A Christmas Prayer

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

  Geneva narrowed her eyes at Margaret. “Why are you just standing there?”

  “I’m sorry ma’am. I just wanted to make sure you didn’t need anything.”

  “If I did I would have already informed you. What I want is for you to get going so you can get back here. You have a lot of work to do this afternoon.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I won’t be long,” she said, turning and leaving and Alexis could see how afraid of Geneva Margaret was.

  “We can chat over here,” Geneva said to Alexis.

  Ceramic cups and croissants sat on the marble-topped wooden table that separated two white leather high-back chairs. Alexis couldn’t help noticing the mega-tall Christmas tree, that was very tastefully decorated in traditional red and green, that stood in the corner. It was only the first week of December, yet several gifts were already stacked under it.

  “Please have a seat,” Geneva told her. “I’m sorry Margaret won’t be here to serve refreshments, but I needed her to run some important errands. Would you like a cup of tea? Croissant, maybe?”

  “No, thank you. I’m fine.”

  Geneva crossed her legs. “Figures.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Nothing. So, what did you want to see me about?”

  “Us, and how we seem to have gotten off to a really bad start.”

  Geneva stared at her. “I guess I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Can I be honest?”

  “Go ahead.”

  “It’s pretty obvious that you don’t like me very much, and I’m not sure why. I mean, I know you and Chase are very close, and I just hope you don’t think I’m trying to interfere with that.”

  Geneva raised her eyebrows and quietly laughed. “You’ve got to be kidding. Honey, you give yourself way too much credit. You could never come between my son and me.”

  “But that’s what I’m saying,” Alexis went on to explain. “I would never try to. I love Chase, Chase loves me, and I really want you and me to get to know each other better.”

  “Hmmph, well, maybe it’s time for me to be honest.”

  “I would appreciate that, so please do.”

  “I’m not going to beat around the bush. I don’t like you because you’re simply not good enough to marry my son. Chase’s father and I raised him in a very high-class, well-cultured household, and we always had a certain kind of wife in mind for him. Don’t get me wrong, I know you earn a few dollars from your little speaking business or from whatever it is you do, but you weren’t born into money the way Chase was. You haven’t a clue about the wealthy lifestyle Chase is used to living. I doubt you’ve served on even one foundation board or hosted a single charity ball,” she said, eyeing Alexis up and down from head to toe. “And you certainly don’t dress like the wife of a CEO. You don’t even have the right kind of wardrobe to go with that massive ring Chase gave you.”

  Alexis was stunned. Here she’d put forth an effort to try to make things right between her and Geneva, yet all Geneva had done was cut her down with insults. Alexis had known all along that Geneva didn’t like her, but she’d had no idea she thought so lowly of her as a person. Money and status weren’t everything, but clearly they meant the world to Geneva.

  Alexis didn’t say anything, however, Geneva continued.

  “So, don’t you think you should just forget about these ridiculous wedding plans of yours? I mean, you do keep saying you love him, right?”

  “I do love him,” Alexis said matter-of-factly. “So, why would I forget about anything?”

  “Because if you love him, then I’m sure you want what’s best for him. If you break off the engagement, he’ll have a chance to marry a woman who’s right for him.”

  “Like who, Geneva? Renee?”

  “Maybe. Or someone else, even. I just want my son to be happy and well taken care of. I want him to have the right kind of woman on his arm when he’s entertaining his business associates. When he’s invited to the many social events we attend throughout the year. Or what about his friends from Yale? You won’t even know how to handle yourself around those kinds of people. You didn’t attend an Ivy League school the way Chase did.”

  “Chase doesn’t seem to mind that I didn’t come from money. He loves me for who I am.”

  “That’s because love is blind, and he doesn’t know any better. Sometimes sex can confuse a man.”

  Alexis frowned. “Not that it’s any of your business, but we don’t have sex. We’re waiting until we get married.”

  “But you had sex a few times when you first met.”

  Alexis scrunched her forehead, completely mortified. “He told you that?”

  “Of course not. But as soon as he started seeing you, he also started spending nights away from home, and that’s when I checked his dresser drawer. I noticed one condom missing after another.”

  “You actually go through his personal belongings? Does he know that?”

  “No, but if you told him he wouldn’t be shocked. Chase knows who I am. Plus, I’m his mother, and mothers have a right to know anything they want about their children. And anyway, what woman teases a man with sex for a few months but then cuts him off as soon as he proposes to her? What sense does that make?”

  “I’ve always known that having sex before marriage is wrong, but I’m not perfect, Geneva. Chase and I fornicated, but we both agreed to stop.”

  Geneva pursed her lips. “Like I said, I want my son to marry the right kind of woman, and unfortunately, dear, that just isn’t you.”

  Alexis felt her heart racing. “I’m sorry you feel this way, and I think I should go now.”

  “No reason to rush off,” Geneva said, smirking. “You just got here.”

  Alexis didn’t even bother responding. Instead, she got to her feet, went down the hallway, and walked out the front door. She’d never felt more humiliated in her life. Geneva was a true piece of work, worse than some of the terrible mothers-in-law she’d heard about from friends and colleagues, and if Alexis had it her way, she would never see or speak to Geneva again. She also had to rethink her engagement to Chase, because it was clear that he and his mother came as a package deal. Once Alexis married Chase there would be no getting rid of her, and she would make Alexis’s life a living hell. As it was, the woman was searching through her forty-year-old son’s condoms and counting them. Who did that kind of thing? What kind of sick mother was Geneva? Nonetheless, she was far too much for Alexis to deal with, and marrying Chase might end up being the biggest mistake she’d ever make. She loved Chase, but sometimes love just wasn’t enough. Sometimes common sense outweighed everything.

  Chapter 9

  Paula took a long swig of her lemonade and ate some of her cheese fries. “Girl, if you ask me, somebody needs to teach that witch a lesson.”

  She and Alexis were sitting at Riverside Deli, their usual meeting place for lunch. It had been only a couple of hours since Alexis’s meeting with Geneva, and Paula was angrier than she was.

  “The whole thing turned out to be a total disaster,” Alexis said. “I’m not sure what I expected, but I definitely didn’t expect her to be so mean. She treated me like I was beneath her and Chase, and like I would never fit in.”

  “I know one thing. I wouldn’t let her bother me, and I certainly wouldn’t let her ruin my relationship with a man who loves me.”

  Alexis took a bite of her tuna sandwich. “I agree, but only to a certain extent. I’ve heard way too much about these kinds of situations. It wouldn’t be so bad if Chase stood up to his mother, but he won’t. He really thinks she’s moving out before the wedding, and that she and I are going to be close. He’s being so naïve. Either that or he’s in denial.”

  “That may be true, but if I were you, I would tell Chase everything that happened today. Everything his mother said. Especially the part about her counting his condoms. What a control freak.”

  “I do wanna tell him, but I also don’t wanna seem like I’m trying to come between him and his mo
ther. That’s the same thing I tried to tell her.”

  “So then, if you decide to break things off, what excuse are you gonna give him?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You have to tell him the truth, Lex. Even if he doesn’t believe it or want to hear it, you have to be honest with him.”

  “I’ll see. I just have to think about it.”

  “Well, if I haven’t learned anything else, I have learned one thing,” Paula said.

  “What’s that?”

  “Beware of future mothers-in-law.”

  They both laughed. “Isn’t that the truth,” Alexis said.

  “Although, from what I can tell, Rick’s mom is a real sweetheart. She lives in Michigan, so I’ve only met her once, but she was very nice to me. As a matter of fact, when she came here, she and I spent hours at the mall and left Rick at home.”

  “I remember that.”

  Paula clasped her hands toward her chin and leaned forward. “And guess what else?”

  “What?”

  “I think Rick is gonna ask me to marry him.”

  “Get out of here! How wonderful, girl!”

  “I know, right? He’s been talking about how he’s ready to settle down, and one day I saw him looking at rings online. When I walked in the room, though, he hurried and clicked away from the screen.”

  “He’s the one,” Alexis said. “I knew it from the first time I saw you guys together. You’re perfect for each other.”

  Paula smiled again but didn’t say anything.

  Alexis squinted her eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re pregnant.”

  Paula cracked up laughing. “Girl, of course not. But I am up for a promotion to management.”

  “You’re just full of great news today, aren’t you? Congratulations. You so deserve this.”

  “It’s been a long time coming, but I’ve worked my behind off for five years. Remember when I started out in that awful sales assistant job? I was so grateful to move up to claims adjuster and then supervisor. I’m sure getting my degree made all the difference for this latest promotion, though.”

  “I’m sure it did, and I’m so glad you decided to go back to school. It’s never too late, and I just wish a lot of other people realized that. Whether you’re eighteen or eighty, there’s still time to better yourself.”

  “Yes indeed, but I won’t lie. Starting college for the first time at thirty-three was scary. Especially since I had to work full-time and attend classes at night and online.”

  “Fear is normal, but I’m glad you didn’t let it stop you. God gave you everything you needed, and now look at the reward.”

  Tears filled Paula’s eyes. “I know, and thank you for always supporting me, Lex. Whenever I felt like giving up, it was you who kept encouraging me to keep going. You kept telling me I could do it, and I needed to hear that.”

  “You know I love you, and I’ll always be in your corner.”

  “I also owe you for buying most of my books, and I haven’t forgotten that.”

  “You don’t owe me anything.”

  “But I do.”

  “Like I said, you don’t owe me anything.”

  “But—”

  “But nothing,” Alexis said, laughing because they always playfully argued about this kind of thing. Alexis truly didn’t want any payback, though, because she was just happy her best friend was moving up to management. She was as happy as if it had happened to her.

  Paula ate more of her fries and drank more lemonade. “And hey, didn’t you say we need to meet with the wedding planner again next month?”

  “Yeah, but first we need to make sure there’s actually going to be a wedding.”

  “There will be. You just have to handle this Geneva situation.”

  When Alexis heard her phone vibrating, she pulled it out of her purse. It was Chase calling.

  She looked at Paula, took a deep breath, and answered. “Hey.”

  “What in the world did you say to my mother, Alexis?” His tone was curt and louder than normal.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Did you go by there?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I wanted to talk to her.”

  “Well, from the sound of it, you did a lot more than that.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “My mother was crying her eyes out. She said you screamed and yelled at her like a madwoman and then you called her every kind of name you could think of. She said you told her you wanted her out of my house by the end of the week.”

  “What? I never said anything like that.”

  “She also said you threw a vase at her, and it crashed across the living room floor.”

  “Oh—my—God! And you believe her?”

  “I don’t know what to believe.”

  “Oh, so it’s like that? Well, I bet you’ll believe this!” she said, pressing the End button and tossing her phone onto the table.

  “What was that all about?” Paula asked.

  “Geneva called and told him a bunch of lies.”

  “What did she say?”

  “That I threw a vase at her, told her to get out…you name it.”

  “What an evil witch. You’re not gonna let her get away with this, are you?”

  “I just wanna be done with all of it.”

  Alexis’s phone vibrated again. It was Chase calling back, and she picked it up right away. “Look, Chase, why don’t we just end this?”

  “Is that what you want?”

  “If you were so quick to believe your mother, then that means you’re calling me a liar.”

  “No, I never said that, and I’m sorry I yelled at you. But my mother was really upset.”

  “I thought I was doing the right thing by going to talk to her, but now I regret it.”

  “Why couldn’t you just wait for me to do it?”

  “None of that matters now, because if nothing else, I finally know the truth about your mother and how she feels about me. She said some of the nastiest things, and she meant every word.”

  “I just don’t understand why she would be so cruel or why she would call me with such an outlandish story.”

  “So you’re still trying to say I’m lying?”

  “No, I’m not. Look, we’re both upset, so why don’t we take the afternoon to cool down and then I’ll stop by when I leave work.”

  “Whatever.”

  “See you then.”

  Alexis set her phone on the table again. She was livid and had a mind to call Geneva, but for all she knew, Geneva might make up more lies than she had already. This whole mess was completely out of control, and now Alexis thought more about ending everything. She wondered if it was best to leave well enough alone and move on. For good.

  Chapter 10

  What a day. As soon as Alexis had gotten home from having lunch with Paula, she’d taken off her sweater and jeans and slipped on a velour sweat suit. Come to think of it, it was her jeans and sweater that had caused Geneva to eye her up and down and then blurt out the words, “And you certainly don’t dress like the wife of a CEO.” Alexis had left there in such a hurry and had been so upset that she hadn’t thought much about it then, but now she knew that there was nothing about her that Geneva approved of. Yes, Alexis had been raised up on the west side of Mitchell by two parents who’d finished high school and had then gone to work in factories, and yes, she’d gone to public school from kindergarten through twelfth grade and hadn’t gone to any Ivy League school for college, yet that didn’t mean she was any less of a person than Geneva or Chase. Her parents had still given her a good home, they’d earned a good living, and she’d never gone without anything she needed. They hadn’t been wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, but they’d enjoyed a normal, happy Midwestern life, and Alexis didn’t have any complaints. She wondered if Geneva could say the same, especially since, according to Chase, her husband had worked hours on end and never spent much time with them. Sure, Geneva h
ad been able to shop and buy whatever she wanted, regardless of the cost, but did she truly know what it was like to be happily married? What Alexis wanted to know was whether she had ever known what it was like to just wake up happy, period. Alexis had experienced a lot of sadness, on and off, over the last five years; however, it was only because she’d lost her mother. Outside of that, she’d lived a pretty joyful life. She also had to go back to the fact that she was a good person with a good heart, so why wasn’t that enough for Geneva? Why wasn’t Alexis’s undying love for Chase enough to qualify her as an ideal wife for him?

  Alexis sat on the navy-blue leather sofa in her family room, drew her knees closer to her chest, and pulled the blanket closer to her neck. She turned on her television and examined the interior of her house. It wasn’t even close to the size of Chase’s home, but three thousand square feet was more than enough for one person, and she was content with it. She also had a very spacious kitchen, a living room, a dining room, and four bedrooms, one of which she’d turned into her office and one she’d made into a den. Of course, if for some reason Geneva were to ever come by there, she would likely laugh herself silly. She would feel sorry for Alexis for having to live in such a paltry manner.

  Just as Alexis turned to Lifetime Movie Network, her doorbell rang. She knew it was Chase, because he’d called to say he was on his way, but normally he used his key and came right in. Alexis got up and opened the door for him.

  “Hey,” she said, waiting for him to kiss her the way he usually did. But instead, he walked past her, down the hall and into the family room. She followed behind him and climbed back onto the sofa with her blanket. Chase sat down in one of the chairs.

  “So how are you?” he asked.

  “How do you think, Chase?”

  “I just don’t understand why all this is happening. One minute you tell me to talk to my mother, and the next you’re secretly driving over to talk to her yourself.”