Chapter 23
Nydia and Lamar were forced to abandon their plan to drive to Brooklyn when it began snowing at the rate of an inch an hour. So, after picking up the mail at the West Harlem brownstone, they headed back to White Plains. Every television channel aired breaking news about the winter storm predicted to dump more than two feet of snow on the state, and many officials were warning motorists to stay off the road. It was Christmas Day, and there was light vehicular traffic, so they made it back in record time.
Nydia changed into a pair of sweats and assisted Sandra in the kitchen baking cookies, while Lamar joined the others in the basement as they watched Christmas-themed movies most had seen before.
“Did you make up with Lamar?” Sandra asked as she slipped golden brown cookies on a rack to cool.
“Yes, we did.”
“So when’s the big day?”
Nydia gave her sister-in-law a sidelong glance as she squeezed the lever on the cookie press to release heart-shaped dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. “We haven’t set a date.”
“So, you will be getting married?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
Sandra hugged her. “Good. I’m not going to say another thing about you and Lamar until you call and tell me you’re officially engaged.”
Nydia smiled. “Thank you.” She finished filling the tray and handed it off to Sandra. “I can’t believe you’ve become so domesticated. You’re spending more time in the kitchen than you do in your office.”
Sandra closed the door to the eye-level double oven. “It’s the first time I’ve been able to balance career and motherhood. Working from home two days a week has made me aware of how much more energy I have to devote to Nelson and the girls. They love it when I get up and make breakfast for them, and I’m home when they get off the school bus. This is not to say they don’t love their great-grandmother, but they claim they like having me home.”
Sitting on a stool at the cooking island, Nydia rested her elbows on the countertop. “Are you hinting that you want to become a stay-at-home mother?”
“I can’t afford that now. Nelson and I are saving money for the girls’ college education, and running a house this size isn’t cheap. I usually commute into the city with a woman who lives in Mount Vernon and went to Brooklyn Law with me, and we’ve been talking about setting up a family law practice together.”
Sandra’s revelation piqued Nydia’s interest. “You’re really considering going into business for yourself?”
The lawyer’s dark eyes twinkled when she smiled. “I’m seriously thinking about it. You and your mother are female entrepreneurs, so I want to round out the trifecta of Santiago women operating their own businesses.”
“I must admit I feel a lot more secure knowing I won’t come in one morning and be handed a pink slip. When do you think you’ll open your own office?”
“I’m thinking about five years. By that time Bree will be in college and Mimi a junior in high school, while yours truly will be turning forty.”
“That’s the advantage of having your children in your early twenties.”
Sandra checked on the cookies in the oven. “I really hadn’t planned on having babies while I was still going to law school, but now when I look back I don’t regret it. Speaking of babies, do you and Lamar plan to have any?”
“We haven’t talked about it.”
“Do you want children?” Sandra asked.
Nydia pondered the question for a moment. “If I marry Lamar, then I’ll have a daughter.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it, Nydia. Do you want to have a baby with him?”
A mysterious smile softened her mouth as she stared across the kitchen at the television mounted under a row of cabinets. The crawl on the bottom of the screen indicated the governor had declared a state of emergency. “Yes. I’d like to have at least one.”
Sandra glanced at the television before she removed the cookie sheet from the oven. “What’s going to happen if your Broadway show is cancelled tomorrow? Will you lose your money?”
“No,” Nydia replied. “When I ordered the tickets I also added cancellation insurance and gave instructions that the tickets would be picked up at the box office.” She didn’t tell Sandra that Lamar had reimbursed her for the cost of the tickets.
“Good for you.”
* * *
The week in New York had passed all too quickly for Lamar. A snowstorm had scrapped Nydia’s plan to take the girls into Manhattan for a Broadway show, but they didn’t seem to mind as they huddled together watching movies, playing board games, and sledding down the hill leading from the house. He got to see another side of his daughter as she interacted with girls she’d just met, and he marveled how quickly she was able to bond with them.
Once the roads were cleared Luis and Isabel drove back to the city. Nelson’s vacation was cut short when he was ordered back to work by his precinct commander. Once the airports were up and running and flights were resumed, he accompanied Nydia to drop her brother Joaquin and his family off at LaGuardia for their return trip to Omaha, Nebraska. During the drive back to White Plains they had stopped to eat at a restaurant in City Island to make up for the one he’d promised during his first visit to rescue her from the frenzied paparazzi.
It was three weeks since Lamar and Kendra left New York for New Orleans, and Lamar had taken Kendra to their favorite Italian restaurant. The waiter had just set down their orders when his cell phone rang. Kendra peered over at the screen. “It’s Miss Nydia,” she said in sing-song.
“Thank you, Miss Pierce.”
Kendra rolled her eyes upward. “Whatever, Daddy. You can talk to her in front of me.”
Lamar glared at his daughter before he averted his eyes. “Hello.”
“Surprise! I’m back!”
He went completely still. “For good.”
“Yes!”
“When did you get in?”
“Yesterday morning.”
Lamar didn’t want to believe she’d waited more than twenty-four hours to inform him she had moved to New Orleans, even though they’d continued to call each other several times a week. “Where are you staying?”
“I’m staying with Cameron and Jasmine. They put me up in the guest wing of their beautiful new home. I suppose you would know about that because your construction company did the renovations. She just had her cast removed, so I’m helping her out for a while.”
“You’re a good friend.”
There came a beat before Nydia’s voice came through the earpiece again. “Why do you sound so condescending?”
“I’m not being condescending, Nydia.”
There came another pause. “How’s Kendra?”
“She’s good.”
“Tell her I’ll call her and we’ll set up a playdate. I’m meeting with Tonya and Hannah tomorrow to plan a surprise baby shower for Jasmine. So look for an invite.”
“Where are you hosting it?”
“It’s going to be at Cameron’s parents’ house. They always have a monthly Sunday family dinner, so we’re going to use that as an excuse to get her there, even though she has been complaining about not wanting to go out in public because she’s so close to her due date.”
“When is she due?”
“Sometime around the first week in February.”
“That’s only two weeks.”
“That’s why we have to work fast.”
Lamar smiled. “There’s no doubt that between you, Tonya, and Hannah you’ll be able to pull it off.”
“I’m praying we will. She doesn’t have a baby registry so we’re going to put together a layette and give her gift cards so she can buy whatever she wants. I think I hear her, so I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay. I’ll tell Kendra what you said.” Lamar ended the call and watched his daughter staring at him. “Miss Nydia has officially moved to New Orleans, and she said she’s going to call you in a few days to set up a playdate.”
Kendra grinned. “I really had a lot of fun with her family in New York.”
Lamar smiled. “I did, too.” He pointed to her plate. “Finish your food, young lady.”
Kendra picked up her fork. “When are we going back to New York, Daddy?”
He stared at her from under lowered lids. “Maybe around the spring break.”
“Can we bring Taylor and Morgan? I’m certain they would like Bree and Mimi, too.”
Lamar shook his head. “You’re definitely getting ahead of yourself. Spring is still a few months away, and a lot of things can happen in that time.”
“What, Daddy?”
He thought about his relationship with Nydia. He didn’t know if they would be engaged, but he knew for certain they wouldn’t be married by that time. “I don’t know,” Lamar answered truthfully.
Kendra kept up a running commentary about three boys in her science class who’d changed the labels on several chemicals that resulted in a small fire that caused the school to be evacuated, and ended with them being suspended for a week. “I heard they may be expelled.”
“That’s a lesson for everyone. If you do something that might hurt yourself or others, then your actions have consequences.”
“I know, Daddy,” Kendra drawled. “You tell me that all of the time.”
“Just make certain you believe it.”
“I do,” she drawled again. “I can’t eat any more. Can I take this home?”
Lamar stared at the veal Milanese and spaghetti Pomodoro on Kendra’s plate. She’d barely touched her dinner. “Of course. Are you feeling okay?”
She nodded. “I’m good.”
He signaled their waiter and asked that he pack up his daughter’s plate. “I guess you don’t want dessert.”
“Not tonight.”
Lamar hoped his daughter wasn’t coming down with something, because she had never been a picky eater. He settled the bill and led her to his car. She was monosyllabic on the way home, and he remembered Nydia telling him that Kendra’s hormones were in flux and could be responsible for her occasional mood swings.
“It’s the weekend, so you should sleep in late tomorrow,” he told her once they were home.
Kendra nodded. “Okay. Good night, Daddy.”
He smiled. “Good night, baby girl.”
Lamar tossed his car fob in a small sweetgrass basket on the table in the entryway. Ramona had taken the weekend off, so it was just he and Kendra until Sunday night. He didn’t know why, but he felt a strange restlessness that wouldn’t permit him to completely relax.
He’d spent the entire day in the office, which probably added to his angst. Earlier in the week he’d visited all of the construction sites and found nothing amiss. The city inspectors had given Hannah the okay to resume work on the installation of the elevator at the inn and he’d found a company willing to do the work. As soon as they forwarded a copy of an updated insurance policy to the city, then they would be issued a work permit to begin.
It was too early to turn in for the night, and Lamar decided to go into the family room and watch reruns of a number of football games he’d missed. He hadn’t realized he’d dozed off until he heard the doorbell. He walked to the door and peered through the security eye and saw Nydia staring back at him.
“What’s the matter?” he asked when opening the door.
“Kendra called me.”
Lamar didn’t realize his heart was racing. “What for?”
Nydia pushed past him. “Female business.”
“What the hell?” he whispered. Nydia was halfway up the staircase before he understood what she’d said. His hands were shaking as he closed and locked the door. It was apparent his daughter was now physically a woman.
* * *
Nydia found Lamar in the kitchen holding a glass of what appeared to be liquor. “Are you celebrating or feeling frightened that your little girl is now a woman?”
Lamar gave her what she thought of as the death stare. “Why didn’t she tell me?”
Nydia filled an electric kettle with water and flicked it on. “Maybe she didn’t feel comfortable talking to you about the changes going on in her body.”
“And she felt comfortable with you?”
Turning slowly, she stared at Lamar as if he’d suddenly taken leave of his senses. “Of course. In case you haven’t noticed, I am a woman.”
“She’s discussed this with you before?”
Crossing her arms over her chest, Nydia exhaled a breath. “Yes. We don’t just talk about cooking. She told me the health teacher at her school discussed menstruation with the girls, so she knew what to expect. But it’s not until it happens that it becomes a reality. When she called me I stopped by the drugstore to pick up the feminine products she needs because she said she misplaced the starter kit she got in school. By the way, can she take Tylenol?”
Lamar nodded. “Yes. Why?”
“She’s a little headachy and she’s also complaining about cramps. I’m going to make her a cup of tea, give her a Tylenol, and stay with her until she falls asleep.”
Lamar ran a hand over his face. “I suppose I should’ve been ready for this.”
“You couldn’t be ready, because no one can pinpoint when a girl begins her menses. My father told me it was easier for him to accept his sons’ becoming men than his daughter physically becoming a woman.”
Taking three steps, Lamar pulled Nydia into the circle of his embrace. “Thank you for being here.”
Leaning back, she stared up at Lamar, seeing indecision in his eyes. “You don’t have to thank me, Lamar. Kendra is going to be my daughter when I marry you, and that means I’m here for the duration.”
“That means both of us are very lucky.”
“That makes three of us.”
Not seeing Lamar for three weeks had allowed Nydia time to assess her future, and she knew unequivocally that she wanted to marry him. She’d thought Valentine’s Day would be the perfect day to announce their engagement, but that was nearly a month away.
“I guess you can say we’re a package deal,” Lamar said, smiling.
“One for all and all for one.” She laughed. Nydia pulled away from him. “The water is ready.” It took her less than five minutes to add honey to a large mug and then fill it with hot water, a tea bag, and then a sliver of lemon before removing the bag. She also filled a glass of water from the indoor refrigerator and went upstairs.
Kendra was sitting up in bed, her back supported by a mound of pillows, with her eyes closed. The diamond studs her father had given her for Christmas sparkled in her pierced lobes. At that moment the girl appeared so much younger than eleven.
“Kendra, can you swallow pills?”
She opened her eyes. “Yes.”
Nydia sat on the side of the bed. “I’m going to give you a Tylenol to help you with your headache.” She handed the girl the glass of water and shook a gel out of the bottle and into her outstretched hand, watching and waiting for her to swallow it and follow with the water. “The tea is still a little hot, so wait until it cools before you attempt to drink it. I’m going to sit on the window seat until you fall asleep. I’ll call you tomorrow to see how you’re doing, so let me know if you need me.”
Kendra managed a small smile. “Thank you.”
Nydia kissed her forehead before she walked across the bedroom to the window seat. Reaching into her tote, she took out the magazine dedicated to southern living she’d purchased in the airport and settled down to read an article about comfort food classics. As a transplanted New Yorker she wanted to absorb as much as she could about her new home state.
She didn’t have to wait long for Kendra to fall asleep. Nydia left the window seat and pulled the sheet and lightweight blanket over the girl’s shoulders. She never would have imagined that at thirty-three she would claim an eleven-year-old daughter. And she didn’t want Kendra to relate to her as her stepmother, but her mother. Nydia knew she would never be able to replace Valerie and would never attempt to fill the void left by the woman’s death, but she wanted to be there and support Kendra until adulthood.
Nydia returned to the kitchen to find Lamar leaning against the countertop with a cup of coffee. “She’s sleeping.” He stood straight, his light brown eyes meeting hers. “I’d like for you to wait until Jasmine has her baby to talk to Kendra about us getting married.”
A slight frown appeared between his eyes. “Why wait?”
“I don’t want the news of our engagement to throw shade on Jasmine and Cameron’s big event.”
Lamar nodded. “When do you want to make the announcement?”
A smile parted her lips. “What do you think of Valentine’s Day?”
His smile matched hers. “That’s perfect. When do you want to go and look at rings?”
Nydia rested a hand on his forearm. “Easy there, sport. We have time.”
“What’s your ring size?”
“Five.”
Lamar’s smile grew wider. “I think I can remember that.”
Going on tiptoe, Nydia kissed him, inhaling and tasting coffee on his lips. “Come walk me to the door.” Lamar took her hand, lacing their fingers together. It was a new year, she now lived in a new state, and in the coming month she would become a fiancée.
She opened the door to Jasmine’s minivan, slid in behind the wheel, and waved to Lamar as he stood on the sidewalk waiting for her to drive away. He returned her wave as Nydia checked her mirrors and pulled away from the curb. She liked driving the vehicle and knew it was only matter of time before she had to purchase a car to get around the city. And Nydia realized she couldn’t live with Jasmine and Cameron, nor would she move in with Lamar before they were married, and living with Hannah or Tonya was not an option. And the inn wasn’t ready for her to move in there. That meant she would check back into the Louis LaSalle until she married.
* * *
Nydia stared at the rain sluicing down the windows in the hospital’s waiting room. When she’d mentioned to Cameron that she was moving out and checking into the hotel, she got to see another side of the wealth manager who always appeared so calm and in control of everything. He told her in no uncertain terms that she couldn’t leave his wife now that she was so close to giving birth to her baby. He told her that Jasmine had come to emotionally depend on Nydia more than she did on him. This revelation had shocked her because she hadn’t been aware of any tension between the couple, who appeared to be very much in love, but then she did not know what went on between them behind closed doors. In the end she agreed to stay, up to and including the time when they baptized the baby.
Nydia enjoyed living in the renovated warehouse designed ultimately for living and entertaining. Cameron had hired a cook and house- and groundskeepers, which meant there was little for Jasmine to do except relax and count down the days to when she would become a mother. Most mornings and afternoons found them relaxing and taking their meals in the loggia, where a man-made waterfall and tropical foliage turned the rear of the house into a jungle oasis.
The baby shower had come off without a hitch. When she and Cameron escorted Jasmine into the elder Singletons’ home and she saw the expression on Jasmine’s face, Nydia knew her friend was totally shocked. Jasmine, not wanting to know the sex of her baby beforehand, had decorated the nursery in green and yellow pastels.
The invitees had presented her with gift cards, car seats, crib sheets and blankets, dozens of onesies, bibs, bath products, sweaters, hats, booties, and colorful and musical crib mobiles. Everyone dissolved into hysterics when Cameron’s brothers gave him a clothespin and more than ten cartons of disposable diapers in sizes ranging from newborn to toddler.
Tonya and Gage had commandeered the kitchen to prepare a buffet feast that had everyone complaining that they had eaten much too much. The children were relegated to another part of the mansion once the adults were served potent libations, and the ribald jokes flowed as freely as the lethal concoctions.
During the celebrating Nydia had watched Lamar staring at her, and she wondered if he was recalling the time when his wife was pregnant with Kendra. She was still ambivalent about giving Lamar another child, because when she married him she planned to embrace Kendra as her own. And raising a teenage girl, especially one who’d known and lost her biological mother, wasn’t going to be an easy endeavor. Being an aunt was wholly different than stepping into the role as mother, confidante, consoler, and occasionally disciplinarian. Nydia regarded herself as fun-loving and easygoing. She would encourage debate, but knew unequivocally she would never entertain disrespect, especially not from a child.
“Nydia, she had a girl.”
She turned and stared at Cameron. He looked as if he had been the one to go through labor; she noticed lines of tension bracketing his mouth and red, swollen eyes that indicated he’d been crying.
“How is she?”
He ran his fingers through his gray-flecked light brown hair. “She’s good. The baby is beautiful.”
Nydia hugged the new father. “Of course she would be. Have you decided on a name?”
“We agreed to Sabrina Maya Singleton.”
“That’s a name for an actress.”
Taking a handkerchief from the pocket of his slacks, Cameron dabbed his eyes. “It does sound rather dramatic for a tiny six-pound, two-ounce baby.”
“I know you want to spend some time with your wife and daughter, so I’m going to call a taxi and go back to the house.” Cameron had given her a key and the code to the security system.
“Don’t bother. I’ll take you back, because I’d like to clean up a bit before returning.”
Nydia only nodded, though she wanted to tell the normally dapper new father that he did look a hot mess with a wrinkled shirt and slacks he’d hastily pulled on when Jasmine woke him to say she was experiencing labor pains. When he knocked on the door to her room to tell Nydia that he was taking Jasmine to the hospital, she told him that she was coming with him.
He’d driven like a maniac while Nydia sat in the second row of seats in the minivan with Jasmine attempting to keep her calm as the pains increased with each passing minute. She had to shout to him to slow down or they would never make it, and in the end they were able to make it to the emergency entrance to the hospital without an accident. The staff was waiting at the door to place Jasmine on a stretcher and wheel her into the labor room.
Now, after the baby had made her entrance into the world, Nydia held out her hand. “I’ll drive back.” Cameron dropped the fob in her hand, and together they walked out of the hospital and into the cold February rain.