Chapter Twenty-Two
Taylor left her store early after receiving Jerome’s call. After her less-than-friendly, surprise encounter with Renee, Taylor didn’t understand why Joi had gone to the hospital. Like mother like daughter, she supposed. Maybe there was something they had in common after all.
When Taylor walked into Joi’s room, she was lying under the covers and throwing the basketball Jerome had given her for Christmas in the air.
“Jerome called me,” she said and sat on the edge of Joi’s bed. Rather than scold her for going to the hospital when she should’ve been shopping, Taylor sympathized with her daughter’s pain. “What’s going through your mind?”
“They were mean to me,” Joi said, her large hands holding the ball in place on her lap. “I don’t understand why so many people are mad at me.”
“His family isn’t really mad at you,” Taylor explained. “Me, maybe, but not you. Jerome should’ve told them, but like me, he was probably afraid. Just give the family some time to sort things out.”
“I really wanted to meet him, but if I’d known it would cause so much confusion . . .” Joi started to cry.
“Stop blaming yourself.” Taylor reached out to hug her child. Joi’s tears ignited the pain Taylor had buried deep inside, and she, too, started to cry. “This is my fault, but God will make it better. Trust me on this,” Taylor whimpered, praying that she was right.
Taylor walked back downstairs after leaving Joi’s room and entered the kitchen. Lance was seated in his usual spot, watching the news and eating a slice of lemon cake. They hadn’t talked about what happened at Christmas dinner, and that bugged Taylor. As she walked by him, she mumbled a hello, and Lance returned her greeting.
The twins had begged for stuffed pork chops for dinner. Taylor took a pack of thawed pork chops out of the refrigerator, seasoned then stuffed them with a spinach and three-cheese mixture. Lance hadn’t even looked her way. She’d been standing there for the past fifteen minutes and not a word from him. Something had to change.
Taylor slapped one of the chops onto a sheet of aluminum foil then turned around sharply to face her husband. “We can’t go on like this. Don’t you think it’s time we talked about what’s going on between us?”
“Now you want to talk,” Lance replied. “You seem to be doing just fine without me.”
“Oh, c’mon, Lance. I apologized for going to the hotel. Let it go,” Taylor said, frustrated.
“What about getting the second store? You didn’t talk to me about that. You didn’t talk to me about the increased amount of time Joi spends at the store. And Jerome”—Lance changed the channel—“Where do I begin with him?”
“I didn’t know you had so many bottled-up issues,” responded Taylor. She continued to stuff the remaining pork chops and then put them into the oven. “But since we’re being honest,” she said and blocked Lance’s television view, “why do you have to tell your mother and sisters everything that goes on in our home? You see how they turn things around and blame me for everything. Or maybe that’s what you want,” she snapped. “And when are you gonna finish our bedroom? I’ve got bruises a mile long from bumping into things. Meanwhile, Gram is walking around her castle like a queen.”
Lance got up from the table and refilled his glass of iced tea.
Taylor wasn’t sure if Lance was really listening to her, but she continued to talk, regardless. “And you’re blind when it comes to Joi. She’s doing better, but she’s not the perfect angel you think she is. Joi doesn’t share your genes, Lance. She’s hardheaded and tough like—”
“Like who?” Lance slammed his glass on the table.
Taylor thought she heard it crack. Immediately, she wanted to apologize. Bringing up Jerome was wrong. “I’m sorry,” she said, “but it’s just that she needs a stern approach.”
“My approach is not good enough for you? Or is it that Jerome has suggested something better?”
Taylor was tired of all the recent accusations concerning her feelings for Jerome. “How many times do I have to tell you that there’s nothing between us anymore?”
“Until I believe it,” Lance said.
Taylor threw her hands in the air. “You can’t seriously be jealous of him, Lance. He’s here to get to know Joi better. I thought you were okay with this.”
“Is Joi the only person he’s getting reacquainted with? You seem to talk to him on the phone more than you do Sherry and Kara.”
Jerome was right. Since Jerome and Joi had connected, she had spent a great deal of time conversing with him. Although they always talked about Joi, Taylor could understand why Lance would be concerned. Taylor and Jerome had a strong history.
“Have you spoken to him today?”
“That’s not fair. Jerome’s in the hospital. Is it a crime to check in on him? He is Joi’s father.”
“I know. You’ve been reminding me of that every day.” Lance drank the rest of his ice tea then placed his glass in the sink. “If you need me, I’ll be at Gram’s,” he replied and walked out of the kitchen.
Less than a minute later, Taylor heard the front door close.
At 3:12 A.M., Taylor woke up to find that Lance had not come to bed. That wasn’t a good sign. She eased out of bed and walked downstairs, hoping to find him.
Bundled under the twins’ old comforter, Lance was sound asleep on the couch.
This was the first time they’d ever slept apart. Rather than wake him, Taylor went back to her room and recited the prayer of Jabez until she fell back to sleep.