by Cheryl Faye
Damaris was tickled by the look of wonder on Jared’s face and answered, “It sure is. You want to hold her?”
“Ooh, can I?” Turning quickly to Charisse, he asked, “Can I, Mommy?”
“Yes, you can. Sit down in that chair and Granma will show you how to hold her.”
Jared didn’t hesitate to do as he was told and as Damaris passed Stefàni to her older brother, Stefàn sat beside Charisse on the bed. Leaning over, he sensuously kissed her.
“You okay, baby?” she asked him.
“Yeah. Are you?”
She took a deep breath and after careful consideration replied, “I think so. You told Jared?”
“Yeah. That’s an amazing kid we’ve got. He was the man of the house last night,” Stefàn admitted with that wry smile. Kissing her once more, he whispered, “We’re so blessed.”
By three o’clock that afternoon, every member of the Cooper and Ellison families had either been to the hospital or was still in attendance. Myra, Barretto, Julian and Michele were also there. Everyone was sympathetic to Charisse, Stefàn and Jared’s plight, but thankfully, no one was morbid and the mood in her room throughout the day was fairly upbeat. They all fawned over Stefàni, and Charisse and Stefàn knew that she was going to be the darling of both clans before all was said and done.
Charisse was grateful to them all for the love and support they were showing but by this time, she’d been up since Damaris’ arrival that morning and was beginning to feel the strain of keeping them all entertained.
Barbara and Damaris noticed that Charisse had become very quiet and seemed to be trying to stay awake.
“We’ve got to get everyone out of here,” Damaris said to her counterpart.
“Yeah, I was thinking that, too,” Barbara agreed.
“Okay, everybody, listen up,” Damaris suddenly announced, getting everyone’s attention. “We need to let Charisse rest. She’s been through enough for one day and needs to get some sleep. So, let’s go. Everybody out!”
As they all began to leave, the families offered up their love and encouragement, promising to pray for them and give any assistance they might need.
Stefàn, who had been seated beside her on the bed, told her, “I’ll be right back, sweetie. I want to say good-bye to everyone, okay?”
“Okay.”
Charisse smiled in relief at her mother-in-law and shrugged as her mother came and stood beside her. Barbara leaned over and kissed her forehead. “I love you, sweetheart. You get some rest. I’ll be back tomorrow morning, okay?”
“Okay, Mommy. I love you.”
Damaris was right behind Barbara when she said, “Your mom and I are going back to your house. We’ll take Jared with us, so don’t you worry about anything, all right? You get some sleep.” She leaned over and kissed Charisse’s cheek.
“Thank you, Damaris. I love you, too.”
When they joined Stefàn and the rest of the family in the waiting room, he was telling them, “We really appreciate you all being here for us. It’s been kind of crazy. Half the time we’re crying about Jonathan and the other half rejoicing about Stefàni. So thanks for being so patient with us.”
“Come on, Coop, you know how we do,” Charisse’s brother, David, stated. Everyone murmured their accord.
“I know. And I can’t tell you how grateful we are to be a part of this family. When Risi gets out of here, which we’re expecting will probably be Monday or Tuesday, we’re going to have a simple memorial service for Jonathan, just for the family. Dub, Myra, y’all know that includes you, too.”
“We know,” Myra stated, speaking for her husband, Barretto, Julian and Michele.
“So, listen, I’ve got to get back in there to my girls. Are any of you going back to my house besides the grandparents?”
“We are,” his sister commented regarding she and her husband, “and Devin, you’re coming back, too, right?”
“Yeah,” his brother agreed.
Charisse’s sister and brothers all stated they would be, as well.
“Okay, so I’ll see y’all a little later then. Mom, you have the key, right?”
Damaris answered, “Yes, baby. Don’t worry about us. Barb and I will put something together for everyone to eat and we’ve got Jared. You worry about Risi and Stefàni, and we’ll see you when you get there.”
Returning to Charisse’s bedside moments later, Stefàn found her already asleep. Stretching out beside her, he cradled her in his arms and tenderly kissed her temple. She groaned slightly and moved deeper into his embrace. “I love you,” she sleepily mumbled.
“I love you.”
“God loves us, too,” she said as she opened her eyes and looked up at him.
Smiling, he told her, “More than I could have ever imagined.”
Epilogue
Mommy, do I look okay?” Jared asked as he stepped into their bedroom. The eleven-year-old was wearing a navy blue suit with a white shirt and blue and red striped tie.
“You look better than okay,” Charisse told him as she straightened his tie. “You look quite handsome, young man.”
Jared blushed and said, “You always say that.”
“Because it’s always true.”
At that moment, Stefàn entered the room carrying Stefàni. “You almost ready to go, baby?” he asked her.
“Yup. Here, I’ll take her.”
The instant Charisse uttered the words, Stefàni reached for her and cooed, “Mommy!”
“Come here, girlie. How’s my girl, huh?” she asked and gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek.
Stefàni immediately reached for one of the hoops in Charisse’s ears. “Oh, no, you don’t,” she said, tilting her head away from the toddler’s reach.
Stefàni laughed, thinking her Mommy was playing a game.
Moving nearer to her, Stefàn said, “I like that dress, baby.”
“Thank you.”
“Mommy, can I hold Stefàni?” Jared asked.
She handed her off to their son. Jared moved to the stool at the foot of Charisse’s and Stefàn’s bed and sat with his little sister
on his lap. In the next instant, Stefàni began to squirm so Jared lowered her to the floor. She headed straight back to Charisse. They had just celebrated her second birthday two days ago.
“Come here, Stefàni,” Jared called to his baby sister as she stood between her brother and parents, seemingly trying to determine which way she wanted to go.
After a few seconds of indecision, she laughingly responded to Jared’s beckoning and clumsily scampered back to him. She was crazy about her big brother and the feeling was mutual.
It was Sunday morning and the family was preparing to leave for church.
While Jared was occupied with Stefàni, Stefàn took the opportunity to embrace his wife. “He’s amazing with her, isn’t he?” Stefàn said.
“Yes, he is,” Charisse contended with a smile as she lovingly gazed at their children.
Placing his hand on her rounded belly and gently caressing it, he murmured, “You are absolutely beautiful. Have I ever told you that?”
Looking up into eyes that adored her and that she adored, she said, “I think a time or two, you have. But you’re no slouch yourself, you know?”
Stefàn lowered his head and she didn’t hesitate to go up on her toes to receive the kiss he was offering. “I love you, Charisse, and I thank God for you and our children and our life. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I will spend the rest of my life loving you and making sure you know how much I love and need you.”
At six months pregnant, Charisse was at a place in her life she could have never even dreamed. Recalling the scripture, it has not yet appeared what you shall be, she told her husband, “God has given me everything I have ever wanted and needed in you, Stefàn Michael Cooper, and I will never ever take you or your love for granted. I love you, my beautiful man.”
Their lips came together again, albeit more passionately, but they wer
e soon called to task when they heard Jared say, “Okay, Stefàni, go get Mommy and Daddy so they can stop smooching all over the place and we can go to church.”
CHARISSE AND STEFÀN WERE STANDING just outside the sanctuary after service waiting where Jared usually met them when he got out of Sunday school. Stefàn was holding Stefàni in his arms but she was busily squirming, wanting to get down and run as any healthy two-year-old was wont to do.
“Hi, Mom. Hi, Daddy,” Jared boisterously called as he approached them.
“Hey, dude. How was Sunday school?” Stefàn asked.
“It was great! We’re going to do a play about David and Goliath for Homecoming Sunday and I’m gonna be David!”
“Wow, that’s exciting,” Charisse encouragingly cheered. “Were you rehearsing today?”
“Yup. We have to have rehearsal on Wednesday, too. I have a note right here,” Jared said, as he held a piece of paper out to her.
Charisse took the paper from his hand and quickly perused it. Putting it in her pocketbook, she told him, “Okay. I’ll sign this when we get home and you can turn it in when we come for rehearsal on Wednesday.”
“Okay.”
“You ready to go?” Stefàn then asked Charisse.
“Uh-huh. Jared, do you need to use the restroom?”
“No, Mommy. I went before I came out here.”
Leading the way, Stefàn turned and headed toward the exit. Charisse and Jared were right behind him.
“Stefàn?”
The entire family turned to the left at the sound of the woman’s voice. Charisse recognized the strikingly beautiful sister from the sanctuary. She’d noticed her when she walked in because she’d been admiring the orange print dress she was wearing.
Stefàn frowned briefly at first, realizing that the face was familiar to him. It took a moment before he remembered where he knew her from. “Janine?”
She nodded slowly as a tentative smile crossed her face. “Hi.”
“Janine. Wow,” he reverently uttered. “Janine.”
Then, to her and Charisse’s surprise, Stefàn shifted Stefàni on his hip and reached out to embrace her.
“How are you?” he exuberantly asked.
“I’m great. How are you?”
“Excellent. Wow, it is great to see you. You look amazing,” he said.
Janine’s eyes shifted to see the reaction of the woman standing behind Stefàn as it was obvious they were together.
“Thank you. Who is this beautiful little girl you’re holding? Hi, sweetheart,” she said as she reached out and touched Stefàni’s little hand.
“This is my daughter, Stefàni.” Then turning to Charisse, he said, “And this is my wife, Charisse, and our son, Jared.” He placed his hand on Jared’s head with the introduction.
“Hello,” Charisse amicably greeted her.
“Hi. Nice to meet you,” Janine said.
“What are you doing here?” Stefàn then asked Janine. “Do you live nearby?”
“No. I’m waiting for my husband. He went to the men’s room. We’re here with friends.”
“Okay. Good. Do you have any kids?” he asked her.
“Yes, we have four children. The oldest is thirteen and our baby is eight. They’re at home with my mother.”
“How is your mother?”
“She’s good.”
“Give her my regards, will you?”
“Sure.”
Turning again to Charisse, he said, “Honey, this is Janine.”
“I know, you just introduced us,” Charisse said with a comedic grin.
“No, this is Janine. I told you about her remember? Janine.”
Understanding dawned on her and Charisse replied, “Oh, Janine.”
“Yeah.” While they were on their honeymoon, Stefàn had shared with Charisse the story of his first love and the way he had mistreated her and how she had broken his heart by not forgiving him. Turning back to Janine, who was looking at both of them strangely, he told her, “You don’t know how glad I am to see you. I never really apologized to you for what I did. For the way I behaved. I was so busy blaming you for the way you reacted, that I never took the time to understand the reasons why you had to do what you did. I never wanted to admit how much I didn’t deserve you, and I took my pain out on so many unsuspecting women.” He sighed and shook his head in shame. “I never considered how much I’d hurt you and how precious a gift I had squandered until I met Charisse some ten or eleven years later. You were right not to give me another chance to hurt you. And I don’t blame you anymore for not forgiving me.”
“I did forgive you, Stefàn. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to move on.”
“Well, Janine, it’s because of you that I was able to recognize what a really good woman looked like and what she was worth. God used you and your tough love to teach me a lesson in humility. Of course, with my hard head, I didn’t get it right away,” he admitted with a shrug, “but I finally got it. I bet you didn’t know that.”
Janine didn’t comment but the look on her face was one of affectionate appreciation.
Stefàn reached out and took her hand. “Thank you, Janine. Thank you.”
She smiled brightly. “Don’t thank me, Stefàn. Thank God.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cheryl Faye recently returned as a resident to Harlem, New York, where she was born and raised and is an active member of First Corinthian Baptist Church. A legal secretary by profession, Cheryl is the proud mother of two sons, Michael and Douglas, and grandmother to Mikayla. Cheryl has five previously released novels; Be Careful What You Wish For, released in Spring 2005 for Strebor Books International, First Love and A Test Of Time for BET Books, and A Time For Us and At First Sight for Pinnacle Books, an imprint of Kensington Publishing. Her short story, A Second Chance At Love, was included in a Mothers’ Day anthology Mama Dear, for Pinnacle Books. Who Said It Would Be Easy? is her first foray into the Christian fiction genre, but Cheryl believes she has definitely found her niche.
Cheryl can be reached at [email protected] or on Facebook. Please include a subject matter in your message. No attachments, please.
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Chapter 1
Sitting comfortably on the plush gray leather living room sofa with her stockinged feet tucked under her ample bottom and wearing an old pair of sweatpants with a hole in the knee and a paint-splattered sweatshirt, Jamilah Parsons cradled a bowl of her favorite ice cream, Häagen-Dazs® Vanilla Swiss Almond, in her lap, despite the chill in the apartment on that cold February night.
Jamilah’s roommate and childhood friend, Sabrina Richardson, accompanied by her latest conquest, Darius Thornton, had just entered the apartment that Friday evening looking glamorous as always.
Wearing a full-length fox coat which draped her long, slender frame as if she had been born in it, Sabrina’s long, luxurious black hair fell down her back and, combined with the fur, gave her a regal air she carried all too well. Jamilah had always believed Sabrina could have been a high paid super-model who traveled the globe showcasing world-renowned designers’ clothing while her picture graced fashion magazine covers worldwide. Possessing stunning looks with a figure to match, in addition to the exaggerated air of sophistication she had learned from her mother, Sabrina, nevertheless, was determined to fulfill her childhood dream of marrying a wealthy man so she would not have to work for a living.
“Hey, J,” Sabrina chirped.
“Hi.”
Immediately noticing what Jamilah was watching on television, Sabrina frowned. “Not again, Jamilah.”
Ignoring Sabrina’s comment, Jamilah continued watching Robert Townsend’s The Five Heartbeats, one of her all-time favorite movies. Since there was no special man in her life right now, and being the movie buf
f she was, Jamilah frequently passed her time in front of the television or at the theater, if she was not curled up with a good book or working.
“You remember Darius, don’t you?” Sabrina inquired.
“Yeah. Hi.”
Believing him to be one of the most handsome men Sabrina had ever brought home, Darius reminded Jamilah of Denzel Washington, although she thought he was much better looking. Wearing his dark brown hair in a stylish fade, his smooth, cocoa-brown face was clean shaven, allowing his true masculine allure to shine. Although not unbecoming, his nose was somewhat flat, but his lips looked soft, sensuous and ripe for kissing. Despite his finely polished GQ cover model look, Darius’ warm, welcoming personality shone through as did his sincerity when he smiled at Jamilah and greeted her in that smooth baritone voice she remembered. “Hello, Jamilah. How are you?”
“Fine, thanks.”
Having a substantial title or position as a prerequisite to dating Sabrina, Darius was a senior associate at a major New York City law firm. She had been seeing him for a little over a month and often bragged that he would bend over backwards to do anything she asked. Beauty aside, Sabrina was quite pretentious, and it amazed Jamilah somewhat that Darius, who exuded humility, would be so taken with her. The old adage “opposites attract” sprang to mind whenever Jamilah thought of the obvious contrasts in their personalities, but truth be told, the same could be said of her and Sabrina’s friendship.
Peeling off her fur coat and tossing it carelessly across the arm of their rose-floral silk upholstered easy-chair, Sabrina said, “Sit down, Darius. I’ll be right back.”
Beneath the luxurious coat, Sabrina wore an ecru angora turtleneck sweater over ecru wool gabardine slacks. High-heeled leather boots of the same hue completed her ensemble. Standing five feet, eight inches in her stocking feet, even in her four-inch heels she was still dwarfed by her handsome friend who stood close to six inches taller.
Giving further direction as Darius took a seat at the opposite end of the sofa, Sabrina intoned, “Jamilah, keep Darius company for me while I go change.”