No Wasted Tears

by Sylvia D. Carter

  “You sure can preach real good, Pastor Wheeler,” Jonathan said while coloring the picture of a boat on his menu.

  David looked up from his coloring and said, “Yeah, and we didn’t even go to sleep like we used to at our old church. We used to go to sleep right after Mommy finished singing. Right, Jonathan?”

  Laughing, David said, “Jonathan, Mommy said not to tell anyone that we sleep in church. They may think she’s not a good mom and that we don’t sleep at home. But she’s the best mommy in the world, Pastor Wheeler. Honest.” They both looked at Adam with puppy-dog eyes.

  Adam nodded in agreement. “I know you both have a great mother. I knew your mom when she was in middle school and high school. She was a friend of my family. We spent a lot of time together.” Adam looked over at Cynthia and smiled. “Guess what, guys? She used to sing all the time.”

  “Shattering glasses and windows.” She chuckled. “But thank you for the compliment,” she said, looking back at the menu.

  Their waitress arrived. She rattled off the list of specials before pulling out her pad and pen.

  Everyone gave their order, but the twins took a few minutes because they didn’t want to eat Nemo. So they decided on grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken nuggets, and applesauce.

  “Adam,” Cynthia asked, “did your parents ask about me after the service was over?”

  “No,” Adam admitted. He draped an arm around the chair that Destiny was sitting in. “I’m not sure if they knew for sure that it was you. But if they listened closely to your voice, they had to know. I could recognize your voice anywhere. I’m really not sure if I should be the one to tell them about you being back.”

  Sara, who had been sitting silently listening to the conversation, said, “I know that God had a plan when he sent you back home. I’m not sure how he’s going to work it out, but he does have a plan for your life. Keep Jeremiah 29:11 in your spirit and be confident in God’s Word. He backs up what he said: ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.’ Everything is going to work out for you. I feel it in my spirit.” She patted the hand on Cynthia’s lap.

  “Cynthia,” Destiny said her name. Cynthia met her concerned gaze as she continued by saying, “the one thing I do know is that news travels fast. If anyone did recognize you this morning, then your parents will know you are back in town.”

  Destiny reached for her glass to take a sip of water.

  “I knew it was going to happen at some point, so I may as well get it over with as soon as possible. They probably won’t want to see me now any more than they did after I left,” Cynthia murmured.

  “I hate that things turned out this way for you and your parents,” Adam said, reaching for his glass of tea. “If you and your parents could talk face-to-face, it probably would be better for everyone involved. Give it time. Now that you are back in the city, everyone involved in your life and the life of the twins will have to talk at some point.”

  Cynthia agreed. “Besides, this is not about me, it’s about the boys. I know the Lord loves us, and he’ll surely take care of this situation. He has a plan or he wouldn’t have told me to come home.”

  While eating his food, Adam looked at Cynthia. “Do you have any regrets?” It was a simple enough question. “What did you end up doing after you left here? One time you were talking about becoming a lawyer, but you could have made it in the music industry.”

  She shook her head and felt her body going rigid with remembered pain. “I can’t believe you still remember that. I love singing but it was not my career choice. I finished college and got my master’s through online and evening courses. I’m now a certified commercial real-estate specialist with a degree in real-estate management. It was a choice I’d make again without a second thought,” she said with a wistful look in her eyes.

  “I know what you mean. I feel the same way about my calling to be a pastor,” Adam agreed.

  She took a sip of tea before saying, “Marvin and I always knew there was something special you would do with your life. You becoming a pastor is such a wonderful thing, Adam. Your church is beautiful, and your message was powerful. I’m proud to know you.” Cynthia looked over to see the twins were struggling with their grilled cheese sandwiches. Reaching over to grab a knife, she began to cut their sandwiches in fours.

  “Mommy, I can do it,” Jonathon whined picking up his sandwich before she could cut it.

  Cynthia pulled her hands away and held them up. “Okay, you go for it then,” she said.

  “Thanks, Mom,” Jonathan said before biting into his sandwich.

  Both of them went back to eating their sandwiches.

  By the time everyone had finished a fantastic seafood meal and was waiting for their key lime pie to arrive, Adam and Sara were becoming instant friends. Their conversation started with his sermon and led to just about everything else. Cynthia and Destiny could barely get in on the conversation as the two new acquaintances talked nonstop. Of course, Adam was quite intrigued with Sara’s interest in Seattle and his work at Greater Community. Likewise, Sara was interested in the young man who had captured the attention of her niece.

  Since she couldn’t talk to Adam with her aunt pressing him with questions, Destiny turned to Cynthia. “You’ve got to tell me what it was like raising two twin boys,” she urged, knowing Cynthia had to have some fascinating stories about her sons.

  “Let’s see.” Cynthia sighed, leaning back and looking at the two pair of eyes that were suddenly upon her. She leaned back in her leather chair. “If you’d like me to give you the short version, they were a handful. It was hard at first learning how to balance taking care of two at once. When I finally got the hang of it, I was a force to be reckoned with. But it was all-good or should I say all God, because he alone brought me through that season. The long nights and long days were sometimes challenging, and a few times I thought I would lose my mind.” She laughed, joining Jonathan and David laughing, as if they knew everything that she had to endure.

  Destiny looked at the boys. They were adorable and had the best manners, but she could tell they were getting a little restless. It would soon be time to take them home so that they could run around outside and play.

  Destiny turned back to look at Cynthia. “I can only imagine them being a handful, and it’s amazing we were at the same college but never met.”

  Cynthia nodded her head. “Yeah, that was amazing, but I’m glad we know each other now. Growing up, I was an only child. So having the boys brought me so much joy. I didn’t have any help. When I found out I was pregnant, I knew I had to drop out of college.” Cynthia looked out the window as if she was seeing a movie of her life. She squeezed her eyes shut as if looking in instead of out.

  “I met a young lady at Clemson whose parents had a rental property that they gave to her. She allowed me to live there for as long as I needed it. When I think about it now, it was really just the size of my parents’ guesthouse, but it was enough for us. Then I met Miss Sara, and my whole life changed. I was able to work and finish my classes at night. Miss Sara was a godsend to me and the twins.” Cynthia reached for Sara’s hand squeezing it gently as a reminder of the love she felt for her.

  Marvin was at the hostess’s podium scanning the restaurant for his brother. Earlier he’d talked to his mother. She had been ecstatic about this morning’s worship service. Her conversation had been non-stop, all centering around a young woman who had the voice of an angel. Before ending their call she’d told him that they were going to meet for dinner, so he decided in haste that he’d join them. Now two hours later he found himself at the restaurant with a female companion.

  It was the sound of a familiar voice that sent Marvin’s heart into an uncontrolled spin. He shifted his gaze from his date, colliding with the woman who’d haunted his memory for several years. She was still breathtaking. For a fraction of a second, time stopped, and he and Cynthia were back in high scho
ol.

  If possible, she was more beautiful than he’d remembered. The years had lent her an appealing air of maturity and confidence. Her hair was braided now, but it was still beautiful, and his hands trembled with the memory of sliding his fingers through the silky strands. Her incredible, dark eyes, wiser with age, pulled him in as they had when they were teenagers.

  Even from where she was sitting he could tell that at six three he still towered over Cynthia’s five-foot-six-inch frame, making him feel the urge to protect and shelter her. It was a ridiculous notion, considering he had not seen her in years.

  Laughter erupted from their table. Destiny, Cynthia, and Sara were sharing stories with each other but quickly silenced when they noticed Cynthia’s eyes travel across the room.

  “What is he…?” Adam breathed, catching sight of his brother moving their way from across the dining room.

  Cynthia shook her head as if she was in a daze. She knew it had to be Marvin. Obviously he had decided on the Lighthouse as his restaurant of choice for dinner as well. Unfortunately, he didn’t come alone. Cynthia returned her gaze to Marvin and then wished she hadn’t. But seeing him reminded her of all of the reasons she’d fallen head over heels for him back in high school. He’d been the guy all the girls had wanted.

  She also noticed Marvin’s date, who looked a lot like Kristen Milton, a girl she knew from his old high school. At that time, she was very promiscuous. If memory served her right, she had a baby before she got out of high school. Even then she was always in Marvin’s face. She had a thing for athletes then, maybe because she played basketball. Cynthia didn’t know what kind of men she was chasing now. She prayed she’d pull off a convincing job of looking cool and unfazed seeing him for the first time in years. Though they were quite a distance from one another, Cynthia knew that he was looking directly at her.

  “God, this would be a good time for you to intervene,” Adam muttered, standing as Marvin and his companion headed toward the table.

  “I’ll take the boys out for some fresh air.” Sara spoke to no one in particular because everyone’s eyes were glued on Marvin.

  “What’s she doing here?” Marvin’s first words were snarled in his brother’s ear once the distance closed between them.

  “I invited Destiny and her guest to dinner after service today,” Adam shared, a little put out by Marvin’s tone.

  Silence settled around them, and it was quite uncomfortable. To break the ever-thickening ice, Destiny stood and extended her hand in a gesture of welcome to Marvin and the woman at his side.

  “I’m Destiny Harper, a friend of Adam’s,” she said with a smile.

  “Hi, I’m Kristen Milton.” She started giggling. It didn’t surprise Cynthia; she was always the dumb-blond type a hustler of the female persuasion.

  “Kristen, it’s so nice to meet you. This is Cynthia Mason,” Destiny said.

  “Oh, my God. Cynthia, is that you? I still remember you coming to the school to watch Marvin play ball. Girl, where have you been? You look so good. I love the braids, and you put on some much-needed weight in all the right places. What happened you dropped off the face of the earth? It’s good seeing you again, and girl, we’re looking good for twenty-five, aren’t we?” She gestured with her hand at their bodies. The two women hugged each other lightly without the smile reaching either of their eyes.

  Cynthia arched one slim eyebrow as she caught Marvin’s eyes roaming over her body.

  “Have a seat, Kristen,” Adam urged, already pulling out the seats vacated by Sara and the twins. He began to walk away with Marvin. “We need to talk,” he grated to Marvin once Kristen was comfortable.

  “What’s she doin’ here, Adam?” Marvin demanded as the two of them headed for the lounge of the beautifully lit dining room.

  Laughter lilted somewhere in the distance, and both men turned to find that it was the ladies whom they had left at the table. Destiny, Cynthia, and Kristen were all giggles and smiles. “Well, praise the Lord. They all are getting along fine,” Adam remarked in a stressed voice.

  Marvin rolled his eyes. “Whoopi doo.”

  Adam stopped in the area just off the lobby and folded his hand across the sleeve of his brother’s shirt. “What are you doing here, Marvin? I thought you were going to be at church today. Then you show up for dinner with a woman. Why is she here?”

  “First of all, I didn’t come to church because I overslept. Secondly, I definitely didn’t know that Cynthia was back in town. Thirdly, Kristen is just a friend. She called me today and asked what I was doing. Since I hadn’t eaten, I thought she would be good company,” Marvin snapped his answer and pulled his arm away from his brother.

  “Mom told me that you had your nose opened by someone at church today. I wasn’t coming here without someone when I knew you were going to have a date,” he stated flatly.

  Adam chuckled. “Right, like I have dates all the time. What about all the times I had to be the third wheel with you and Cynthia? Did I ever complain? No, I showed up. We had a good time. I went home, and you took Cynthia home. End of story.”

  “That really hurts a brother’s feelings, Adam. You act like I was insensitive,” Marvin said, holding a hand over his heart.

  “The truth will make you free, brother.”

  They both laughed. Marvin stopped Adam from leaving by catching the cuff of the blue sports coat he wore. “Adam, what is she really doing here after all these years?” he said in a serious tone. “You know if I knew Cynthia was here, I never would have brought a date.”

  “Hey, guys,” Cynthia, said as she strolled over. Their conversation silenced immediately. Marvin was speechless. He was enjoying the scent of Cynthia’s perfume that settled beneath his nostrils.

  “I wanted to say good-bye. I’m going to take Miss Sara back to the house,” she told them.

  “What about the key lime pie we ordered earlier?” Adam was having a good time and didn’t want their day to end just yet. In actuality, he didn’t want his time with Destiny to be cut short.

  Cynthia knew Adam wanted to spend more time with Destiny. But she had to get out of there. How could she cope with this right now? What she wanted was breathing space. She needed time to get her head clear, away from Marvin, and time to think. Kristen told her she worked for Marvin’s company, so they must have had a cozy set up with her being right at his fingertips.

  “This is my dessert.” She lifted the box in a gesture to show them both that she was prepared to leave. “Adam, I realize that you may want to spend more time with Destiny, so I took the liberty of telling her that you could bring her later.”

  “I would have enjoyed your company as well, Cynthia, but if you have to go, I understand,” Adam replied.

  Marvin watched the exchange between Cynthia and his brother. He smiled, smoothing a hand across the front of the blue branded collar shirt he wore. He thought about how incredible she still looked.

  “I have to leave anyway,” she whispered again. “I start my new job with the real estate company tomorrow, M and W Enterprises. I have some things I need to do tonight before I meet my boss. So I guess I’ll see you both later.” She leaned in close to hug Adam. She spoke a hushed good-bye to Marvin and was about to ease by.

  “Cynthia, wait,” Marvin softly urged, his hand folding across the overlong cuff of her silver suit. “I’m sorry for what happened a few minutes ago,” he apologized once Adam walked off.

  “Sorry?” Cynthia spoke, confused.

  Marvin blinked. “Walking in here with a date,” he clarified, looking at her as if he could not believe she misunderstood his apology.

  Cynthia shrugged. “Kristen is all right if you like her type, and obviously you do.”

  “But if I had known you would be here, I would have come alone or not at all,” he continued.

  “You don’t owe me any apologies, Marvin,” she assured him. She looked at his hand still holding her wrist.

  Marvin watched Cynthia’s eyes and felt a sudden rush
of sensations from a single touch of her flesh. Brushing his thumb across the pulse point below her wrist, he finally released her.

  Cynthia turned and left. She ignored her desire to look back, knowing that if she did the boys would approach her in front of Marvin, and she wasn’t ready for that.

  Marvin watched Cynthia leave the restaurant. He then looked over to the table where his brother and the two ladies were sitting.

  “I ordered us some dessert,” Kristen was telling Marvin when he returned to the table.

  “Thanks, Kristen, but I’ve decided not to stay,” he said, fixing his date with a stare that showed regret. “I’m sorry, but would you mind if we left early?” he asked her.

  Kristen reassured him that she was willing to leave early by giving him a wink. “Just promise me that we’ll do it again.” She smiled before saying good-bye to Adam and Destiny.

  “Destiny, it was nice to meet you,” Kristen said.

  “Where is she staying?” Marvin asked Adam.

  “She lives with Destiny and Sara in the SeaTac area. But it’ll be easy for you to get the exact address from her resume since she will be working for you starting tomorrow.” Adam smiled at his brother before saying, “God works in mysterious ways.”

  Marvin looked at his brother before turning to walk away. “He sure does,” he replied, and with that, he joined Kristen before leaving the restaurant. Yes, he thought to himself. Tomorrow won’t be soon enough to talk with Cynthia.

  Adam had been looking forward to his private time with Destiny. Since no one else was at the table, he moved to one of the vacant chairs. This way their conversation could be a little more personal.

  Scanning the restaurant Destiny didn’t want to appear squeamish because he moved his chair closer to hers. Her gaze returned to his, two small frown lines sectioning her forehead. “This is a beautiful restaurant—you eat here often?” she asked. She pressed her lips together and looked away again like a shy schoolgirl.