The Summer of Me: A Novel

by Angela Benson

“I’m not struggling that badly. We make do.”

  “Yeah, but we all want more for you than making do. And that we includes me, Natalie, and your mom.”

  Destiny chuckled.

  “What’s so funny?” Bertice asked.

  Destiny wiped her hands down her face. “I was just thinking that we got into all of this because I was telling you my mom was trying to convince me to go back to school. I thought she’d been harsh last night, but she was comforting compared to you.”

  Bertice turned sad eyes to her. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  Destiny met her friend’s eyes and knew that wasn’t her intent even if it had been the result. “I know you didn’t,” Destiny said. “Maybe I needed to hear what you had to say. Maybe I do need to take a closer look at myself and my future.”

  “That’s all I’m saying. Go to school the way your mom suggests or take me up on my business opportunity or do both or neither. It’s up to you. You just have to get started in some direction. You can’t depend on child support forever.”

  Chapter 4

  DESTINY HUNG UP THE PHONE AFTER PLACING THE order for pizza delivery. When she turned to Natalie, her friend said, “You’re a gem for doing my hair tonight, Destiny. I know it would have been easier to do it the night you did Bertice’s.”

  “No problem, girl,” she said as she took her seat on the stool in her makeshift salon. “You knew I’d do it for you.”

  “I know, but this is a busy day for you with the kids leaving tomorrow. How are you holding up?”

  “I’m getting anxious. I keep reminding myself of what a great experience this is going to be for them. Not only are they going to see the California sights, Kenneth and Mary Margaret are planning to take them to the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam, to Pearl Harbor, and they’re even going to make a trip down to Tijuana. They plan to take in the entire region while they’re on the West Coast. They may even get to Washington state and Canada. Their passports arrived yesterday so they’re ready for it all. The kids may not fully appreciate it now, but I know they’ll look back on this summer as a very special one. My only regret is that I won’t be able to share it with them.”

  Natalie squeezed her hand. “But you’ll have a great surprise for them when they get back—a new house.”

  “I haven’t found that second job yet,” Destiny said, “but I’m not giving up. Bertice has offered to hook me up with the temporary service that she used to find her part-time gig. I’m going to take her up on it.” Needing her friend to see her as someone who wants to stand on her own two feet, rather than depending on some man, she added, “The second job should help me with my immediate need to get in the house in Gwinnett, but I’m also considering school and finally finishing up my degree as a long-term solution to getting myself in a better financial position.”

  “That’s a wise idea,” Natalie said. “I think you’re making a good choice.”

  “You’re not the only one.”

  Natalie smiled. “Your mom?”

  “How’d you guess?” Destiny deadpanned. “She’s been lecturing me about it ever since I dropped out, and she thinks with the kids away, this is a great time.”

  Natalie started laughing.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You. You’ve turned into your mom; you realize that, don’t you?”

  “Not hardly.” Destiny was surprised by how much Natalie’s characterization hurt her. She did not want to ever become her mother. She would never become her mother.

  “You saw how beneficial this trip could be for your kids and you encouraged them to be excited about it. Left to their own devices, they would have stayed home where everything is familiar rather than taking on this life-changing experience. That’s a parent’s lot. To think about what’s best for the kids and then to point the kids in that direction, even as the kids kick and scream to go in another direction. Your mom’s doing it with you and you’re doing it with your kids. That means you’ve turned into your mom.”

  Destiny tugged on one of Natalie’s fresh braids. “Stop saying that. I get your meaning but your words leave a bit to be desired. They’re making me queasy.”

  Natalie laughed. “Well, you were right about your kids and your mom is right about you. This summer is the perfect time for you to take some time and focus on Destiny. And it can’t be all about work. You should be getting back out on the dating scene.”

  “Oh no, not again.”

  “Come on, Destiny. Daniel is a great guy. I know you two will hit it off.”

  “I don’t know if I’m ready to start dating.”

  “Then don’t think of it as a date,” Natalie offered. “Think of it as making a new friend. If there are no sparks between you, so be it. You can never have too many friends.”

  Destiny saw the logic in her friend’s words but she knew Natalie was counting on a romance blossoming between her and Daniel despite her words to the contrary. “You’re not going to give up on this, are you?”

  Natalie shook her head. “All I want you to do is meet him. Is that too much to ask?”

  “I guess not,” Destiny said, pushing away thoughts of the negative perceptions Bertice had planted in her mind. She would accept Natalie’s gesture as a loving act from one friend to another, not as an act of pity. “So tell me some more about this guy.”

  Natalie started shaking her head. “He’s a great guy. That’s all I’m going to say. You’ll have to find out about him by talking to him. That’s what dating is for.”

  “You have to tell me more than that. What does he know about me? Does he know I have kids?”

  Natalie nodded. “Yes, he knows you have kids and he knows you’re a great person. I relented and told him that much.”

  Destiny rolled her eyes. “Please tell me you didn’t tell the man I had a great personality.”

  “Of course I did,” Natalie said.

  “Then he probably thinks I look like a man.”

  Natalie laughed. “Don’t worry. Gavin cleared that up for him. He told him you were a younger version of Gabrielle Union.”

  Destiny slapped Natalie on the shoulder. “No he didn’t.”

  “Yes he did.”

  “You’re both crazy.”

  Ignoring her words, Natalie said, “So what if you come over for our cookout tomorrow after you drop the kids off at the airport? Daniel will be there, along with a lot of other people, so there won’t be much pressure for the two of you to entertain each other.”

  “Okay,” Destiny said.

  Natalie’s eyebrows drew together. “That was too easy and too quick,” she said. “You’re not humoring me, are you?”

  Destiny laughed. “You’re unbelievable. I said I’d be there, so I’ll be there.” Probably I’ll be there, she added to herself.

  Natalie glanced down at her watch. Then she jumped up from her chair. “Time has gotten away from me. Let me get out of here so you can do what you need to do for tomorrow.”

  Destiny inclined her head toward the stairs. “The twins should be finished packing their backpacks by now. I should go upstairs and check that they’ve gotten everything. I figured I’d wait until the pizza came. They can eat while I’m double-checking everything. Thank goodness I packed their suitcases and dropped them off at Kenneth’s when I picked them up the other day.”

  “Smart woman,” Natalie said, slipping her arms into her light jacket.

  The doorbell rang as they walked up from the basement. “Perfect timing,” Destiny said. She grabbed her wallet off the table at the top of the stairs and continued toward the door. When she opened the door, Natalie gave her a quick hug and scooted out past the pizza delivery guy.

  After pulling some bills from her wallet and handing them to the delivery guy, Destiny took the pizzas and called out to her kids, “Pizza’s here.” Then she headed to the kitchen. Soon after, she heard the footfalls of her kids as they trotted down the stairs.

  “Are you guys hungry?” she asked when they reached the kitc
hen.

  “I am,” KJ said, reaching for a slice of pizza. He wore a Dodgers cap and shirt with Matt Kemp’s number. Her son was already in California mode.

  “What’s to drink?” Kenae said, after she pulled her earphones out of her ears.

  “There’s soda in the fridge,” she said to her daughter, who seemed to have earphones in her ears 24/7 since watching the Kids’ Choice Awards and deciding she wanted to be the next Selena Gomez, Rihanna, or Katy Perry. Well, Kenae and her headphones would be Kenneth’s problem this summer. She grinned at the thought. “Why don’t you get some for us?”

  Kenae took three cans of orange soda from the fridge and handed a can to her mother and another to her brother.

  “Thanks,” Destiny said.

  KJ could only nod since he’d just stuffed half a slice of pizza in his mouth.

  Kenae took a slice of pizza. “This is good,” she said after the first bite.

  Destiny smiled. “I wanted you to have your favorite the night before you left. I can’t believe you guys will be gone the entire summer. I want you to have a great time.”

  KJ shrugged. “I’ll be talking to my friends on Facebook and we’re going to do video Skype and FaceTime. They think going to California is pretty neat. I promised to send pictures. I really want one with Matt Kemp and Magic Johnson. Dad said Mary Margaret might be doing some work with Magic, so she can hook it up for me.”

  “Me too,” Kenae said. “Mary Margaret said we could go to the studio where Rihanna makes her records. I might even get her autograph.”

  “I want to go to Disneyland,” KJ said. “And Mary Margaret said I could film the trip to the Grand Canyon so I can show it at school next year. I already talked to my teachers about it. That will be cool.”

  Destiny forced her smile to remain in place as she listened to her kids though she wanted to grind her teeth at every mention of Mary Margaret’s name. She knew her kids were going to grow closer to the woman during this trip; she just didn’t want them to get too close and forget who their mother was. And she didn’t want Mary Margaret to even think about trying to take her place in their lives. She’d make that clear to the woman when she saw her at the airport in the morning.

  Chapter 5

  DESTINY TOOK A QUICK GLANCE IN THE MIRRORED walls of the airport as she and the kids made their way through the double doors on the lower level. She’d taken special care with her appearance this morning, as she always did when she was going to cross paths with Mary Margaret. The woman may have the better job and she may have the man, but Destiny had the upper hand in the looks department. She had deliberately worn a form-fitting dress and heels, something she knew the chubby Mary Margaret could never pull off. Though she knew she was being petty, Destiny still felt good knowing she was getting the best of the woman in some small way.

  “You both have your phones, don’t you?” she asked her kids.

  “I got mine,” KJ said. Then he leaned his shoulder into his sister’s, causing her to glare at him.

  “What do you want?” Kenae asked, pulling her earphones out of her ears.

  “Don’t speak to your brother that way,” Destiny said. “I asked you a question. Do you have your phone?”

  “Duh, Mom,” Kenae said, holding up the earphones. “How do you think I’m listening to music?” With those words, Kenae put her earphones back in.

  “Kids,” Destiny muttered to herself as she followed her kids onto the escalator and up to the ticketing area. This summer break might be just the thing she needed. It might also be good for Kenneth and Mary Margaret to experience what it means to be a full-time parent over an extended period of time. This summer could put an end to their desire to have the kids live with them full-time during the school year.

  “There’s Dad,” KJ said, breaking into a trot and heading in his father’s direction.

  Destiny resented the flutter she felt in her belly when Kenneth turned in their direction and smiled. It was as though the years between them fell away and she remembered only the boy she’d loved more than she loved herself. She’d accepted long ago that Kenneth would always have a part of her heart. He was her first and only love, the father of her children, and the second man to break her heart.

  “Hey, champ,” she heard Kenneth say to KJ. “You ready for your big adventure?”

  KJ bobbed his head. “More than ready,” he said. “I can’t wait to meet Matt Kemp. We’re still going to the Dodgers game on Friday, aren’t we?”

  Destiny smiled at her son’s excitement. Though basketball was his favorite sport and the one he played and his father coached, he was a big baseball fan and Matt Kemp was one of his favorite players. She knew that seeing Kemp play in the famed Dodger Stadium would be one of the highlights of KJ’s summer.

  “I already have tickets,” Kenneth said. He turned to Kenae. “Got one for you, too, pretty lady,” he said to her.

  “I don’t like baseball.”

  Kenneth pressed a kiss against her forehead. “Well, that’s going to change after you attend your first game in a stadium. You’re going to love the game as much as your brother and I do.” He tugged on her earphones and pulled them out of her ears. “And you won’t need these when we’re there.”

  “I’m listening to Rihanna,” Kenae said, putting her earphones back in.

  “Nice to know you’re excited about the trip, Kenae,” Kenneth said, pulling her earphones out again.

  “Dad,” Kenae wailed. “Stop doing that.”

  “Doing what?” Kenneth teased.

  Destiny watched, taking joy in the easy way Kenneth interacted with his children. Whatever issues lay between them, she had to admit he was a good father to KJ and Kenae. Before Kenae could answer her dad’s question, Destiny interrupted, “Where’s Mary Margaret?”

  Kenneth inclined his head to the left. “She went to the bathroom.” He stepped closer to Destiny. “Go easy on her, Destiny,” he said softly. “She’s anxious about this trip.”

  “What’s she anxious about?” Destiny asked, though she knew. A part of her was happy the woman wasn’t too confident about the summer.

  “She wants to do right by the kids and make this a great trip for them. It’s important to her, to both of us.”

  “What do you think I’m going to do to the woman?” Destiny asked, feigning ignorance. Unfortunately, there was too much bad history between her and Mary Margaret for her to fake out Kenneth.

  He looked her up and down, from toe to head. Then he tilted his brow. “You know how to push her buttons; we both know that. I’m just asking that you not do it today.”

  “I don’t know—”

  “Here she comes now,” he said, interrupting her. “Be nice, Destiny.”

  Destiny watched as Kenneth extended one of his hands and pulled Mary Margaret close to him. “I thought you had gotten lost in there,” he said to his wife.

  Mary Margaret slapped him playfully on the shoulder. “Silly man.” Then she turned to Destiny. “It’s good to see you, Destiny.”

  Destiny didn’t believe her. “Good to see you, too,” she said with a forced smile. She and Mary Margaret tolerated each other to the point that they could be cordial, but Destiny doubted it would get any further than that. It was hard to build a relationship after sharing a man. It was even more difficult when one woman had the babies and the other one had the man. Mary Margaret got the man Destiny wanted but Destiny had his kids and a hold on him that would last their lifetimes. So the women had to deal civilly with each other, if they wanted any peace. She was glad they both did.

  Turning her attention to the kids, Mary Margaret asked, “KJ, Kenae, are you ready to see Los Angeles?”

  “I am,” KJ said. “We’re going to the Dodgers game on Friday. When are we going to the Grand Canyon?” He turned to his dad. “Are you still going to get me a video camera so I can film the trip for school?”

  Kenneth tugged on his son’s baseball cap. “Sure, sport. We can pick one out after we get settled.” />
  “What about you, Kenae?” Mary Margaret asked.

  Kenneth tugged on his daughter’s earphones. “Mary Margaret’s talking to you.”

  “Hi, Mary Margaret,” Kenae said, finally looking up at the older woman.

  “Are you ready to see Los Angeles?”

  Kenae nodded. Then she turned to her mother. “Why don’t you come with us?”

  Destiny’s heart warmed. She leaned down and pressed her forehead to her daughter’s. “We’ve talked about this, sweetheart. This trip is for you, KJ, your dad, and Mary Margaret. You’re going to have a big adventure. I’ve seen the itinerary Mary Margaret put together. It’s going to be a great trip.”

  “What are you going to do all by yourself?” Kenae asked.

  Destiny smiled. “I’ll work on a big surprise for you and KJ when you get back.”

  Kenae’s eyes widened. “A surprise?”

  “What kind of surprise?” KJ asked.

  Destiny stood straight and rubbed her hands across KJ’s head. She chuckled. “It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you what it was, would it?” She tapped Kenae on her nose. “You two better send me pictures every day so I can see what you’re up to. You can use that phone for something other than music. Okay?”

  “Okay, Mom,” Kenae said.

  “I’ll send a video,” KJ added.

  “That’ll be great, KJ.”

  Mary Margaret looked up at Kenneth. “We’d better head for the gate. We still have to go through security and that line is pretty long.”

  “Okay, babe,” he said. “You guys got all your stuff?” he asked the kids. “Do you need help with anything?”

  The kids shook their heads.

  “Okay, then,” Destiny said. “Come and give your mom a hug big enough to last the entire summer.”

  “Mom,” KJ whined, but he did as she asked.

  “You be good,” she whispered in his ear. “I love you and I’m going to miss you. I’ll be looking for your video updates. They’ll be the highlights of my summer.”

  “Okay, Mom,” he said.

  “Bye, Mom,” Kenae said, giving her mother a big hug. “I’m going to miss you.”