Love After War

by Cheris Hodges

  “I don’t know if—”

  “Dana said I need to make peace with him and she’s right. I’m past the anger and disappointment because I have to get myself together for my son or daughter.”

  “What?”

  “I’m going to marry Dana and we’re starting a family. She’s pregnant . . . at least we think she is.” Adrian glanced at his watch. “And I have to get back to Brooklyn before her doctor’s appointment.”

  “The moment I hear something getting out of hand in this room, I’m coming in.”

  Adrian gave his brother a salute and walked into his father’s room. Adrian took a seat next to Elliot’s bed. He watched the older man’s chest rise and fall. For a brief moment, it was as if he were looking at his mother all over again. A ripple of emotions tore through him as he reached for Elliot’s hand.

  The old man’s eyes fluttered open. “Adrian,” he whispered.

  “Yeah, it’s me.”

  “What are you doing here? I thought—”

  “When I came to New York, I had no idea how sick you were.”

  “I wasn’t sure you’d give a damn,” he replied, then coughed. His entire body shook. “I can’t blame you if you’re here to gloat.”

  “I don’t get down like that. Life is precious.”

  “I know. Maybe I found out too late. Everything I’ve ever taken for granted has turned out to be what I needed to focus on. I wish I had been able to know you. To be part of your life and more than just a check.”

  “Well,” Adrian began, then stopped. He couldn’t tell him that he was too late, especially since he was dying. “We can’t change the past.”

  Elliot laughed. “Are you sure you don’t have some political aspirations? That was the most politically correct statement I’ve ever heard.”

  “What can I say?” Adrian asked. “We can’t change anything and there isn’t much time left for me to be angry. Besides, I’m going to have a family of my own soon.”

  “That’s good, son.” Elliot broke into another fit of coughing. “I look at Solomon and his family. I see he’s making all of the choices I should’ve made. If I had followed my heart, things would have been different. I tried to justify what I did by saying I was building a legacy for all of my children. I’d hoped you’d be able to take part in that as well but—”

  “Look,” Adrian said, “you can’t keep making excuses for the choice you made. You wanted money and got it at my mother’s expense.” He struggled to keep his voice down.

  “That’s true. I tried to—”

  “Look, we can’t live our lives in should ofs, would haves, and could ofs—we have to take what we did and make peace with it or live with it. I made choices that I’m not proud of as well. I wanted—or at least I thought I wanted—to see you and your family suffer.”

  “I can’t blame you for that,” Elliot whispered.

  “But I blame myself. I nearly forgot what love was and what it meant to give love and be with that one person who means more to me than anything else. I almost allowed myself to make hate a way of life. Sort of the way you allowed money to take over your life.” Adrian placed his hand on Elliot’s shoulder and nodded. “I have to forgive you.”

  “I don’t deserve your forgiveness.”

  “Yes, you do.”

  The door to Elliot’s room swung open and Richmond stormed inside. “You have some nerve showing your face here. Are you trying to get Dad to change his will or are you just here to make sure he dies?”

  “This isn’t the place,” Adrian said.

  Elliot was too weak to address his sons. He pressed the button on his IV for more pain medication. Richmond glared at Adrian and didn’t hide his disgust when Solomon walked into the room.

  “You’re in on this too,” Richmond demanded.

  “You want to take all of this noise outside?” Solomon asked through clenched teeth. He nodded toward Elliot. “Do you think he needs this right now?”

  “But he needed a visit from this guy?” Richmond retorted.

  Adrian shook his head. “I’m going to let you argue alone,” he said to Richmond. “Being that you grew up with him and had more of a relationship with him than I did, it seems as if you’d know better.”

  Adrian started for the door with Richmond on his heels. “What do you want? Money? A place in the company? No one owes you anything and—”

  “I’m sorry that you think money is the only thing people want out of life. Money kept your parents together. Money forced me to grow up without knowing who my father was. I don’t give a damn about money and I don’t need it. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve done well for myself without Crawford dollars. I wanted to know this man and why things happened the way they did. I wanted to make all of you suffer and I was wrong. I was being the asshole I accused him of being. What I’m not going to tolerate is facing an accusation every time I’m in your presence.”

  Solomon stopped Richmond from replying. “Dad’s not breathing.”

  The three men rushed to Elliot’s bed as alarms began sounding and a team of doctors and nurses burst through the door.

  “We need room,” the head nurse said. “You three have to go.”

  Dana glanced at her watch and wondered what was keeping Adrian. He knew her appointment was at three. She called him for a second time and the call went straight to voice mail.

  She didn’t have time to wait for him anymore. Dana grabbed her keys and her purse, then headed out the door. As soon as she started for the subway station, her phone chimed. Plucking it from her pocket, she saw that it was Adrian.

  “You’d better have a good excuse.”

  He sighed and said, “He’s gone.”

  “What?”

  “Elliot died.”

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “I don’t know. I didn’t expect to feel anything.”

  “Should I—”

  “I’m going to meet you at the doctor’s office. Just text me the address and Solomon said he’d put me in a car so that I can get to you and get away from Richmond.”

  Dana stifled a laugh, imagining that Richmond wanted to punch his brother as well. “I will send you the address and I’ll see you there.”

  Hanging up with him, Dana liked what she heard. Emotion. Maybe his father’s death had spurred him into thinking about his family and hopefully he made peace with his father before it was too late.

  She inhaled sharply and texted the address to Adrian and entered the subway station. To her surprise and happiness, the train was on time and not as packed as she had expected it to be.

  “Thank God for small miracles,” she whispered as she took an empty seat and stuck her earbuds in her ears. As she rocked out to The Roots’ latest, she nearly missed her stop. When Dana arrived at the doctor’s office, Adrian was standing outside waiting for her.

  “I’m going to need you to stop taking the subway as your main mode of transportation.”

  “Is that an endorsement for my motorcycle?” she asked with a wide grin.

  “Absolutely not!” Adrian nearly shouted. “We’re going to have to get a minivan or—”

  “Now, I’m not going to drive a minivan—ever!”

  Adrian drew her into his arms. “Where are we going to put the other five kids if we don’t get a van or at the least an SUV?”

  “Carbon footprint,” she said. “Wait a minute, did you say other five kids?”

  “Yes, I want a big family. So big we’re going to have to move out of the city and get a ranch.”

  “I’d like to see that, you living on a ranch and me pushing out six babies,” Dana said. She stroked Adrian’s cheek. “Are you all right?”

  He shrugged. “I’m fine, I guess.”

  “Were you able to talk to him before he . . . you know?”

  Adrian nodded but left out the part about his brother coming into the room and starting an argument with him moments before Elliot died. “I don’t have all the answers and I doubt I will ever get them. B
ut I’ve made my peace with that. Maybe my mother had the right idea.”

  “Which was?”

  “Getting to know the family,” he said. “I wish I hadn’t immediately jumped on my father’s case and not started this war that no one would ever win.”

  Dana stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. “Now you can focus on the love instead of the war.” She placed his hand on her stomach. “It starts here.”

  Adrian rubbed her belly. “That’s right,” he said.

  “Let’s get inside and find out when this bundle of joy will bless us with his presence.”

  “Her presence. This baby is your karma and she’s going to be the prettiest little girl you’ve ever seen.”

  “Of course, look at her mother,” Adrian said with a wink. Once they entered the doctor’s office, they didn’t have a long wait to see Dr. Angela Kendall.

  She confirmed the home pregnancy test result after taking a blood sample from Dana. Adrian felt as if he could fly when the doctor gave them the results. Smiling, he turned to Dr. Kendall and said, “I have a question.”

  Dana rolled her eyes, knowing exactly where he was going with this.

  “Okay, what is it?” the doctor asked.

  “A pregnant woman shouldn’t ride a motorcycle, right?”

  “Lord,” Dana groaned. “Can we please settle this now because I don’t want to keep hearing about this.”

  Dr. Kendall looked from Dana to Adrian. “So, Dana, you’re the rider?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s dangerous for the baby, right? Because she said if you told her it was, she’d give up the bike.”

  “Well,” Dr. Kendall began. “Dana is in great shape. I’m sure she’s a safe rider. While there isn’t an immediate danger to the baby and Dana could ride the bike until she stops feeling comfortable, I don’t recommend that be your main mode of transportation. The jarring motion of the motorcycle could cause discomfort for you.” Dr. Kendall folded her hands underneath her chin. “I’m guessing that Daddy doesn’t want you to ride, period.”

  “That would be correct,” Adrian said.

  “Well, this is going to be an argument you two will have to solve on your own.”

  “And,” Dana said, “please tell him that a sports car is not a safer alternative.”

  Dr. Kendall threw her hands up. “I get the feeling that this was going on way before you guys started a family.”

  The couple nodded and Dr. Kendall laughed. “Soon enough, the baby will make the decision about the motorcycle and the sports car.”

  Dana rolled her eyes at Adrian as if she were telling him that she told him so. “Don’t worry, Doc, I’m not going to do anything to put my baby in danger. And if I have to give up the motorcycle—for a while—then I will.”

  “We’ll work on making that a forever thing,” Adrian said with a laugh.

  Dana nudged him in his side. “Whatever.”

  “I’m going to leave you two alone with this argument. I will say this—there aren’t baby seats for Harleys. And I know I’d have a hard time giving mine up.”

  Adrian shook his head and as he and Dana left the office, he turned to her with a grin. “You would pick a doctor who shared your inane love of motorcycles.”

  “I didn’t even know she had a motorcycle. Honest!”

  “And you have a bridge in Brooklyn you want to sell me as well, huh?”

  “No, but we do have to get something to eat.”

  “Well, we’ve been invited to dinner,” he said.

  “Really?”

  Adrian nodded. “Solomon and I are trying to see how this being brothers thing works.”

  Dana hugged him tightly. “I’m really proud of you for doing this.”

  “I never turn down free food,” he joked. “Let’s get a cab. I will never get used to riding underground.”

  Dana grinned and squeezed his hand. “Sounds like you plan on sticking around.”

  “You know it.”

  Chapter 22

  Later that evening, Dana and Adrian were walking into Solomon’s penthouse on the Upper East Side. She watched him to see if he had a reaction to the luxurious life his brother was living. She saw none. Maybe he had changed. Maybe he was going to have a relationship with his brother. But Dana couldn’t help wondering how he’d make things right with Richmond? After all, he had gotten the man arrested and possibly cost him his marriage. Pressing the doorbell, Adrian kissed Dana’s cheek.

  “I’m pretty sure there won’t be any hot dogs on the menu,” he said.

  “What a pity,” she replied as the door opened and Kandace greeted them.

  “Hi,” she said. “And what’s a pity?”

  Adrian tossed his thumb at Dana. “She’s a hot dog addict.”

  “Show me a New Yorker who isn’t,” she replied as she ushered the couple inside. Dana smiled at Kandace and complimented her on what a lovely home she had. Kandace leaned in to her and whispered, “The Southerner in me needs a yard.”

  “I bet you do,” she said. “But you couldn’t imagine living outside of the city, huh?”

  “I wouldn’t go that far.” Kandace nodded toward Kiana, who was crawling around on the floor. “She needs a swing set.”

  Dana instinctively touched her stomach. Kandace smiled. “Are you?”

  Dana nodded. “The doctor confirmed it today. I’m six weeks.”

  “Oh, I’m going to be an auntie,” Kandace said excitedly. “Now I will have a baby in New York to spoil.”

  “At least part of the time,” Dana said as she watched Adrian and Solomon chat in a corner near the window overlooking the sparkling skyline of the city. “I don’t think Adrian is going to become a full-time New Yorker.”

  “I’m glad to see that he and Solomon are working out this thing between them and are trying to be a family.”

  Dana nodded in agreement. “I’m sorry that it took Elliot’s death for it to happen.”

  The doorbell rang before Kandace could reply.

  “I’ll get it,” Solomon called out from across the room.

  Kandace and Dana headed for the kitchen, where two caterers were about to send trays of appetizers and fresh fruit out into the main room. “I actually miss cooking,” Kandace said. “Well, honestly, I miss getting food from the restaurant in Charlotte. But I do have a surprise.” She crossed over to the refrigerator and pulled out a pink box. “Devon Harris shipped a cake from Paris.”

  “You know Devon Harris? I had a chance to eat at his restaurant when I did that photo shoot in Paris.”

  Kandace smiled. “Devon and I go way back. He designed the menu at Hometown Delights in Charlotte and he’s Kiana’s godfather.”

  “Wow.”

  “And,” Solomon said from the doorway, “he’s the reason this woman was single and waiting for me to sweep her off her weary feet.”

  Kandace rolled her eyes. “Don’t believe him. And what are you doing in here?”

  “Trying to figure out what’s going on and give Richmond and Adrian a chance to talk.” Solomon crossed over to Kandace. “If Richmond was smart, he’d realize that Vivvy leaving him behind this is a blessing.”

  “She left him?” Kandace asked, then brought her hand to her mouth.

  Dana felt as if this was a conversation she shouldn’t be privy to, but she didn’t want to stroll into the living room and interrupt what she was sure had to be an explosive conversation.

  Richmond paced back and forth in front of the window as Adrian stood in one spot. “You’re a son of a bitch!” Richmond exploded.

  “Yeah, I can be.”

  “You ruined my life with that damned stunt of yours. If it wasn’t for the hooker being honest . . . Why did you do it?”

  “Honestly, I wanted you and Solomon to suffer. And I wanted the construction of the hotel to be stymied by controversy.”

  “Why? Because of my father’s actions? Like I had anything to do with that.”

  “I was misguided and I was wrong. Maybe you can expl
ain to your wife what—”

  “She gone,” Richmond said, and dropped his head. “Before the news of my arrest was even public knowledge, she was gone.”

  “I’m sorry that happened,” Adrian said. “I—”

  “Can’t really blame you for the loss of my marriage, but everything else I do hold you responsible for. The cost overrun on the construction of Crawford Towers and all the bad publicity, it’s all your fault.”

  “We’ve been over this. But look, we’re family and we’re all we have left. I want to make a serious effort to get to know you and Solomon. Especially since I’m about to start a family of my own. I don’t want my child to grow up around the bitterness and the fighting.”

  “And you think all is supposed to be forgiven because you said so?”

  “No, but what other choice do we have? You already know I don’t play fair. We can be enemies or we can learn how to be a family.”

  “What about my wife? What about the family I lost behind your bull?”

  “If you really love her and if she loves you, then she’ll be back.”

  Richmond walked over to the bar in the corner and poured himself a snifter full of scotch. “I wonder how Dad had two women, Solomon had so many and still found the one woman perfect for him, and I can’t find someone to love me.”

  Adrian glanced at Dana, Kandace, and Solomon as they headed toward them. “There’s someone for everyone. Maybe your wife wasn’t the right one for you.”

  Richmond sighed as if he’d heard those things before. “Perhaps you’re right,” he said, then downed the glass of whiskey.

  “Everything all right in here?” Solomon asked. “I see we’re drinking my good stuff.”

  Richmond rolled his eyes and poured himself another healthy dose of liquor. “What are you going to do now that you’re unemployed?” Richmond asked.

  “File for unemployment,” he quipped.

  “You need to rethink resigning,” Richmond said.

  “We have to present a united front now that Dad’s gone.”