by Skylar Ward
“That’s correct,” Efia said.
“I guess, Davenport placed you in this job.”
“I won’t discuss Ace Davenport any further. I knew it would only be a matter of time before you found out about my fiancé, so I wanted you to hear it from me.”
Viktor shook his head and stared at Efia for several seconds. Finally, he said, “Thank you. I owe you a lot, don’t I?”
As Efia observed a myriad of emotions flashing across Viktor’s face, she ignored his response. Feeling a sense of triumph, she mentally punched the air, reveling in her belief that love had won, not others’opinions of their relationship, but her love and Ace’s love had won, or so she hoped.
Chapter 34
Mr. Kwateng lifted his head from reading the Ghanaian News on his iPad at the sound of the doorbell.
“You, expecting anyone?” he asked.
“No,” Rosina replied and continued to blend the spices for the Kyinkyinga she’d planned to make for dinner.
The doorbell rang a second time.
“Don’t just sit there, Kofi,” Rosina said. “See who is at the door, I am busy over here.”
Mr. Kwateng grunted under his breath. He stood and moved to the door, opening it.
“Look who is here,” Mr. Kwateng said. “Samuel Njoku, I haven’t seen you in ages.”
“Maadwo, Mr. and Mrs. Kwateng, how are you?”
“Good evening, Sam,” Rosina said. “What brings you here?”
“Have a seat,” Mr. Kwateng said. “How is your mother doing?”
Sam pulled a chair. “She lives in Brooklyn with my brother. I guess she is busy taking care of his kids.”
Mr. Kwateng eyed Rosina. “What type of answer is that? Your mother lives one borough away, don’t you visit her?”
“These days, the only persons who make my mom happy are her grandchildren.”
Rosina’s hand paused over the kitchen sink. “Are you all right, Sam?”
“Yes, of course,” Sam said. “I left several messages for Efia, but she hasn’t returned any of my calls. I went to her place, the neighbor told me Efia moved out.”
Rosina tore a sheet of paper towel from the wall-mount. She wiped her hands and tossed it into the waste container. She took a seat at the dinette table.
“Why are you still wasting your time with my daughter, Sam?” Rosina said. “Efia is engaged.”
“Efia is engaged?” Sam’s voice rose in apparent disbelief.
“Yes,” Rosina said. “Efia, Ace, and Yasmine are a family now. I am happy for them.”
Kofi sucked his teeth.
“I can’t believe she is engaged,” Sam said. “I guess his money ...”
“What money?” Rosina interjected. “My daughter loved that man from the first time she set eyes on him. You and Kofi fail to realize that Efia has found her soulmate. She is not going to let anyone come between them.”
Sam stood. “I better be going. He paused for a few seconds before saying, “Goodbye, Mr. and Mrs. Kwateng.”
Chapter 35
Efia’s second visit to Ace’s Massachusetts’s home had started to take on similarities from her previous visit. What was supposed to be a catnap with Yasmine had turned into two-and-a-half hours of full-fledged sleep. Awaked, Efia headed to the room she shared with Ace. After freshening up, she decided to explore the mansion.
She took the staircase down to the main floor and crossed over to the stairs leading to the east wing. As she rambled along the corridor on the east side, she admired the abstract paintings with their vibrant colors, hanging along the wall. On closer inspection, she noticed they had all been signed by Jodi. Why are there no paintings over in the west wing? she wondered.
As Efia continued her leisurely stroll, she came upon an open door. She stopped, peering inside. A large picture on the wall with Ace and Jodi on their wedding day was the first thing she saw. Curiosity got the better of her, and she entered.
“What are you doing in here?” A female’s voice shrieked.
Efia whirled around at the sound of the shrilled voice, coming face-to-face with Mrs. Edwards. Efia’s gaze traveled to the large vase of white flowers in Mrs. Edwards hands.
“The door was open,” Efia replied.
“That did not give you the right to enter,” Mrs. Edwards said.
“Excuse me?”
Mrs. Edwards moved past Efia, placing the vase on a chest of drawers. She removed a set of keys from her pocket and faced Efia.
“You need to leave before Mr. Davenport finds you here,” she said.
“I am not done,” Efia said. “When I am through I will close the door.”
“Oh, no, Ms. Kwateng, you are through.” Mrs. Edwards’ face hardened. “This room is off-limits to you.”
“Is that, so?” Efia asked, calmly.
“That is so,” Mrs. Edwards replied. “You can quote me on that.”
Efia smiled, devilishly. “Well, why don’t you quote me on this: I will vacate this room when I am through.” Efia scrutinized Mrs. Edwards, taking in the woman’s scowl and piercing eyes. “On second thought, why don’t you tell Mr. Davenport I am waiting here for him—in this room.”
Ignoring the scowl on Mrs. Edwards’ face, Efia roamed around the space, taking in the extravagant furnishings which had evidently been arranged to welcome Ace’s child. When Efia’s regard landed on the lonely rocker by the window, her breath caught in her chest, and she whispered, “Ace, I am so sorry you felt the need to keep this room hidden.”
“Humph!” Mrs. Edwards said. “I will speak to Mr. Davenport.”
As Mrs. Edwards hurried from the room, Efia continued to examine the solemn space without touching anything. As she explored, all she could think was poor Ace. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and encourage him to seek professional help.
At the sound of heavy footsteps, Efia turned. Her first inclination was to run to the man she loved, but the glare on his face burned through her, keeping her feet rooted in place.
“You shouldn’t be in here,” Ace said, matter-of-factly.
“Why not?” Efia asked.
“This has nothing to do with you, Efia.” Ace turned away from Efia. “Please go.”
Why won’t he look at me? Efia touched his arm. “You can’t shut me out.”
Ace shifted his body, causing Efia’s hand to fall.
“You need to leave—now,” he said.
Efia couldn’t tell which stunned her more, the discovery of the room, or Ace’s reaction.
“Is this what you want?”
“It is,” Ace whispered.
Efia swallowed the lump in her throat. “This is not right, Ace. We are a family. You shouldn’t have to shoulder this alone.”
Ace remained silent. Efia left the room and made her way back to Yasmine. Finding Yasmine still asleep, Efia wrestled with the many voices in her head. Ace has come too far, she reasoned. I can’t let him fall back into depression. Determined to do something, even though she didn’t know what, Efia hurried back to the east wing.
“We need to talk,” she said, catching Ace and Mrs. Edwards by surprise.
Mrs. Edwards inserted the key into the lock.
“Please leave the door open, Mrs. Edwards,” Efia said.
Mrs. Edwards turned to Ace.
“I would like to speak to Ace, alone,” Efia said.
“Give us a moment, Mrs. Edwards,” Ace said.
When Mrs. Edwards left, Efia touched Ace’s arm. Surprised that he hadn’t sidestepped her, she said, “We have to talk about this. We can’t pretend to be a happy family when you are carrying all of this by yourself.”
“It’s not your burden, Efia.”
“It didn’t start as mine, but it is mine now,” Efia said, softly. “You talk about having more kids. How can we possibly have another child knowing you haven’t adequately dealt with the loss of your family?”
Ace heaved a heavy sigh. And stepped away from Efia.
“Ace, you have to go back in th
ere. I know it is hard, but you have to come to terms with what happened. You can’t avoid it anymore.” Efia exhaled. “I won’t let you.”
“For the last time, Efia, this has nothing to do with you.”
“Now that I know this room exists, do you expect me to return to this home for another weekend and act like everything is okay?”
“Let me ask you this?” Ace said forcefully. “Do you feel any less loved now that you know about this room?”
“That’s not the point, Ace, and you know it.” Efia ran her hand down her face. “What type of woman would I be, if I just sit back while you are dying on the inside.”
Ace’s jaw twitched, and his face hardened. Efia immediately regretted her word choice.
“I am sorry,” she said. “I meant …”
Ace waved his hand dismissively.
“You have to see a therapist, Ace. You can’t go on like this. It’s been over seven years, for God’s sake.”
“I don’t have any need for a therapist.” Ace faced Efia. “You need to get used to this situation because I can love you and Yasmine, and deal with this.”
He walked away.
As he strode off, Efia knew she had to play the only card she had. Hoping it wouldn’t backfire on her, she slid the ring from her finger.
“Ace!”
Ace turned. “What now, Efia?”
Efia ran over to him. She lifted his hand, placing the ring inside. “Ask me again, when you get the help you need.”
Ace stared wordlessly at Efia, as though the wind had been knocked from him. Unsure she had done the right thing, but unwilling to change her mind, she scurried along the corridor and down the stairs.
<>
In silence, Ace watched Efia go. The coolness of the metal against his palm, a reminder of what had just occurred. The sight of Mrs. Edwards rushing toward him lifted Ace from his stupor.
“No one is going to make me choose between my two families,” Ace said, “not even Efia.”
Glancing at the ring in Ace’s hand, Mrs. Edwards nodded, a small smile lifting the corners of her lips. She touched Ace’s arm. “It is for the best, Mr. Davenport. In the end, you will be much better off.”
PART III
Chapter 1
As the days went by, Efia tried to keep her thoughts off Ace, placing them on Yasmine and her job. And some days, she succeeded, however, today, was not one of them.
The new normal in their household had become only about Yasmine. They ate dinner together, read and played with Yasmine, but at bedtime, everyone retired to a different room, or Ace went back to La Travesta Grand Hotel to spend the night. Even though Efia missed their closeness, she vowed to stick it out—whatever the consequences.
I am doing the right thing, she mentally reassured herself. This is not for me. This is not even for Yasmine, this is for Ace’s well-being in the long run. Taking a deep breath, she cleared her thoughts and entered Manhattan Diner. She scanned the interior for Maria.
Maria stood up from a seat in a booth and waved her over.
“Ay Dios Mio!” Maria said, hugging Efia. Maria stepped back. “Chica, you look like a million bucks. Where is that ring?”
“I decided not to wear it,” Efia said.
“I don’t blame you. I never understand why people wear those expensive rings around. I would be afraid someone would steal it.”
Efia smiled.
“Well done chica!” Maria whispered. “You nailed that man.”
Efia smiled, still believing Ace Davenport was her fiancé. He needed to see her point, but he would come around—eventually. She whispered back, “He nailed me first.”
“Listen to you, displaying a sense of humor. That’s new, sí?”
Efia laughed. “Don’t you make fun of me, Maria.”
“It’s all love, chica. How is Yasmine doing?”
After Efia and Maria took their seats, Efia whipped out her cell phone. She opened an app and handed the phone to Maria.
Maria clasped her forehead. “Ella es bonita.”
“Thank you,” Efia said.
Maria grabbed Efia’s hand across the table. “I am sorry for projecting my experience onto your situation, I was wrong. Thank God you didn’t take my advice. Obviously, Davenport is a cut above that A-hole I got myself mixed up with.”
Efia bit her lip, fighting the urge to open up to Maria. The urge passed.
Maria squeezed Efia’s hand. “Forgive me, chica.”
“You meant well.” Efia cleared her throat. “Let us change the subject. How are your husband and kids doing?”
“They are better than me,” Maria sniffed.
“What’s wrong?”
A tear fell from Maria’s eye, and she wiped it away. “Don’t get me wrong, chica, I love my job, but I am missing out on my kid’s lives. Charles Jr. is already in his last year of college. Gabriela started community college, and Isidora is going to be eleven. Even when I am at home, Isidora still seeks permission from her father to go places. I won’t lie, it’s killing me. I don’t matter, chica.”
“It’s only from habit,” Efia said, hoping to cheer up Maria.
“Charles said the same thing.”
“You should listen to your husband.”
“I am praying that something comes up stateside within the company. I keep checking the company’s website.”
“If I hear of anything, I will give you the heads-up,” Efia said.
“Thank you.”
<>
After leaving Maria, Efia took the train to her parents’ home in the Bronx. She unlocked the door, but it remained closed. Why is the bolt on? she wondered. She rang the bell.
Several minutes later, Mr. Kwateng opened the door dressed in knee-length shorts, house slippers, and a white T-shirt.
“Hi, my child, how are you?” he said.
Why is my dad so happy? “Dad, I told Mom I was coming by, why was the bolt on the door?”
“Ah,” Mr. Kwateng said, waving his hand.
“Where is Mom?”
“She will be right out,” Mr. Kwateng replied. “Come in, why are you standing out there?”
Efia entered and headed to the living room. The same time Rosina came from the opposite direction. Efia eyed her mother’s attire, noticing the beads around her waist beneath the robe.
Mercy! No wonder Dad is beaming. “Hi, Mom.” Efia kissed her mother’s cheek.
“Hi, my child.” Rosina took Efia’s hands, massaging her ring finger. “Ace will come around soon, I am sure of it.”
Mr. Kwateng made a sour face and sat in the recliner. “Why are you putting yourself and Yasmine through this? You don’t need Davenport to raise your daughter.”
“That is not the point, Dad. Ace is still dealing with a great deal of guilt, concerning the loss of his family. I am giving him space, but I plan to be here when he is ready.”
“For your sake, I hope he doesn’t take a lifetime,” Mr. Kwateng said.
Efia took note of her father’s diction which was not unlike the word she had blurted out to Ace. At the end of the day, she was her father’s daughter. Efia inwardly acknowledged she hadn’t inherited any filter genes.
“Ace is a little stubborn,” Efia finally said. “He will come around.”
“Child, you chose a man with your father’s inclination for being a mule,” Rosina said. “And don’t forget Yasmine, you have your hands full.”
“I am nothing like that man,” Mr. Kwateng grumbled.
“God help me!” Efia laughed, but nothing was amusing about the sound.
Chapter 2
“My God, Efia,” Ashley said, running her hand over one of the gowns hanging in the Efia’s walk-in closet. “You filled this space up in record time. How many designer purses do you own?”
Efia swept her hand toward the beautiful items. “Ace hired a stylist. His orders were to spare no expense. And as you can see, she didn’t.”
“Now I know where to come when I need a fancy outfit,” Ashl
ey said.
“You are welcomed to anything in my closet,” Efia said. “We wear the same size.”
Ashley reached for a pair of black, Jimmy Choo Glitter Pumps from the rack, slipping them on. “I can’t believe you gave him back that ring, what if he doesn’t ask you again?”
“Then we weren’t meant to be.”
“You are brave to take a chance like that. To risk all this,” Ashley said, spreading her arms wide.
“This is all material stuff. Ace’s well-being is more important than any of this,” Efia stated.
“I have to give you guys credit, no one would ever suspect there is a problem between the two of you.”
“I owe it to Yasmine,” Efia said, “I don’t plan to repeat the mistake of the past. Even if we don’t make it as a couple, I will never stand in the way of their relationship.”
“You couldn’t drag Yasmine away from Ace, even if you tried,” Ashley said, removing the shoes. She placed them back on the rack. “Yasmine loves her dad.”
“That is why I played the only card I had.” Efia shook her head, the conversation dredging up more pain. “You should have seen the place, Ashley, it was untouched. The crib was made up with every single item for a newborn—even the Diaper Genie was hanging there.”
“Oh My God!” Ashley gasped, hugging Efia. “That poor man. I can’t imagine his pain.”
“I plan to call Ace’s mother for therapist recommendation.”
“Do you think that is a good idea?” Ashley asked.
Efia moved away from Ashley.
“I can’t just get one from online, and I know Ace’s hasn’t done anything to find one. What other choice do I have? Admitting he needs help, can’t be easy for Ace. Moguls don’t like to admit weakness, it’s contrary to everything they stand for.”
“You have a point,” Ashley said.
“Let us see what Yasmine is up to,” Efia said, “if I continue this conversation, I am going to go into full depression.”
<>
When Efia and Ashley entered the open kitchen, Yasmine pushed her interactive book aside and slid from the stool.