Roger made Celeste seethe with anger. The only thing she could think to do was pray.
“Here you are. After reading Roger’s interview in Manhattan Magazine, I asked around about who he was seeing. It didn’t take long to find out it was you. I heard it on good authority you come to the park with Roger’s son almost every morning,” the unwelcome voice of a man said next to her.
She glanced to her right to find a m
an she recognized as one of Roger’s former friends glaring at her. She believed his name was George, but she couldn’t be certain.
“What do you want?” Celeste asked coldly.
“I want you to leave Roger alone. He doesn’t need someone like you ruining his life.”
Celeste’s blood ran cold, hating that this man not only thought she wasn’t good enough for Roger, but that he had a right to tell her to stay away from him.
“I’m Marcus’ nanny, nothing more,” Celeste protested, though the kiss from the other night made it more complicated than that. She didn’t feel she had to explain her situation further to this stranger.
“Oh, I know you’re the nanny—but you’re not trying to be just the nanny,” he stated with emphasis. “I heard how close the two of you appeared to be at Bryce’s wedding. I think you’re trying to use your job as the nanny to trap Roger. It’s the only way someone like you could ever end up with someone like him.”
“What do you mean by that?” Celeste asked, not liking what he was implying.
“Let me be blunt, since you don’t seem to get subtlety; you’re not in Roger’s league. He’s going to end up with someone who lives in our world and plays by our rules, and that’s not you. You need to leave him alone before I make you wish you had.”
“You’re right,” Celeste stated clearly, standing up and moving towards the man without a drop of fear in her. “I’m not from your world, and I don’t play by your rules. You don’t know anything about me, or what’s between Roger and me. For the record, before you go around making demands, you should really think about who you are threatening. All I have to do is make a call, and I have several cousins who wouldn’t think twice about beating up some ‘Richie’ who stuck his nose where it didn’t belong.” Then with a shrug, she added, “But I don’t think it will come to that. I think we’re both going to move on from this conversation knowing exactly what the other one is made of.”