by Simmons, Pat
“All right, son.” Hershel was tickled by his boy’s antics as he tore open the envelope. Brandon stopped what he was doing and came to Hershel’s side, wanting to see, too. “To a special little boy. Love, Miss Solae.”
“That’s me.” Harrison’s eyes widened as he clapped. “Open yours, daddy. I can help.”
“I will, son, a little later,” even though he was just as eager as them to read Solae’s message for him. Hershel wanted privacy. As a diversion, he slid on the floor and made a big production of supervising the construction of their Legos. He wasn’t surprised that each toy was age appropriate, something that Solae was a big stickler about. Solae’s gifts gave Hershel a good excuse to text her. He had backed off since his pathetic attempt at convincing her to stay with his hundred plus texts didn’t work.
The boys received their boxes. Thank you for loving them & me. BTW. My offer doesn’t have an expiration date. The ring does have your name on it.
I don’t know what to say.
Are you coming home for Christmas?
Yes.
That gives you two months to come up with an answer. Remember the Kavanaugh men love you!
I love them, too.
Smiling, Hershel let her words linger in his mind. When Mrs. Biddle arrived to cook, clean, and supervise the boys while he slept, Hershel slipped into his bedroom to read Solae’s card before he could even think about getting some rest.
Before he opened it, his heart shifted with excitement. What would she say and would it make his day as she had Harrison’s and Brandon’s? Taking a deep breath, he soon found out.
Hershel,
Thank you for sharing your sons with me. They are truly a blessing and you should be proud. I never doubted your love…
He smiled, definitely wanting to hear that!
…until the few months leading up to Royce and Candace’s wedding.
Hershel wanted to kick himself. He had been buying time with the diamond pendant, earrings, and charm bracelet.
But somehow after we spoke, I felt your love stronger than I ever had.
“Because I never stopped loving you,” he whispered as if Solae was there instead of the card. “If only I had known what my stubborn pride would have cost me—you leaving…
Honestly, I don’t know how to start over after rejection.
Hershel understood that part all too well and that had been the source of why she was in Chicago while he and the boys were in St. Louis, missing her like crazy.
It’s not that you’ve never made me mad, because you have, but you don’t know how much more I respect you for respecting my decision to move and not use any methods, including a fake marriage proposal, to convince me to stay. Thank you for that.
Love you always,
Solae
Hershel smiled at the lip prints under her signature. She was definitely wrong about one thing—his proposal was genuine.
Of all Solae’s sweet words, the only ones Hershel wanted to read and hear was yes, she would marry him. The hoping and not knowing was driving him crazy. Yawning, Hershel stretched his muscles and eyed the clock. He needed to get some sleep for his upcoming twenty-four-hour shift.
But leaving nothing to chance, especially with his housekeeper who was a clean fanatic, he walked out his bedroom in search of the box the gifts were shipped in—gone. He padded across the hardwood floor to the kitchen. Mrs. Biddle had already piled trashed inside of it and placed it at the back door to be taken out.
Under her watchful eyes, Hershel ripped off the return label with Solae’s address. He winked at his housekeeper’s knowing smile, then made his way back to bed, thinking distance meant nothing to him. “He that findeth a wife findeth a good thing.” He had no problem going to Chicago to find his wife.
Chapter 17
A dusting of snow littered the streets and cars as the sun began to set in downtown Chicago. Welcome, November. Solae wasn’t ready for the snow or the frigid temperatures the windy City was known for. She entered her apartment building lobby through revolving doors as her smartphone rang. She smiled, noting the caller. “Hey, Desiree, how’s it going?”
“I’m having a good day,” she said cheerfully. “I’ve been going to counseling and meeting with the pastor.”
Thank You, Jesus! Solae was concerned about Desiree when she left. And she hadn’t stopped praying for God’s will in her friend’s life because honestly, Solae doubted Desiree knew what she wanted.
“Cool. Is Michael attending—” Solae was distracted by an unexpected box in her mail slot. Pinching the phone between her ear and shoulder, she grabbed it, and noted the sender’s address: the Kavanaughs. She smirked, wondering if it was from the boys or Hershel.
“He attended one,” Desiree said with a heavy sigh. “It wasn’t productive, so the counselor suggested we have separate appointments. I’m just not attracted to him anymore. I don’t know if I ever will be again.”
The frustration and agitation in Desiree’s voice was evident as Solae’s heart ached for her friend. Stepping into the elevator, Solae was surprised she didn’t lose service all the way to the twenty-second floor. She definitely missed her spacious one-story ranch house. She was not cut out for high-rise condo living, even if the night skyline was beautiful.
“So it sounds like you want a divorce.” Once she was in her apartment, she locked the door and kicked off her shoes. After resting her mail on her counter bar table, she shook off her coat while listening. The box could wait.
“I wanted to be married, but Michael ruined that for me. Pastor Reed is praying and guiding me through which decision to make. He says I need to be able to live with it without any regrets. Somehow, I think if it were me who cheated instead of Michael, he would divorce me in a day.”
Solae never knew if she was supposed to defend or male bash Desiree’s husband, so often times she held her peace, which always cued her friend to change the subject.
“Maybe I should go back to school. How’s your classes? Thanks for inviting me up for Christmas shopping on the Magnificent Mile. I can hardly wait for the get-away next month.”
“Michigan Avenue is crazy. I can’t imagine Christmas time. There’s not enough room on the sidewalks now, but I love the city of the rich and famous, and poor and homeless. The contrast keeps me spiritually balanced.” Solae peered at the room thermostat and adjusted the temperature a few degrees.
“Have you heard from Hershel?”
If Desiree didn’t bring up his name, then Solae didn’t, because she still loved him, but she needed to fulfill her own happiness that didn’t include waiting for a marriage proposal.
“As a matter of fact, yes.” She couldn’t keep from smiling although she did her best to tame it, because she didn’t want to come across as taunting her friend. “I just got a box in the mail.”
“Ooh. Open it up!” Desiree demanded, laughing.
“Okay.” Solae put her smartphone on speaker before resting it on the table. With gusto, she yanked off the priority mail tape, then ripped open the lid. Turning up her nose, she frowned at the content. Why would he send her that and a bunch of them? “He sent me… a box of DVDs.”
“Huh? Men.” She humphed. “They’re clueless when it comes to what a woman really wants.”
Solae shuffled through the stack and grinned. “Actually, there are Hallmark and Black romance movies. That was sweet.”
“And different. My apologies to Captain Kavanaugh. I have to give him credit. He loves you and he’s going to make sure you know it. Well, I’m heading to Bible Class and it looks like you’ll be pulling some overnighters to catch up on your movies.” Her laugh was genuine as they ended the call.
Solae read the note that was attached. The boys had outlined their small hands and attempted to color inside the lines—impressive for a four- and six-year-old. Hershel had written in bold letters ‘‘I LOVE YOU’’ and the boys wrote ‘‘me too.’’ Hugging the note to her chest, Solae closed her eyes and let a sense of happiness
engulf her. If this was how couples patched up their differences after a breakup, then second chances were worth exploring, even for Desiree.
Chapter 18
Cuddled up with a comforter and stretched out on her sofa, Solae pointed her remote to her flat screen. Pausing The Lost Valentine, starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, she answered a call from an unfamiliar St. Louis number.
“May I speak with Miss Wyatt-Palmer?”
“Speaking,” she said, annoyed that a telephone solicitor was interrupting her Hallmark movie.
“This is Mrs. Roberts from the Missouri Adoption Agency…”
“Who?”
“I’m the new caseworker and it appears that your application was lost in the shuffle. I’m sorry for the delay in our agency getting back to you with any news, but for some reason it’s as if the windows of heaven opened and God sprinkled out little ones, so now we’re swamped with children for adoption.”
Solae’s mouth was still hanging open. After more than a year of waiting and then forgetting, or rather giving up, she gets a call?
“I noticed that on your application, you wanted an infant, but I have a beautiful African-American baby girl who is two months old and needs a loving mommy.”
Me. Pick me. Solae lifted a hand in the air as if she was trying to get her teacher’s attention.
“If you’re still interested and available, I’d like to offer you a baby. I’ll just need to make sure all your information is accurate.” Mrs. Roberts verified that she was still single, her income, employer, and address were current. She answered “yes” to all of the above, considering the buyers backed out of the contract to purchase her house.
Only God knew it was going to be a blessing, and she would need her address for this very moment. There was no way Solae was going to divulge she was away at school.
Solae was on her feet and walking in circles in her living room. “How long before I can get her?”
“Tomorrow evening, if that’s not too soon. She’s with a foster family, so she’s safe.”
Making an unlady-like grunt, Solae shook her head. I don’t think so. I’m going to get my baby. “I’ll be there tomorrow before five.”
“Excellent.” Mrs. Roberts stated the necessary documents Solae needed to bring with her. “And a car seat for transporting your little angel.”
As Solae’s thumb hit END call, her mouth released a “Hallelujah” that every resident in her building might have heard. Then she fell to her knees, crying, praying, and thanking the Lord for the unexpected blessing. As she began to worship Him, Jesus filled her mouth with tongues to praise Him.
Once Solae was able to compose herself, the reality hit that she had to pack and shop and didn’t have much time for either. “A baby—a girl,” she said in awe as she continued to lift praises up to God. Finally, a blessing she seemed to have been praying for, for a lifetime.
As she raced into her bedroom, Solae didn’t know who to call first—her mother, Candace or…Hershel—no, their communication was cordial. They still had to come to an understanding about some things if they were ever going to get back together. Her mother, of course!
“Momma, I’m going to have a baby,” she practically screamed into the phone when her mother answered.
Minerva laughed. “Solae, slow down. What do you mean, ‘you’re going to have a baby?’”
“The agency called! You’re going to be a grandmother!”
Her mother’s ‘‘Thank You, Jesus’’ was louder than her “Hallelujah” until Solae giggled. Then she gave her the details. “Mom, don’t say anything to Candace, please. I want it to be a surprise.”
“I’m going shopping first thing in the morning.”
“As soon as I pack my suitcase, I’m going shopping on Michigan Avenue. I’ll email my professors tonight and plan to leave early in the morning. Momma, I’m so excited. I love Jesus for making my life complete.”
“Amen.”
The next morning, Solae couldn’t believe how much stuff she had purchased at the last minute. She had her own baby shower with her credit card. After maneuvering every box and bag around her three suitcases, Solae got behind the wheel and prayed, “Jesus, I can’t thank You enough for Your blessings. You owe me nothing, but yet You continue to bless me. Lord, help me to be the best mother I can be and protect me down I-55 in Your magnificent name, Jesus. Amen.”
As she drove, Solae wondered at baby names. As a child, she loved to name her dolls, but this was a person who would grow into a beautiful woman and her personality would have to grow into her name, which had to include Wyatt-Palmer. She laughed.
Somehow, she arrived in St. Louis on autopilot. It was strange not going to the home she had lived in for the past seven years, but her furniture and things were stored in her parents’ basement, so Solae detoured there.
“I made it, Mom. See you and Daddy in fifteen, twenty minutes,” Solae let them know through her Bluetooth.
Despite the November chill, Minerva and Washington Palmer rushed out their front door as Solae pulled into their driveway.
“Hi, Daddy.” He hugged her, then he turned Solae over to her mother who was sniffing.
“I love her already, Mom. Sight unseen.” Tears filled Solae’s eyes as her mother took her bag while her dad peered through her car windows.
“How could you see driving with all this stuff in here?” He opened her back door and stared. “You always could pack tight,” he joked, grabbing as many bags and boxes as his arms could carry.
“I can help with that, Daddy.”
“This is nothing. I’ve got to keep up my strength to play with my granddaughter.” He grinned with pride.
Granddaughter. Solae liked the sound of that as her mother ushered her inside. When she stepped foot in their house, she gasped, then turned around and eyed her mother.
“Mom!” At first glance, the living room appeared trashed, but when Solae focused on the bags, boxes, and furniture from Babies “R” Us, she squeezed her mother’s neck as her father playfully bumped them to add her purchases to the massive chaos.
“I do have a house, you know,” Solae joked. She hadn’t given much thought of anything, except being a mother. She would return to school in Chicago to finish the semester with her baby or transfer her credits and move back in her house. Those were decisions that could wait. “I don’t have much time before I meet with Mrs. Roberts.”
“We’re going with you.”
“No, Dad. I want to experience that first moment as a mother by myself.” She paused and struggled with how to phrase what she was feeling. “Kinda selfish, huh?” Gritting her teeth, Solae hoped they understood.
“Mothers are territorial like that.” Minerva winked.
Solae couldn’t wait to see her bundle of joy or to show off her baby to Candace. God help her, but somewhere deep inside Solae, she wanted to taunt Hershel, proving she didn’t need a man to make her a mother, but that would be petty and Solae wasn’t that type.
She did briefly wonder how her addition would change the relationship Hershel was intent on rebuilding.
“We’ll be here, waiting,” her father assured her.
After exchanging another group hug, Solae showered and changed while her father installed the infant car seat. No doubt with her mother supervising him. She couldn’t be happier as she grabbed her purse and was headed for the front door.
“Wait. Let’s pray before you go,” her mother suggested.
Nodding, she linked hands with her parents and bowed her head.
“Father, in the name of Jesus, we come boldly to Your throne of grace with thanksgiving,” her father began.
“We know that every perfect gift comes from You. We know You bless the good and the bad, so we thank You for remembering our daughter with this child. Satan, you tried to break my daughter’s spirit with the surgery and then rejection from idiotic men, but God is faithful and everything is working toward His plan in Jesus’ name.”
They sung a chorus of
“Amens” while wiping their eyes. “Daddy, that was beautiful. I hope I didn’t mess up my makeup. Okay, I better go. I don’t want to be late picking up my daughter.”
“We can’t wait to meet her! Have you thought about a name? You know you have to include—”
“Wyatt-Palmer. I know. I haven’t decided if I want something simple or exotic like Beyoncé where she will grow into her name.” It was just one more of those tasks that women have nine months to decide compared to Solae’s less than twenty-four hours.
“Here, you may need this.” Her mother handed over a diaper bag stocked with pampers, baby wipes, change of clothing, and a few blankets.
“So much to remember.” Solae grinned, then laughed. “Bye.”
Chapter 19
Solae walked through the doors of the Missouri Adoption Agency with “a pep” in her step that she never possessed before. She never felt as empowered as she did at the moment, knowing that with a signature, she would legally and officially become a mother.
“Mrs. Wyatt-Palmer.” Mrs. Roberts stood from behind her desk when Solae was escorted to her office. The woman’s large stature was a dichotomy of her small, quiet voice. If Solae wasn’t five-ten in heels, she might have been intimidated, but not today.
“Miss,” Solae corrected.
“Of course. Miss. I’m sorry. Please have a seat. I know you’re anxious to see your angel. The baby’s name is Miriam, but of course you’re entitled to legally change it to your liking.” Mrs. Roberts took her seat and opened a blue folder where Solae’s life story was an open book: credit report, criminal background, personal references, business references, neighbors—everything that gave an inkling of who Solae Wyatt-Palmer was.
“Here are the documents.” Solae slid copies of pay stubs and other material Mrs. Roberts had requested in front of her. Next, Solae couldn’t ever remember signing so much paperwork. Although she was anxious to see her little girl, the caseworker reviewed every piece of paper in detail, only adding to Solae’s impatience. Thirty minutes later with the last stroke of her signature on the last form, Solae sat back. “Whew.”