My Steps Are Ordered

by Michelle Lindo-Rice

  Gina and Keith rode the elevator to the third floor. In the close confines of the elevator, he reached over and his hand brushed against her chest by accident. That was his undoing.

  Keith pressed the STOP button. The elevator jerked to a halt. By then he was already having second thoughts. He could’ve kicked himself for giving in to the impulse. It would take backtracking, but he figured he could still do the right thing without Gina catching on to his original intentions. She locked eyes with him and arched an eyebrow. He knew she must be wondering what was wrong with him.

  “I wanted to apologize for kissing you,” he said quietly. Great. Why did he mention kissing? Now he really wanted to kiss her.

  “I had no right letting you,” Gina said, letting him off the hook. She licked her lips.

  “So you understand why I moved out?”

  “I do,” Gina said. She grabbed Keith’s arm. “Keith, it’s time for you to move on. Find love. You deserve it,” she said beseechingly.

  Chapter Six

  Count to ten . . . Count to ten . . .

  Michael struggled to catch his breath. He took deep breaths to calm himself. He could not believe Gina was being adamant about something that was a no-brainer. They needed to have another child. None of his family members were a match, and she had none. Colleen and Terence had given blood samples, but the odds were slim to none. They needed more relatives. Gina had no one.

  Except her dad.

  He put his hand on his chin and mulled that over for a moment. What if he found her dad? Gina had mentioned him the other day. He knew there was a huge gap in her heart for the man who had contributed to her existence. She had never expressed an interest in locating him, but he figured this constituted as good a time as any.

  He snapped his fingers. This would be the ultimate way to kill two birds with one stone. Reunite Gina with her long-lost father and find a prospective donor. He figured Gina’s father owed her that much. He had not been a help to her thus far, so this would be one way he could make it up to her.

  Michael paced as he pictured Gina’s reaction, and smiled. It was a win-win situation. He would do it. Why hadn’t he thought of this much sooner? Better late than never, he told himself. Gina would meet her father, and he would be the one to do that for her.

  He keyed in a speed-dial number on his cell phone. His lawyer knew the right people to handle this delicate matter. Frank Armadillo answered on the second ring.

  Michael sketched out what he needed done. Frank promised he would find Gina’s father and stated that he had the right individual in mind for the job. This person could find anybody, with professionalism and discretion.

  Michael made another call. Within minutes, he’d lined up Keith to babysit Trey that night. He needed some alone time with Gina to talk her into getting pregnant. He then called Althea and gave her Keith’s address so she’d be there in case any emergency arose. He did a quick mental check in his head. “That’s right. I almost forgot.” He placed a call to his personal doctor. He needed to have a physical to make sure all his “swimmers” were ready and raring to go.

  The last call he made was the one he dreaded the most. Michael felt like he had a mouth full of sand. He had to lay on the charm to persuade Gina to let Trey out of her sight and stay with Keith. She argued, but after much debate, Michael won. Gina caved once he told her a private nurse would be on duty at Keith’s to look after Trey.

  As soon as he entered the house, Michael noticed that Gina had dressed with care. She wore flats and a formfitting navy blue sheath dress. There had been tension between them at home, and he knew it was not good for them or for Trey. The little boy did not need his parents in conflict right now. Children could pick up on when their parents were at odds. Trey was fighting for his life. He needed to know his parents were united and were fighting with him, not because of him.

  Michael walked over to the dining-room table, where Gina was lighting the last candle, and saw that she had prepared grilled chicken breast with Alfredo noodles for dinner. The lit candles sparkled, and the chandelier tinkled from the light breeze the open window provided. His mouth watered.

  “This looks delicious.” He almost forgot the flowers he held. With a wide smile, he said with a husky voice, “These are for you.” He handed her the two dozen white roses he’d ordered.

  Gina put her hair behind her ear—a sure sign she was moved. “Thanks,” she said under fluttering lashes. Then she arranged the huge bouquet in a vase on the sideboard before placing the arrangement on the table as a centerpiece.

  They sat and ate in silence. As they were finishing their meal, Gina began to speak. She splayed her hand across the table before moving it between them. “Michael, I know what this is all about, and I want to say that my answer is yes.”

  “Yes!” Michael clapped his hands and gave a whoop. “Gina, I love you.” He stood and reached for her. Gina placed her smaller hand in his. With a slight tug, Michael led her into their bedroom and undressed her with care.

  “I’m so relieved, Gina. You’ve no idea,” Michael murmured in her ear.

  Their union was beautiful and bittersweet. He treasured their lovemaking and spooned her body next to his, not wanting to let her go. He wasn’t one to be so emotional, but he wasn’t ashamed of his feelings, either. Soon he drifted off to sleep.

  It was around three o’clock in the morning when Michael jolted awake. Trey. He left the bed, careful not to awaken Gina, and wandered into Trey’s room. He lowered himself and sat on the edge of the small bed. The sheets were cool to his touch. Trey should be here, bundled under the covers.

  With a sad smile, he patted the pillow where his son would lay his head. Then he eyed the room. Seeing that Trey’s toys were strewn over the floor, Michael rose and put them in his toy chest. He could purchase the best toys and gadgets the world had to offer, but he couldn’t do anything to save his son.

  He saw the picture of Trey smiling as he stood next to a clown, and picked it up. Michael remembered that day like it was yesterday. He had taken the day off from work and pulled Trey out of school to go to the circus. They had had front row seats, and Michael had basked in the wonder written all over Trey’s face when he watched the different acts perform.

  He then stood in line with the other parents so that Trey could get his picture taken with the clown. Other kids his age had been scared, but Trey had shown no anxiety. Michael remembered how he puffed out his chest with pride at his son’s bravery. Michael cradled the photo in his hands. He ran his thumb over Trey’s smiling face.

  Unable to control himself, Michael choked up.

  His precious son was now in a battle for his life. He didn’t know what he would do without Trey. He couldn’t even picture what his life had been like before Trey. “Empty,” was the easy, immediate answer.

  Michael comforted himself with the knowledge that he was doing all he could for his son. He would move mountains and crawl under rocks if it meant Trey had a fighting chance.

  He left Trey’s bedroom, walked to his office, and turned on the computer. His research was now a part of his daily ritual. If there was a new treatment, he was going to find it and get it. If there was a new doctor, he was going to reach out.

  That was why he was on a mission to find Gina’s father. Michael could not ignore or neglect a potential donor. He hoped Frank would come through. All he needed was a name and a location. He would do the rest.

  Chapter Seven

  Gina woke up around eight o’clock the next morning and noticed that Michael’s side of the bed was empty. He must’ve fallen asleep in the computer room again. She’d better go wake him, she thought, or he’d have a crick in his neck and a monumental backache. She swung her legs to the side and pushed her feet into a pair of plush red slippers. If she knew him, he’d be stretched out on the sofa. It was a sofa bed, but Michael never pulled the bed out.

  Gina heard the doorbell as she headed down the hallway and made a quick U-turn. “That’s probably Keith and
Trey.” She peered through the window in the foyer and smiled at her guests. They entered the house, and Trey made a beeline for the television screen. Keith and Gina shared a smile as they watched him channel surf.

  “He doesn’t have a care in the world,” Gina mused.

  “He knows he has parents and a family who dote on him,” Keith replied. “So he does not have to worry about a thing.”

  “Michael is asleep in his office,” Gina offered, anticipating his question. Then, without taking a breath, she asked, “Where’s your mom?”

  “I drove her home this morning. She needed to check on a few things. I told her I would pick her up later.”

  “Or Michael can send a car for her.”

  “I don’t mind the drive. I welcome it, even, because I get a chance to think.”

  “That’s a dangerous pastime,” said a male voice.

  Keith and Gina turned toward the voice. Michael sauntered into the kitchen and grabbed a peach from the bowl on the island.

  The kitchen was the reason why they had bought this house. It was huge, roomy, and equipped with state-of-the-art appliances that were every woman’s dream. The stove heated water in thirty seconds, and the cleanup was easy. Michael and Gina had enjoyed good times in this kitchen with Trey. And if Michael’s plans succeeded, they would enjoy even more good times.

  Michael’s cell phone rang, and he excused himself with a harried “I’ll be back. Business.”

  Gina didn’t spare her husband a glance. She was too busy watching Keith play with Trey to give her husband a second thought.

  Within five minutes of Michael’s departure, Terence and Colleen arrived at Gina’s house with their two-year-old twin girls. Kim and Kaye were dressed in identical blue plaid summer dresses.

  “They’re so adorable,” Gina cooed.

  As soon as the girls spotted Keith, they made a beeline in his direction. Gina didn’t know what it was, but he was a magnet for kids. Within minutes, all three children were jumping all over him. She could hear his laughter at their antics as he swung the girls high in his arms and on his legs. She figured a good fifteen minutes passed before he put out toys for the children and turned Caillou on.

  Gina tapped the spot next to her on the love seat and Keith took a seat next to her.

  By this time, Colleen and Terence had decided to offer up a word of prayer. At the end of the prayer, Colleen sang a verse from “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” Her sweet voice resounded off the walls.

  When she was finished, Terence opened his mouth. “I wanted to talk about Jesus’s healing power. There is nothing too big for Him. He’s a miracle worker, and He left His Holy Spirit, a Comforter, Teacher, and Friend. The Holy Spirit is here to help us through every situation.”

  Gina listened to Terence’s words. While he was talking, she thought about how far he had come. He had been transformed from a weasel into a witness for God. Gina no longer found him repulsive. Instead, she felt a keen sense of respect and admiration for him. Never in her life would she have imagined that she would be sitting here while Terence admonished her with the Word of God. He was a living testimony of how God could do the impossible. Terence encouraged her to look to God.

  Gina nodded her head in agreement. She did need God at this time. She needed to believe God could do anything. She had never been a churchgoer. She viewed most pastors and deacons as hypocrites. She believed most of them were lechers preying on the single sisters in their congregation. Countless pastors had made headlines for their outrageous behavior.

  But Colleen had pointed out the fallacy of this to her. In fact, there were many more pastors and men of God whose motives were pure. They had a genuine love and passion for God and did not provide fodder for the media, which thrived on sensationalizing mistakes. They were not considered newsworthy, but their names were written in the Book of Life, which, Colleen declared, was what mattered in the end.

  Gina responded appropriately to her friends’ sincere belief in God. But deep in her heart, she acknowledged she was not ready. She was a literal thinker. The kind of faith that Terence and Colleen spoke about just didn’t make logical sense to her. Gina couldn’t understand trusting in a God she could not feel. She believed God existed, but she couldn’t conceive of how to make Him real to her. He seemed unattainable. She was used to Terence and Colleen by now and tolerated the drill because she wanted them to pray for her son. But she herself didn’t buy into what they were saying. Gina believed God was for those who were helpless and poor. She was neither. She did believe in the power of prayer, but she saw God as a resource to call on when she needed help. She did not yet see Him as a Friend or Comforter.

  “I want to know God,” she heard Keith say.

  Gina’s eyes were like saucers when she heard Keith’s request. “What’s going on?” she asked, but no one was paying her any attention. She shook her head. Keith was a highly respected attorney at his law firm. He dealt with logic and sound reasoning. What was he doing? Was he serious?

  Truth be told, she wondered why God would appeal to someone like Keith. Gina could see him moving up in political circles to become a national figure. He had no real need for God, no illness that he needed God to fix. She eyed him. He was fine in every sense of the word. Nope. She didn’t get it.

  She studied Keith some more. In all the years she’d known him, Gina had never seen him look so young and vulnerable. She couldn’t discern what was going on with him. Nevertheless, she showed respect and remained quiet.

  Keith listened with keen intensity to Terence’s words. He felt something strike his heart when Terence uttered, “One day every person will have to acknowledge Jesus as the living God.” He thought about the Holy Spirit and wondered if He could really see all his actions and hear every single thought.

  Squirming in his seat, Keith felt like a little whip was hitting his heart. He knew he had done terrible things, and the idea that there was an all-seeing God made him wary. He gripped the love seat to keep from looking over his shoulder to see if anybody was watching him. He then glanced at Gina and wondered if she was as affected by Terence’s words as he was. Keith felt like crying, and he did not know why. Terence’s words were reaching him.

  Colleen must have seen the myriad emotions crossing Keith’s face, for she stood and came over to him with an understanding smile. She held out her hands. Keith grabbed Colleen’s hands as if they were a lifeline and stood to his feet.

  “Hallelujah,” Colleen said, rejoicing, interpreting Keith’s surprising actions.

  Keith bowed his head in supplication. He did not know what this feeling was, but he reveled in it. It felt like God was beginning to set him on a path, and it felt scary good. One minute he felt like his heart was being pierced, and another he felt like singing. “Pray for me,” he said beseechingly. “I want to know God the way you’re talking about Him. I want to know more about His Holy Spirit.”

  Terence and Colleen began lifting up words of praise and praying in earnest.

  “Yes, Keith. Allow God to order your steps. He will never steer you wrong,” Terence told him.

  Keith welcomed the prayers. This was the second time he had experienced this calm. The first was at the hospital, when Gina was praying. He wasn’t sure he could express his emotions, but it was not an eerie feeling. Instead, it was reassuring. There was something about the name of Jesus that impressed upon him that all hope was not lost.

  Then Terence and Colleen prayed for Trey and anointed his little forehead with olive oil.

  Before he and Colleen left, Terence addressed Keith in private. “Find a church. Let God finish the work He started.”

  Keith nodded. “Okay. I will.”

  After Colleen, Terence, and the twins departed, doubt reared its head, attacking Keith’s conscience, though it felt like physical lashes across his spine. Do you think God would want you? You’re in love with your brother’s wife. You’ve betrayed your own flesh and blood. What use would God have for a traitor?

&nbs
p; Chapter Eight

  “Where’s Terence?” Gina asked when she noticed Colleen was alone. “I actually thought you were Diamond. She is a college student and my part-time babysitter. I help her with her papers. She lives right down the block.” Gina strolled down her driveway and pointed a couple houses down. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen her, as I’ve been caught up with Trey.”

  Colleen smiled. “Well, you’ll have to settle for plain old me. Terence is at the hotel with the girls as Francine and Lionel flew back to New York last night. They send their love by the way. I’m here to drag you out of the house, and I’m not taking no for an answer. I made reservations for us at Good Hair by Shelley’s.” Gina had been going to this salon on Butner Road for years. “We’re going to get our hair and nails done. It’s my treat.”

  Gina hesitated. “Trey’s my main focus right now. Not my appearance.” She touched her hair, knowing she did look like a hot mess.

  “Well, I took the liberty of calling Michael and he assured me that he and Keith will watch Trey. He promised to call if anything changes.” Colleen put her hands on her hips and waited.

  Gina caved. “Okay, let me get a quick shower.”

  Once she’d showered, Gina decided to wear a sundress. It was a nice blend of browns and pinks. She matched it with a pair of brown, strappy sandals.

  Several hours later, Gina and Colleen’s hair had been relaxed and styled. Colleen’s tresses had been straightened out and hung by her waist.

  “Your hair’s gorgeous,” Gina declared.

  Colleen pooh-poohed the compliment. “Please. It won’t last. Terence will have it frizzy by midnight. He loves when I get my hair blown out. But then his hands will be all in it, and that will be the beginning of the end.”

  Gina saw her secret smile and giggled. “I can imagine. Well, Michael knows better than to touch mine.” Her shoulder-length hair was so full of body that it moved with every turn of her head. It looked like a wig or a weave, but Gina could claim every strand as her own.