Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies

by Trice Hickman

  Victoria could hear the hurt in his voice, and it made her feel the weight of his pain. “You’re right. But I know my husband very well, and this may sound strange, but something tells me that his detachment has just as much to do with the secret his mother was hiding as it does with her actual death.” Victoria hadn’t told Tyler about the safe-deposit box, because she felt there were some things that should remain private between a husband and wife.

  “Did she tell him what it was?”Tyler asked.

  “No, she died leaving him hanging.”

  “Damn, that’s some shit. How you gonna get into heaven fuckin’ with people’s minds?”

  “Tyler!” Victoria hissed, even though she felt the same way. “You can’t speak ill of the dead like that.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because it’s just not right.”

  “Says who?”

  Just then Alexandria’s ears perked up. “Mommy, is that Uncle Tyler? What’s he doing that’s not right? Can I talk to him?” she asked, ever the inquisitive child.

  Victoria took a deep breath. “Yes, sweetie, I’m talking to your uncle Tyler, and right now we’re discussing grown folks’ business, so you know what that means.” That was Alexandria’s signal to butt out and turn her attention back to sightseeing. She diligently obeyed and was now glued back to the window.

  “Tell my beautiful niece I said hello,” Tyler said and smiled on the other end.

  “I’ll do that.”

  “How’re you holding up?”

  Victoria rubbed her temple for what felt like the millionth time. “Could be better, but could be worse, so I guess I’m okay.”

  “Listen, there’s something I need to tell you,” Tyler said and paused.

  “Oh, Lord. By the sound of your tone, I can tell it’s not good.”

  “It’s all good. Just a little, um, awkward.”

  “Well, spit it out. What is it?”

  “You remember Samantha, right?”

  Victoria’s head began to throb even harder. The mention of Samantha’s name brought Parker’s face to mind. “Of course I do. Stop beating around the bush, Mr. Straight Shooter. Tell me what’s up.”

  Tyler cleared his throat. “You know we hooked up and had dinner and everything after the reception, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, I’m diggin’ her.”

  “What!”

  “I said I’m diggin’ Sam. Don’t trip.”

  “Wow.You just met her.”

  “Yeah, well ... that’s usually how things start out. You meet someone, and then you spend time together, and then you get to know each other, and—”

  “Hold up. Are you talking about starting a relationship with Samantha?”

  Tyler hesitated. “I didn’t say all that. I just thought I’d let you know. She decided to extend her trip a few extra days, so we’re gonna hang out this evening.”

  Victoria was silent.

  “I know you don’t approve, but Sam’s cool people. You wouldn’t even know she was related to that mothafucker you used to date.”

  Although Victoria knew that she shouldn’t, she felt slightly defensive about Parker. But she held the emotion inside. “Let me set the record straight. I like Samantha, and I have from the first time I met her. I just know that she’s a little on the wild side.”

  “Who you tryin’ to school? I already peeped that.” Tyler chuckled. “But sometimes it’s fun to walk on the wild side. And speaking of wild, what’s up with your girl? Why the hell did Debbie bring dude to the wedding?” Tyler scoffed. “I pulled her to the side and told her she was messin’ up.”

  Victoria shook her head and wondered if Rob would eventually find out, too. “I know. She told me that you approached her when she called me earlier this afternoon. But don’t worry. She ended it, thank God.”

  “Damn. Just goes to show you that you never know what people are truly capable of. Fidelity is a funny thing.”

  Victoria kept quiet, mulling over her own hidden thoughts.

  “And ole boy had the nerve to walk up in there looking just like Rob,” Tyler continued. “That’s crazy for real.”

  As the cab pulled up to the funeral home,Victoria adjusted her black skirt, looking out at the large, dreary-looking building. “I’d love to continue this gossip session, but we’re here, so I’ve got to go.”

  “Give Ted my sympathies.”

  “I will, and just remember,” she cautioned, “a walk on the wild side can be dangerous.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Yes, really. Just because there’s an attraction doesn’t mean you have to act on it.”

  “You’re right, my friend. I hope you take your own advice.”

  Victoria wanted to say something smart, but she knew there was no good comeback. So instead of getting into a back-and-forth with her best friend, she quickly ended the conversation, paid the cabdriver, and prepared herself for a meeting with death.

  Chapter Nine

  Sweetie, What Are You Doing ... ?

  Victoria and Alexandria arrived fifteen minutes before the wake was set to begin.When they walked up,Ted was standing in the lobby, talking on his phone.

  “Hey, you okay?” Victoria asked as Ted ended his call.

  “I’m fine.” He smiled, happy to see his wife and child. “Hey, princess, don’t you look pretty,” he said dotingly, admiring Alexandria’s neatly braided hair and delicate sunflower dress. He loved the way Victoria always took meticulous care of their daughter’s appearance, just as she did with her own.

  “Thank you, Daddy.” Alexandria grinned, walking over to his side. She was a true daddy’s girl.

  Victoria looked around. “Where’s Lilly and Charlie?”

  “Lilly’s inside, and Charlie ... Who knows?” Ted shrugged. “He never showed up to meet with us.”

  Victoria could tell by Ted’s tone that he was completely fed up.

  “Is that where Granny Carolyn is sleeping?” Alexandria asked, pointing toward a set of double doors down the long hallway.

  Both Victoria and Ted looked at her, then at each other. “Yes, princess,” Ted answered.

  “Can I go see her?”

  Victoria sighed, wishing again that she hadn’t had to bring Alexandria to the wake. The funeral itself would be bad enough, and she feared it might all be too much. She’d been up against a wall, because she couldn’t leave Alexandria in the hotel room by herself, and any relative of Ted’s whom she would feel comfortable asking to babysit for a few hours would be at the wake themselves. She’d thought about not attending all together but decided against it because she knew that Ted needed her emotional support.

  “Sure. Come with me.” Ted nodded as he took Alexandria’s hand in his. He gave Victoria a reassuring look. “It’ll be all right,” he mouthed as they walked down the hall leading to the funeral home chapel.

  Once they entered the gloom-filled room, they found Lilly sitting on the first pew, head bent low in deep mourning. Her hair was fashioned in a neatly pulled chignon, but when she looked up, her face appeared ashen and her eyes were red. She tried to form a smile at the sight of her brother and his family.

  “Hi,” Lilly greeted with open arms.

  Victoria welcomed her embrace as they hugged. She was about to tell Alexandria to give her aunt Lilly a hug when she noticed that her daughter was no longer by her side. She looked up and saw Alexandria standing in front of Carolyn’s ornately designed casket. Victoria drew in a sharp breath, as did Ted and Lilly. The sight of Alexandria’s small head barely reaching the top of the gold-trimmed box made them all pause. But their true concern set in when they saw her tilt her head, as if she were listening, and heard her mumbling to the casket in a barely audible tone.

  Victoria and Ted walked over to their daughter.

  “Sweetie, what are you doing?” Victoria asked in the calmest voice she could muster.

  Alexandria looked at her mother with a serious face, bringing her finger up to her lips. “
Shhh. I’m talking with Granny Carolyn. You have to be very quiet so she can hear me,” she said in a whisper.

  Victoria and Ted exchanged horrified glances.

  Victoria bent down and looked into Alexandria’s eyes. “Sweetie, Granny Carolyn can’t hear you. Remember what your father and I told you? She’s at eternal rest.You know what that means, right?”

  Alexandria nodded. “That she won’t wake up anymore.”

  “That’s right,” Ted answered, trying not to show his growing concern.

  “But I can still talk to Granny Carolyn, can’t I?” Alexandria countered in a soft whisper.

  By this time a small group of mourners had started to enter the chapel. People were beginning to pile in, and Victoria and Ted were still slightly startled by Alexandria’s behavior.

  “I hate to pull you away, but we need to greet the visitors,” Lilly told Ted. She saw the concern in her brother’s eyes as he stared at his daughter. “Is everything okay with Alexandria?”

  “She’s fine,” Victoria said. “Come on, sweetie. Let’s go back outside.” Victoria led Alexandria by the hand, breezing past the visitors as they headed back out to the main entrance.

  Once they were outside the chapel, Victoria sat with Alexandria in the office area, which the funeral home director was kind enough to let them use. She second-guessed herself again for bringing Alexandria, wishing she had stayed at the hotel and forgone the service. As she watched her daughter, thoughts of Carolyn’s secret began to creep back into Victoria’s mind. And again, she wondered what horrible thing her mother-in-law had done and if it would have any impact on Alexandria.

  Less than forty-five minutes later the service ended, making it the quickest wake that Victoria had ever attended. But it was one of the most intense times of her life. She was worried about her child, worried about her husband, worried about her friends, and worried about herself.

  As they left the funeral home and headed back to the hotel,Ted made small talk about the arrangements for the next day. Victoria could see that he was talking just to fill empty space, which was very unlike him. She knew he was grieving, but now more than ever she was convinced that his shifting mood had everything to do with whatever he’d found in his mother’s safe-deposit box, and when they got back to the hotel, she planned to find out the details.

  A Sanitized Version of the Truth ...

  After a quick room-service meal of grilled cheese and vegetables, Alexandria was out like a rock.Victoria was surprised but relieved that she had gone to bed so easily, especially without her routine bedtime story from Ted.

  Once she finished tucking Alexandria in, she went to join Ted in their bedroom on the other side of their suite. She didn’t know where to begin, but she knew she had to confront him. She decided that she’d start by discussing the most important thing first, whether they should bring Alexandria to the funeral the next day; then she’d get to the bottom of the safe-deposit box and the secret it held.

  Ted had already changed into his pajama bottoms and T-shirt and was sitting up in bed, his reading glasses perched on the bridge of his angular nose as he reviewed a small stack of business documents. He turned his attention to Victoria when she entered the room. “Is Alexandria okay?” he asked.

  “She seems to be.” Victoria nodded, unzipping her black skirt. She removed her top and finished undressing. “She was asleep before I finished tucking her in.”

  “She must be exhausted.”

  “Yeah, she is. I’m still a little worried about what she said at the funeral home tonight. I think for a minute she actually thought your mother was listening and talking to her,” Victoria said. She slipped her silk teddy over her head and joined Ted under the soft cotton sheets.

  “I know,” Ted sighed. “Maybe it’s just her way of dealing with death. Kids always have imaginary friends and conversations in their heads. She does it all the time when we’re home.”

  “Yeah, but this is a little different. I’m not sure if we should let her attend the funeral tomorrow. It might be too much for her.”

  Ted put his papers on the nightstand and pulled Victoria close to him. “I understand,V. We’ll do whatever you think is best.”

  They held each other for a few minutes, before Victoria slowly moved away. “Ted, please tell me what you found in your mother’s safe-deposit box.”

  Ted’s face dropped as if he’d been punched in the stomach. Victoria saw his eyes shift. She put her hand on top of his, knowing that whatever the revelation, it was something very difficult for him to come to grips with. She looked deep into his eyes. “Honey, whatever it is, I’m here for you.You can tell me anything.”

  Ted knew it wasn’t fair, or right, for that matter, to keep the secret he’d discovered from Victoria. And besides, he knew that trying to keep anything from her was a task in itself, because she was like a bloodhound when she wanted answers. She could be relentless, probing until she found out what she wanted to know.

  But he wasn’t ready to field her questions or to tell her what he’d discovered, so he gave her a sanitized version of the truth and hoped it would quench her curiosity. He removed his reading glasses and began a story filled with half-truths that would eventually lead to his undoing.

  “My mother wasn’t really born in Louisiana, as she had led us all to believe,” Ted began. “She was born in Mississippi, to a teenage mother who had an affair with a much older married man. Her mother died when she was five years old, and that’s when she was put into foster care. Eventually, she ran away from her last foster family before coming to Boston. Once she got here, she changed her name and lived a new life.”

  Victoria looked at Ted with questioning eyes. “That’s it? That’s the big secret she was hiding?”

  He nodded, again hoping she’d accept what he told her and leave it alone.

  Victoria tilted her head to the side and gave Ted a quizzical look, not sure what to make of what he’d just told her. “I don’t get it. What you’re telling me is that your underage grandmother had an affair with an older married man and had your mother out of wedlock?”

  “That’s pretty much it.”

  “Your mother made a deathbed confession like she was admitting to kidnapping the Lindbergh baby. I can’t believe she went through the trouble of putting that information in a safe-deposit box.”

  Victoria couldn’t believe her ears. She’d been worried for days, thinking that Carolyn might have killed someone or had had a secret identity or, worse yet, had done something that would have direct consequences for Alexandria. And now to find out that she was simply hiding the fact that she was the daughter of an underage mother was a far cry from what Victoria had imagined. The more she thought about it, the more it didn’t make sense.

  Ted could see the wheels turning behind Victoria’s big brown eyes, and he hoped that she’d cut him some slack and not ask too many questions. After all, it was late, and they had a busy day ahead of them. Just when he thought she was going to let it rest,Victoria started again.

  “I don’t understand why she went through the trouble of keeping that information hidden for all these years ... and in a safe-deposit box. Why in the world would she go through all that trouble? It doesn’t make any sense.”

  Ted realized how flimsy his explanation sounded, but he couldn’t reveal the truth, a truth that he wasn’t ready to deal with himself. “V, you have to understand. My mother held a certain position in her social circle, and this kind of thing was a huge taboo, especially back then. In a society where pedigree is your ticket, that would’ve been a hard pill for some people to swallow. That’s why she was always so secretive about her past.”

  Victoria shook her head again. She knew that Ted’s family was one of a certain social standing, and that outward appearances and reputation were of great importance to them. But the more she thought about what he’d told her, the more his explanation rang hollow. “This is why you were so shaken up yesterday? You dragged yourself in here like you’d just lo
st your best friend.” She paused, giving him a doubting look. “You were devastated because you found out that your mother came from less than pristine beginnings?”

  Victoria knew there was more to the story than what Ted was telling her. Although he was well heeled, sophisticated, and enjoyed an opulent lifestyle, he was far from a snob, and his mother’s humble start in life wasn’t something that would ruffle his feathers. She knew that when he was a younger man, he had bought into his family’s need for keeping up appearances during his first marriage. But since she’d known him, she could honestly say that he had never been one to put much emphasis on pedigree, social standing, or even what someone did for a living.

  Ted was privileged, without a doubt, but he was also the same man whom she’d seen volunteer with inner-city kids at Tyler’s organization. He was the same man who ate fried chicken and collard greens at her family reunion and learned to play spades with her crazy cousin Willie. And he was the same man who put more importance on where people ended up than on where they started out.

  Knowing Ted the way she did,Victoria was sure there was something he wasn’t telling her, and for the first time since she’d known him, she could see a lie in his eyes. She nestled closer to him, searching for real answers. “Honey, you know that if there’s more to the story, you can tell me, right?”

  Ted tried to reassure her. “What more could there be?”

  “You tell me.”

  “V, I’ve been a little shaken up by everything that’s happened in the past few days. I didn’t tell you this, but when we went to Abe’s office for the reading of my mother’s will yesterday, we all got a big surprise. She left everything to Lilly and me to divide equally... . Charlie got nothing.”

  Victoria sat up straight. “You’re kidding!”

  “No, I’m serious. She named the two of us as her beneficiaries on her life insurance policy and left us the remainder of all her personal assets, and that includes all of my father’s money, investments, and the real estate holdings that transferred to her when he passed away. It’s tens of millions of dollars, and she didn’t leave Charlie a dime.”