Cheesecake and Teardrops

by Faye Thompson

  Charisma walked up and down the near empty aisles. Early-afternoon grocery shopping was a pleasure, especially during the week. Halfway down the bread aisle, she flipped open her cell phone and called her mother. Jena gave her a small list of items to pick up. Charisma breezed through the checkout line and headed over to her mother’s.

  It was amazing how a little fresh air and sunshine could lift her spirits. She pulled up to the driveway and sat in the car for a minute. Then she gathered up the groceries, got out of the car, and let herself inside the house.

  Jena was in the kitchen fixing dinner. She gave her mother a big hug and kiss and put the bag of groceries away. Jena tried to pay her daughter, but Charisma wouldn’t hear of it.

  “Mother, how’s Eric doing? I’ve only heard from him once since the funeral.”

  “Your brother’s like your grandfather. He doesn’t say much, but still waters run deep. As a matter of fact, he called this morning. He wanted to know if it was all right with me if he kept your father’s gold cuff links—the ones he wore to the funeral. Of course I told him it was fine.”

  She took lamb chops out of the fridge. “Hungry?” she asked Charisma.

  Charisma knew her mother had to be lonely. “Sure. Need some help?”

  “No, honey, you just relax while I throw these chops under the broiler. And I made mashed potatoes and green beans.”

  “Mmm, sounds good.” She began setting the table. It felt strange not setting a place for her father. A tear ran down her check. Charisma wiped it away with her sleeve before her mother could see it. Charisma wasn’t really hungry, but she didn’t want her mother to eat alone. It must he hard getting used to an empty house.

  They ate dinner and sat and talked for awhile. Charisma cleaned up the kitchen before she left. When she returned home, she took another bath—with bubbles this time—and slipped into her favorite silky pajamas. She loaded up her stereo with her favorite CDs and lit a scented candle in her father’s memory. She had done that every night since he passed. Then she curled up on the sofa with a mug of hot chocolate.

  She must have dozed off because she woke to the persistent ringing of her doorbell. Charisma jumped up. She looked through her peephole. It was Nate. She quickly ran her fingers through her hair before opening the door.

  “Did I come at a bad time?” he asked.

  “Not at all. Come on in.”

  Nate removed his leather bomber and placed it in the chair. He joined her on the sofa.

  “I was surprised to see you at my father’s funeral,” Charisma began. “Nicely surprised,” she added.

  “I wanted to pay my respects. Your father was a good man.”

  “That he was,” Charisma agreed.

  They were silent for a moment.

  She rubbed the back of her neck. “There’s something I’ve wanted to say to you since Presidents’ weekend. I chickened out at the last minute, and not a day goes by that I don’t regret what I did to you. I’m sorry I stood you up. I really felt bad about it, and I still do. I was afraid of you, of us.”

  “And now?”

  “And now . . . now I want a second chance,” she said softly.

  “Are you sure?” He searched her eyes.

  She nodded.

  “I was very bitter for awhile. I even did things against my better judgment.”

  “Like what?” she asked softly.

  “You don’t want to know, but I will say that I promised myself that given the chance I’d do whatever it took to get you back. So here I am.”

  “We’re finally on the same page,” she agreed, suddenly shy.

  “Charisma, you’re going through a lot right now. I don’t want our relationship to put any pressure on you. We can take it slow. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Charisma looked at Nate and began to cry. “I don’t want to be alone tonight,” she said slowly.

  “You shouldn’t have to be.”

  She relaxed as he rubbed her back.

  “You must be tired,” Nate said.

  “Exhausted,” she agreed, yawning. “I’m ready to turn in.”

  “Why don’t I take a shower, and I’ll come join you.” He rose to his feet. “By the way, where’s your bathroom?”

  “Down the hall to the left, and the linen closet’s across from the bathroom.”

  “Thanks.” He kissed her on the lips and headed for the shower while she headed for the bedroom.

  Charisma pulled back the duvet and slid between the cool sheets. Her lids were heavy. A few minutes later, Nate joined her, a towel wrapped around his middle. They lay hugged up for the entire night, almost as though they couldn’t hold each other close enough. Charisma drifted off to sleep, her lips curled up in a smile.

  Nate returned home early the next morning to shower and change before going to work. Charisma decided that she had postponed her fibroid surgery long enough. She called Dr. Vale’s office and left a message with her nurse.

  Dr. Vale made arrangements with the surgeon and called Charisma later that afternoon. The operation was scheduled for early next month.

  Just as she hung up with Dr. Vale, her phone rang again.

  It was Nate.

  “Hey, baby, how are you feeling today?”

  “Okay.”

  “I have an idea. Are you up to going out to dinner tonight?”

  “I’d like that,” she decided.

  “I’ll pick you up around seven?” he asked.

  “I’m looking forward to it.” Charisma hung up smiling. She was looking forward to a nice weekend. She was overdue. She decided to get her hair done. Daisy’s shouldn’t be too crowded this time of day. She gassed up her car and drove to the salon.

  “Cómo está, Charisma?” Daisy greeted her as she entered the shop.

  “So-so,” Charisma answered.

  “My dad passed away last week.”

  “Tu papa murió? I’m so sorry, Charisma.”

  “Thank you, Daisy.”

  “Cómo está tu madre?”

  “As well as can be expected. She’s hanging in there. We all are.”

  “If there’s anything I can do, let me know.”

  “Thank you, Daisy.”

  “Wash and blow?”

  “Sí,”

  An hour later, Charisma walked out of the salon feeling like a new person. She wasn’t over her father’s death by any means, but she knew that life had to go on. She stopped by her mother’s before heading back home.

  Jena was at the kitchen table, pages of documents spread out before her. Charisma sat down opposite her mother. “How’s it going?” she asked.

  “Oh, I’m getting some papers together for Chuck.” Chuck Garner was the family attorney. He had taken over his father’s practice after he retired several years earlier. “Thank God your father kept good records. It’s just a matter of sifting through everything.”

  “Need some help?” Charisma asked.

  “No honey, I’m fine. Your hair looks nice. Just coming from Daisy’s?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Funny how a good hair day always makes a woman feel good.”

  “I know, and I have a date tonight.”

  “Good for you, honey.”

  “With Nate,” Charisma added.

  Jena smiled and removed her glasses. “I must be out of the loop.”

  “Ma, do you ever get tired of the fight? I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since Dad passed. Why am I fighting so hard to resist a man that deep down inside I really want? Life is so short.”

  “You can wake up one morning and realize that half your life has gone by if you’re not careful. Charisma, I’m going to tell you what your grandmother told me when I met your father. She said that life takes courage, to trust my gut. And I know that’s what your father would’ve wanted to leave with you—the courage to trust your gut.”

  Charisma reached across the table and squeezed her mother’s hand. “You wanna hear something funny? Last night I dreamed about Daddy. I can’t re
member what happened. It was really hazy, but I felt his presence. Something about a poem. It was so beautiful.” She shook her head.

  “Oh Mother, I can’t remember it.”

  “Don’t worry. It’ll come to you, honey. Have fun tonight.”

  Three hours later Charisma and Nate were having a cozy dinner for two at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Garden City.

  It was all so elegant. They dined on petite filet and shrimp and sipped champagne until the wee hours of the morning.

  Nate got straight to the point. “So, Miss Dearborn, when are we really going away together?” He sipped his champagne slowly.

  “You are just determined to get me out of the country. Aren’t you?”

  “I just want to take you someplace where you’ve never been before. Ever been to . . . the Virgin Islands?”

  “Yep.”

  “How about Bermuda?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Paradise Island?”

  “Ooh, I’d love to go to Paradise Island.”

  “So it’s settled. When can you get away?”

  She shook her head. “I have so much on my plate. I haven’t had the chance to tell you, but I have to have surgery.”

  He put his fork down. “What’s wrong?”

  “Fibroids. I’m scheduled for surgery next month. And I’m scared, Nate,” she said softly. “What if I can’t have children?”

  He reached for her hand. “Listen to me. You and I will get through this together. And after it’s all over, and they wheel you into recovery, I’ll be right there waiting for you.”

  “I’m going to hold you to it.”

  “You do that,” he said, intertwining his fingers with hers.

  “Ready to order dessert?”

  “Only if it’s not on the menu.” She smiled mischievously.

  “Your place or mine?” he asked.

  “Yours is closer, but can we stop at my place for a second?”

  “Sure.” Nate drove her home and closed the door behind them. They removed their coats. Then he took her in his arms and slid his tongue into her mouth. She kissed him back hungrily, traces of champagne still on his breath. His right hand gently squeezed her breast, causing her to ache with desire.

  “I’ll be right back,” she said, tearing herself apart from his warmth and heading for the bedroom. Nate sat down and grabbed the remote control, turning on the television. He flipped a few channels and waited for Charisma. And waited, and waited, and waited. He reached for his leather jacket as he heard his cell phone ringing.

  “Mr. Arquette, how long would it take you to walk from the living room into my bedroom?” she asked from underneath the sheets. Next thing Charisma knew he was standing in the doorway of her dimly-lit bedroom, the jasmi-nescented candles flickering in the background. Her breathing deepened ever so slightly as he made his way to the bed. Nate quickly removed his pants and sweater. Soon he was only wearing briefs and a gold chain around his neck.

  Charisma’s eyes nearly popped, scoping her nearly naked ex-boss. She couldn’t believe that this was actually happening. When he slid under the covers with her and took her in his arms, she knew it wasn’t a dream.

  Nate made love to Charisma slowly that night, learning her body as she learned his. He was especially tender with her, holding back until she was completely satisfied. They both lay back exhausted and fulfilled. Charisma looked over at Nate as he drifted off to sleep. Thank goodness she had finally found the courage to trust her gut.

  Three weeks later Charisma prepared for surgery. On the morning of the procedure, Jena stayed by her daughter’s side until she was wheeled into pre op. The operation took approximately two hours and a groggy Charisma was wheeled into recovery.

  Dr. Walton, the surgeon, spoke with Jena privately. He was able to remove all of the fibroids. Unfortunately, three of the fibroids were lodged on the top of her ovaries and a portion of both ovaries had to be removed.

  Jena was horrified. “Will my daughter be able to have children?”

  “Mrs. Dearborn,” Dr. Walton began. “The chances are slim to nil that Charisma will ever be able to bear children. I’m terribly, terribly sorry.” He shook his head.

  “Wait a minute, Doctor. Isn’t there anything else you could have done?”

  “The fibroids had to be removed. If we allowed them to just sit there, they may have ruptured, resulting in an emergency hysterectomy or worse. Would you like to break the news to Charisma or shall I?”

  “I’ll tell her,” Jena said.

  “Barring no complications, she should be discharged tomorrow morning.”

  “Okay, Doctor.”

  Jena went to see about her baby girl. Just as she was about to reenter the recovery area, a nurse stopped her.

  “Oh, no, you can’t go in now,” the nurse said. “Her husband’s here.”

  Puzzled, Jena looked ahead. Nate was approaching Charisma’s bedside. His suit and tie must have made him look like husband material, and only one visitor was allowed in at a time. Jena smiled at the nurse and found a seat in the waiting area.

  Nate stayed long enough to reassure himself that Charisma was okay. He promised Jena that he would check on Charisma tomorrow.

  “I’m going to try and get her to stay with me for a few days, but you know how hardheaded Charisma can be,” Jena said.

  “Tell me about it,” Nate agreed. “But she said she’s in a lot of pain. She just may take you up on your offer, or at least have you stay with her.”

  “Okay, Nate, let me get back inside. Thanks for coming.”

  “Let me know if you need anything, Mrs. Dearborn.”

  “It’s Jena.”

  “Jena,” he repeated. “Do you need a ride home?”

  “No, I drove, thank you anyway. The doctor said Charisma should be discharged tomorrow if things go well tonight. I’ll keep you posted.”

  “I’d appreciate that, Jena.”

  Jena checked on Charisma. “How are you feeling, honey?”

  “I hurt,” she said simply. “And I’m starving.” Charisma hadn’t eaten anything since midnight. “Can you ask the nurse to bring me something?”

  “Sure, honey,” Jena left and returned shortly with a nurse carrying a small container of gelatin and a plastic spoon.

  “Do you think you can keep this down?” the nurse asked Charisma.

  Charisma nodded, and the nurse removed the plastic wrap from the gelatin and the spoon and began to feed her. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing, Charisma decided. Two minutes later she threw it all up.

  “It’s the anesthesia,” the nurse said. “It’ll be hard to keep anything down until it wears off. You should be fine in time for dinner.”

  Half an hour after Charisma was settled in her room, there was a knock at her door. She had drifted off to sleep, but when she opened her eyes, Tangie and Heather were smiling down at her. She smiled back despite the pain.

  “How are you feeling, sweetie?” Heather asked.

  Charisma grabbed her stomach in response.

  “You gotta hear this one,” Tangie began. “Heather dragged me out to a club over the weekend, and this guy had been scoping me all night. So finally he comes over talking about he’s packing something big-time just for me. So I said, ‘Yeah, I know, a sock.’”

  Heather and Charisma fell out. “Oh God, it hurts. Please don’t make me laugh,” Charisma cried. The pain was excruciating.

  “I’ll pop my stitches.”

  “More like a funky sock if you ask me,” Heather added, rolling her eyes.

  “Stop it,” Charisma laughed, tears streaming down her face. “You’re torturing me. I’m gonna have to put you both out.”

  “Can I just tell you one more thing?” Tangie asked.

  “No,” Charisma yelled.

  After a restful night Charisma was released the next morning. Her mother picked her up and brought her home. Jena was only too happy to spend a week over Charisma’s. Jena did the cooking, cleaning, and laund
ry. Charisma could tell that her mother loved feeling needed. Heather and Tangie called often. In the evenings, Nate would stop by, and Jena would use that time to go grocery shopping and run errands.

  One evening after Nate had gone, Jena decided that it was time that she and Charisma talked. They were sitting around the kitchen table eating ice cream.

  “I bought you some sanitary pads, but your periods will probably be a lot lighter now that you’ve had the surgery,” Jena said.

  “Thank goodness. I think my stomach has even shrunk.”

  “I’m not surprised.” She looked at her daughter gently before continuing. “Honey, Dr. Walton had to remove a portion of both your ovaries to get all the fibroids. And . . .”

  She sighed.

  “And.”

  Jena took a deep breath. “And he feels that you may never be able to conceive.”

  “Oh my God. Oh my God,” she repeated. “There must be some mistake.”

  “Honey, he’s only a doctor. He’s not God. My mother used to say that man’s extremities are God’s opportunities. Remember that, honey. I promise you. One day we’ll have our Joy,” she said. Joy was the name Charisma had chosen for her firstborn daughter.

  Charisma looked at Jena with big fat tears welling up in her eyes and racing down her chin. “Well, I guess there’s no need to get back on the Pill.”

  “It’s okay to cry.” Jena went over to her daughter and held her in her arms. “Let it out, honey.”

  23

  Tangie

  Tony had been working undercover a lot lately in Manhattan, and he was careful to keep that part of his life separate from his personal life. He took serious measures to ensure that his cover would not be blown. Now that Tangie was in his life, he had to be even that much more cautious. So if he had to lie to her about his whereabouts, so be it. It was for her own good.

  That morning Tony woke up feeling uneasy. In his gut he knew that something just wasn’t right. He showered and shaved, made himself a bacon-and-eggs breakfast, and got dressed. Tony made certain the wire he wore was hidden securely under his black shirt before grabbing a pair of designer frames and a baseball cap and heading into the city. He carried a change of clothing in a duffel bag for after work. He was doing surveillance on the Estrada case. Jorge Estrada was a member of one of the biggest drug cartels operating on the East Coast. Tony was working as a bouncer in a midtown strip club Estrada frequented.