by Tyora Moody
Angel looked up and saw that Candace was observing her. She tried to smile, but she knew Candace had seen her go off to another place. Right there in the middle of Bible study. Lord, help me.
Candace said to the group, “As I sat during the trial of the person who murdered my loved ones, I needed to find a way to get past my feelings of betrayal and pain. If I hadn’t, the door that needed to be open for me to share my story and for us to come together each Wednesday to share our stories of overcoming might have stayed shut. That hurt really does not stay with you forever as long as you are willing to forgive and let it go. Once you do forgive that person or persons, you can truly move forward into a place where you can tell others about the goodness of the Lord. He knows about pain and betrayal. And He rose in victory over all of it.”
Angel sat and listened thoughtfully to Candace. She understood where Candace was coming from, but wasn’t fully sure if it was something she could do.
“Let’s pray.” Candace’s voice rolled out smooth and sweet. “Father God, we thank you for watching over us and our families, keeping us all from harm and danger. We want you to take care of those who have family members who have fallen ill. By your stripes they are healed. Please free our minds of troubles, worry, and most of all, allow us to be able to forgive others as you have forgiven us. In Jesus’s name.”
After they prayed, the women in the group started talking and hugging each other. Angel made her way over to Candace in between the hugs and good-byes to ask, “You mind if I walk out with you?”
“Of course not. How are you holding up? Fredricka doing okay?”
“Yes. She should be moving to the rehabilitation place tomorrow. She is still having trouble speaking, and her right side isn’t cooperating, but they say she is improving.”
Candace swung her bag over her shoulder. “It’s going to be a process. Your grandmother was relatively healthy for her age, though. She could recover fully.”
“I hope so. The doctor said that it’s different for everyone with a stroke. They don’t really understand how the brain works and rebuilds.”
The two women walked out into the hallway. Angel grew quiet.
Candace asked, “You have something else on your mind, don’t you? I noticed you were a little preoccupied.”
“Yes, but my mind was on this lesson.” Angel smiled, but then she stopped walking and looked at Candace. “Yesterday I met the little boy that Kenneth and Denise had together.”
“Oh! How did you feel?”
“He was so cute. A ball of energy. And he looks so much like Kenneth. I remembered how I couldn’t get over the fact that the two people that were closest to me not only betrayed me, but also brought this child into the world as a reminder. How can I forget that, Candace?”
Candace hooked her arm through Angel’s arm so they could keep walking. “Forgiveness is not about forgetting. It’s about helping you to move forward. Have you ever thought this through? You told me often how you always felt like you couldn’t be yourself around Kenneth. What if God saved you from a relationship destined for heartache? You are young and doing your thing and running your own business at your age. At twenty-five, I had two babies, a cop for a husband, and was struggling to find something that I could do outside of the home.”
Angel grinned. “I guess. Who knows who God has for me?”
“Well, I’m glad that you recognize my wisdom, missy.”
They laughed as they walked out the door into the parking lot.
“You know, we can so easily get wrapped up in our past and our pain that we miss out on what God has for our future,” Candace added. “Believe me, I never imagined meeting anyone else after losing my Frank.”
“And look at you now, with Detective Darnell Jackson by your side. He’s pretty hot for an old guy.”
Candace stepped back and looked at her. “Old? Girl, who are you calling old? He is seasoned. We are both seasoned. Now I just need to get my last child out of the house.”
Angel said, “Oh, watch out, Daniel.” Candace’s oldest daughter, Rachel, was a freshman at UNC Chapel Hill. Daniel was a junior in high school.
After she hugged Candace, Angel climbed in her car. She felt hopeful. Maybe she would get to a place where she could shake the past. One step at a time.
Chapter Sixteen
This was the hard part of the interview. Wes watched Lisa Sloan choke out her words. “I should have gone with her. I can’t believe I let her leave alone.”
He looked over at Rick, who gave him a sympathetic nod from behind the camera. Wes wanted to give Melanie’s best friend time to compose herself. “I’m so sorry. I know this must be really hard.”
“She didn’t even want to go.” Lisa sniffled and wiped her eyes with the crushed tissue in her hand. “I wanted to get out of the house so bad. The kids had been driving me crazy.” Lisa took a deep breath and looked straight at Wes. “It’s been over a week.”
“I know. She could be out there somewhere.”
“Where?” Lisa’s face crumpled again. “When I saw her car was still in the parking lot, I just freaked out. If she had come back into the club, she would have come over to me. I can’t believe someone would harm her. But after American Voices she had become pretty popular. We joked that she was more popular now than we had ever been in school.”
Wes asked, “Was there anyone you can recall who harassed her?”
“Melanie has always been pretty. She would get crazy e-mails and posts on her Facebook profile from guys.”
Wes made a note to check Melanie’s profile page. “Was she still with Jay Strong? I imagine he probably wouldn’t have been happy with that type of attention.”
Lisa rolled her eyes. “Yeah. I never understood what she saw in him. He’s a complete loser. No, Melanie was through with Jay long before she auditioned for the show. He started to remind her too much of her dad.”
“Abuse?”
Lisa shook her head. “Her dad drank a lot and ended up in jail. Jay drank too much, and his friends were not exactly role models. He could also be real mean. If Jay ever hit her, Melanie would have told me.”
“Okay. By the way, where is Melanie’s dad? I’ve only seen her stepmom.”
“I don’t know. He’s been out of prison. He was always trying to be young.”
“What does that mean?” Wes asked.
“You know, he was one of those cool dads when we were all younger. He threw parties, and all the kids loved to go to Melanie’s house. Then her mom died, and he remarried. He still tried to be cool, but no one wants to hang around their parents.”
“Didn’t he try to come back into Melanie’s life while she was on American Voices?”
“Oh yeah! It was the second-to-last show Melanie was on. She did so well the week before. I begged my boss to let me take the time off from work. My mom was so mad, but as soon as she said she would watch the kids, I was on a plane to Los Angeles.” Lisa sighed. “Melanie and I had a blast. Anyway, that night after the show Melanie seemed really upset for some reason. I couldn’t figure out why, because my girl sang that Christina Aguilera song.” Lisa bobbed her head and snapped her fingers in the air. “I was finally able to get her to tell me her dad had tried to contact her. She didn’t want to talk to him. Who could blame her?”
“So he did show up? Did you see him?”
“Oh no, no. I never saw him. I guess he called her or sent her something. I can’t recall, but I do remember her saying over and over again, ‘He’s going to ruin everything.’ I told her, ‘Girl, you just go out there and sing. Don’t worry about your dad.’ The following week I thought she did good, but something was off in her voice.” Lisa waved her hands to fan away the tears that had sprung in her eyes. “She just didn’t get the votes she needed. I felt so bad for her.”
“I know that was probably devastating. Have you seen Mr. Stowe since Melanie’s been missing?”
Lisa shook her head. “No. Why do you ask?”
“I mainly want
to get a better picture of Melanie’s life. I just realized I have never seen him.”
Two small children burst into the room, with an older woman behind them, carrying a baby. Lisa called out, “Hey, Mom, you were supposed to keep the kids outside for a while.”
The older woman looked at Wes and then at Rick. “I’m tired. You can take your children back.” She walked over and handed the baby to Lisa.
“Thanks a lot,” Lisa yelled. “Chris, Maurice, stop running around here like you lost your mind.” She turned back to Wes. “I’m sorry. I hope I was able to help you.”
Wes stood. “Yes, you did.” He waved to Rick to stop rolling the tape. Then he turned around. “Lisa, I do have one more question for you.”
The baby in Lisa’s arms started squalling. Lisa rocked back and forth. “What else?”
“Was Melanie happy after the show? Did any offers come in for her?”
Lisa stood and held the baby close. “She waited a lot to hear back from people. There was an offer that came in a few days before she disappeared, but she wasn’t really hopeful about it.”
“Why is that?”
The baby’s cries quieted as Lisa began pacing. “She wouldn’t admit it, but I knew Melanie. I think she was embarrassed by the attention during and after the show. A lot of people were asking her when she would have an album out. She kept saying soon, so this time I think she wanted it to be a sure deal.”
A crash was heard in the other room. Lisa looked at him with panic in her eyes. “I really have to go.” She headed toward the back. “Boys, what are you doing in there?”
“Thank you for your time.” Wes didn’t know if she heard him.
He helped Rick with his equipment, and they left the house. Behind him he could hear Lisa yelling. As Rick packed the station car, Wes pulled out his phone. He’d sent a few messages to Angel, but she hadn’t responded yet. Wes hoped he hadn’t alienated her. He really wanted to talk to her again.
Rick interrupted his thoughts. “You ready to go?”
“Yeah, let’s head back to the newsroom.”
After Rick started the car, he asked, “You got big plans for the weekend?”
Wes let out a sigh. “I don’t know if I call being in a wedding party big plans, but it’s a favor to a childhood friend.”
“Well, is he having a bachelor party?”
“Of course! It’s tonight.”
Rick grinned. “Then have fun tonight. It will make tomorrow bearable. Be glad you aren’t the one getting tied down.”
Wes looked forward to the day when he would be waiting for his bride to walk down the aisle. One day it would be his turn.
Chapter Seventeen
Angel had had fun filming Tommy and Sharise yesterday. The couple had been lovebirds since college, and during the shoot they both pointed out special places on campus and were affectionate. She was glad to be able to capture their memories with her camera and looked forward to the ceremony tomorrow.
Angel pushed her chair back and rubbed her eyes. Being in the house by herself, she’d decided to get started on editing the footage from yesterday. Her eyes were blurry from sitting at the computer too long. She walked down the hall from the office space, which her grandparents had allowed her to use. If it wasn’t for them helping her out, she would have never gotten her business off the ground. It was probably one of the reasons why her uncle Jacob seemed irritated with her career choice. Angel could have moved out, but she saw how Grams struggled to take care of Granddad, and she knew she had to stick around and lend a hand. Her uncle lived too far away to help out. Now Angel wasn’t sure how the living arrangements would work since Grams still did not have complete mobility back on her right side.
When she entered her bedroom, her eyes fell on the music box on her dresser. She forgot she’d taken it down a few nights ago. The music box had been placed at the top of her closet, along with other childhood favorites. It was the last birthday gift her father gave her. She walked over and lifted the lid. Then she wound up the ballerina to watch it turn around and around. Inside the box, she had kept old jewelry, movie tickets, and photos. Most of the trinkets were from when she was a small girl. She reached in for the one and only photo she had of her parents together.
Angel had always thought she looked funny with her fair skin and unruly black curls. Her parents must have really loved each other at one time. At least that was what she liked to think as she stared at the photo. Her mother, with her chocolate complexion, sat on her father’s lap. Her father was a very handsome man. He wore a polo shirt that showed off his large, tanned muscles. Her parents had held their heads together, cheek to cheek, for whoever was behind the camera.
She had always wondered if they had considered getting married. From what she understood, her mother broke off the relationship. Was it because of race? Did her father’s family accept her mother? Her grandparents had never talked about her father, but they must have accepted him at one time. Despite all that had happened, she had still had a decent childhood. She knew she was loved for being Elisa’s daughter.
There was a knock at her door, jarring her thoughts. She turned around to find Jacob standing at the door. They hadn’t spoken since their argument the other day. He still looked worn out and so much older. Maybe she should give him a break. He had lost his father and was probably really worried about his mom.
He said, “Hey, I wanted to let you know I have talked to a friend about getting a visiting nurse whenever Mom comes home.”
Angel sat down and placed the music box next to her on the bed. “Great. So when will they release Grams?”
“Well, she is going to be in rehab probably for the next few weeks, so I’m not sure. It depends on how she continues to improve. We will figure it out when I get back.”
Angel frowned. “You are leaving?”
“Yes, I still have to work.” He looked over at her video equipment on the floor. “Are you keeping busy?”
“I’m working a wedding tomorrow.” She expected him to say something smart, but his attention had turned to something else.
Jacob frowned. “You still have that old thing?”
“What?” She picked up the music box. “It’s the only thing I have from my dad.”
Jacob stared at the music box. “I didn’t realize you still had it. Your mother loved him.”
She wasn’t sure she wanted to go down this path, but since Jacob was in a sharing mood, she said, “I guess that’s good for me. Did you like him?”
Jacob shrugged. “I didn’t know him that well.”
Angel shifted on the bed. “What do you mean?”
“She loved to sing. It’s all she wanted to do.” He looked thoughtful. “She loved you. She was a good mom, if that’s what you are wondering.”
“What about my dad? He hasn’t been in my life since she . . . went missing. Did you think he had something to do with her going missing?”
“I don’t know.”
“You had to have your thoughts on what happened. This is the most I have ever heard you talk about her.”
Jacob fidgeted in the doorway like he had someplace to go. He finally answered. “It’s hard to talk about her.”
“I don’t have that many memories. I feel like I didn’t get to know her. I want to know what happened.”
“Angel—”
“He’s back, you know.”
Jacob stared at her. “Who?”
“My dad is back in Charlotte.”
“How do you know this? Have you been trying to get in touch with him?”
She ignored his questions. “I want to ask him for myself what happened that night my mother disappeared, and I want him to look me in the eye when he answers.” She wanted to know even if she didn’t like what she heard.
Jacob stepped into the room. “Look, I don’t know why your father came back here after all this time, but don’t dig up the past.”
“Don’t you really want to know what happened? She was your sister. Grand
dad was the only one who really tried to find her.”
“And it killed him in the process.”
“What? Granddad died from complications of diabetes, Jacob.”
“He died a long time before that, Angel. At least to me he did.”
Angel knew Jacob and Granddad had had an awkward relationship, but still she knew how proud Granddad was of him. “I think you are just talking crazy talk. Granddad loved you.”
“Your mom was the favorite. She was the center of everything. When my parents lost her, you became the favorite.”
Angel was stunned. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think Jacob was sounding like a jealous little boy. “Jacob, you had the perfect childhood. Perfect wife. Perfect career. What is your problem?”
“Nothing is ever perfect. It’s those things that seem so perfect that you most have to watch out for. Do yourself a favor. If your dad hasn’t reached out to you in all these years, why bother?” Jacob walked out, his words stinging Angel conscience with their bitterness.
If he hasn’t reached out to you in all these years, why bother?
In the midst of the thoughts pummeling her, the music box started to play by itself. She picked it up with the intent of throwing it across the room, but instead Angel pulled it toward her body and wrapped her arms around it. Why was it that when she felt some sense of hope, it was like someone toyed with her emotions and snatched it away?
Chapter Eighteen
Angel prayed for a long time before crawling into bed. She prayed for her uncle Jacob. It had occurred to her, after her tears had dried, how negative her uncle could be. She didn’t understand what his source of anger was, but realized everyone in her family had handled her mother going missing differently. Grams was hopeful for her return, while Granddad had been determined to find her, even if it was to bury her. She wasn’t sure what Jacob was really feeling, but his obvious resentment was something he would have to deal with.