Letting Misery Go

by Michelle Larks

  “No, I don’t think so, Daniel. We had more than enough time to get it right—over thirty years. You will always occupy a place in my heart. You were my first love.” Ruth tried to soften the blows she had delivered to him.

  “I guess this means, you won’t rent the apartment to me,” Daniel continued, though he knew the answer to that question.

  “You’re right. Now that Lenora is back, this would be a good time for the two of you to discuss finances. If you have custody of the boys, then she should pay you child support.”

  Daniel looked at Ruth regretfully. “I really messed up letting you go. My doctor warned me many years ago, and I can remember the words like yesterday. He talked about how the grass may not be greener on the other side, and he was so right. I wish we could turn back the hands of time.”

  “I used to think the same thing. We maybe older, but we’re not down-and-out. I believe the Lord has good things in store for you, if you would just open yourself up to the possibilities.”

  “I guess I should get out of here and check on Darnell. He will be coming home soon. Ruth, I hope you can forgive me for all the wrong I’ve done to you.”

  “Of course. That’s what we do as Christians; we turn the other cheek, so to speak. When this latest dilemma has passed, you need to find a way to get through to DJ. He has mellowed somewhat after his injury in Afghanistan. Tomorrow is not promised; try to make things right with your oldest son,” Ruth said.

  Daniel nodded and stood up. “I guess I should be heading back to Olympia Fields.”

  Ruth stood up and walked Daniel to the door. As they stood in the foyer, Daniel held out his arms, and Ruth walked into them. They stood that way for a few minutes.

  “I’m so sorry for every wrong thing that I’ve done to you,” he whispered into her ear.

  “I understand,” she replied. “Things will work out. Just wait on the Lord to work them out.”

  Ruth opened the door and Daniel walked outside. He looked at her one more time regretfully. “Be happy, Ruth. That’s what I want for you,” he said emotionally.

  “I will.” She held up two crossed fingers.

  She closed and locked the door after Daniel left, and then she sat back down on the sofa. Her body trembled as she swayed back and forth. Peace washed over her soul, and soon she was content. She knew that she had done the right thing. She also realized that Daniel, in time, would be fine.

  Ruth stood and walked into her home office. The envelope she’d gotten from Edwina lay on her desk. She picked it up and smiled. She held the answer to her prayers in her hand.

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  Three weeks later on a Thursday morning, Daniel and Lenora were seated in the waiting room of a local clinic in Olympia Fields, where the paternity tests had been performed. Daniel had gotten the call late yesterday evening that the test results were in. He had insisted all three boys be tested.

  Lenora had given Daniel money, which allowed him to catch up on the mortgage. They had put the house on the market to sell, and they even had a prospective buyer. Daniel had found a house in Chicago to rent. It was big enough for all three boys, just in case. He and Lenora were still working on custodial logistics.

  Darnell had been released from the hospital, and Trevor had hired a nurse to care for him. The boy’s health was better, and he was receiving physical therapy. In time, he could begin to resume his normal activities. The boys had settled down somewhat, now that their mother had returned to Chicago.

  A doctor came into the waiting room, introduced himself as Dr. Levy, and ushered the pair into his office.

  After Lenora and Daniel sat down on the plush seats in front of his desk, the doctor opened an envelope. “Your case is most unusual,” he commented as he laid the paper on his desk.

  “How so?” Daniel asked, with a puzzled look on his face.

  “Well, let me explain. The test results for Damon Wilcox state conclusively that you are the father, Mr. Wilcox. But you are the father of only one of the twins, David Wilcox. You are not the father of Darnell Wilcox. The test results are ninety-nine point eight percent accurate.”

  Lenora shook her head. “How could that be?” she asked. She knew in her heart that she’d had sexual relations with both Trevor and Daniel on the same day. She hadn’t bothered to divulge to anyone that she’d been having sex with a minor. Her relationship with Trevor went back longer than Lenora chose to acknowledge to her family. She chose to engage in sexual relations with a minor. Her actions were similar to, and no better than, the teacher who had molested her.

  “Well, the usual way, Mrs. Wilcox,” he told Lenora solemnly. “You apparently had sexual relations with your husband and another man within your five-day ovulation period. The situation doesn’t happen often, but we have seen it before in the medical community. Your body produced two eggs during ovulation, and Mr. Wilcox’s sperm fertilized one of the eggs, and another party the second egg.”

  Lenora reeled from the latest revelation, while Daniel stared at his wife with something akin to hatred in his eyes. The drama never seemed to end with her.

  He stood up and barked, “I need some air. I’ll be outside.”

  Lenora insisted to the doctor that there had to be an error. The physician slid the paper across the desk, with the facts proving his findings.

  After hemming and hawing, she eventually accepted the results and paid the hefty bill. Before she left, the doctor presented her with two copies of the tests in sealed envelopes. One copy was for Lenora; the other one was for Daniel. The physician assured Lenora the test results would be kept in strict confidence as he ushered her out of his office.

  When she walked outside the building, she found Daniel sitting in his car. She walked to it, opened the door, and sat in the passenger side.

  “Lady, you are truly a piece of work” flew from Daniel’s mouth. “Do you even know who Damon’s father is?”

  “Of course, I do,” Lenora shot back. “Trevor is.”

  Daniel quickly did the math in his head. He shook his head. “You mean you were messing around with a boy. God, Lenora, Trevor wasn’t even legal back then. You’re a preying cougar. I don’t understand how you could have turned your back on your sons for a man.” Daniel looked at her with loathing in his eyes. His hand arched upward.

  She looked ashamed. “Look, Danny, I’m sorry about this. We knew David and Darnell weren’t identical twins, but I never imagined they had different fathers. Trevor will be performing in Canada the week after next, and I’d like to join him. We planned to get married then.”

  “You mean you don’t plan to stay with Darnell until he fully recuperates?” Daniel couldn’t believe Lenora. She had a lot of nerve. “Did you tell Trevor that he could be Darnell’s father?”

  Lenora smoothed down the hem of her skirt. “I planned to talk to Trevor after we got the test results. Anyway, Darnell is doing better. He has begun therapy, and the doctor expects him to make a full recovery.”

  “I’m sorry that I don’t measure up to your expectations, Danny, but I am who I am. I don’t make any apologies to anyone for my behavior, and that definitely includes you.” Lenora’s perfume wafted in the air. She still wore the same perfume as when Daniel met her. She had always told him that it was her signature scent, and that she would wear it until the day she died. “So, are you going to keep the boys or what?” she questioned.

  “I’m still thinking about it,” Daniel responded.

  “Well, don’t take too long,” Lenora said, with an amused glint in her eyes. “If you won’t take them, then I’m sure Felicia and Reggie would, or my mother and father.” She reached into her purse and took out the envelope that Dr. Levy had given her for Daniel. She gave it to him.

  Daniel’s stomach somersaulted at the thought of Ernest raising the boys. “I’ll let you know by the end of the week,” he announced. He started the car. “I need to go. I have some things I need to do.”

  “Aw, Danny, don’t be like that,” Lenora lisp
ed. “We had some good times. Well, we did before you decided you needed Viagra to keep up with me.”

  “Whatever,” Daniel said dismissively. He shifted the gear to drive.

  Lenora leaned over and tried to kiss his cheek. Daniel pulled away from her.

  “Call me.” She held two fingers toward her ear. Lenora exited the vehicle and walked to her red Mercedes-Benz Roadster. Daniel watched her walk down the street. He tugged at the collar of his shirt. He sighed and pulled out into traffic.

  On the same day that Daniel discovered Darnell’s paternity, Sarah worked late. When she walked into the house, she knew immediately something was terribly wrong. Brian didn’t greet her with a kiss, like he usually did. When she hung up her coat and slipped off her shoes, she found her husband sitting in the den, looking dejected. She walked over to the sofa and sat down next to him. “What’s up? Why are you looking like you lost your best friend?”

  “We have trouble,” Brian said mournfully as he took her hand.

  “What do you mean? Did something happen to one of the kids?” Sarah looked frightened.

  “Not quite. You know how we said Maggie hadn’t been herself since we returned from Edwardsville. Well, I talked to Joshua this evening, and he told me that Maggie had talked to him about what was bothering her.”

  “Well, what did he say?” Sarah asked impatiently.

  “There’s no easy way to tell you this, so I’ll just say it. When we were in Edwardsville, Maggie had gone to the bathroom. Our bedroom door was slightly open, and she heard us talking about Naomi being our daughter,” Brian said.

  Sarah snatched her hand from his and covered her face. “Lord, God Almighty. What are we going to do?” she moaned, slumping on the sofa.

  “We’re going to have to talk to her and Joshua, and explain what happened,” Brian answered in a shaky voice.

  “How do we do that without coming off sounding like hypocrites? I really wanted to wait until they were older. This isn’t a good time, with them being impressionable teenagers.” Sarah felt heartbroken.

  “We’ve raised them right, Sarah, and we have to believe that they will learn from our mistake and not repeat it. Perhaps that’s the lesson to be learned with Maggie learning the truth.”

  Sarah sat motionless. “This is my worst nightmare come true. Well, maybe my second, after Naomi learning the truth. How did Josh react?”

  “He was surprised, of course, but you know his head stays on the basketball court. Maggie, however, is a different story,” he said. “She can’t get past us lying to them all these years. You know how she looks up to Naomi as a big sister, anyway.”

  “I guess we should go talk to her,” Sarah suggested. Her heart beat violently inside her chest.

  “Let’s pray first,” Brian suggested. He took Sarah’s hand, and the couple bowed their heads.

  Brian sighed heavily and began speaking. “Father, God, we come before you today humbly, seeking your guidance. We have a situation here at our house. Father, help us to find the right words to say to our daughter as we explain the sins we committed as young adults. Father, please put openness and forgiveness in Maggie’s heart. We don’t want her to suffer from what happened years ago. Father, we’re leaning on you and trusting in you. Please guide us. Amen.”

  “In Jesus’ name,” Sarah intoned.

  They stood and walked up the stairs to Maggie’s bedroom. Sarah knocked on the closed door.

  “Maggie,” she called out, “may we come in?”

  “Okay,” Maggie answered languidly.

  Brian opened the door, and he and Sarah walked inside. Maggie was sitting in the middle of her canopy bed, legs crossed, with her schoolbooks spread unopened around her.

  Sarah smiled at her daughter, but Maggie didn’t smile back. She merely stacked her books on top of each other.

  Brian sat on one side of the bed and Sarah on the other. Brian looked at Sarah, seeing if she would initiate the conversation. He could tell from her expression she wasn’t up to it.

  “Maggie, I talked to Joshua, and he told me that you overheard Mommy and me talking, back in Edwardsville, and that you’re upset. Is that what’s been bothering you?”

  Maggie’s face crumpled. She covered her face and bawled. Brian pulled her into his arms; he held her until she calmed down.

  “Why didn’t you and Mommy tell me and Joshua that Naomi is our sister, and not our aunt?” Maggie cried hysterically.

  “We were going to tell you, just not yet,” Brian said, trying to explain.

  “Does everyone know except for me and Josh?” With accusing eyes, Maggie looked from Brian to Sarah.

  “Well, yes, other f-family members are aware of it,” Sarah stammered.

  “How come they know, and Josh and I didn’t? That’s not fair.” Maggie’s lips quivered as her eyes were awash with tears.

  “We planned to tell you and Josh later,” Sarah tried to explain in a trembling voice. “We thought you were too young to understand what happened.”

  “Mommy, how could you get pregnant?” Maggie held up a shaking hand. “You were only two years older than I am now. You and Nana have preached to me, over and over, how having sexual relations outside marriage is a sin. Mommy, you’re a minister’s daughter and granddaughter. I don’t understand.”

  “That’s one of the reasons I wanted to wait until you two were older.” As she watched Maggie’s anguished face, Sarah felt like her heart was being shredded. The family could hear the back door open and then close.

  Brian yelled, “Joshua, is that you?”

  “Yep, it’s me,” he answered loudly, dribbling the basketball.

  “Would you come upstairs? Your mother and I are talking to Maggie, and we’d like you to join us,” Brian said.

  “Sure,” Joshua replied before taking a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and walking upstairs to the attic. “Wow, everybody looks so serious.” He sat on Maggie’s desk chair. “What’s up?”

  “We’re trying to explain to your sister about Naomi being your sister,” Sarah answered.

  “That’s deep. Maggie and Aunt Naomi always looked alike. I guess the truth was staring us in the face, but we didn’t see it.” Joshua turned up the bottle and swallowed.

  “But Mommy and Daddy lied to us!” Maggie shouted indignantly. “They told us the importance of waiting for marriage to have sex, and she got pregnant when she was a teenager. That doesn’t seem right to me.” She collapsed against Brian’s chest and sobbed.

  “I apologize for not telling you sooner,” Sarah told her children imploringly. “And I’m sorry about the way you found out about Naomi being your sister. Your father and I fully intended to tell you the truth when you were older. You’re right, Maggie, I shouldn’t have had sexual relations at an early age. And yes, I was a minister’s granddaughter, but that didn’t make me exempt from sin. I made a mistake, and I pay for it whenever I see Naomi.” Sarah dissolved into tears.

  Joshua stood up and walked to his mother. He patted her shoulder awkwardly. Sarah sniffled.

  “Nana and your grandfather were having marital difficulties, and I thought they were going to get a divorce. In those days, grown folks’ business was just that, grown folks’ business. Problems weren’t discussed with children. I turned to your father for attention and affection. Your father and I grew up in the church together. He was my boyfriend, and I loved him. We had relations and got caught. Despite everything we went through, I’ve never regretted giving birth to Naomi, or the two of you. I love all my children dearly,” Sarah said.

  “Why did Nana and Gramps raise Naomi, and say that she was their daughter? I don’t understand that part,” Maggie asked. Her face was moist from tearstains.

  “It’s a long story. The family decided I was too young to raise a child. So that the church wouldn’t know that I had sinned, Momma pretended to be pregnant. I stayed with Aunt Helen in St. Louis until I had Naomi. When she was born, Momma and Daddy adopted her. Nana and Gramps adopting Naomi wa
s good in a way, and bad in another. I was able to continue my life and be around Naomi as her sister when she was growing up. The times were good and bad. We really wanted to wait to tell you, because we didn’t want you or Josh to think teenage sex is okay or allowable,” Sarah said.

  “But if you two had relations, how could you tell me and Josh not to? That’s so hypocritical,” Maggie complained, sounding like Queen.

  Joshua sat quietly and listened to his sister and parents speak.

  “It might be hypocritical, but all parents want their children to do things correctly, even if we fall short ourselves. We’ve prayed and asked God to forgive us, and He has,” Brian said.

  “Does Naomi know the truth?” Joshua asked.

  “She does, and she took it as bad as Maggie did.” Brian ruffled his daughter’s hair. “She has accepted the truth, and she’s content with being Nana and Gramp’s daughter, as she should be. They were the ones who raised her, who stayed up with her when she was sick, and paid her expenses. That was the choice we made when Nana and Gramps adopted Naomi.”

  “Did you want to keep Naomi and raise her as your own daughter?” Maggie asked. She didn’t look as pale and listless as she had when her parents had come into her room.

  “I did, so badly, but I didn’t have the means to support her,” Sarah said passionately.

  “Your mother and I talked about taking Naomi and running away from home,” Brian added. “We wanted to raise her ourselves, but we knew that we couldn’t really support her. It was a tough time, and tough decisions were made. Believe me, it really affected our marriage. God willing, though, we weathered the storm. Maggs, I don’t want you beating up on your mother. We were just kids who found ourselves in a bad predicament. Your grandparents made the decisions for us, and we went along with it,” Brian explained, hoping that in time his children would understand.

  “I feel so mortified,” Maggie moaned as she raised her arms in the air, and then she covered her face. “Oh, Lord. My mother was fast. I just can’t get over that.” She shook her head.