He scanned his surroundings. The waiting area was reminiscent of an arcade and the sea. Video games nestled against the wall blended in with a blue-and-white mural of floating fish, bubbles, and sea kelp. An elevated treasure chest held colorful toothbrushes, floss, and mouthwash.
“Sir,” the receptionist called to him. When he reached the desk, she asked, “What is your name and where is your little one today?”
“I’m Gary Ames. I have a ten o’clock appointment. I mentioned I wanted to speak with the doctor before bringing Gary, Jr. in.”
“That’s right. I remember now. I still need you to fill out insurance information for me. If you’ll take this clipboard, we’ll get you processed as soon as possible.”
He filled out the forms with bogus information. All he needed was ten, fifteen minutes alone with Deborah to plead his case. If he could see Langston once, he’d walk away and never bother them again. He had so many questions, he didn’t know where to start.
“Mr. Ames, come on back,” said a hygienist.
He followed her to room three.
“Dr. Calhoun will be with you in a few.”
Before-and-after patient photos lined the wall. The children smiled as Deborah hugged them or held out a piece of fruit. She was as beautiful as he remembered, and he still melted at the sight of her smile.
“Hi, Mr. Ames, it’s so nice to meet—” She stopped midsentence when she saw him and locked the door. “Joshua?”
“Deborah.”
She waited a few beats. “I saw the Mattie’s alert a few months ago. I wasn’t sure if authorities found her. I see they didn’t.”
“We had a memorial service a few weeks ago.”
She dropped his chart on a station next to the faucet. “Ms. Mattie was something else. She kept the secret all those years.”
“I’m surprised you kept the secret all those years. How could you do that to me, Deborah?” He didn’t realize he’d raised his voice until Deborah jumped.
“Not here, Josh. I’ve got patients and a ton of paperwork. How about dinner tonight? I promise I can explain everything. I’ve been prepared for this day for twenty years.”
“What about your husband?”
“He’s out of town on business until next weekend.”
“May I meet my son?”
“Not yet. Now’s not the right time.”
“When will it be?”
“We can talk about it.”
He sighed. His practiced speech turned dusty on his tongue. He had choice words for her, but he couldn’t speak them. They were nasty and mean-spirited. Years separated them from their last encounter, but he sensed she felt as badly about things as he did.
“I’ll rip up this fake info, Gary Ames.” She scribbled an address on back of a prescription note. “See you at eight tonight.”
• • •
Joshua rang the doorbell of the upscale condo. He’d bought her pink roses after remembering those were her favorites. She opened the door wearing an apron.
“Hi, Joshua. Come in. Lasagna’s almost done.”
He followed her and the aroma of good food. His mouth watered at the smell of his mother’s lasagna. She had given Deborah the recipe when they were students; he was amazed she kept it all these years.
“Hang your jacket up in the closet,” she said, pointing to a door beyond the foyer. She took the roses and headed toward the kitchen. “Make yourself at home.”
Her condo was as stylish as the dental office. A huge portrait of Deborah, Ennis, and Langston sat on the fireplace. Order ruled the atmosphere. He watched her trim rose stems and put them in a crystal vase. She spoke over the running water, “I won’t bite. Join me in the kitchen.”
“Where’s a bathroom so I can wash my hands?”
“Your mother’s gone but not forgotten. I was always washing my hands when I came to your house.”
They both laughed. He washed up and fell in step with her, setting the table and inspecting her wine collection. After placing the gooey lasagna and breadsticks out, he said grace.
“You look nervous. What’s wrong?”
“I’m not too thrilled about being in another man’s house when he’s not home.”
“Our house is in Snellville. This is the condo we bought when we married. I stay here when I have a full schedule or don’t feel like driving to the house. Our house is an empty nest anyway.”
“I see.”
“You don’t have to worry about him barging in on us.” She sipped wine. “Should I be worried about Mrs. Benson? Ms. Mattie refused to discuss your personal life with me, so I never knew if someone else snagged your heart.”
“Not even close.”
“Come on. No one?”
“I’ve been engaged a few times. Never made it to the altar.”
“You were a good guy. I always wanted you to find the right woman.”
“You were the right woman for me.” He sipped more wine. “Let’s cut to the chase. Does Langston have a clue Ennis isn’t his father?”
“No. Ennis is all he’s ever known. That was one of the agreements we made before we married.”
“So you two shut me out without any say? Deborah, you disappeared into thin air.”
“I didn’t shut you out. My parents did. My mother never forgave me for going behind her back and having Lang. She took forever to bond with him, and she felt I ruined my life in the process. My goals took a little longer to accomplish since I had a baby.”
“How are your parents anyway?”
“Mom died of cancer four years ago. Dad’s still a golfing widower.”
“Does this mean I have no chance to get to know my son?”
Deborah rubbed his arm and took his hand in hers. “I didn’t lie to you when I said Ennis was out of town. The issue is where he is.”
Joshua didn’t want to break her momentum, so he remained silent.
“He’s in rehab. In Arizona. Cocaine was his mistress for years, then he finally went ahead with her. Daddy spent so much money covering for him and getting him out of trouble. I think Mom died from a broken heart. She was sure I had the perfect husband and it didn’t turn out the way she planned.”
“Langston knows this?”
“Yes. He’s already disappointed in Ennis. I can’t spring you on him right now. He feels betrayed by everything that’s happened since he graduated.”
He pushed away from the table and stood. “My timing’s way off. I’m not sure what I thought I would accomplish by coming here.”
“I knew this day would come. I’ve been waiting for you to come back. I was afraid your mom would slip up and mention Lang. It’s hard to forget your first, Joshua.” She stood as well.
He faced her, caressed her cheek. “I never stopped thinking of you, Deborah. I know we can’t have a relationship, but I’m willing to pay back child support. Would you at least allow me that privilege?”
“No. That wouldn’t be fair under the circumstances. I do well for myself and Lang. Until Ennis’s fall from grace, he was a visible political figure here. The rumor my parents concocted is that he’s working in the private sector.”
“This is too much for me. I’m leaving, Deborah. Sorry I interrupted your life.”
She followed him to the closet. “You don’t have to go. Where are you staying tonight?”
“Downtown. I’d planned to be here a few days, but I’m going back to Savannah.”
“Give me a few days. Please. I’ll come up with something.”
She followed him to the front door, not wanting him to leave. Seeing him stirred up feelings she’d forgotten. He was still handsome and chivalrous.
“Call me when you get to your room, Joshua.”
“Will do. It was good seeing you again.”
22
Did You Bring Your Own Bags?
Gabrielle coasted Daniel’s Bonneville into a parking space at Target and waited. Job hunting had changed since the good old application days, and she was not pleased. S
he held a job at a call center twenty-five years ago; the call center manager rescued her by dating her and telling her she was too beautiful to put up with the stress of answering phones. She’d held a string of jobs but stopped working altogether after being dissatisfied with the job market. The nepotism. The pecking order. The gossiping, backstabbing coworkers and the short lunch breaks. She couldn’t understand how a person could work thirty-plus years, have a retirement party, then waltz off into the sunset after giving a company they didn’t create all those years and energy. Now, she realized a pension and insurance weren’t so bad. She’d run into the store, get her items, and go back to looking for a job.
An odd feeling had overtaken her again; she missed Alice and Joshua. She stopped short of trying to bribe Joshua into letting her stay in the family house. It was time to blaze her own trail. She’d missed so many opportunities in life, and she didn’t want to spend another day imposing on others. Not her siblings, not anyone else’s spouse. Joshua had fronted her money to buy a few items and offered his place until she got on her feet. She’d spent the last week tossing items men she dated had given her. Each trinket was a reminder that she could be bought, and she didn’t want to take the remnants to her new life.
She entered the store, grabbed a cart, and greeted the employees who welcomed her. She’d made a list of items that would look good in her new apartment after spending time on Target’s website. She was overwhelmed by the home, furniture, and patio selections, so she decided to start with bedding. She spotted the section, turned down the aisle, and froze at the argument taking place.
A middle-aged woman with a radio attached to her hip struggled to keep her hands to her side. She clenched and unclenched her fists as she raised her voice at a younger woman with green hair shaved on one side and a hanging ponytail on the other.
“Katisha, let me make this clear. Your job is customer service. If we don’t have the item in stock, you can look in the system to see if it’s available at another store!”
“Ms. Bertha, the customer ain’t always right. The item she had on that iPad didn’t come from our store. It came from Anthropologie. I saw it on a décor blog.”
Katisha smacked her lips, flicked her blue fingernails, and turned her face away from Bertha, revealing an intricate lotus flower tattoo on the right side of her face.
“Katisha, the item isn’t the issue. You don’t speak to customers in that tone.”
“She raised her voice at me!”
“Katisha, in my office. Now!”
They trekked off toward the back of the store, Bertha leading the way. Their red shirts and khaki pants finally disappeared in a sea of athletic gear.
“Hey, I’m sorry about that,” said a gentle voice. “May I help you find something?”
Gabrielle, lulled back to the aisle, looked at the woman. “I need a nice bedding set and some curtains.”
“Do you have a picture of what you need?”
“Yes.”
She gave the woman a printout of the set. “Threshold. I love the pinched duvet. This looks good in any room.”
She followed the woman to the next aisle over, not wanting to be rude but yielding to curiosity. “How tall are you?”
“Six three.”
“Whoa! Basketball player in high school?”
“College too. Wanted to play in the WNBA, but I busted my knee.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t sweat it. It actually led to my true calling. My fiancé and I are opening a bicycle store. This is my part-time gig until we can get things off the ground.”
Gabrielle read her name tag. “Good luck with your new venture, Nanette.”
“Thanks. What’s your name, Miss?”
“Gabrielle. My family calls me Gigi, though.”
“I apologize for the argument you walked up on. Most of us in our department are embarrassed about Katisha’s actions. I’m amazed she still has a job. She’s very good at what she does, but her attitude sucks. She could be a store manager if she gets her ’tude in check.”
“She’s young. She’ll probably grow out of it.”
“I’d lose my job in a heartbeat if I spoke to my superiors that way. I bet she paid someone to take that assessment for her.”
“Assessment?”
“Yea. Most of jobs online these days require you to answer all these questions. Employers want to see where your head is. What would you do if? How do you feel about? We were joking in the break room the other day about Katisha’s reactions to the questions. I’m sure she sucked her teeth like she always does and said something like, ‘Hell naw.’ ‘How the hell would I know?’ ‘What you think I am?’ ” Nanette laughed at the memory of the coworkers’ conversation.
“Oh. I’ve been out of work so long I probably wouldn’t pass, either, so I’m not going to slam Katisha.” The thought of working frightened her, but she asked anyway. “Are you all hiring right now?”
“Yes. You can go over to one of the computers and do an application.”
“Not after you scared me about the process.”
“Consistency. Be consistent.”
Gabrielle waited for clarification.
“The moment you start the questionnaire, be consistent with your responses. Be confident as well. No one wants a wishy-washy employee.”
“Let me finish my shopping.”
Nanette placed the duvet in her cart. “We have some gorgeous curtains that would look great with it. Do you like solids or are you into patterned designs?”
“Patterns.”
Nanette led her to the curtains. They chatted like old friends and she appreciated her eye for design and knowledge of the store’s stock. Eyeing the full cart, she whipped out her calculator to tally everything. She didn’t want to be embarrassed at the checkout.
“Thanks, Nanette. Is there a way I can let someone know about your good customer service skills?”
They laughed again.
“Gigi, when you get your receipt, complete the survey. You’ll have a chance to mention my name.”
She pushed her cart toward aisle three. A surge of self-assurance coursed through her veins. Nanette helped her find clearance merchandise that suited her tastes, so she’d have extra money for lunch. Nanette had also solved the mystery of why she’d been doing a lousy job on her online assessments: inconsistency.
Familiar laughter a few aisles over caught her attention. She followed the belly laugh to check out aisle six and saw Colton kneading Roselle’s shoulders. He laughed again and leaned in to her. He’d whispered sweet nothings in her ear the same way when they were alone. Roselle closed her eyes and swatted his hand away, joining in the laughter. Her eyes watered at the sight of them.
“Miss, did you bring your own bags?” the cashier asked.
She shook her head. “I’ll take plastic.”
“Did you find everything you needed?”
“Yes.”
The cashier rang up everything, smiled, and marked a circle at the bottom of her receipt. “Have a great day and don’t forget to complete the survey.”
She stuffed the survey in her purse and parked her cart near the closest computer. She knew she couldn’t spend the rest of her life taking handouts from men. She set up a profile, filled out the questionnaire, and exited the store. Gabrielle reflected on the years she’d wasted, the promises that left her dangling in anticipation of having a good relationship like her parents. She placed her bags in the trunk, sat in the car, and released a long overdue cry.
23
Dumber Than A Box Of Rocks
Synaria dialed Joshua’s phone for the third time. “Has she returned any of your calls, Joshua?”
“Not yet.”
“I can’t shake the feeling that something bad has happened to Alice. She didn’t come to work today, and she hasn’t been back to my house in two days. I told the branch manager she was sick.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll find her. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes to pick
you up.”
Joshua dialed Alice’s number again. Voicemail. He dialed Beryl’s home number with no luck. He felt uncomfortable leaving her alone at his place to go to Atlanta. She’d made so much progress moving in with Synaria, reenrolling in school, and getting her life in order. Always closer to Alice than Gabrielle, he knew no harm had come to her. He could feel it. When he saw his Mustang in the garage, he knew she’d left the house with someone she knew. He’d promised himself he’d keep his composure. He couldn’t afford to be arrested and lose his job, but he didn’t know how he’d handle things if she’d gone back home.
He reflected on his meeting with Deborah. Twenty years had passed and she still had a place in his heart. He’d left Atlanta without seeing Langston, but he’d come up with a plan to see his son soon. Alice was the order of business right now. He rang Synaria’s phone.
“I’m close to your house.”
“Ring the doorbell. I’m changing my clothes now.”
He made it to Synaria’s subdivision in record time. When he parked, Mattie and Daniel came to mind. If he could see them, talk to them again, he’d want to know how to handle everything going on. As the only son, he’d downplayed his father’s mandate that he be the man of the house should something happen to him. He now felt the weight of his father’s words, felt responsible for his sisters. Gabrielle had been job hunting and preparing to move out. He couldn’t get a handle on Alice’s emotions. Maybe Beryl’s abuse had taken such a hold on her that she couldn’t break free.
Synaria didn’t wait for him to ring the doorbell. She opened the door and ushered him in. She gave him a quick hug and asked him to be seated.
She slid her feet into decorative sandals that matched her red jeans and blue chiffon blouse. “I didn’t mean to blow up your phone. I won’t be able to sleep tonight until I know she’s safe.”
He eyed Synaria. “I’m just as concerned as you are. I have a feeling she’s back home.”
“I know. I called you because I didn’t want to go there alone.”
“It will be fine. She probably won’t answer the door.”
“Promise you’ll keep your cool when we get there?”
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