The Christmas Wish

 

Book 1

 

Spirit of Christmas Series

 

by

 

 

 

Vanessa Miller

 

Other Books by Vanessa Miller

After the Rain

Heaven on Earth

Feels Like Heaven

How Sweet the Sound

Best of All

Better for Us

Her Good Thing

Long Time Coming

A Promise of Forever Love

A Love for Tomorrow

Yesterday’s Promise

Forgotten

Forgiven

Forsaken

Rain for Christmas (Novella)

Through the Storm

Rain Storm

Latter Rain

Abundant Rain

Former Rain

Anthologies (Editor)

Keeping the Faith

Have A Little Faith

This Far by Faith

EBOOKS

Love Isn’t Enough

A Mighty Love

The Blessed One (Blessed and Highly Favored series)

The Wild One (Blessed and Highly Favored Series)

The Preacher’s Choice (Blessed and Highly Favored Series)

The Politician’s Wife (Blessed and Highly Favored Series)

The Playboy’s Redemption (Blessed and Highly Favored Series)

Tears Fall at Night (Praise Him Anyhow Series)

Joy Comes in the Morning (PHA Series)

A Forever Kind of Love (PHA Series)

Ramsey’s Praise (PHA Series)

Escape to Love (PHA Series)

Praise for Christmas (PHA Series)

His Love Walk (PHA Series)

Could This Be Love (PHA Series)

Song of Praise (PHA Series)

 

 

 

 

Publisher’s Note:

This short story is a work of fiction. References to real events, organizations, or places are used in a fictional context. Any resemblances to actual persons, living or dead are entirely coincidental.

 

 

 

Vanessa Miller

www.vanessamiller.com

 

Printed in the United States of America

© 2014 by Vanessa Miller

 

 

Praise Unlimited Enterprises

Charlotte, NC

 

 

No part of this ebook may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical—including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system—without permission in writing from the publisher.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prologue

 

“And the Grammy for the Best R & B Performance by a Group goes to…” The announcer took a moment to let the suspense build as she opened the envelope. As a smile crept across her face she shouted, “The Four Ts for their wonderful song, “Peace of My Heart.””

The crowd exploded in thunderous applause for the group as Trinity, Tara, Theresa and Tina strutted down the aisle to collect their award. The girls were all smiles, Tina was even shedding tears. They had been in the music business for ten years, had released five albums with numerous singles, but this was the first time they had won a Grammy.

Trinity Thomas thought for sure they would have won for best song last year, because everyone loved the first single from their latest album. But Tina had gotten herself arrested a month before the Grammys for burning down her boyfriend’s house and one of Theresa’s three baby daddy’s was all over the news for a gun charge. It didn’t help matters that baby daddy number three was a famous rap superstar who was always in some kind of beef with the police. As his name was dragged through the mud, so, too was Theresa’s and just because the media had nothing better to do, they also tried to take the Four Ts down by exposing the fact that Tara had just gotten out of rehab for her cocaine addiction and they all speculated that Trinity had a drinking problem.

Trinity tried to block out all the bad press that swirled around them and just concentrate on the music. The music had always been her salvation. So, she’d kept her head down and went back into the studio. By the time they finished their latest single, “Peace of My Heart,” they all knew that it would be a hit.

Trinity had wrote the song herself. It had been a reflection of a time in her life when things were a lot simpler and when she believed that love could pull at the heart strings and never let go. They stepped onto the stage and one by one each member of the group gave thanks to God and their family, both of whom none of them had relationships with.

When it was Trinity’s turn to recite the prepared speech the PR coordinator asked her to memorize, she grabbed the mike, stepped a little closer to the podium. Or at least, she tried to step closer to the podium. The heel of her pumps got tangled in the hem of her floor length dress and she stumbled across the stage.

Tina grabbed Trinity’s arm, keeping her from falling to the floor. Trinity lifted the microphone and said, “Whoa, I almost took a tumble.” She patted Tina on the arm as if she were her pet. “Thanks, Tina, you always come through for me. Well, except when you’re out burning down houses.”

A loud gasp was heard throughout the audience. Trinity turned to the crowd with an oops expression on her face. “What did I say?” She put a finger to her lips as she shhh’d the audience. “Don’t tell the media.” She lifted the Grammy in her hand. “We might lose this.”

Tara took the microphone out of Trinity’s hand and waved to the crowd. “Thank you all very much.” She put the microphone down on the podium and then proceeded to escort Trinity off the stage.

As they reached the stairs Trinity could be heard asking, “What did I do? Why’d you take the microphone before I gave my speech?”

Before Tara could answer, Trinity put her hands over her mouth as she tried to run down the three steps. “I’m going to be sick,” she blurted out as her hand fell away from her mouth and vomit splattered all over the stairs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 1

 

December 24, 2014

 

“I warned you all about your behavior, I feared that something like this would happen,” Darrell Warner said to the women as they sat around the conference table.

“You certainly never let any of those fears be known. All you’ve ever told us was that we shouldn’t worry because another record label would pick us up in no time,” Theresa said with fire in her eyes.

“And I believed that. The Four Ts are so talented, that I didn’t think I’d have a problem placing you all with another label. But so far, I’ve had no takers.”

Trinity didn’t say anything, but she knew they all blamed her, because the record label they had been with for the past ten years had refused to re-sign them two days after Trinity’s Grammy episode. The other members in the group had done so many things to hurt them, but the one night she had a little too much to drink everyone acted as if she needed the Betty Ford Clinic.

“What if Trinity seeks help for her drinking problem?” Tara asked. “Do you think the label would take us back?”

“Hold on a minute,” Trinity said as she put down her iced tea that had been mixed with a little bit of rum and turned on Tara. “Who said I have a drinking problem? Maybe you need to concern yourself with the addiction you have and leave me out of it.”

“I never said I didn’t have problems,” Tara admitted, “but I’m not the one who vomited on the stage while we were accepting our Grammy.”

“We weren’t on the stage. I vomited on the steps and we had already accepted our Grammy so my little incident wasn’t even on film.”

“You are the most selfish person I’ve ever met, Trinity. Don’t you know that your little incident didn’t need to be televised,” Theresa interjected, “because the cameras had already caught you tripping and slurring your words. It was awful.”

“And I suppose you’ve never done anything to embarrass this group… how’s your three babies’ daddies? Is the last one still on probation?”

“Ladies, ladies. We don’t need to fight each other. We’re all on the same team here,” Darrell tried to calm the situation.

“Speak for yourself,” Theresa said as she stood up. “We don’t have a contract and I’m not about to saddle myself with this group one second longer. I’m out.”

“Are you serious?” Tara asked. “You’re really going to leave us at a time like this? We might be down, but we’re not out, as long as we all stick together.”

“That sounds good in a song. But this is my life, and I have other deals on the table. I don’t need this.”

“We don’t need you anyway, with your half-singing self. Get-to-getting,” Trinity told her with no love lost.

Theresa swung her Marc Jacob’s Crocodile handbag on her shoulder and walked out of the room.

“I don’t believe she’s acting like this. When we went through that firestorm with the media because of her choice in men, she begged us to stick by her. Now she does this?” Tara just shook her head.

“Let her go. We don’t need her anyway.” Trinity was positive that they could make a deal without Theresa, who by the way, was the worst singer in the group. Who needs her?

“I hope you can do without me too,” Tina said as she stood. “I’m tired of all the drama in this group. It was fine when we were making money. But if there’s no money coming in, then I’m out as well.”

Tina’s leaving would hurt the group. She was a wonderful singer who they always gave the harder notes to hit. But Trinity wasn’t about to let on that she was bothered by this betrayal. As Tina was walking out the door, she told her, “We don’t need you either. Just try not to set any fires on your way out.”

Tina swung around. “I’ll do that. Just as long as you and Tara check into rehab.”

Trinity threw her drink at Tina. “Forget you, Tina, I don’t need rehab. I’m not a drunk. But you just made the worst mistake of your life. Because you just made an enemy of me.”

Tina rolled her eyes at Trinity as she turned to Darrell and said, “You know where to send my check.”

As she slammed the door behind her, Trinity turned to Tara. “What about it? Do you feel the same as those scrubs?”

Tara shook her head. “I don’t understand why they are so upset with you for drinking, when they did a bunch of crazy things that hurt the group the year before.”

“Okay. Then it’s just the two of us. Just like it was in the beginning. We don’t need Theresa or Tina.”

“Tina will be hard to lose. That girl’s got talent,” Tara admitted.

“We found her. We’ll find someone to replace her. Backup singers are a dime a dozen so don’t shed any tears over that firebug.” Tina had been much more than a backup; she’d led or co-led many of their greatest hits, but Trinity wasn’t feeling charitable enough to give her any credit. She turned to Darrell and said, “I want the group dissolved immediately. Pay them whatever is owed and let’s close this thing out so Tara and I can move on and find one or two other singers for the group.”

Darrell hesitated a moment too long for Trinity’s liking. “What’s the problem? Don’t tell me that you don’t have faith in our group anymore either?”

He shook his head. “It’s not that. It’s… just… that I can’t pay Theresa and Tina their money right now.”

“I don’t understand.” Tara looked confused. “Why can’t you just have our accountant cut the checks? I mean, we’ve made good money. We should be able to get paid anytime we feel like it.”

Trinity glanced at her oldest and dearest friend. Tara was normally a soft spoken, go-along-to-get-along kind of girl… until you messed with her money. That’s when the hood chick showed up.

“What’s going on, Darrell?” Trinity was getting a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had been the one who’d convinced the group to not only let Darrell’s firm manage the group, but he also worked with their accountant on managing their finances. So, if anything had gone wrong, the entire group would blame her.

“The thing is,” Darrell began, “the money is tied up in investments at the moment.”

“Investments!” Tara exploded as she lifted out of her seat.

Quickly trying to explain, Darrell added, “As your manager, I have your best interest at heart. I knew we would have to pay the record label back once they dropped us, so I had the accountant put the money in what I thought would be a solid investment.”

“I feel a ‘but’ coming on,” Trinity said.

“But… the market turned and we lost half our investment.”

“You mean ‘we’”—Tara pointed from herself to Trinity—“lost half our investment. You, on the other hand, didn’t lose anything because you stole our money.” Tara was pacing the floor looking as if smoke was coming out of her ears.

“Before we throw around words like ‘stole’ or start accusing someone of being a thief, I’d like to remind you that I was given complete control over those accounts to do with them as I saw fit.”

“You were supposed to have the best interest of the group in mind. Nobody asked you to rob us blind.” Tara grabbed her purse then turned to Trinity. “I’m not staying in this group if I can’t get paid. The two of you will be hearing from my attorney.”

 

Trinity stood in front of the floor to ceiling window in her beach home pondering her life, wondering how everything had gone so wrong. Theresa and Tina leaving the group didn’t matter to Trinity, but she and Tara had left Pineville, NC together with big dreams of escaping the small town charm of the south and exploring the world. But now that she had lost her record deal, and was broke and friendless, Trinity longed for that small town that she had escaped a decade ago.

She had her favorite drink in her hand, Long Island Iced Tea with lots of ice. Tilting her head back, Trinity let the liquid slide down her throat and ease into her body. Christmas Eve used to be a festive event for her family. Actually, her family was still just as festive, but without her.

Her mother was always riding her about not showing up for family events anymore. She might not show up for family events anymore, but she had shown up seven years ago with the keys to a brand new house in the suburbs. The area had golf, tennis, swimming pools and walking trails.

Finishing her drink, Trinity wondered if she would have to move in with her parents now that their money was gone and she didn’t have another record deal. She was just thankful that her father took full advantage of that golf course. He’d gone into business with one of his golf buddies and was doing so well that he refused to take any money from her. “At least they will be able to pay the mortgage on that 4,400 square foot home. Because Trinity sure couldn’t pay it for them. She didn’t even know where the money was going to come from to pay the rent on this sprawling penthouse she’d just had to have.

Swinging around, Trinity made her way to the kitchen counter and poured the remainder of her Long Island Iced Tea from her pitcher into her glass. Drinking the last of her happy juice, feeling the buzz as she wandered around the expansive areas of her home. She recalled the argument she’d had with her manager two years ago when she had wanted to buy this place.

Darrell had said, “You don’t need to give a bank a two-hundred-thousand-dollar down payment and then still pay almost ten thousand a month to own a penthouse apartment that you may not even want in the next five years.”

“But the rent payment is ten thousand a month also,” Trinity had argued.

“Well, pay the ten thousand, and when you’re bored with looking down on the city, and waiting on an elevator anytime you want to leave the apartment… and when you no longer desire all the amenities this place offers, simply hand them the keys and move on.”

One piece of advice Trinity was glad she’d listened to. Since Darrell lost their money in one of his get richer, quicker schemes, she would be turning in the keys sooner than expected. As she stepped into her master bedroom, Trinity could feel the warmth of her liquor worming its way back up her throat. Putting a hand over her mouth, she rushed to the bathroom. Holding onto the toilet, Trinity heaved, coughed and sputtered as she threw up the contents of her stomach. Which mostly consisted of the Long Island Iced Tea she’d been drinking all night.

“Oh my God, what is wrong with me?” This was the third time this month that Trinity had found herself hugging a toilet as she puked. She had to admit that Long Island Iced Tea tasted a lot better going down than coming back up. “I need to find a new drink,” she told herself as she got up, washed out her mouth then stepped out of the bathroom in her master suite and back into her bedroom.

The room was large, with a sitting room off to the side. Trinity had the room painted in warm brown and tan hues. Every time she opened the double doors to her bedroom, she felt comforted and at home. But not tonight. As she stood in the midst of the room she now felt alone and out of place. She didn’t even want to sleep in here. So, she pulled her blanket off her king sized bed, grabbed a pillow and went back into the living room.

She threw the pillow and blanket on the sofa and then went back to the big window she’d been standing at earlier. The window that had caused her to fall so completely in love with this penthouse in the first place, because she could look out at the ocean and the beach below and feel so at peace. But at this moment, she wasn’t looking down at the beach, but up at the sky.

Stars were twinkling so brightly that Trinity couldn’t take her eyes off of them. Then, all of a sudden stars began dropping out of the sky as if they were being shot out of a cannon. Blinking, she wondered again if she should switch her brand of drink. But then she remembered that seeing a shooting star was the perfect time to make a wish.

Trinity asked herself what she wanted more than anything else in the world. The answer came to her just as the falling star was disappearing from sight. So, she quickly shouted, “I wish I had never left home.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 2

 

“Wake up, sleepy head. The kids are ready to open their presents.”

Trinity’s eyes darted open as she searched the room, wondering where that deep baritone sound that she hadn’t heard in over ten years was coming from.

“Don’t think I won’t tickle you.”

Trinity looked down and noticed that she didn’t have any clothes on the upper part of her body. She pulled the covers against her chest as she screamed, “What’s going on? Who’s in here?”

“Trinity! What’s wrong with you?” He started laughing. “Did you drink too much eggnog last night or what?”

That laugh… she had missed that laugh. She couldn’t count how many times she’d wanted to call Jarod just to hear that infectious laugh of his. But they had chosen different paths and she couldn’t go back. But now she was hearing things and feeling as if Jarod was right next to her, pulling her arm, trying to turn her to face him. She had to be dreaming; that’s just all there was to it. No way was Jarod in her bed.

Turning toward the sound, she started to open her eyes, but then she realized that if she opened her eyes, that dreamy voice would go away. And she didn’t want it to go away so fast. Not before she had a little time to remember…

She and Jarod had grown up together… lived just three doors down from each other in their small little community. They went to elementary, middle school and high school together. But hadn’t started dating until the eighth grade. Everyone expected them to marry as soon as Jarod graduated from college.

But in the meantime, Trinity and Tina had caught the eye of a record executive after singing a duet in church one Sunday morning. Trinity had wanted to stay true to her gospel roots and stay close to home so that she could marry Jarod when he graduated college, but the deal was too good to pass up. So she and Tina left North Carolina for California and never looked back.

“Mommy, Mommy, get up. I want my presents.”

Trinity’s eyes flew open at the sound of little feet running into the room, the Mommy word coming out of their mouths. “Who are you?” she asked as the two munchkins climbed into bed with her.

“Mommy, you’re so silly,” the little boy said and then humored her. “I’m JJ and”—he pointed to his little sister—“And she’s Margie.”

“My mother’s name is Margie,” Trinity said, sitting up in the bed with wonderment in her eyes.

The little girl laughed. “Grammy calls me M2.”

“Okay, you two. Let’s go into the kitchen and grab a bowl of cereal so Mommy can get dressed.”

“But Dad, we don’t want to keep waiting and waiting to open our presents,” JJ said.

Margie co-signed, “Yeah, God doesn’t like to make kids wait and wait all their life long.”

With the grin of a truly happy man, Jarod opened the bedroom door wide. “Get out of here. I’m sure you can wait a few more minutes without angering God.”

As JJ and Margie scuttled down the hall, Trinity got her first look at the man whose voice had invaded her dreams. And true enough, Jarod Harland was standing before her. She didn’t know what kind of magic had brought this all to pass, but Trinity knew two things for certain… this was no dream and she was not in her penthouse apartment anymore.

Standing up, holding the cover against her body with one hand and shaking a finger towards the door with the other, she said, “You go with them. I need to get dressed.”

Jarod’s eyes filled with worry as he took a few steps toward her. “Are you sure you’re alright? I knew I should have taken you to the doctor when you fell on that ice last night.”

“I fell? Doing what?” Did he know how much she drank last night?

“Don’t you remember? We took the kids ice skating last night, and you took a nasty fall, bumping your head on the ice. You claimed it didn’t hurt at the time.”

“She didn’t remember going ice skating with any kids… matter of fact, she didn’t remember having any kids. “How did we get those kids?” She pointed towards the door.

Jarod looked at the door, then back at his wife, then back at the door again. He then grabbed his coat off of the arm of the chair. “That’s it. I’m taking you to the hospital.”

“No!” Stepping back, shaking her head, she told him, “I don’t need to go to the hospital. I just need a moment to think. Go out there with”—she smiled sweetly as she said—“our children. And I’ll join you all in a moment.”

Hesitating a moment, looking her over, he then took off his coat as he backed out of the room. “Okay, but I’m watching you.”

The moment he closed the door, she rushed into the adjoining bathroom, which felt more like a linen closet compared to the spacious master bath she had in Long Beach. “What type of twilight zone did I just step into? What is going on? And how in the world can I get out of here?

“I’m not a mother. And I certainly am not married to Jarod Harland.” The last time she’d spoken to anyone about Jarod had been about eight years ago. At that time, her mother informed her that she had been invited to Jarod’s wedding and wanted to know if she had a problem with her attending. So, how in the world could he now be her husband? Glancing in the mirror, just to make sure that she was who she thought she was. Yep, she was still Trinity Baker, it was the rest of the world that had gone mad.

As she was staring at her reflection, she caught a glimpse of something beaming brightly in the sky. Pulling back the curtain, Trinity watched as the beaming light dimmed and then shone brightly again. Just as bright as the star she’d watched fall from the sky last night. Last night Trinity had wished that she’d never left home and this morning she was married to her high school sweetheart.

Putting her hand over her mouth as she sat down on the edge of the tub, she looked to heaven with a thousand questions. “Is this what you’re trying to show me? That I could’ve been with Jarod if I had just stayed put? Why torture me like this? Because we both know that this isn’t reality.”

There was a knock on the bathroom door. Jarod said, “I know you enjoy your morning talks with Jesus, but we’re all waiting for you in the living room and our children are about to start tearing into the gifts.”

She still didn’t have any clothes on. So she asked, “Can you hand me a gown or a long shirt or something?”

Jarod did as she requested. Trinity threw on the cotton gown and then wrapped the terrycloth robe around her body. She then went back to the window and looked back at the sky where that star still hung as if it were taunting her.

“Okay, you win. I now have a family… I am going out there to figure out whatever it is I’m supposed to learn from this experience, so I can get back to my real life and put my life back on track.”

As if agreeing with her, the star dimmed and then quickly shone brightly again.

Trinity rolled her eyes heavenward. With all her troubles, why hadn’t she wished for her career back rather than wasting a wish on coming back to North Carolina with some pretend family?

“Mom!”

She hadn’t thought much about being a mom in years. Maybe she should get to know these kids, see how much trouble they are. If she liked being around them, Trinity figured she could always adopt a couple of kids. “I’m coming.”

“Now! Or I’m going to start screaming,” JJ said.

He was the older of the two children, and Trinity was beginning to think he was going to be the biggest headache. Maybe she’d just adopt one kid once she got her career back on track and her finances in order. “Did you hear me, star?” she asked as she looked out of the window one last time. “If you’re still accepting wishes. Let’s make that happen… career, then a nice kid.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 3

 

Jarod was seated in front of the Christmas tree with a Bible on his lap. The kids were jumping around as if they’d eaten every ounce of sugar in the house.

“Okay, Mommy is here, so let’s get started.” Jarod held out a hand to help Trinity take the seat next to his.

“Which present are we opening first?” she asked, trying to get the kids going. “Maybe I should open mine first, huh?”

“No, Mommy. You and Daddy are last. Kids are always first,” Margie told her.

The little girl looked to be about three or four. She spoke clearly and Trinity imagined that she was smart as a whip. Whatever Jarod was doing was obviously working on his kids.

“Not so fast.” Jarod held up the Bible. “In this house we read the story of Jesus before opening presents. After all, it is His birthday that we’re celebrating, right?”

Trinity’s head swiveled as she turned toward Jarod. Her parents were big on reading the story of the birth of Jesus before opening presents on Christmas morning. But Jarod’s parents didn’t attend church much at all. They were the kind of people who slept in on Sundays after working hard all week to keep up with everyone else in their suburban neighborhood. “I didn’t even know that you knew the story of Jesus’ birth.”

Jarod’s brows furrowed as he faced Trinity.

JJ giggled. “We read it every year, Mommy. What’s wrong with you?”

This little boy was really started to work her nerves. “Nothing’s wrong with Mommy,” she told him. “I just thought we were going to open the presents.”

Jarod opened his Bible to the book of Matthew and began reading…

 

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son.[d] And he called His name Jesus.

 

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.

 

“Yea! Jesus got the best gifts of all,” JJ yelled.

“And he didn’t have to ask Santa for nothing,” Margie chimed in.

Jarod smiled at his children. “You want to know something really sad… when I was a kid, I had no idea why we celebrated Christmas. I thought it was all about some Santa bringing tons of gifts to me.” He pointed towards Trinity. “But your Mom here, helped me to understand the importance of the true meaning of Christmas.”

JJ looked awestruck as he stared at Trinity. “You knew about baby Jesus before Daddy?”

Trinity could hardly believe that the children had gotten so caught up in the story of Jesus’s birth that they weren’t threatening to revolt over unopened presents. But then she remembered her childhood and how she and her siblings sat around the Christmas tree listening to this same story every year. It had been the most important part of Christmas morning as far as her mother had been concerned.

Trinity took the Bible out of Jarod’s hands and put it in her lap. As she ran her hand across the pages a tear slid down her face. This had been a good tradition, even more important than looking at lights and baking cookies on Christmas Eve. But she hadn’t done any of those things in the last ten years.

“Mommy, what’s wrong?” JJ asked as he moved the Bible from her lap, sat down and wiped away her tears.

JJ’s kindness touched Trinity. She pulled the boy close and hugged him. “I’m okay. I guess I just miss my mom and dad. It’s been a long time since I spent any time with them.”

“They were just here last night. Your mom made cookies with the kids,” Jarod said while staring into Trinity’s eyes as if he was trying to figure out if something was wrong with her.

Turning away from his stare-down, Trinity hopped up. “Let’s open those presents.”

***

Trinity didn’t know what was happening to her. But after spending the morning with her make-believe family, she’d started wishing that they were hers for real. She’d even found herself forgetting that this was all just a mirage that would end whenever that star stopped hovering over their house.

Her mother had called and wished them a merry Christmas and Trinity had been so thankful to hear from her. She was even more thankful when Jarod informed her that she would be seeing her parents at church for Christmas service. So, after making breakfast for the kids, they all got in Jarod’s Jeep and made their way to church, but not just any church. Her wonderful husband, make believe or not, was pulling up at Christ the King Church. The very place she’d spent every Wednesday and Sunday during her teen years. That was about the time her family left the church they’d attended since Trinity’s birth, because her father, Elder Walter Thomas had heard from the Lord.

The same way her daddy had heard from the Lord, when he moved them from Asheville to Charlotte, North Carolina so he could take a job in construction. That particular job went bust when the housing market crashed, and Elder Walter Thomas had barely scraped by as he moved from one dead-end job to the next. Sometimes, Trinity wondered if her daddy needed to have his ears checked with all this so-called hearing from the Lord.

Stepping inside the church took Trinity by surprise, because it looked nothing like the hole-in-the-wall place she had grown up in. As a matter of fact, the place had expanded, and now seated at least two thousand people with ample room in the church gymnasium to host church functions.

“What happened to this place?” Trinity asked as she gawked at everything around her.

“You happened,” her father said, as he rushed over to her and lifted her into a bear hug.

“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy.” Trinity was delighted to be in her father’s arms again. He hadn’t swung her around like this since she was a teen.

When he put her down, she hugged him again. “I’m so glad to see you, Daddy.” But as she pulled back and noticed the graying of his beard and the extra creases in his forehead, she said, “Daddy, you’re getting old.”

Walter laughed, “You sound just like your mother… I know I’ve been working too hard and I promise to slow down and take a vacation just as soon as we finish this last production.”

Trinity wanted to know what production her dad was talking about. But every time she asked a question, Jarod looked as if he needed to have her medicated. So, she kept her mouth closed and pretended to know what he was talking about.

But in the sanctuary, Trinity got another surprise. And she couldn’t stop herself from leaning in to Jarod and saying, “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

“About what?” Jarod looked in several different directions as he tried to figure out what his wife was questioning him about.

She and Jarod were sitting in the pulpit. He had the chair reserved for the pastor and she was in the chair normally reserved for the first lady. But there was no way in the world that she was anybody’s first lady. She’d sooner be the President of the United States’ first lady, than be the first lady of a church… Trinity knew in her heart that she didn’t measure up… not at all. Something was terribly wrong with this vortex she was in.

“I did not sign up to be the wife of a preacher.”

Before Jarod could respond, Elder Walter took his place behind the pulpit and declared, “Isn’t this the most beautiful morning you’ve ever seen… every morning God allows us to wake up should be treated like the best morning we’ve ever seen, because He didn’t have to wake us up. Many have gone on to glory, wishing they had been able to see this new day.”

As she listened to her father’s words, Trinity felt ashamed of the person she had become. There wasn’t a day that had gone by these last few years that she had stopped to thank God for allowing her to wake up, nor had she appreciated the coming of a new day… just kind of expected that a new day would arrive right on schedule, so that she could go handle her business. But her dad was right, God didn’t have to be so gracious to her.

“I’m so thankful that God led me to this town and to this church,” Walter continued. “Because this is the place where I really came to know Him. This is also the place where my wife and I met my business partner and the reason that I now have a successful and thriving business. Thank you, Jesus!

“But the thing I’m most thankful for today, is that I get to stand before all of you and say a few words about my daughter before she gets up here to sing to the glory of God.”

Trinity’s head swiveled toward Jarod. He was all smiles, listening to her father, as if nothing in the world was wrong with Trinity Thomas, the R & B diva singing a gospel song. Yeah, of course, Trinity knew that things like this were done all the time. But, if her parents taught her anything, it was to never play with God.

“I know you all love our first lady and love to hear that angelic voice of hers, but not many of you know the sacrifices she made in order to sit in that seat she’s in right now.” He turned and pointed toward his daughter. “About ten years ago. My daughter received a multi-million-dollar contract with a top-notch record label. All she had to do in order to get her hands on a piece of that American dream was to forget about her upbringing and turn her back on the very God who gave her that angelic voice in the first place… but as you can see she chose right.”

The congregation exploded with applause. Trinity wanted to tell them all to stop clapping. She hadn’t chosen the right thing and she had forgotten all about the God she once served. But the way her father was beaming at her with love and eyes full of pride, she couldn’t stand before the congregation and admit what she had become… a has-been R & B singer with a drinking problem.

“So, here she is, our very own singing sensation, First Lady, Trinity Harland.”

Her father held a hand out for her. Trinity stood up on shaking legs. She hadn’t been nervous to perform in years. Her legs had only shaken when she’d had too much to drink before a performance.

But Trinity recognized the difference… she wasn’t supposed to be performing. She was supposed to be worshipping God when singing praises to His Holy name. But for the last ten years, Trinity had become accustomed to the worship and adoration of her fans. As she took the microphone out of her father’s hand, Trinity decided that she’d been wrong… worship and adoration belonged to God. Only He was worthy, because He was the only one who could save people from their sins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 4

 

Hands were lifted in praise to the Lord, people were crying and speaking in tongues. Trinity had been moved beyond words herself as she finished singing “Take Me to the King.” The musician kept playing, wanting her to start singing again. But Trinity was too overcome to sing. As the tears slid down her face she dropped the microphone and started shouting all around the sanctuary.

After all God had done for her, Trinity had never once taken the time to say thank you. She’d lived in the best of places, driven the best cars, had a closet full of designer clothes and had mad millions of dollars. Trinity didn’t blame God for the fact that her career was now in ruins or the loss of her money. She’d made poor decisions. But that didn’t take anything away from how awesome God had been in her life. And if she never got the opportunity to praise Him again, she was going to praise Him until the wheels fell off or until they threw her out of the sanctuary. “Lord, I’m grateful! I’m grateful!” she kept shouting as she continued to praise dance.

***

“I thought you were going to tear the church down. When you danced out of those three-inch pumps, I knew it was on then,” Margie said as she set the roast, potatoes, green beans and yams on the table with homemade rolls.

“I don’t know how to explain it, but I felt like I lost myself in the arms of the Lord today. I haven’t felt that way in years.”

“You could have fooled me,” her father said as he filled his dinner plate. “You danced around the church like that last month.”

Trinity didn’t understand why her family was blinded to the fact that she didn’t belong with them anymore… that she had strayed so far from God that she had even forgotten that He was the reason for this Christmas season. She’d even gone politically correct, using ‘holiday’ rather than ‘Christmas’ to describe this time of year, because Trinity had allowed others to convince her that Christmas wasn’t the only season being celebrated at this time of year.

“I don’t remember that. All I know is what I felt today. And for the first time, in a long time, I actually felt God’s presence in my life again,” Trinity told them all.

Jarod and her parents looked at her as if she were speaking Greek. They didn’t understand where she was coming from, or why she didn’t remember certain things that seemed commonplace in their lives, so she decided to just shut up and go with the flow once again.

Jarod put an arm around her shoulder as he told her parents, “We took the kids ice skating on Christmas Eve and Trinity bumped her head on the ice. She’s having trouble with her memory but won’t let me take her to the doctor.”

“I’m fine, Jarod. Please stop worrying about me.”

“I’m glad he said something, honey, because you worried me when you said you didn’t remember what happened in church last month,” Margie told her daughter.

“I’m sure I have forgotten a lot of things in life; I don’t understand why you would be so concerned just because I didn’t remember one little thing.” But in truth, Trinity was becoming concerned herself. It was getting to the point where she didn’t know which world she really belonged in… was she the R & B singer in California who was on the verge of ruin? Or was she truly married to a wonderful man, with two children, living in the suburbs and serving and worshiping God at the church her husband pastored?

“It was on the news and everything, sweetheart,” her dad told her. “Don’t you remember? Your mom filmed the service last month and then put it on YouTube. You got so many hits that a record producer offered you a contract.”

She wasn’t quite full, but that news caused her to push her plate away. “I have a what? With who? Singing what?”

“We haven’t signed anything yet,” Jarod told her. “We’re supposed to meet with AAG on New Year’s Day.”

“What’s an AAG? I’ve never heard of this label. Are you sure this isn’t a scam or something?”

“No scam,” her daddy assured her. AAG has been around for the last ten years. They recorded for some of the biggest gospel artists of our time. And they think you could be the next CeCe Winans.”

She was flattered, because Trinity had always loved CeCe’s voice and had been compared to her on the R & B side more times than she could count. But this was all sounding like too much… too good… and too unreal. Trinity wished that she could just wrap herself into this new life and start over and be free of her past. But how could something like that happen?

“Maybe Jarod is right. Maybe I do need to see a doctor.” She settled the situation in her mind. “And if my memory doesn’t come back before this meeting with AAG or whoever they are, then I’ll go. Okay?”

“That’s all I ask,” Jarod said, looking as if a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

And at that moment, Trinity knew… really knew that her heart never should have strayed away from Jarod Harland. She leaned over and kissed him. Then wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close to her. She prayed that they could stay that way forever.

Her mother left the room, then rushed back with laptop in hand. “You two, stop all that kissing and come into the family room so I can show Trinity her YouTube video.”

Through the years, Trinity had seen countless videos of herself as she performed on stage. In the last few years, she had refused to watch any more of her videos. Because she didn’t like the revealing outfits the group wore for their performances or the sensual dances that were choreographed for the group. It had all become too sickening to watch.

But this was different. Trinity was in a video that wasn’t about how good she looked, or how sensual she could dance. This video was about praising God. At church today, she felt how different the experience of praising God was compared to what she had done on stage for the last ten years. But Trinity wanted to see what her praise looked like, so she rushed over and took the seat next to her mother.

Margie opened the internet browser. The homepage was Yahoo. Before Margie could type YouTube into the browser, they both noticed the breaking news banner that scrolled across the screen. Margie pointed towards the television and told her husband to, “Turn on CNN.”

“What’s going on?” he asked as he did as she requested.

Trinity couldn’t speak. Tears had formed in her eyes and she felt as if her heart was being ripped out of her body. This was not happening… no way was this happening.

But CNN did not dispute the news that Yahoo was reporting. With a sullen face, the anchor said, “We can now confirm that Tara Owens, lead singer of the group, Trinity, was found dead of an apparent overdose of drugs.”

“No!” the anguished scream escaped Trinity’s lips as she reached an arm out for the television as if she could pull back the words the anchor had just spoken. But the anchor continued on…

“Trinity came on the scene about ten years ago and after a rocky start, they eventually found success and produced three number one hits.”

“We had seven number one hits,” Trinity corrected.

Margie, shook her head, “No dear, they only had three hits. Now I would expect you to know that since you almost signed with this group.”

Trinity knew a lot about the group and she now realized why the anchor only mentioned three hits. Because she had been the lead singer and the writer of the other four hits the group had. But since she was no longer a factor with the Four Ts, or Trinity, as they are evidently called now, those hits never existed either.

“But one problem after the next seemed to plague this group from becoming the stars everyone hoped they’d eventually be. Five years ago, Theresa Manning, the only alto in the group, died due to complications from an abortion.”

Five years ago … Trinity’s mind raced back in time. That was when Theresa found herself pregnant by the first deadbeat dad. Trinity remembered how Theresa contemplated abortion. But Trinity had told her about her mother’s belief that every life is precious. Trinity had even gone so far as to tell Theresa that what she was contemplating was nothing more than legalized murder of an innocent soul who couldn’t defend himself.

Theresa had stormed out of her house that day, angrier than Trinity had ever seen her, but she’d kept the baby. And even though she’d made the same mistake of sleeping around with two other men who didn’t want a full-time daddy job, she had kept those children as well. Theresa was a good mother and had money and talent, so she would be able to provide for her children.

Trinity was grateful that she had been able to stop Theresa from making the biggest mistake of her life, a mistake that would have taken her life. She only wished that she had been more firm with Tara about her cocaine addiction. But Trinity had been battling her own alcohol addiction. So, anything she said to Tara fell on deaf ears.

Trinity’s ears perked up when the anchor mentioned Tina. All she could do at that moment was pray that Tina was still alive, because this was a nightmare and she couldn't deal with one more tragic story. But she was yet again sent into the depths of despair as the anchor said…

“After Theresa’s death the group tried to regain its footing, but once Tina Jones was arrested for setting a fire that killed her boyfriend, all hopes of a comeback ended. And it is believed that Tara’s drug addiction raged out of control at that time.”

“No… no… no. That’s not what happened. Tina’s boyfriend didn’t die in that fire.”

“Tina received a twenty-year sentence for that crime. It was all over the news a year or so ago,” Margie said as she looked from Trinity to Jarod with a worried expression on her face.

“It didn’t happen that way, Mom. I know, because I was there. Theresa called the fire department the moment Tina walked out of the house.” Trinity pointed an accusatory finger at the television. “They don’t know what they’re talking about, because Theresa didn’t die from some botched abortion. She had three kids and she was alive and she stopped Tina from killing her boyfriend in that fire.

“So, if that anchor doesn’t know what he’s talking about as far as Theresa and Tina are concerned… who’s to say that Tara is really dead, huh?”

Margie put her hands on Trinity’s shoulders. “Honey, I know that you and Tara had been the best of friends when you were younger, but she cut off all communication with you after you refused to sign with the group.”

She may have cut off communication in the universe Trinity was now living, but Tara had named the group, Trinity. So, that had to mean something. Tara needed her and she was not going to let her friend down, not this time. “I’ve got to get back to my real life. I have to warn Tara that she’s going to die.”

Jarod was holding Trinity, moving her toward the door. She heard her mother say, “We’ll keep the kids. Just get my baby to the hospital.”

“But I don’t have time to go to the hospital, Mama. I have to go see about Tara. She needs me.”

Margie was shaking her head.

Jarod was pulling her to the car as Trinity told him. “I really do want to be with you and your kids, but I can’t. I have to go back so my friends can stay alive and out of jail.”

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 5

 

“What’s wrong with her, doctor?” Jarod was wringing his hands as he and the doctor stood at the foot of Trinity’s bed listening as she kept saying, ‘I can’t let my girls down. I’ve got to get back.’

“From what I’ve been able to piece together, Trinity feels responsible for Tara Owens’ death.”

“But she hasn’t seen Tara in ten years.”

“I think that’s part of the guilt she’s feeling. Trinity feels as if she should have helped Tara more than she did.” The doctor patted Jarod on the shoulder. “We’ll give her a sedative and keep her overnight for observation. If things don’t turn around by morning, then we’ll look at other options.”

“I’m not crazy,” Trinity told them. “I know who I am and where I belong.”

After reviewing Trinity’s vitals once more, the doctor ordered a sedative for Trinity and then left the room.

Jarod sat down in the uncomfortable hospital chair next to his wife’s bed and held on to her hand, trying to bring her comfort in any way possible.

“You are truly a wonderful man, Jarod Harland. For you, I would gladly become first lady of a church and serve the ministry in any way needed.”

“You already do, Trinity. I am blessed to have you by my side.”

She squeezed his hand. “I want to stay with you. I truly do. I’d rather be here and just forget about the life I lived before I wished on that star, but I can’t forget… not when my happiness will cost my friends their lives.”

“What star?” Jarod shook his head. “Just stop talking, Trinity.” The nurse walked in with the pill the doctor ordered. “Take your medicine and just rest your mind.” She opened her mouth to say something, but tears filled his eyes as he implored, “Please, Trinity, just rest, okay?”

She took the pill but then turned back to Jarod. “I know you don’t want me to talk, but before I drift away from you, I need to tell you something.”

He wiped away the tear that rolled down his cheek. “What do you want to tell me, honey?”

She could feel her grip on his hand loosening. She didn’t want to lose him, but knew there was no way she could keep him and rescue her friends. “Even with all that happened this evening, this has been the best day of my life, because you were finally back in my heart.”

***

As she drifted in and out, Trinity kept searching for Jarod, wishing she could take a picture of him with her eyes, because she wanted to remember him just as he was right now… The man of her dreams. Her husband and father of her children.

She wanted to stay with Jarod so badly that she would do almost anything for this to be real. But the one thing she couldn’t do, was to enjoy her happy life at the expense of the tragedy that would befall women she had once called friends.

“You finally figured it out, didn’t you, Daughter?”

Trinity heard the voice but couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. She was in such a fog and a state of confusion that she didn’t know what was going on… where she was… or where she would end up.

“Who’s there? Who said that?” Everything was dark and cold, but then all of a sudden, Trinity felt a warmth coming from a shining light. At first she thought it was that falling star coming back to taunt her… to let her know that she really didn’t want what she had wished for. But the truth was, she wanted it so badly.

Coming back home had been the best Christmas present she could have ever received. She didn’t want to go back, but she had to.

“What about the children. Will you miss JJ and little Margie?” that deep warm voice asked her.

“I’ll miss them so much. But if I don’t go back, Theresa won’t live long enough to give birth to her three beautiful children,” she answered, finally realizing that she had been granted another Christmas present. Something she never would have imagined in her wildest dreams… Trinity was speaking with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The one who unselfishly gave up His life, so that others could one day have eternal life.

“Jesus, was it You all the time? Did you give me this glimpse of what life would have been like if I had chosen to stay and serve You all those years ago?”

“Did you see the life I had planned for you, Daughter? Did you open your eyes and really see it?”

“I loved every minute of my life with You as the head, rather than the messy life I tried to spearhead. I only wish I had never left You in the first place.” Tears were flowing from Trinity’s eyes as she admitted, “I chose wrong, Lord Jesus. And I need Your help to make everything come out right again.”

She could now see Jesus clearly. He stood before her clothed in the most brilliant purple and gold she’d ever seen. He stretched out his hands and she could see the holes where He had been nailed to a cross and bled and died for her sake.

“It is time to choose,” the Lord told her. “Will you stay and have love and peace with Jarod or will you go back and help your friends?”

Trinity felt as though she were bleeding inside, because the pain of her final decision caused her heart to ache so terribly that it was as if it were being ripped out of her body.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 6

 

Yawning and stretching as her eyes fluttered open, Trinity adjusted her focus and then groaned like a wounded lion as she realized that she was back in her penthouse apartment. She hoped to God that she hadn’t chosen wrong once again.

She jumped off of the sofa she had been laying on and ran over to the window. It was dark, but that was all Trinity knew. She picked up her phone and called down to the bellhop. The moment he answered, Trinity asked, “What day is it?”

“Is this a joke, Ms. Thomas?”

Her heart sank at the sound of her last name. For a little while she had been Mrs. Harland and had loved the thought of being married to Jarod. But she wasn’t in dreamland anymore and even though reality bites, Trinity didn’t have time to dwell on that. She came back to help her friends. She only prayed that she wasn’t too late. “I’m serious, Joe,” she said to the bellman, “I really need to know the date.”

“December 24th.”

“Oh thank God!” She hung up with Joe after thanking him for giving her such good news. She then rushed into the bathroom, changed her clothes and brushed her teeth. While brushing her teeth, Trinity could taste the alcohol on her breath. She didn’t like the taste at all and made up her mind right then and there to never allow alcohol to touch her lips again.

Trinity went into the kitchen, opened her wine cooler and empty the contents of every rum, gin, vodka and tequila bottle she had. The clock on her microwave told her it was ten o’clock. She had to get moving. Because if she remembered correctly, the CNN anchorman said that Tara’s body had been found at her home on Christmas morning. Tara normally went clubbing for a few hours then came back to her place and really got the party started with drugs and alcohol freely flowing like Christmas presents.

Tara had been ticked to the max with her early that day, so Trinity doubted that Tara would be in a listening mood if she went to her house alone. Trinity needed Theresa’s and Tina’s help, even though she basically told them she didn’t need anything from them during their last meeting.

Trinity went to Theresa’s house first. The doorbell chimed loudly at Theresa’s 2.5–million-dollar, six-bedroom home. Theresa had paid cash for the almost six-thousand-square–foot, mini mansion. So, even if they didn’t get any of their money back from their manager, her kids would always have a home.

Theresa had always been smart with her money. Just not so smart about the men she brought into her life. After about thirty seconds, no one came to the door, Trinity became impatient and started pounding on the door.

“I’m coming,” Theresa hollered from a distance.

“Hurry.”

“I know you are not rushing me,” Theresa said as she held the door close to her side.

“Look, I know you have every reason to be mad at me, but I really need to…”

The door opened wider as little Mike, Theresa’s first child squeezed in next to his mom. This was the child that Theresa had planned to abort, which would have ultimately cost her her life. Trinity stooped down and hugged him like she’d been away for way too long.

“Auntie Trinity, you’re hurting me,” Mikey told her.

She let him go and stepped back. “I’m sorry, honey. It’s just that I’m so happy to see you.”

“What are you talking about? You see him all the time. He was just over to your house last weekend,” Theresa said, the annoyance ringing loud and clear in her voice.

“Just because I saw him last weekend doesn’t mean that I don’t miss him.” Trinity tickled Mikey as she reminded Theresa, “I did, after all, hang out with you all night long in that hospital while you gave birth to him.”

Rolling her eyes heavenward, Theresa said, “And then you went on stage drunk and ruined all of our careers.”

“I was wrong for that,” Trinity admitted. “All I can do is apologize and try to make it up to all of you, but I really need your help tonight.”

“You’re actually apologizing.” Smirking, Theresa needled, “You must be sober or something.”

“Yes,” Trinity declared. “I’m sober and I will never… with the Lord’s help, I will never touch alcohol again.” She lifted a hand heavenward as she made this declaration.

Theresa stepped back and opened her door wide enough for Trinity to enter. “Then by all means, come in and tell me what you need.”

Theresa escorted Trinity to the sitting room and then told Mikey, “You go play with your brother and sister. Auntie Trinity and I have some grown folks’ business to discuss.”

“Okay, Mommy.” Mikey trotted off without any back talk.

The thing about it was, all Theresa’s children were well behaved like that. She might be a single mother, but she wasn’t raising a bunch of untrained animals to be loosed on an unsuspecting world.

“You’ve got five minutes,” she told Trinity the moment they were behind closed doors. “I am not going to let you spoil Christmas Eve with my children.”

“I’m sorry about this, but you can’t spend this night at home with the kids. We have something important to do so I need you to call your nanny and get her over here.”

“My nanny is already here. She’s been helping me with the cookies, and the popcorn and now we’re watching a movie, so I can’t interrupt my life for you… not anymore.” Theresa stood her ground.

Trinity knew right off that she would not get Theresa out of the house unless she could convince her that Tara’s life was truly in jeopardy. “Sit down. I have something to tell you. I know this is going to sound crazy. But I need you to open your heart and listen to me.”

As she sat down, Theresa said, “It probably doesn’t sound any crazier than the one about you getting sloppy drunk and ruining our careers.”

Their careers had been on a downward spiral because all four of the members of the group had made poor decisions and acted inappropriately most of the time. But Trinity wasn’t going to argue the point. She started off her tale by saying, “I wished upon a falling star…”

 

“If this was meant to be a joke, it’s a bad one,” Theresa told Trinity when she’d finished her story.

“I’m not joking.”

“So, you’re telling me that if you had gotten your wish, I’d be dead right now?”

“Look, I don’t know if God showed me a vision, or if I dreamed it all, but nothing ever felt as real as what I experienced tonight.”

“And Tina is a murderer and a jailbird?”

“If you hadn’t been there that night. She would have let Drake burn up in that house.” Trinity nodded.

“I never thought she would actually go through with it. I rode over there with her because I thought she was going to get in a fight with him and I wanted to help her. But when I saw the fire and then she ran back to the car, screaming at me to pull off, I just couldn’t do it.”

“Tina owes you a world of thanks,” Trinity told her.

“She would have done it. You’re right. I will never forget how crazy she looked that night. And all because she was angry at a man she doesn’t even think about anymore. She has moved on and is truly in love with a good guy now.”

“God showed me that it was no mistake that we were placed into each other’s lives. And now we’ve got to go and help Tara… please, Theresa. I can’t do this without you.”

“Let me get my coat.” Theresa didn’t feel like arguing anymore. If what Trinity was saying was true, Tara was about to overdose. She first went to the movie room and kissed each of her children. “Mommy loves you all, and I’m so thankful to have each and every one of you,” she told them before coming back downstairs.

“Have you been crying?” Trinity asked as they walked to the door.

“Girl, just the thought of not having my babies has got me all choked up.”

Putting a hand on her shoulder, Trinity told her, “I’m glad I was here for you.”

“Yeah, me too. Now let’s go get Tina so we can save the day for Tara.”

But Tina wasn’t as understanding as Theresa. She was still angry about Trinity calling her a firebug.

“If you want me to apologize, then I’ll do it. I’m very sorry for how I treated you earlier. But this really isn’t about you right now.”

“That’s right, Tina,” Theresa chimed in. “If I hadn’t been with you that night you went all cuckoo, you’d be in prison. I helped you, and now we’re asking that you come with us so we can help Tara.”

“I’m no longer a part of this group. As a matter of fact I was told that I wasn’t needed in the first place. So, keep that thought in mind as you back out of my driveway.”

Trinity looked at her watch. It was already 11:30 p.m. “I’m sorry you feel that way, but we’ve got to go. I wish you much success in your career. I think you’re going to be a superstar.” Trinity walked away with Theresa following her as they headed back to the car. She meant every word she said to Tina. Just as Tara had said, the girl had talent and she prayed it would take her all the way to the top. But this was truly where they parted ways, because Trinity knew one thing for sure… she wouldn’t be competing with anyone on an R & B stage ever again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 7

 

When she and Theresa arrived at Tara’s home they were elated to discover that Tara wasn’t home yet. Trinity used her key to enter the home and they started looking around for Tara’s stash.

“She’s going to take that key once she figures out what we did; you know that, don’t you?” Theresa said as they rummaged through the kitchen cabinets.

“If we can get her into rehab tonight, it will be worth it, even if she never speaks to me again.”

“Nothing in here.” Theresa closed the last cabinet. “But the more I think about it, I doubt that Tara would want the housekeeper to find her stash.”

“You’re right.” Trinity snapped her finger. “It’s in her bedroom. She has a safe in the walk-in closet.”

They rushed up the stairs and found the safe in the closet. They pulled it out and placed it on Tara’s king sized bed. “Do you have the key to open it?” Theresa asked.

“Oh yeah, Tara not only gave me the key to her house, but to her safe filled with drugs also.”

Theresa shrugged. “I figured that since both of you have habits, she might have felt comfortable giving you this key too.”

“I don’t have a habit,” Trinity declared. “I already told you that I quit drinking.”

“We’ll believe it when we see it.”

They both became startled by the voice behind them. Their heads swiveled around to see Tina standing in the doorway. “Why’d you sneak up on us like that?”

“I didn’t sneak. The front door was open. When I didn’t see you two downstairs I came up here to find you… Where’s Tara?”

“She’s not back yet. We’re trying to get our hands on her stash before she gets home, but we can’t open this safe,” Trinity told her and then said, “Maybe I should go outside and get one of those big rocks Tara has in her flower bed, and just pound it until it opens.”

Walking over to the bed, Tina asked, “What kind of safe is it?” 

“It has a key lock,” Theresa answered.

Tina pulled a bobby pin out of her hair. “Move back. Let me see what I can do.” Tina went to work on the lock. Within sixty seconds she had the safe open, and then put the pin back in her hair like this was something she did every day.

“So, you’re a firebug and a burglar. Girl, I’m scared of you,” Trinity said, jokingly.

“You better be. I grew up with a bunch of cousins who made their living on the wrong side of the law. To tell you the truth, joining the Four Ts probably stopped me from ending up in prison, like so many of my family members.”

“You have no idea,” Theresa said, thinking about the story that Trinity told her earlier that evening.

“I’m being serious,” Tina told them. “I know I’m not the nicest person to be around most of the time, but I am grateful for the opportunity I received with this group. That’s why I decided to come here tonight to help Tara.”

“We know you want to help Tara just as much as we do,” Theresa said.

“Let me finish,” Tina said. “I also came here because I want to be honest with all of you: I have been in talks with a record label to go solo. And I really want my shot.”

“Singing without you kind of makes me nervous, but if it makes you happy, then go for it,” Theresa told her friend.

Trinity added, “I already told you that I think you’re going to be a superstar… take your shot. We’ll all be rooting for you.”

The women hugged each other, and then Tina said, “Now let’s see what this drug head has in her safe.”

As they pulled the contents of her safe out, they noticed that she had very little money, and a whole bunch of pills, weed, cocaine and little crystals that Tina said was crack. 

“The girl is on crack too? She’s doing too much,” Theresa said.

“Way too much,” Trinity agreed. 

The front door opened and they heard Tara entering her home with a loud and boisterous entourage. The music was being blasted through all the speakers in the home. People were dancing, laughing and drinking.

“Let’s go shut this party down,” Tina said.

The three women went downstairs armed with the drugs they had confiscated from Tara’s safe. Trinity shut off the music. Tina started pouring all the alcohol down the kitchen sink, while Theresa loudly declared, “This is a dry house. So, if you came here to do anything but play a friendly game of cards, I suggest you move the party someplace else.”

Tara’s eyes were bloodshot. Her head looked heavy on her shoulders as she turned to face her home invaders. “What is going on here? Why are you all in my home?” She stalked over to Tina and pulled a bottle of beer out of her hand. “Hey, I paid for these drinks. You can’t just throw them down the drain like that.”

“You want to bet?” Tina grabbed another bottle and kept pouring.

“I’m calling the cops,” Tara told them, and then picked up the phone.

“Do that. I’d love to tell them about this little drug party you’re throwing and about what we found in your safe,” Trinity warned.

At the mention of the police, Tara’s entourage started picking up their coats and grabbing extra bottles of beer as they beat it to the door. “Call us when the fun police leave, Tara,” one of them said.

“Yeah, I thought your group members were cooler than this,” another added.

Theresa held open the door for them, and then slammed it as the last groupie stumbled out the door. “You really need to choose better friends,” Theresa told Tara as she turned back to the group.

“Don’t you judge me. None of you have room to judge me. Just get out of my house.” Tara bumped against a chair in the living room and then fell into it.

“We’re not leaving you to die by yourself tonight,” Tina told her.

“What’s all this talk about dying? I was just having a little fun… trying to unwind.”

“Trust us, Tara, if we leave you here, you’ll be dead tomorrow.” Tears streamed down Trinity’s face as she said, “I couldn’t live with myself if I let you die without trying to help you.” She went to Tara and knelt down in front of her. “I’m so sorry that I never tried to stop you before or that I didn’t even try to understand what kind of pain was causing you to turn to drugs. But things have got to change.”

“Nobody’s bothering you about all the alcohol you drink. Why you gotta come over here and bother me?”

“I gave it up, Tara. I can’t explain everything that happened to me tonight. But God showed me a better way to live… and I’m pressing forward without my crutch.”

“How about you, Tara? Will you let us help you?” Theresa asked.

“But why you got to act like I’m going to die? I wouldn’t say nothing like that to you, Trinity.”

“Here’s the deal, Tara. I don’t know if it’s something that’s already in your system, or if you were going to ingest something else tonight that would kill you, but your life is in jeopardy.”

Tina took her keys out of her pocket and said, “Bottom line… we are taking you to the hospital for observation tonight.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” 

Theresa told her. “I could be at home with my kids enjoying Christmas Eve. I didn’t come over here to just sit around with some drug head, so if we have to drag you out of here kicking and screaming, that’s what we’re going to do.”

“Dag, why you miss Christmas with your kids for me?” Tara asked Theresa.

“Because I don’t want to wake up in the morning and see your picture flashing on the news channel with the anchor announcing your death.”

“Alright, alright. You all aren’t going to leave unless I go, so, let’s get this over with.”

Trinity breathed a sigh of relief as they helped Tara to the car and drove her to the hospital. Tara’s stomach was pumped and then while Theresa went home to be with her kids, Trinity and Tina stayed with her for the rest of the night. 

By seven in the morning Tara was still alive and had agreed to check into a rehab facility. “You made the right decision, Tara. You won’t regret this.”

Tara smiled. “Thanks for being here for me, Trinity. Now, go home and get some rest.”

“I don’t think I should leave you. It’s Christmas, after all.” 

“I’m going to be okay, I promise. You and Tina go do something that makes ya’ll happy today. No need to sit in this depressing hospital, just because I’m here.”

There was only one place Trinity wanted to be today. Before leaving the hospital, she went online via her iPhone and purchased a plane ticket. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 8

 

Her flight touched down at 10:00 a.m. She didn’t call her parents because she wanted to surprise them, so, she hopped into a cab and gave him the address and then leaned back and exhaled as the driver took her to the place she wanted to be more than any other place on earth. 

“Here we are, ma’am.”

Trinity paid the cab driver and then stood outside of Christ the King Church, wondering if she was about to make a fool of herself. She was, after all, the one who’d left church to go off and become an R & B singing sensation, who ended up disgracing herself and her family. Would her parents be embarrassed or would they welcome her with open arms as they’d done in the dream… vision or whatever she had experienced?

Taking a deep breath, Trinity put one foot in front of the other as she made her way to the door. “Be with me, Lord Jesus,” Trinity prayed as she opened the door and stepped into the church.

People were milling around the fellowship hall. No one was paying much attention to her. She had noticed a few women step aside and whisper, but overall, no one made a big deal about Trinity Thomas, the singer. Her anxiety about being at church was further relieved as Elder Thomas rounded the corner and entered the fellowship hall, almost bumping into her.

It took him a moment, but when he looked up, a smile as wide as heaven spread across his face and he picked Trinity up and swung her around. “My baby is back in town!”

“Put me down, Daddy. Don’t make a scene.” She wanted to tell him that she had just spent Christmas with him, so he didn’t have to make such a big deal of seeing her. But she was the only one who knew anything about that.

“Of course I’m going to make a big deal about my daughter coming home for Christmas. Are you kidding?” He put her down and then shouted for everyone to hear, “My baby, the R & B sensation, herself, Ms. Trinity Thomas is in the house!”

People clapped, while others said, things like, ‘Glad to have you here,’ or ‘Don’t be a stranger.’ But the voice that whispered ‘Merry Christmas’ in her ear, caused the hair to stand up on the back of her neck.

Trinity swung around, and there he was… the man of her dreams, Jarod Harland. “Oh my goodness. I didn’t know you attended this church.” She’d seen him here in her vision, but if that vision was correct, then he was the…

Jarod laughed. “I not only attend, but I’ve been the associate pastor here for the last two years.”

Her father told her, “Pastor is getting up there in age. He needed some help, so we put Minister Jarod on the payroll.”

A little boy ran up to him, grabbed his hand and started pulling him. “Daddy, come on, Daddy. I want to go to class.”

“I’ll see you all in the sanctuary. I have to get JJ into his class before he explodes or something.”

The little boy’s name was JJ. Trinity looked to heaven and smiled. God had truly shown her the world she could have had. “Where’s Jarod’s wife?” she asked her father. “Don’t they have a little girl also?”

Her father shook his head. “Jarod’s wife divorced him after he accepted his call into the ministry. She didn’t think he would be able to provide for his family on an associate pastor’s salary.”

“Then she has no vision,” Trinity declared, “because Jarod will one day be the senior pastor of this church and the ministry will grow even greater than it is now, and he will have more than enough to provide for his family.”

They went into service and she listened as Jarod beautifully told the story of the birth of Jesus. Trinity visualized him telling his son that same story earlier this morning. The only problem was that she hadn’t been there to fix breakfast for everyone before coming church. And little Margie hadn’t been there because they didn’t have any children together. But Trinity wanted to rectify that situation, she only prayed that Jarod would want her back in his life after all these years had passed.

But God had given Trinity a glimpse of what life could be like with Jarod and now that she knew better, she would choose Jarod every time… but would he choose her?

 

After service she went to her parents’ house. It was like déjà vu except for the fact that she didn’t arrive with Jarod and their children in tow. And thank God there was no breaking news about her best friend being found dead.

The table was being set and they were about to sit down for dinner when the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” Trinity told them as she headed for the door. She was so enjoying being home with her parents and was busy contemplating just how she would tell them that she would no longer be singing R & B, that she was totally caught off guard when she opened the front door and JJ ran past her, calling out to her mother.

“Please forgive him. I’m still working on his manners,” Jarod told Trinity.

“He’s fine. Nothing to forgive at all.” She was grinning from ear to ear. “What brings you two here today?”

His eyes locked with Trinity’s and it was as if she could see the love he still held for her in the depths of those beautiful brown eyes of his.

“Your mom invited me for dinner. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Why would I mind? Come on in.”

Jarod wiped his feet on the welcome mat and then walked into the house. Just as Trinity was about to close the door, she looked up into the sky, and noticed one lone star gleaming brightly as if it wanted her to wish upon it again. But Trinity wasn’t falling for it this time.

She closed the door and instead of wishing on a star, she said a silent prayer to her Lord and Savior, “Father, I am so grateful for the birth of Your Son, Jesus and that He came to save me from my sins. I am also thankful that You want to give me the desire of my heart, and my heart yearns for Jarod Harland. So, if Jarod is my Christmas present from You, all I can say is, thank You… Oh, and happy birthday, Jesus!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Epilogue

 

December 25, 2015

 

The tabloid read: Former R & B diva, Trinity Thomas has not only released her first gospel album, but today, she is marrying the pastor of her church, Mr. Jarod Harland. Her former group members, Tina, Tara and Theresa are serving as bridesmaids.

But Trinity isn’t the only member of the Four Ts to experience life-altering events since last Christmas. As everyone knows, Tara appeared on a rehab reality show. The surprising thing was that Tara was able to free herself from her addictions and is now living a drug-free life.

Theresa married the father of her third child three months ago and is now expecting her fourth child. She has informed the media that she and her husband plan to have as many children as God allows.

And Ms. Tina is now working on her solo career with the release of her first hit single, “Thankful for My Girls.” Surprisingly, even with a title like that, the song hit number one on the R & B charts. But Tina said the title has more meaning behind it than anyone will ever know. So, we wish all of the former Four Ts a Merry Christmas, and a very happy rest of their lives… they earned it. 

 

The end…

 

You’ve been reading The Christmas Wish by Vanessa Miller. Book 2, The Gift is available wherever ebooks are sold. You might also like Rain For Christmas or Praise For Christmas.

 

 

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Books in the Spirit of Christmas series

 

The Christmas Wish (Book 1)

 

The Gift (Book 2)

 

The Promise of Christmas (Book 3) (rel. Dec. 2016)

 

Excerpt of:

 

The Gift

 

Book 2 in the Spirit of Christmas Series

 

 

1

She was pregnant… again. And even though it was Christmas Eve, Theresa Manning was far from jolly about this situation. She hadn’t told anyone about the pregnancy because she just couldn’t take seeing the disappointment in everyone’s eyes. She already had three kids by three different men. Theresa had sworn to herself that she wouldn’t have another baby before a ring was put on her finger.

Actually, she did have a ring. Her third baby daddy had given her a ring after she’d given birth to junior. Theresa had gotten busy planning the wedding but then Tony went and cheated on her. And even though she was once again pregnant, she refused to marry a cheater.

What killed her though was how great Tony was with the kids. He had just been traded from from the San Diego Chargers to the Carolina Panthers. But he had been rehabbing his shoulder when he received the news. So, he’d asked the coach if he could stay in California over the Christmas break to continue his rehab and spend time with his kids. It wasn’t like the Panthers were going to put him on the field since he hadn’t been cleared by his doctor to play anyway, so the coach had allowed the rehab to continue in Cali.

Theresa had been touched by the jester, because she knew that the children would miss Tony. His trade to the Carolinas meant that he would no longer be just a couple of hours car ride away. But she wasn’t about to uproot her family and follow him, so he could do her dirty all over again.

She had allowed him to stay in the guest room while he finished the rehab on his shoulder. The kids were overjoyed to have him there. So, Theresa figured that she wouldn’t be the scrooge to her children’s happiness this one last Christmas. But after this, Tony would never be allowed to play the family game with her children again.

“Do I have enough batter on my spoon, Mommy?” Brielle, Theresa’s second child and only daughter asked as she scooped the dough out of the bowl.

Theresa lightly sprayed the cookie sheet with oil. “That’s good. Drop it on the cookie sheet and scoop up another one just like that.”

Her two boys, Mikey and TJ were in the media room with Tony watching football, and more football while she and Brielle were on cookie duty. That was just fine with Theresa, because she loved baking, and hoped that her daughter would eventually love it as much as she does. Being in the kitchen with Brielle reminded Theresa of her childhood and the many days she spent in the kitchen with her grandmother. In fact, all three of the cookie recipes they made for Christmas Eve were her grandmother’s recipes. And they were delicious.

Mikey ran into the kitchen carrying an empty bowl that had once held a mound of popcorn. “We need more snacks.”

Theresa shook her head at the boy. “Y’all so greedy, it’s a wonder that I’m able to keep this pantry stocked.” She wiped her hands on the towel. “I’ll grab a bag of chips but that’s it until the cookies get done.”

As she was headed to the pantry, the front doorbell rang. She then pointed towards the pantry. “You get the chips, and only one bag, you here me?”

“Yes, Mama.”

“Now let me see who’s at this door on Christmas Eve.” The house she shared with her children was five thousand square feet, so it took her a minute to get from the kitchen to the front door. However, whoever was on the other side of the door, didn’t seem to appreciate that fact and rang her doorbell again and again. “I’m coming,” Theresa hollered from the distance.

“Hurry.”

“I know you are not rushing me,” Theresa said as she opened the door and held it close to her side.

“Look, I know you have every reason to be mad at me, but I really need to…”

The door opened wider as Mikey, Theresa’s first child squeezed in next to his mom. Trinity stooped down and hugged him like she’d been away for way too long.

“Auntie Trinity, you’re hurting me,” Mikey told her.

She let him go and stepped back. “I’m sorry, honey. It’s just that I’m so happy to see you.”

“What are you talking about? You see him all the time. He was just over to your house last weekend,” Theresa said, the annoyance ringing loud and clear in her voice.

“Just because I saw my god-son last weekend doesn’t mean that I don’t miss him.” Trinity tickled Mikey as she reminded Theresa, “I did, after all, hang out with you all night long in that hospital while you gave birth to him.”

Rolling her eyes heavenward, Theresa said, “And then you went on stage drunk and ruined all of our careers.” Trinity Thomas was the last person Theresa wanted to see on Christmas Eve. And Tara Owens was a close second. As the Four Ts, Theresa, Trinity, Tina and Tara had once made good music and even better money. Theresa had been able to take care of her children even though she didn’t have a husband to speak of, and things had been all good. But, Trinity’s drinking and Tara’s drug use had put an end to all of that. The record company refused to re-sign them. After that, Tina informed the group that she was going solo. So, now Theresa was feeling salty and didn’t want to be bothered with anyone with a T at the beginning of their name except her son…