CHAPTER Thirty-one

Present

When the director of Dove’s Haven told me that she wanted to have a very important meeting with me, I instantly became nervous. The last time I’d been called into a meeting with my superiors, I’d lost my job. I didn’t know what I’d do if I was fired again. Dove’s Haven had become more than a job for me. I had become totally invested in the women I’d helped, and that investment made for many success stories.

Besides Celeste, I’d used my contacts to place six women in jobs that would do more than give them a minimum-wage paycheck. Celeste was a research analyst for a lawyer friend of mine. All of the women were in career positions that would change their lives if they wanted it. And most of them seemed to really want it.

I walked into Rhonda’s office wearing my confident face. That was another thing I liked about Dove’s Haven. Everyone was on a first-name basis with everyone else. There was a familial atmosphere that was important to some of the women who had never experienced family.

“Good afternoon, Charmayne. Have a seat.” I relaxed a little. Rhonda sounded entirely too cheerful to be firing anyone.

“Good afternoon.” I sat in front of Rhonda’s desk as she finished typing something on her computer.

When she finished, she turned to me and smiled. “Charmayne, I have great news, and an offer.”

“An offer?”

“Well, let me start by saying that Dove’s Haven was awarded a two-hundred-thousand-dollar grant from the Parthenon Corporation!” Rhonda exclaimed.

“They’re software distributors, right?”

“Yes. They’re giving grants to faith-based organizations that are making a difference in the community.”

“That is great news. That money will do these women a lot of good.”

Rhonda continued, “Wait. There’s more. I believe that we received that grant because I used Celeste’s story as a case study in our grant proposal.”

I nodded enthusiastically. “That was brilliant. She has a tremendous testimony.”

“And she had a tremendous mentor. I was wondering if you’d like to expand your role. We want to launch a job readiness program for the entire community, and I’d like for you to direct it.”

“I’d love to.” It was a huge undertaking, but I felt ready.

“I’m happy to hear you say that! I thought you were going to say no.”

My smile must’ve stretched from one side of my face to the other. The job offer was an answered prayer.

I replied confidently, “I just can’t wait to get started. I’m going to compile all the ideas I have and present them to you next week.”

Rhonda laughed. “I’m glad you know what to do, because I really didn’t know where to start.”

“Just leave it to me.”

After hearing the good news at Dove’s Haven, not even spending my lunch hour with Dayna was going to steal any of my joy. Actually, the lunch date was an olive branch from me to her. I didn’t want our relationship to be as strained as it was. She was the only sister I had, and I knew that one day we’d need each other.

I had chosen an informal setting for our lunch—the food court in the mall. I saw that Dayna was already in line at the Taco Shack, so I headed for the Japanese grill. I ordered chicken teriyaki with no rice and found a table with a view overlooking the Cuyahoga River. When Dayna joined me I was watching an elderly couple stroll past the boats hand in hand. I wondered if I’d have someone to share my old age with.

“What in the world is that?” asked Dayna, referring to my food.

“Chicken teriyaki. I see you got your usual mystery-meat burritos.”

She laughed. “Well, mystery meat or not, it tastes good.”

“I’ll remind you that you said that when the doctor is unclogging your arteries.”

“Oh, I forgot. You’re Miss Healthy now. How many pounds have you lost?”

“Seventy-three.”

Dayna’s eyes widened. “That’s a lot of weight. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

It was comical to me that my sister and I were doing the small-talk thing. We both knew that we were here to talk about what had happened on Christmas. It had been almost six months and we still hadn’t talked about the feelings Dayna had expressed on that day.

After a brief, uncomfortable silence, Dayna asked, “So how are you doing, Charmayne? Me and Mama are worried about you.”

“I’m getting there. It’s going to be awhile before I’m back to normal,” I replied honestly.

“So the therapy is working out?”

“It’s helping a great deal.”

Dayna nodded. “I’m glad. I don’t like to see you falling apart. You know you’re the strong one.”

It was true. I had always been the strong one in our family—the one everyone else leaned on. When our father died, Mama had fallen apart and Dayna had pretended that it was all a dream. At age eighteen I had made the funeral arrangements and taken care of insurance and outstanding debts. I had grieved behind closed doors when everyone had gone home.

When I didn’t reply, Dayna continued, “You know it’s time to start planning Mama’s birthday party.”

“It’s only June, Dayna. Her birthday’s not until September.”

“Why leave it to the last minute?”

I shrugged. “Why do we have to have a party? Why can’t we just do something as a family?”

Dayna said, “If it’s about the money, I will pay for mostly everything.”

She obviously thought I was broke. “It’s not a money thing, Dayna. I just thought that me, you, and Mama could do a spa day or something.”

“You’d actually want to spend an entire day with me and Mama?”

“Sure.”

Dayna clasped her hands together and looked intently into my face. “Charmayne, I need to say something to you and I don’t want you to interrupt. Just let me get it out.”

“Okay—”

“You’re interrupting already.”

I placed one hand over my mouth to ensure silence for Dayna’s speech.

She continued, “I’m sorry about Christmas. I don’t ever want us to fight on the holiday again. It just seems like my jealousy gets the best of me sometimes.”

“You’re jealous of me? But why, Dayna? You have it all.”

“I guess we can both look at each other’s lives and find something to envy,” she said reflectively. “But we’re sisters, and I want us to be there for each other. Please forgive me.”

“I forgive you,” I responded simply. Before I’d begun therapy with Dr. King, I would’ve tried to find something that I’d done wrong in the situation and offer my own apology. But I hadn’t done anything to apologize for, so I offered only my forgiveness.

“Was your relationship with Travis already in trouble when he didn’t show up for Christmas?” Dayna asked. I was sure that she’d been dying to ask me that question. I wondered what had taken so long.

“No, it wasn’t, not to my knowledge, but then again it was pretty much doomed from the beginning. There is much that you don’t know about the situation with Travis.”

“Are you going to tell me?”

“Maybe. When I’m ready.” This response was also birthed directly out of my therapy. I didn’t owe anyone an explanation for why my marriage had broken down.

“Well, even if you never tell me all that happened, I’m still praying for you.”

I smiled warmly at my younger sibling. “That’s what sisters are for.”