“How do I know that? How do I know that the next time you don’t get your way that you won’t turn on me, disrespect me? There’s no way that I’m going to take that from you.”
“And you shouldn’t take it from me or anyone else.”
The room was silent for a moment as they studied one another, each filled with torrents of emotions that they could barely contain. The air was thick with need and desire.
Davia broke the silence. “I guess you’re happy. You won in the end. You got what you wanted. You took the spotlight off of Vanessa and she was left out of it.”
He moved from his seat to sit next to Davia. They’d had enough distance between them.
“I never thought of what I did as a game to win or lose, Davia. Cash’s death was an accident. That’s a fact. I didn’t have a feeling of triumph when it was ruled as that, because a man was still dead. But do I regret that my sister didn’t have to go through the trauma of being a suspect? No. And I won’t apologize for that. She had gone through enough, and I don’t regret anything that I did for her.
“But let me tell you what I do regret.” Reaching out, he took Davia’s hand in his and she didn’t draw away. “I do regret what I said to you and what I did to you. I regret how I callously disregarded your love and your fear for me, and I regret treating you as badly as my mother has done. I know that I’m a better man than that, and I’m ashamed.”
Davia agreed. “You’re right on both accounts. I didn’t deserve that.”
“No, you didn’t. Will you ever be able to forgive me?”
She was candid. “My love for you hasn’t lessened, Justin, but my trust in you has been shaken.”
Justin winced. “Then I regret that most of all, because I worked so hard to earn it.” He swallowed the hurt that her words had caused. “I’m not perfect, Davia. If you thought that I was, then we were was in trouble from the start. It’s worth everything to me to try and repair what we had together. I’m willing to work overtime if I have to. So I’m asking you, please forgive me and let me back into your heart.”
“Like I said, you never left it,” Davia assured him softly. “And I know that I’m far from perfect, too.” Justin had dealt with all of those imperfections and helped her to find the strength to move forward. Together they had laid the foundation for a relationship that was a bit shaky at the present, but with time it could be strengthened and turned into a powerful force. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll clear my calendar for tomorrow if you’ll do the same. We can spend the entire day together. We’ll turn off every device that might distract us, and we’ll talk.”
For the first time since he had arrived at Davia’s house, a smile crossed Justin’s face. “I’ll do that, and we’ll listen to each other as well. With all of the secrets behind us, and the future ahead of us, there should be a lot to say.”
Justin ran a finger slowly down her cheek, then tilted her chin upward so that he could look into her eyes. They held the invitation that he was seeking, and with that he gave into the urge that he had been fighting since he arrived. As he feasted on lips that he had sorely missed, he let his tongue linger in the areas that he had come to know intimately and explored those newly discovered.
Davia let him explore all that he wanted. How she had missed him. When they parted she gave him a warm smile.
“We’ll take this thing slow and see how it works, and if it does, maybe one day I might make you a grandfather.”
Justin grinned. “I’m looking forward to the experience. Who knows? This grandfather thing could turn out to be a whole lot of fun.”
EPILOGUE
Two years and three months after the marriage of Davia and Justin Miles, little Fredrick David Justin Miles was born. Known as Davie, he and Gabby became the center of attention for the Miles family household.
Davie’s Aunt Vanessa and his cousin, Bianca, were frequent visitors to the Miles household, along with Mama Willa, Papa Josh, and a vast assortment of Johnson aunts, uncles and cousins from all over the country. The Justin Miles family welcomed them all.
Conspicuously absent from Davie’s life was his grandmother, Katherine. She didn’t attend his parents’ small wedding. Justin had tried to keep in contact, but the relationship between mother and son had grown increasingly strained. It was a telephone call from Vanessa announcing the arrival of Katherine’s first grandson that informed her of his birth. Justin sent her a picture of his curly-haired son, but it was returned unopened. She heard nothing further from her son.
It was a lazy Saturday afternoon, nine months after Davie’s birth, when the doorbell to the Miles home rang. With her squirming son in her arms and Gabby close on her heels, Davia padded to the door in bare feet and bathrobe. She looked less than her best. Opening the door, she expected to see CeCe. The sight of Katherine standing in the doorway was quite a surprise.
A curious Gabby stepped forward. They had been expecting her Aunt CeCe and her husband, Uncle Clark. “Who’s that, Grommy?”
Katherine looked from the beautiful little girl to the beautiful baby in Davia’s arms.
Her stoic demeanor wavered. Staring back at her was a tiny replica of her beloved Zachary, with a chocolate brown complexion and a pair of startling gray-green eyes.
An exasperated Justin rounded the corner and entered the foyer. “Come on in here, you two. We’ve been…” He came to a sudden stop at the sight of Katherine. “Mother!”
Moving closer to his family, he placed his arms protectively around Davia. Gabby looked from Justin to the lady standing in the doorway. The lady looked as though she was about to cry.
“Who are you?” Gabby inquired.
Katherine looked from her son to the family standing before her. It was a gorgeous family, a strong family, comprised of a myriad of complexions. It was a new generation of Mileses.
She looked down at the little girl. “I’m his mother.” She indicated Justin, “And if you’re Gabby, I’m…your great-grandmother.” She looked up at her son and daughter-in-law. “That is, if you want me to be.”
Davia and Justin exchanged looks and then turned back to Katherine. The older woman stood tall, with her shoulders squared and her head unbowed. She would accept their rejection with dignity. Katherine Miles wasn’t one to bend. Yet, her eyes pleaded for forgiveness. She had made a mistake and had paid dearly. Her relationship with her daughter was practically nonexistent, and she had completely alienated her son. Loneliness and regret had been poor substitutes for stubborn pride.
Neither Davia nor Justin questioned what had made this indomitable matriarch change her mind about their union. She was a proud woman, and they both knew that it had taken courage for her to come to their home. The Miles home was a happy one. It was a place that welcomed all who brought harmony. So, they opened their door and allowed Katherine Miles to step into a new beginning.
Small Sensations Page 23