Yet Delphinia, silently eating her food, her expression as blank and empty as a brand-new dry erase board, stood in stark contrast to the rest of her family. Even in the short time Yvonne had known Maxwell’s mother, she’d never seen her so sullen. I wonder what’s bothering her, but I don’t think it’s my place to ask.
Glancing her way, Maxwell tapped his fork against his mug. “Everybody, I want to make an announcement.”
This is it. Her heart thudded in her chest, a giddy feeling growing inside her as she anticipated his next words.
He cleared his throat, draped his arm around her shoulder.
Kelsey and Alexis both looked his way for the first time since the meal began. Apparently, his impending announcement was more interesting than playing with the baby, at least for the time being.
“Yvonne and I are—”
Delphinia’s fork clattered onto her empty plate, and she shoved the plate away with enough force that it crashed into one of her china platters. Kelsey swiped her hand out, her quick reflexes keeping the jostled china from crashing to the floor.
Yvonne leaned closer to Maxwell as his arm tightened around her. Glancing his way, she saw the wide-eyed stare on his face.
All eyes in the room turned toward Delphinia’s face. The earlier blankness was gone, replaced by the clenched jaw and flashing eyes indicative of anger.
Maxwell frowned. “Mom, what’s—”
“Hush, Maxwell.” Delphinia’s sharp tone split the silence like an ax blasting through a chunk of wood. She folded her arms over her chest, shifting her glare to her husband’s face. “Do you know who called me this morning, Humphrey?”
His brow furrowed, Humphrey snapped, “How should I know? And why’d you interrupt Max after you’ve sat here not saying a word this whole time?”
Delphinia stabbed a finger in her husband’s direction. “Don’t try me. Not now.”
Propping his clenched fists on his hips, Humphrey opened his mouth as if to speak.
Before any words could spill out, Maxwell touched his father’s arm, briefly shaking his head. “Obviously, Mom has something to say.”
Well, this has taken a turn. While part of her resented that their moment had been snatched away, she realized something important was happening, so she held her peace. In a situation like this, she knew better than to interfere.
“You’re damn right I do.” Delphinia drew a deep breath. “It was Trish. Trish called me this morning, Humphrey.”
At the mention of the woman’s name, Humphrey’s posture changed, his back suddenly as straight and rigid as a board. He swallowed so hard, even Yvonne could see the bob of his Adam’s apple.
Alexis, her eyes narrowed as she cradled her now drowsy niece, tilted her head. “You mean Ms. Trish who used to live three doors down from us when we were kids?”
“That’s the only Trish I can think of,” Kelsey remarked as she gathered and stacked the plates and platters. “But I thought you and she stopped talking years ago.”
“We did.” Delphinia’s clipped response was delivered through clenched teeth.
“Then why would she be calling you now, out of the blue?” Maxwell’s expression and tone conveyed genuine confusion.
“Jeffrey’s getting married,” Delphinia said. “And Trish wants us all to be there.”
“That’s great news, for Jeffrey.” Maxwell shrugged. “But why would she call you? Y’all don’t even like each other.”
Looking to her husband, she said, “Why don’t you tell them, Humphrey?”
“This isn’t the time or place, Del.”
“Everyone’s here. It’s as good a time as any for them to know who you really are.”
Yvonne squirmed in her seat, feeling out of place. It was as if she were watching a soap opera play out in front of her. She didn’t know if she was ready for such an intimate view of this family, even if they were the relatives of the man she’d grown to love. “Maybe I should leave…”
“No, Yvonne.” Humphrey stood, letting his hands drop to his sides limply. “I’ll leave. Because I’m not having this discussion.” He walked away from the table, headed for the door to the rear of the room.
“Humphrey!” Delphinia twisted in her seat, shouting after her retreating husband. “Walking out isn’t going to make it right!”
He didn’t respond, and he didn’t stop. Soon, he’d disappeared from the room.
And moments later, Delphinia Devers slumped forward and sobbed into her hands.
Chapter 15
Watching his mother dissolve into tears, Maxwell’s heart clenched as if a fist were wrapped around it. His sisters rushed to her side, trying to comfort her. Kelsey, cradling Sasha on her hip, reached for the napkins, while Alexis, the baby and easily the most emotional sibling, knelt and pulled her mother into her arms as she wept.
Holy shit. I’ve never seen Mom like this. She’d certainly displayed irritation or dissatisfaction in the past, but never on this level. And having this happen today, in front of Yvonne and when he’d planned to share their relationship with his family, put him in possibly the most awkward situation he’d ever been in. He looked to Yvonne, whose face conveyed confusion. As their gazes locked, she gave him a small shrug and patted him on the shoulder. The small gesture settled his mood somewhat, because despite the unexpected drama unfolding before her, she hadn’t left his side, hadn’t bolted from the room to avoid the situation. It was as if she were showing him that she’d always be by his side, no matter what. It was a much-needed comforting thought for the tense moment at hand.
When he could no longer bear listening to her cry, he asked softly, “Mom, what’s going on? What’s Dad not telling us?”
“Give her a minute, Max.” Kelsey dabbed at her mother’s tear-streaked face with a cloth napkin.
The room fell silent while everyone waited until Delphinia felt ready to speak. He felt Yvonne lean into him, her presence salving the torrent of emotions rising inside.
Finally, Delphinia cleared her throat. Her eyes were still red-rimmed, but the tears had ceased. “I didn’t want to be the one to tell you this, especially not the way it’s happening. But you should know the truth. Your father…had an affair.”
Alexis, who’d been kneeling by her mother’s side, dropped to a sitting position on the floor.
Kelsey shrank back as if recoiling from something hideous. Her free hand flew to her mouth.
While his sisters seemed to be reacting with shock and disappointment, Maxwell felt something different: anger. It sparked inside him, red-hot and strong. Unable to hold the words back, he blurted, “How could he do something like that?” And he had the nerve to lecture me about responsibility when I brought Yvonne here the first time.
“So Trish called you to tell you about this other woman?” Alexis shook her head, still trying to piece it all together. “I can’t see why she’d try to help since you two fell out.”
Maxwell tilted his head, taking all the factors he knew into consideration. His thoughts rolled back to that Saturday he’d helped clean the garage and the box of toys that had set his mother off. His father had stormed off then, as he recalled. The toys definitely belonged to a little boy. But they definitely weren’t mine. At the time, he couldn’t fathom why something so innocuous seemed to make her so angry. Now I get it. But that means…
“Oh. My. God.” Kelsey’s eyes were as round as the china plates they’d eaten from. “It was her, wasn’t it? Ms. Trish was the other woman!”
Delphinia nodded slowly.
Maxwell felt his pulse pick up, felt the hot blood rushing through his body. “Fuck. That means Jeffrey…” He couldn’t even bring himself to complete the sentence.
Having observed the entire revelation in silence up to this point, Yvonne finally spoke. “But who’s Jeffrey?”
Returning to her chair and sitting down, Kelsey
cradled Sasha close. “Jeffrey is Trish’s son. And most likely our half brother.”
Yvonne turned to him, the motion slow. “Maxwell, I…”
He took a deep breath and blew it out in hopes it would cool his anger. It did, but not to the extent he’d hoped. “Trish and Jeffrey lived a few houses down from us in the old neighborhood. He’s about two years younger than me—”
“And only a few weeks older than me,” Kelsey ground out.
“Right,” he continued. “Jeffrey and I played together as kids. We climbed trees, played football, rode bikes. He was always over to our house, but none of us were ever allowed to go to Trish’s place.” He looked his mother’s way, taking in the quiet resignation on her face. “Now that I think of it, you never seemed to like Trish. Dad was always the one who dealt with her if anything needed to be coordinated. And you never let her into the house. She’d sit on the porch sometimes, but that was the extent of it.”
“Trish used to work at the engineering firm that hired your father right out of school. She was an office manager there. I imagine he started seeing her not too long after we were married.” Delphinia rubbed a hand over her face. “It was the typical things. Coming home late, claiming he’d been held up at work. I’d go to wash his clothes, and I’d smell the lingering scent of another woman’s perfume…find the traces of her makeup on his shirts. One morning, I just sat on top of the washer and cried my eyes out.”
“Oh, Mom.” Alexis squeezed her hand.
“When your father finally came home that evening, I told him he needed to be honest with me and come clean. So he did. He admitted what they’d been doing and that Jeffrey was his son, but he didn’t go into much detail. Wanted me to be ‘cordial’ to her. I tolerated her being around as long as I could. But by the time Kelsey was born, I’d had it.”
“Mom, I…” Maxwell rubbed his temples. “I’m so sorry he put you through this. But I have to ask, why did you stay?” He couldn’t imagine the pain she’d endured, the invisible daggers that had pierced her heart every time she looked at the child her husband had conceived with another woman.
“I love him.” She offered a sad smile. “He promised me they weren’t seeing each other anymore, except as it pertained to Jeffrey. Aside from that, when he sold that patent to the government, I knew that money could change this family’s life, and it did. I wanted the best for my children, so I stayed.”
He shook his head, unable to believe what he’d just heard. Growing up as the only male child in the family had been difficult at times. He’d often longed for a little brother, someone to commiserate with on the things only another young boy would understand. And while he’d done some of that with Jeffrey, it just wasn’t on the same level. He’d never truly felt that level of fraternal bonding until he’d joined the ranks of Theta Delta Theta. He resented his father for denying him the brother he’d wanted…the brother he’d already had. “This is outrageous. I can’t believe he stood there and lectured me about responsibility after what he’s done.” He held out his arms, and Kelsey passed Sasha to Yvonne, who in turn placed his daughter in his arms. Holding her sleeping form close to his heart, he inhaled the sweet scent of her baby lotion. He leaned down, kissed her warm forehead.
Alexis got up, sitting back in her chair. Touching her mother’s shoulder, she said, “I’m so sorry. So, so sorry you went through this, Mom.”
Delphinia nodded. “I know you are. You all are good kids and my greatest accomplishments. But you aren’t responsible for what happened all those years ago. Only your father and Trish can answer for that.” She sighed. “Trish told me she was sorry years ago. Just can’t bring myself to be friends with her, you know?”
He nodded. Who’d want to make friends with someone after such a betrayal?
“Did he ever apologize, Mom?” Kelsey asked. “I mean really, sincerely apologize?”
Scooting back from the table, Delphinia shook her head. “The most I’ve gotten out of him is, ‘Del, I have some regrets.’ That man is about as stubborn as a red wine stain.”
Alexis’s face crumpled, and tears welled in her eyes. “I don’t know how everybody else feels, but I’m definitely not in the mood for any family golf outing. Not after all this.”
Maxwell stood then, unable to stay seated any longer. “I’m done. This is a lot to take in and a bit too much for me if I’m honest.”
“Are you going after Dad, Max?” Kelsey gave him a questioning look.
He shook his head. “No way. He’s about the last person on earth I’d want to see right now.” He couldn’t properly communicate the level of disgust he felt over his father’s actions. Looking down at Sasha, he was amazed she’d slept through most of this ordeal. Still, her sleeping face held a tight expression, as if she’d heard the commotion in her dreams. “I just need to process all this. So I’m going to take Sasha and Yvonne home.”
Yvonne got up then, taking the baby’s bag from the back of her chair and slinging the strap over her shoulder. She grabbed his hand, and they crossed the room together.
Stopping to hug his mother, he asked, “Will you be all right?”
She nodded. “Go on home, Max. Enjoy her.” She kissed the baby’s cheek. “And her, too.” She jerked her head, indicating Yvonne.
The wash of color that filled Yvonne’s cheeks was both alluring and endearing. It seemed no big announcement was needed. As always, Mom simply…knew. After saying goodbye to his sisters, he and Yvonne left.
Once they were back at his house, he watched as Yvonne took Sasha out of the car seat and placed her gently on a blanket on the living room floor. While the baby crawled around, exploring the finer points of the furniture legs, Yvonne stood by as if unsure what to do next.
Seated on the sofa, he called her name. “Yvonne?”
She turned his way. “What is it?”
He didn’t even know where to begin. He let his gaze pass over the regal lines of her face: the big brown eyes, the full lips he loved to kiss, the nose that wrinkled whenever she started to think too hard. “I’m…sorry. You know, about today.”
She tilted her head. “Why are you apologizing? There’s no way you could have anticipated so much…excitement.”
He leaned back into the cushions. “Rationally, I know that. Still, I feel responsible for exposing you to it.” He couldn’t remember the last time in his adult life that he’d felt so embarrassed, especially over something he hadn’t actually done.
She walked over then, taking a seat beside him. “Maxwell. I’m not mad, really. I’ll admit I was a little disappointed at first that your thunder was stolen and you couldn’t tell your family about us the way you’d planned. But it’s really no big deal.”
“I wish I could say the same. Part of me wants to disown my father, but I know I’m not going to do that.” He shook his head. “And I don’t even know what I’ll say to Jeffrey the next time I see him.”
“When are you planning to see him?”
“I’m definitely going to his wedding. After all, he’s still one of my closest friends.” And now he’s my brother. Isn’t that some shit?
“Listen. You’re a levelheaded, intelligent man. I’m sure you’ll be able to iron it all out…eventually.” She reached for his hand, gave it a squeeze.
“What about our announcement?”
She giggled. “Don’t worry. I think they know.” She winked.
He laughed for the first time in what seemed like forever. This day had gone wrong in ways he couldn’t even have imagined, yet she had managed to brighten his mood. “Have I told you I love you today, Yvonne?”
“You mumbled it in your sleep in the wee hours, but I think it bears repeating.”
He laughed again. “I love you, Yvonne.”
“I love you, too, Maxwell.”
She leaned in, and as their lips met, he felt the anger and frustration melt away.
<
br /> He broke the kiss a few torrid moments later. “I know you probably have things to do. Since the family outing is a huge bust, I don’t want to monopolize your day.”
“Yeah. I do have a few odds and ends to take care of, and I want to swing by and check in on my parents.” She shifted, then stood.
“Then, go on. Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Sasha and I will be fine.” He leaned over, scooping Sasha up off the floor as she crawled over his feet. Holding her little hand, he waved it side to side. “Okay, say bye-bye to Ms. Yvonne.”
“Baaaaaa!” Sasha’s exclamation was loud enough that he jumped.
Yvonne laughed. “I’ll take it. Bye, sweetie. I’ll see you Monday.” She shot him a sultry look. “You, too, Maxwell.”
He smiled. “I can’t wait.”
A few minutes later, he stood by the window with the baby, watching as Yvonne’s car pulled out of the driveway. Turning to Sasha, he said, “What do you think? Ready for lunch?”
She gave him a drooly smile.
Laughing, he bounced her all the way to the kitchen.
* * *
When Yvonne pulled up to her parents’ house Monday morning, she saw the curtains rustling at the front window. She smiled, knowing her mother, a dedicated member of the Neighborhood Watch, had been there. As far back as she could remember, her mother had always looked out the front windows; she’d been privy to every truck rumbling down the street, every loudly held conversation, and every new neighbor to move onto the block for the last three decades.
Glancing over her shoulder at Sasha, who was buckled in the back, she quipped, “Well, it looks like my mommy knows we’re here already.”
Sasha laughed, shaking the giraffe rattle that had recently become one of her favorite toys.
A short time later, Yvonne entered her parents’ house, carrying Sasha on her hip. “Good morning, Mommy.”
Her mother smiled and pulled her in for a hug, careful not to hurt the baby. “Morning, sweetheart.” She greeted Sasha by giving her a small boop on the nose. “And how are you today, precious?”
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