by Darrien Lee
“No, ma’am,” he replied with a smile. “I am starving, and I’m anxious to see the family. It’s been a while.”
“Great, because we were just about to come into the dining room to eat. Arhmelia, help me bring the food in.”
Arhmelia winked at Michael and then opened the double oven so she could retrieve a couple of platters of food.
Teresa rubbed Michael’s arms and said, “If any of this gets to be too much for you, just step away and go upstairs, but I do not want you to leave. Agreed?”
He kissed her cheek and said, “Agreed.”
With tears in her eyes, she said, “You look so handsome, Michael. A little thin, but that’s understandable. . . but still handsome.”
“I’m sure you’ll fatten me up in no time, Auntie,” he joked before picking up the large turkey and carrying it into the dining room.
Michael and his family enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner together. At the suggestion of the Randolphs, they made sure no one brought up Michael’s recent ordeal overseas. The trauma of it was still fresh, and all they wanted to do was be thankful for his return and look forward to more family gatherings like this one. It touched Teresa’s heart to see her nephew laughing at stories being told by various family members.
Malcolm held his wineglass up and said, “I would like to propose a toast if everyone would hold their glasses up.”
Once he had everyone’s attention and their glasses were held high, he began his toast.
“First of all, I want to thank God for allowing our family to be able to gather together for another Thanksgiving. Secondly, I’m thankful for my lovely wife and daughter, who are the reason I get up every morning. Ladies, I love you, and you are my life.”
Teresa blew a kiss to her husband in reply.
“Lastly, I’m thankful for God for watching over Michael and bringing him home safely, and that’s all that needs to be said about that. So I ask all of you to lift your glasses high in thanksgiving and love, and I pray that we’re all able to do this all over again next year.”
“Amen,” Teresa said before taking a sip of wine, along with the other family members.
Across town, Keilah and her family were also sitting down to a large Thanksgiving meal courtesy of Sabrinia, Ramsey’s mom, Valeria, and Aunt Judy. Since Keilah was the hostess, she was given a pass from kitchen duty. Instead, she was allowed to enjoy family time with all her brothers, including her half brother, Keytone.
“Baby sis, you’re looking more mature every time I see you. You’re filling out in the hips and everything,” Keytone announced.
Keilah rolled her eyes and said, “Leave it to you to say something ignorant.”
“Ignore him, Keilah. You look fine,” his wife answered. She padded his stomach and said, “He’s the one who could stand to lose a few pounds.”
“Whatever,” Keytone mumbled as he took a sip of wine.
“Thanks for having my back, but I’m not listening to him. As long as my husband is happy with my figure, that’s all that matters,” Keilah responded.
“And I’m definitely happy with your figure, baby,” Ramsey proudly announced as he leaned over and kissed his wife.
“Can we change the subject please? There are children at the table,” Luke suggested before turning to Keytone. “Come on, bro. You don’t go there with any woman, let alone your sister. It’s Thanksgiving.”
Keytone put his hands up in defense and said, “You’re right. My bad. Keilah, I’m sorry if I offended you. You look beautiful, as always, and you don’t need to change a thing.”
“Apology accepted,” Keilah replied.
The family continued to enjoy the delicious dinner, complete with a deep fried turkey.
After dinner Keilah enjoyed quiet time with her brother Roman, who loved the written word like she did. He was also like a father to her and was always the voice of reason when there seemed to be some type of disagreement within the family. He was also the peacemaker in the family. Keilah owned an extensive book collection in her private library, and they often read books together so they could discuss them later. Upstairs in her library for nearly an hour they discussed the latest book, a memoir by a well-known journalist, over Aunt Judy’s pecan pie and coffee.
Genesis walked in carrying a teary-eyed Neariah and said, “I think somebody is missing her mom.”
Keilah took her daughter into her arms and said, “I think there’s been too much commotion for her in one day.”
“Probably so,” Genesis replied. “I gave her to Ramsey, but she kept whining, so he told me to bring her to you.”
She gently patted her daughter on the back to comfort her as she lay against her chest. “Yeah, when she gets like this, she only wants me. It’s a momma thang.”
Roman stood and gave his sister a kiss on the cheek. “Go ahead and take care of her. I think we were done here, anyway. I’ll take the plates back downstairs.”
“Thanks, Roman. Genesis, do you want to come hang out with me and Neariah for a bit?” she asked.
Keilah and Genesis were extremely close, and he was the one she confided in the most growing up. Even as an adult, she shared things with him that she couldn’t share with her other brothers.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “I don’t want to upset her any more than she is.”
Keilah walked out into the hallway and said, “She’s fine as long as I’m close by. Come on to the nursery with me. I’m going to rock her a little bit. She’ll probably take a nap.”
Genesis followed his sister down the hallway to the nursery and took a seat while Keilah changed her daughter’s diaper.
“You’re a good mother, Keilah.”
She smiled and said, “I appreciate that, Genesis. We had a good mom, and you guys were great until I turned sixteen.”
Genesis laughed, knowing exactly what his sister was referencing. “What did you expect? You are our only sister.”
Keilah sat down in the rocking chair and started rocking Neariah. “Looking back, it’s funny now, but you guys made it hard for me to have a boyfriend. All the boys were afraid of you, so they were afraid to talk to me.”
He smiled and said, “That’s not what we wanted, but we wanted them to know that we weren’t going to allow them to take advantage of you.”
“I understand what you were trying to do now that I’m older, but when I was sixteen, it all seemed wrong.”
“Well, we don’t have to worry about that anymore,” he replied softly so he wouldn’t startle his niece. “You have a good man. I just wish you hadn’t wasted your time with that punk Trenton and that other guy.”
“Speaking of Trenton, guess what?”
“What?” Genesis asked.
Keilah went on to tell her brother about the incident on the airplane with Trenton and the phone call. Neither one of them knew that Ramsey had paid Trenton a visit and had roughed him up, and if they did know, they wouldn’t have a problem with it. Then there was Michael Monroe, a guy Genesis had never really warmed up to. He was glad that Keilah had seen Michael for what he was before she made a huge mistake.
“Well, we’re glad you have a husband like Ramsey, who is capable of handling any man who’s stupid enough to act crazy with you. You still have to be careful, because he can’t be with you twenty-four-seven, but you’re a tough sista. We taught you well.”
Keilah looked down at her daughter, who was now fast asleep. She stood so she could place her in her crib. Once Neariah was in her crib, Keilah turned to Genesis and said, “I want my daughter to have a normal life with no fear or drama. I want more for my children. Life was difficult growing up without Momma.”
Genesis hugged his sister and said, “We all miss Momma, but she’ll always be with us in some way, even when you least expect it.”
“You’re right,” Keilah replied as she wiped away a few stray tears and then turned on the baby monitor.
“Come on. Let’s go downstairs. I think I saw some banana pudding with my name on i
t.”
“I just had pecan pie. I don’t know if I can eat any more,” Keilah admitted.
Chapter Eight
Trenton was still sore from his altercation with Ramsey, but it wasn’t going to stop him from promoting his book and making money. He mingled with fans in a small bookstore in an affluent area of town, and when asked about his injuries, he lied and said he tripped over his dog and fell down the stairs. His story seemed to intrigue fans even more and make him even more popular. He was charming, handsome, and knew how to work a crowd, especially the women, and when one particular woman walked through the door, he immediately made his way over to her.
“Andria Rockwell, what a nice surprise,” he said as he greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. Andria was the spoiled daughter of Thomas Kirkland Rockwell, the U.S. secretary of defense, and she was Ramsey’s ex.
She smiled and said, “Well, you’re a sight for sore eyes yourself. I never thought our paths would cross again. It’s great seeing you.”
“You too.”
“You’re blowing up with this book and your spot on BET. What next?”
“Who knows? Maybe I’ll run for mayor,” he joked before whispering to his assistant that he was taking a break. “Can I buy you a cup of coffee?”
“Sure,” Andrea answered, and he escorted her over to a table, where they sat down.
The waitress came over to take their orders. After she left, Trenton said, “You look stunning, Andria. I see life is still treating you well.”
“I do okay, but I want to talk about you and what happened to your face.”
He touched his jaw and told the same lie he had told everyone that had asked.
“You’re lucky you didn’t break your neck,” she responded. “So tell me, how did you turn your ordinary life into this?”
He leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs and proudly said, “It was being at the right place at the right time, meeting the right people.”
The waitress returned with their coffee and complimentary pastries. Trenton pulled out a twenty and handed it to the waitress, but she refused to take it. She reminded him that his coffee was also on the house. Trenton insisted that the waitress take the twenty as a tip for good customer service, which she happily accepted.
Andria took a sip of her coffee and asked, “So since you’ve become so successful, is there anyone special in your life?”
He sighed and said, “I don’t know how to answer that. I am with someone. Are they special? Good question. The jury’s still out on that one.”
Andria giggled.
He took a sip of his hot beverage and asked, “What about you? Have you been able to get over the almighty Ramsey Stone?”
She covered her face with her hands and said, “Not really. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I know I wasn’t the only woman he was dating. Looking back now, I know I was just a booty call and I made myself available for him anytime he wanted me. I fell in love with him. I still can’t believe he married that woman.”
“I’ll have to say I was shocked as well,” he replied.
“What about you? Does your lady friend compare to Keilah?”
“My situation is a little different. I broke up with her, remember?”
“Oh yeah, I had forgotten about that. You basically left her at the altar. Ramsey told me she had her dress and everything. I hate her guts, but I don’t know how you could do her like that.”
He sighed and said, “I just couldn’t go into a marriage with her doing what she did for a living. She wouldn’t quit and I wouldn’t bend, either, so I said to hell with it. Do I regret it? Hell yeah! Do I want her back? It would be nice. Do I think it’ll happen? The chances are pretty slim.”
“I still don’t see how you dumped her so close to your wedding. Didn’t you love her?” Andria asked.
“Yeah, but I had to stand my ground. It was my job to be the man of the house, but she was acting like she wanted the position. She had more balls than I could deal with.”
Trenton was beginning to get angrier by the second about the demise of his relationship with Keilah. He’d thought he was over her, but he realized he wasn’t. She was supposed to be heartbroken over him, not the other way around. He was upset that she had moved on and found happiness with not just any man. She’d married Ramsey Stone.
“Anyway, that’s enough about me,” he added. “What about you? Is love in the air?”
She smiled and said, “Well, there is this one guy I’m seeing now. He’s no Ramsey, but he’s sweet. He’s a little older than me, but he has a great job where he gets to travel, and he adores me. I can see making a life with him.”
Trenton laughed and said, “I can already tell there’s no love connection, but I understand how you feel. You’re looking for security and stability, and it don’t help that the brother’s got a fat bank account, huh?”
She stirred her coffee and said, “Who says he’s a brother?”
“Don’t tell me you’ve crossed over,” he joked. “What about the sex? Because I remember hearing that you were practically a freak.”
She threw a napkin at him and exclaimed, “I’m not! Who told you that?”
They laughed together, and she admitted that he was, in fact, African American and the son of an acquaintance of her father’s.
They talked a little while longer, and then Andria touched Trenton’s hand and said, “I don’t want to keep you from your fans any longer. I know you have to get back over there and work the crowd. I need to go to the ladies’ room. Do you mind watching my purse?”
“I’m in no hurry. Take your time.,” he answered. “My time here is almost over, anyway. It’s been nice catching up with you.”
They stood, and she said, “The same here, Trenton. I know we didn’t always get along when we were with those other people, but I’m glad we’ve grown since then.”
“Me too,” he answered as he watched her make her way to the ladies’ room.
With Thanksgiving behind them, the Stones could finally exhale. It had been a long holiday weekend, but it had also been special because they had had their entire family present to give thanks. They had so much to be thankful for and looked forward to seeing one another for Christmas in a few weeks.
Keilah was busy going over records, preparing for year-end reports, while Ramsey took off early for a weekend trip with his two best friends, Neil Jackson, an ex-military officer like Ramsey and now a D.C. police officer, and Kyle. Keilah’s eyes were tired and she needed a break, so she called her best friend and asked her to meet her for lunch.
Keilah met her dear friend Tori Giles for lunch at a restaurant that specialized in healthy Southern cooking. Tori was an attractive woman, slender with long, muscular legs. She wore a Halle Berry–style haircut, and being from Jackson, Mississippi, she took her Southern heritage seriously, especially when it came to cooking. After graduating from Howard, she moved to New York, where for several years she worked in a public relations firm. She had moved back to D.C a few months ago and was now working as a lobbyist in the gas and oil industry. She had done very well for herself financially, and presently she was single and waiting for Mr. Right so she could settle down.
Keilah hugged her and said, “Tori, you look fabulous.”
Tori sat down and said, “So do you. You’re wearing that suit. You look so professional.”
“So do you. I know you’re a pit bull on Capitol Hill.”
“Something like that,” Tori replied as the two women laughed. “Marriage and motherhood agree with you, Keilah. You’re glowing, and you haven’t aged a bit. You still have that same majorette figure that you had in college.”
Keilah took a sip of her water and said, “Thank you, Tori, but I am a little heavier in the hips.”
“That’s baby and marriage weight, and so what? The extra weight looks great on you.”
Keilah smiled and said, “You sound like my husband. Seriously, though, I never thought I could ever be this happy. I’m so glad
my eyes were opened and I saw Ramsey for who he was. We were friends for so long, I never thought of him in any other way.”
“That’s funny,” Tori said as she buttered a hot croissant.
“Hello, ladies,” a baritone voice interrupted. “What a nice surprise.”
Keilah made eye contact with him and asked, “Are you stalking me, Trenton?”
Trenton put his hands up and said, “Whoa, calm down, Mrs. Stone. I saw you guys from my table across the room, and I only came over to say hello.”
“Hello, Trenton,” Tori replied. “You look good.”
He didn’t remove his sunglasses, because if he did, they would see the black eye he had courtesy of Ramsey Stone.
“Thank you, Tori. You’re looking rather hot yourself,” he said in response.
“Congratulations on the book,” Tori stated. “I see you with your bling.”
He looked down at his diamond-encrusted watch and said, “I appreciate that. I can tell life is treating you well too.”
Tori held her glass up to him and said, “It is. Thank you.”
He glanced back over his shoulder and said, “I would ask you ladies to join me, but Keilah’s husband don’t take kindly to me being in her personal space. God forbid he walks in and finds me talking to you.”
Tori giggled.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Keilah asked.
Trenton smiled, realizing that Keilah didn’t know that Ramsey had paid him an unfriendly visit. He rubbed his chin and with a frown said, “I guess he didn’t tell you, huh?”
“Tell me what?” Keilah asked, clearly agitated.
He leaned down close to her and sniffed her perfume, and then he whispered, “Damn, you smell good.”
Keilah leaned away from him and said, “Get the hell away from me, Trenton.”
He laughed, and then his expression went from warm to cold in an instant. “Tell Ramsey my memory is long, and if he’s not careful, something or someone will remind him that he’s not invincible.”
Keilah stood and threw her napkin on the table and said, “Get the hell out of here before I shove my Jimmy Choo shoes up your ass. Don’t you ever threaten my husband, you bastard. Everything that happened to you was brought on by you.”