Sunday, Maxwell reclined on a lounge chair, letting the midmorning sun beat down on his weary body. Wrightsville Beach had very little foot traffic today, typical of an early March day when the water was still too cold for swimming or surfing. The umbrella over his head, along with the sunglasses he wore, protected him from the glare, while a white tee and track pants protected his skin from the cool breeze coming off the water. His feet dangled off the sides of the lounger, and he could feel the chilly grains of sand that had infiltrated his closed-toe sandals but couldn’t be bothered to do anything about it.
“Max!”
“Huh?” He heard his friend calling his name but didn’t look toward the sound.
Orion snapped his fingers three times in quick succession. “Bro, do you want me to just dangle this beer at you, or are you gonna take it?”
Returning to reality, Maxwell took the bottle of Corona from Orion’s hand. “Thanks, man.” He looked at his friend, seated on a matching lounger to his left “Sorry about that, O.”
Orion shook his head. “Yeah, man. I’d say ‘sorry’ is a pretty good descriptor of your mood. What’s the matter with you?”
Maxwell cracked open the bottle, taking a long swig before answering. “I’m disappointed I didn’t get to bring Sasha with me this time. I was looking forward to having a little fun with her, you know?”
Nodding, Orion looked out over the water. “Yeah, I can understand that. I’m sure li’l shorty would have had a great time playing out here.”
Maxwell smiled, picturing her sitting in the sand. “I even bought her the little toys for digging in the sand and building castles, the whole nine. The guys at the Crown site told me all the stuff she’d probably like, and I’ve got a boatload of it in the back of my ride. I’m kinda sad she didn’t get to come out here and use it.”
“Yeah, I get it. But you know y’all are welcome to come down here and crash at the condo, like, whenever.” Orion turned up his own bottle of beer, taking a deep swallow. “It’s not like this weekend was your one and only shot to get some beach time in with her.”
“I appreciate the open invite, O. And trust me, I’m definitely going to bring her down here the next chance I get.”
“Good deal. And now that we established your intentions pertaining to getting the youngster some quality beach time, you can tell me what’s really got your face all screwed up.” Orion lifted his arms above his head and spread them wide, gesturing to their surroundings. “You’re on the beach, man. It’s a beautiful day. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the waves are crashing.” He swung one arm around, pointing at him. “And then there’s you, sitting here looking like somebody kicked you in the shins and stole your lunch money.”
Maxwell sighed. That’s the one downside to the close relationship I share with my line brothers. They might know me a little too well. “I don’t wanna talk about it, O.”
Orion scoffed. “Well, tough cookies, bro. You can’t come down here pouting that hard and expect me not to ask you about it.” He sat sideways on his lounger, folding his arms over his chest and eyeing him pointedly. “So what’s the damn problem, Max?”
Maxwell closed his eyes, inhaled. It’s obvious O ain’t gonna let this go. “It’s Von. We broke up.”
“Damn! You managed to fuck it up that quick? That’s gotta be a new record or something.”
He glared at his friend. “O, don’t play with me about this.”
“I’m sorry, bro.” Orion held up his hands in front of him. “I was just trying to lighten your mood. Anyway, just tell me what happened.”
Maxwell closed his eyes briefly, not wanting to relive the moment Von had driven off his property and turned her back on everything they’d shared. But he steeled himself and recounted the story to Orion. When he’d finished, he waited for his friend to respond.
Orion sat, blinking and staring straight ahead for a few moments before uttering his single-word reaction. “Yikes.”
“You’ve got that right. I can’t believe things between us went south so fast. We were really just getting started.” Maxwell’s shoulders slumped, his chest tightening with emotion. Because as much as he hated to admit it, Yvonne’s declaration that they weren’t a couple anymore had hurt him deeply. “I didn’t even realize how invested I was in the idea of us having a future together until she told me it was over.”
“You’re in love with her, right?”
No use in trying to hide that now. “Yes, definitely.”
“And I’m assuming you told her that?”
He nodded. “Yes. I let her know how I felt before the first time we made love.”
Orion scratched his chin. “Okay, bro. I gotta ask you something else, and this is just based on what I’m hearing from you.”
Maxwell leaned forward on the lounger. “Okay, ask it.”
“Did you ever say anything to her about her plans to open the day care center? Like, sit down and have a real conversation about it?”
He thought for a moment, pressing his lips together. “I don’t think so. At least nothing too deep.”
Orion’s brow arched. “Why not?”
Maxwell shrugged. “Why would I? It’s not really my place to consult with her about that unless she asks for my help with it. Like if she wanted construction advice or something, I’d help her out.”
Orion blew out a breath, shaking his head. “That’s not what I mean. Hasn’t she been talking to you about her plans since the beginning?”
Maxwell thought back on their conversations, snippets of them passing through his mind. “Yeah, man. She’s mentioned it several times in passing.”
“Why do you think she keeps bringing it up, Max?”
He released a wry chuckle. “You’re asking me? I’m the last person on the planet to consult about why women do anything.”
“Damn straight,” Orion retorted. “Because if you can’t see the reasoning behind what she’s been saying to you, then you really are completely fucking clueless, bro.”
Feeling his brow crinkle with confusion, Maxwell snapped, “Okay then, Orion. Break it down for me.”
Orion tilted his head to one side, rubbed his hands together. “Gladly, because you clearly need my help. Listen, it’s like this. When y’all were arguing, she had you run down all your serious relationships and how they ended.”
“Yeah, so?”
“Shut up, Max, and let me finish. She wasn’t doing that for no reason, bro. She was collecting evidence to prove her theory.”
“What theory would that be, oh wise one?” Maxwell’s irritation grew with each passing second, warring with his pain and loneliness.
Orion rolled his eyes. “I’m gonna tell you if you stop flapping your gums. Her theory is that you don’t have it in you to be a supportive partner, that she can’t count on you to really get behind her dream.”
Maxwell opened his mouth, ready to cuss Orion out, then snapped it shut when he realized she’d said almost exactly those same words to him before she left. “She said…that I couldn’t support a woman’s dreams if they didn’t fit my ‘convenient little plans.’ That’s what she said to me.”
“Sweet, sweet vindication.” Orion threw both hands in the air. “See what I mean?”
Maxwell cringed. “I mean, I guess.”
“Let’s put it another way, then. Do you support her dream, Max? Do you wanna see her open this business and be successful at it?”
“I mean, yeah. I’d be okay with it.”
Orion pressed his palm to his face. “That’s it right there. That’s the attitude that got you in this mess. Do you hear yourself right now?”
Maxwell sat up straight, his back and shoulders tight with tension. “What so wrong with what I said?”
“If the tables were turned, and you were just getting ready to establish Devers Architectural, would you want a partner who was just okay with you pursuing your passion? Or would you want somebody who was as excited about it as you? Somebody who’d be cheering you on every step of the way? Who’d celebrate your wins and help you figure things out when shit goes to the left?” Orion gave him a pointed stare. “What would you want, Max?”
Maxwell closed his eyes against the harsh glare of reality, from which his sunglasses offered no protection. “Oh shit.” When he opened them again, Orion gave him the slow blink.
“You’ve given her nothing in terms of concrete proof that you support her, yet you expect her to take things to the next level with you?”
Maxwell looked away from Orion’s direct stare.
“I rest my case.”
Falling against the backrest, Maxwell groaned aloud. “I really fucked this up, didn’t I?”
“Yep. You absolutely, positively, thoroughly played yourself.”
He couldn’t even get annoyed this time, because he knew his friend was right. “Well, how do I fix this?”
“I don’t know if you can fix it, Max. But whatever you do, you’d better made damn sure you show her you’re ready to fully support her. Because just telling her ain’t gonna do it at this point.”
“How?” He blew out a breath. “What if I can’t figure out the right way to do that?”
Orion shrugged. “It’s either you figure it out or let her move on to the next man who’s gonna do right by her.” He steepled his fingers. “I admit I don’t know her that well, but she seems like a hell of a good woman. It wouldn’t be right for you to hold her back from happiness if you can’t get it together.”
“Ouch.” Those words stung worse than sunburn, and there was no salve to soothe it, either. Nothing short of winning Yvonne back would relieve the ache Maxwell felt inside, the emptiness of losing her presence in his life. His gaze fixed on the waves rolling toward the shore, he started to formulate a plan. “Listen, I gotta try to fix this. I might need your help.”
“I got your back, at least up until she tells you to kick rocks again. If that happens, I’m out.”
“Understood.” But if I can get this right and really make her see what she means to me, there’s no way she’ll send me packing. He needed her to know he’d be there for her, that he believed in the beauty of her dream. And the more he thought about it, the more a plan began to solidify in his mind.
* * *
“Do you know what time it is?”
Yvonne glanced down at her sister from her spot on the stepladder. “Really, Zel? Can’t you see me trying to hang these last few streamers?” She shook her head, trying to tug the strip of clear tape out of the dispenser mounted to the elastic band on her wrist. “I’ve been doing this for a while now. We came home, and I changed clothes and went right to work on decorations.” Standing four feet off the floor, she was glad she’d changed from the tan maxi dress she’d worn earlier into white jeans, a black tee, and black-and-white-striped sneakers.
Zelda, still clad in the simple white blouse and navy pencil skirt she’d worn to early service, grinned. “Yeah, I see you. I’m just trying to draw your attention to the time. Mommy and Daddy will be home from church in about thirty minutes, Sis.”
“Dang it.” Finally freeing the stuck tape, Yvonne affixed a few strips onto the end of the paper streamer to secure it in place, then climbed down from the stool. Taking a couple of steps back, she assessed her work. Braids formed from orange and gold streamers hung from the corners of the room and over the kitchen doorway, accented by gold paper lanterns. Bouquets of glitter-flecked orange balloons, tied to plastic weights to keep them from floating away, were anchored on either side of the old fireplace.
Zelda, holding a stack of gold plastic party hats, nodded her approval. “It looks good, Von. Nice work.”
Yvonne had to agree, especially considering the total lack of concentration she’d had while completing the task. Despite her best efforts to focus on preparations for the day’s festivities, her traitorous mind kept wandering back to thoughts of Maxwell. I wish things could have turned out differently. But he’s just not ready for real commitment.
Stifling a yawn, Zelda set the party hats on the oak sofa table. “Girl, I’m already beat and the party ain’t even poppin’ yet. Getting up for Sunday school and early service? I’m plumb worn out, like Granny Vera used to say.”
Yvonne shook her head. “Trust me, I’m not a fan of getting up at six thirty on a Sunday, either. But we had to go to early service so Daddy wouldn’t ask questions about us missing regular service at eleven.” She ran a hand through her hair, knowing just by touch that it looked a mess. “We needed this time, while Mommy and Daddy are in church, to finish getting the house ready.”
“I know, I know.” Zelda yawned again. “But I’m surely missing that extra sleep right now.”
“You and me both.” Yvonne sighed, knowing her sister wasn’t aware of the real reason she hadn’t gotten nearly enough sleep. She’d been tossing and turning most of the night until she finally gave up and went for a run on the treadmill at five in the morning. Thank goodness my complex has a twenty-four-hour workout room. No way was I going to walk the streets at that hour.
The sound of a car door slamming drew them to the window. “It’s Quita and Ross pulling up,” Zelda remarked. “And there’s another car pulling up behind them. Looks like everybody’s here.”
Yvonne drew a deep breath, steeling herself for what was sure to be a busy day.
The party guests drove through the side yard, parking their cars out of sight behind the house. Yvonne had prearranged that to ensure that her dad knew nothing about the festivities until the last possible moment. Once that was done, Yvonne welcomed neighbors and relatives into her parents’ home with hugs, kisses, and handshakes. She showed them hospitality in the manner her parents would expect, which included giving them her most genuine smile. And even though she still felt the lingering hurt from what had happened between her and Maxwell, she let the comforting presence of the people she loved soothe her wounded soul.
“I’ve been living across the street from this family for fifteen years.” Helene Cantini smiled as she shook Yvonne’s hand. “Gordon and Marissa have always been good neighbors. They’ve looked out for me many a time.”
“It’s almost three.” Their cousin Quita stood near the coffee table, tapping her watch. “Service will be out by now, and they should be pulling up any minute.”
“I sure hope Uncle Gordon is gonna be surprised.” Ross, Marissa’s nephew, a freshman at Central, grinned in Yvonne’s direction.
“I think he will be,” she said, then turned toward her sister. “Zel, you didn’t let anything slip, did you?”
Zelda shook her head. “Nope. And besides that, Mommy’s been a champ about keeping him busy and completely in the dark about our plans.”
“I already got my good hiding spot.” Greg, Gordon’s younger brother and only sibling, chuckled as he eased to a seated position on the floor behind the sofa. “One of you youngsters will have to help me up, that’s all.”
Greg’s wife, Aunt Shelly, joined him. “They’ll have to help us both up, baby.”
Yvonne couldn’t help feeling wistful as she watched her relatives. Would Maxwell and I have been like that? Still joking with each other after thirty years together? She doubted she’d ever get the chance to find out the answer to that.
She cupped her hands around her mouth and said in a theater whisper, “Quita’s right. Everybody needs to get in their hiding place.”
“Dibs on the coat closet.” Zelda’s sneakers squeaked on the floor as she slid past her sister, pulled open the door, and slipped inside before shutting it behind her.
Yvonne snapped her fingers. “Dang. I was gonna hide in there.”
“Only room for one,” Zelda called from the recesses of the closet.
Shaking her head, Yvonne scanned the room for a good spot that wasn’t already taken. Seeing an opening, she scooted into the narrow space between the piano and her mother’s potted ficus and crouched low.
The familiar rumbling of their parents’ old Buick sliced through the air. The room fell silent as they all waited for the guest of honor to appear. Next came the scratching of the key in the lock, and Yvonne covered her mouth to stifle a giggle as her mother asked her father if he knew how to work a key.
The door swung open, and Gordon lumbered in.
Yvonne and everyone else jumped from their hiding spots. “Surprise!”
Gordon stood in the doorway in his favorite brown suit and matching fedora, his mouth hanging open a moment, before he said, “What in the world?”
“Happy birthday, honey.” Marissa grasped his hand in hers, leaning up to kiss him on the lips.
He smiled. “Oh my goodness.”
Cheers went up among the assembled guests as the birthday boy realized what was happening.
“You girls, come here.” He gestured to Yvonne and Zelda with his hand, and they dutifully went to their father’s side. Embracing them along with their mother, he announced, “Thank you all so much. You didn’t need to bring any gifts here today, because having these three girls and people like you who care about me is gift enough.”
Yvonne felt the warmth of her father’s love wash over her, and it did much to improve her mood.
“Aww.” Shelly appeared on the verge of tears.
“I brought you something, though,” Greg quipped.
“Well, now, if you already paid, I’ll take it.” Gordon laughed as he gave his wife and daughters a squeeze. “I’m not one to turn down such generosity.”
Marissa shook her head. “You’re such a ham. Come on in the kitchen, everybody, and eat some of this food.”
The party got underway in earnest then. Zelda started up an instrumental jazz playlist on her phone, streaming it to a portable speaker to up the ambiance. Everyone ate, conversed, and laughed, celebrating the happy occasion. Yvonne stayed busy by waiting on her father and some of the other older folks in attendance, bringing them drinks and whatever other items they requested. She was glad to see to their needs, because serving others was part of her nature. Her grandmother had always declared she possessed a servant’s heart.
Today, while she battled the vestiges of sadness that threatened to overcome the festive mood of the day at any moment, she needed the distraction.
I served Maxwell, too. I took care of his daughter, helped him find his identity as a father. I gave him my heart. But when it came right down to it, I was doing all the giving. He only took from me.
When everyone was settled, her melancholy finally got the better of her, and she went outside to sit on the back patio. Settling onto the floral fabric cushion on her mother’s wicker settee, she gazed out over the backyard. The thicket of pine trees beyond the chain link fence hid the busy road from view, but she could still hear the faint sounds of traffic. Her mother’s azalea bushes were starting to bud, indicating a possible early bloom. Thinking of the way the yard would look by April, when the bright fuchsia blooms would be as large as saucers and as numerous as the stars in the night sky, brought a bit of joy to her weary mind.
Why am I sitting out here thinking about Maxwell, anyway? I doubt he’s thinking about me.
She knew the answer. He’d become a part of her, in so many ways. The fact that he’d hurt her didn’t erase everything they’d shared. She couldn’t simply forget his smile, his kiss, the way his hands had felt as they caressed her body. No matter how hard she tried to shake them, those memories remained. I don’t know how I’m going to move on from this. But if I have to choose between being with him and pursuing my lifelong dream, my dream wins out.
Zelda came out of the house, plopped down beside her on the settee. “What’s your malfunction, Von?”
Yvonne glanced at her sister’s face. “How did you even know I was out here?”
“Mommy was in the kitchen, and she saw you through the back window.”
“Ah.” She didn’t have to turn around to know her mother was probably still there, watching them. “It’s a long story.”
“Okay, then give me the shorthand version.”
She pursed her lips, blew out a breath. “Let’s just say now that I know who Maxwell really is—or rather, who he’s not—it’s over between us.”
Zelda’s eyes widened. “Well, that was short-lived. What happened?”
Yvonne shook her head. “I don’t want to rehash all that. The gist is, he’s not supportive. It seems like he’s expecting me to just give up my dream so I can fit neatly into his life.”
“Oh no.” Zelda leaned back against the seat cushion. “You’ve been talking about owning a day care since forever. If he really would ask you to give that up, then you’re right to move on.”
“Well, he hasn’t exactly asked me to give it up.” Yvonne sighed. “But it’s pretty clear he’s not invested in my success as a business owner. Now that I work for him, I don’t think he wants me to go any further with my career.”
“Sounds like he’s gotten comfortable with things the way they are.”
Yvonne shrugged. “I guess he has.” Maybe that was how Maxwell felt, but if so, his idea of comfort was the opposite of hers. “If he wants this quiet life, where I stay home and help raise his daughter and do nothing else, I can’t be happy that way.”
“I’m not trying to get in your business, but it seems to me you miss him.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“With you sitting out here moping while there’s an actual party going on inside? Yes, Sis, it’s obvious.”
Yvonne shook her head, raked a hand through her hair. “He just…let me leave, Zel. He didn’t fight for me. He hasn’t called or texted… I just don’t know what to think.” If not for the passion he’d displayed in bed or when he talked about his own work, I’d think he didn’t possess any.
“I’m not gonna tell you to reach out to him. I think, based on what you’ve described, that he should be the one to reach out.” Zelda clasped her hands together. “If he tries to make things right, let him make his case. Give him a shot, but if it doesn’t feel right in the end, feel free to walk away.”
Yvonne nodded. “That seems reasonable.” Too bad reason rarely ruled in matters of the heart. If he were to call her right now, she wasn’t sure if she’d answer. He’d hurt her deeply, and she wasn’t sure she could—or should—trust him again. “At least I won’t have to go to work this week. I promised I’d stay until he found a replacement, but Sasha will be with her mother all week.” She was grateful for the vacation, because she’d need the time and space to clear her head.
“Listen, you know I’m with you, no matter what you decide to do.” Zelda reached over, giving her hand a squeeze. “I’d advise against telling Daddy about this, though. Knowing him, he’d be ready to fight. He doesn’t go for anybody hurting his daughters.”
Yvonne nodded. “I know. And I appreciate it.”
“Great.” Zelda stood. “Now, let’s get back inside before all the good snacks are gone.” She held out her hand.
The gesture reminded Yvonne of when Zelda was a little girl and they’d held hands to cross the road to the ice cream truck. With a small chuckle, she took her sister’s hand and headed back inside the house.