9
Misha and Matthew sat in their attorney’s office discussing their case with their lawyer. “Rick, I thought you said the notice in the paper was routine and nothing would come of it,” Matthew said. He was furious. He sat on the edge of his chair talking to the plump man.
Misha was so upset she could barely say a word. She didn’t understand how a stranger could walk into her life and try to take her baby. Courtney was Misha’s baby. She was Matthew’s daughter. Her natural father was dead. Matthew was the only father she had ever known. Their families were her only family. Misha had not slept since all this started last Sunday. It was difficult to wait several days until Rick returned from a trip to discuss the objection to the adoption they received. How could anyone dare to object to Matthew adopting Courtney? Maybe it was the money. Since Matthew was a celebrity, someone was always trying to sue him. Now they were using their baby to extort money from them.
Misha wasn’t having it. She was a fighter. She would fight them with fasting and prayer. She would fight them even if she had to go to Nebraska to confront them. They were not taking her baby from her.
Misha eyed Matthew talking to Rick. He did not get any sleep last night. They had gotten up about two in the morning to pray. An hour after that, she overheard him downstairs praying again by himself.
“I have already answered the objection. Misha, are you sure you never met these people? Tell me about your relationship with Courtney’s father.”
Misha couldn’t believe Rick was asking her that question. There was no relationship with Courtney’s biological father. Her father worked at the school where she taught. He was a consultant hired by the district to evaluate the school. She never went out with him even though he had asked her numerous times. The only reason she knew he was from Nebraska was because he told her in passing conversation. She was surprised she remembered it. She never met his family.
Rick was Matthew’s attorney. He took this case because he thought it would be simple. Now, he was referring them to an attorney that practiced adoption law. Misha prayed this case didn’t hit the papers. The media loved to tear down preachers.
Misha and Matthew left the attorney’s office not feeling any better than before they went in. They both passed on lunch and headed home. On any typical day, they would have delighted in an afternoon of intimacy. But today, neither felt like it. The atmosphere held a nervous tension.
“I have to go over to the church for a little while. I’ll pick up Courtney on the way back,” Matthew said. Sitting around the house was driving him crazy.
“No. I’ll go get her now. Will you be home for dinner?”
“Yes.” Matthew walked toward Misha and embraced her. “It’s going to be okay. This will pass quickly. We don’t have anything to worry about.”
Misha wished she could be as confident as her husband. Her faith was being tested. Could God be chastising her for even considering having an abortion when she found out she was pregnant? She repented of that a long time ago. She loved Courtney so much she couldn’t see how she considered it. Courtney and Matthew were the two biggest blessings she had ever received in her life, and she almost walked away from both of them.
Misha walked into the laundry room and opened the dryer. She reached in for the dry baby blanket inside. Laying the unfolded blanket on top of the dryer, she began to pray.
“God, I honor you for your awesome power and your love, grace and mercy that is new every day. Forgive me of my sins, especially of the thought of having an abortion. I thank you for my child. She is a most precious gift. I know this situation is under your control. Give me peace and guidance. Show me what you would have me to do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Misha needed to vent to someone about her legal woes. After picking up Courtney from day care, she stopped by her mother-in-law’s medical office to see if she had some free time to talk. She had always found her mother-in-law easy to talk to, more than her own mom.
She needed to talk to someone about this other than Matthew. He was as troubled about it as she was. Sometimes, Misha thought he had some questions about her relationship, if you can call it that, with Courtney’s father. She explained everything to him and thought he understood. Hopefully, deep inside, he knew there was nothing more to it.
“Ooooh, look at little Courtney. How’s my baby doing?” Misha’s mother-in-law, Dr. Lauren Taylor, said as she spotted Misha and Courtney walking down the hallway in her office. She set the folder she was holding down on a small table tucked inside a cutout in the wall and ran to get Courtney. Misha handed over the stretching baby to her. They had her so spoiled. She took Courtney in her arms and hugged Misha at the same time.
“Who is this cute little girl?” one of her patients asked.
“Mr. Goodwin, this is my granddaughter.”
Courtney twisted her lips. She babbled as she talked to the man. The man’s laughter made Courtney squeal in delight. He walked away leaving her with the swarm of Dr. Lauren’s employees who were passing Courtney among them. The baby squealed with all the attention. She was so much like Matthew it was crazy. She was not even one year old yet, and she was already an entertainer.
After a few minutes, Dr. Lauren collected Courtney in her arms, and they walked to her office. Misha sat in the beautifully decorated office filled with her mother-in-law’s many degrees and accreditations and a small display of African American art. It was nice having a dermatologist in the family. Misha’s skin had never looked so good. She was even more grateful she could get along with her in-laws. At first, she was afraid they would think she was with Matthew for his money and they would be suspicious of her. However, they accepted her like family.
“Matthew called and told me what Rick said today. I don’t think you have anything to worry about. He’ll straighten it out,” Dr. Lauren said as she bounced Courtney on her knee to the delight of the baby. “This is Grandma’s little girl, and no big bad man is going to take her away.” Courtney screamed with delight as she tried to talk with her grandmother.
“I keep telling myself it’s going to work out. Besides, anybody can file anything in court and nothing happens to it, right?” Misha said as Courtney’s loud chatter filled the room. Courtney’s blue eyes sparkled as her grandmother played with her nose. Her long ponytails swayed with every bounce. “Do you think God is punishing me?”
Dr. Lauren sat Courtney in her lap. She opened the top drawer in her desk and pulled out a small rattle and handed it to Courtney. “Punishing you for what?”
“You know . . . about the abortion.”
“Don’t ever think that. It was a tough time for you. Anybody would have thought about having an abortion. I told Matthew those people want money. Watch, it’s just a matter of time and they’re going to ask you for money.” She took a tissue and wiped the long line of saliva from Courtney’s mouth and put the rattle in it. “Where are you going after you leave here?”
“Well, I need to go home and start dinner. Matthew will be home soon.”
“Call him and tell him I’m going to take y’all out to dinner. I’ve got two more patients in the office to see. Call Matt’s office for me and tell him to meet us at the Main Course restaurant.”
That was the best offer Misha heard all day. She didn’t feel like cooking. The reality of the day was she did not really feel like eating. She cradled Courtney in her arms. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing her.
Misha joined the group at the restaurant after stopping by the store to pick up food for Courtney. Matthew had already ordered for her when she arrived at the table holding the baby in her arms. Her father-in-law, Dr. Matt, stood and reached for the squirming baby. He lightly kissed Misha’s cheek. Matthew grabbed the strap of the diaper bag off Misha’s shoulder and placed it in a chair beside him.
The meal was quickly delivered to the table. Misha only picked at her food. She hardly participated in the dinner conversation. She could only think of what might happen. How would she handle it? How would Matthew take it? What kind of impact would this trial have on their marriage? The sound of her name snapped her back to the conversation going on around her.
“You hardly ate anything. Don’t let these people upset you so much you can’t eat,” Dr. Matt said to her.
Misha glanced at Matthew. He was scrapping the last of his risotto from his plate. Apparently he hadn’t lost his appetite. She looked around the table and wondered how she ended up here. She and Matthew were raised so differently. His parents were doctors. His father was a neurosurgeon. Her parents were no less honorable. Her mother has worked for the hospital almost thirty years. Her father recently retired from driving long-distance trucks for a company. She was just a girl out of SWATS. Now, she was in a world she never imagined being in.
Courtney wailed at the top of her lungs, demanding everyone’s attention. Misha reached for her as the baby flung her head in protest. At least this took the attention off her plate. People in the restaurant stared at them. Misha reached into the bag and pulled out some strained carrots. Matthew pulled Courtney from her. Misha twisted the cap and dipped a spoon in it. She placed the carrots on Courtney’s tightly closed lips. The baby shook her head, refusing the food.
Dr. Matt took the crying baby and bounced her on his leg. Nothing they did stopped the crying or the tears that ran down her face. Dr. Matt took some mashed potatoes off his plate and placed it on her lips. Courtney licked the food from her mouth and reached toward the potatoes on the plate. Dr. Matt spooned more potatoes into the mouth of the now satisfied baby.
Somehow, Misha knew that was the problem. Matthew fed Courtney from his plate all the time. She had now acquired a taste for table food, and she demanded it. Her pediatrician told them to watch her weight. She was a chubby baby. Suddenly, everyone was feeding her from their plates. Misha would like them to be around when she got up in the middle of the night with a baby whose stomach was hurting.
“Y’all need to stop feeding her that food,” Misha demanded.
They laughed at the expressions the baby had on her face when she gobbled up the tiny assortment of foods they took turns giving her.
Misha eyed her baby sitting comfortably in her grandfather’s lap. She was so amazed by their resemblance. He was white, and his blue eyes stood out in the crowd. She could understand the attraction. Even at his age, he was still a very handsome man, with good skin. Matthew looked like his father, only darker skinned. They had the same features. Both of them were tall and slim. They talked alike and had the same mannerisms. They even acted the same way when they sang. Matthew often joked he had more soul than his father.
“Honey, when is the court date? I need to take that day off so I can go with you. I want to see these people for myself,” Dr. Lauren asked Matthew.
“We don’t have a court date yet. We should know something by the time Misha gets back from Philadelphia.”
“Philadelphia? Why are you going to Philadelphia?” She directed her question to Misha.
In all the commotion, she had forgotten about Philadelphia. “I was going. I don’t think I’ll go now.”
“Why not? You’ve been looking forward to the conference,” Matthew questioned her.
“What conference?” Dr. Lauren repeated.
“It’s a conference for first ladies of churches,” Matthew responded for his wife. “I found out about it a couple of months ago and suggested Misha go. I already made all the arrangements. She has been looking forward to it since one of her favorite preachers will be there.”
“Who’s that?” Dr. Lauren asked as she wiped Courtney’s mouth with a napkin.
“Shante Patrick,” Matthew answered.
“I’m not going now.” How could she go to a conference when someone was trying to take her baby away from her? Matthew had lost his mind if he thought she was leaving her baby for one minute.
“Misha, I think you should go. Courtney will be fine. I’ll help Matthew out if he needs me,” Dr. Lauren suggested.
“No. I don’t feel it’s the right time to go. There will be other conferences. Right now, I want to stay on top of things. Besides, I won’t be able to focus on the workshops or sermons with all this mess going on.”
“Misha, that’s the main reason why you should go. It will take your mind off everything for a little while. Who knows, you may get something out of it that will help you with everything that’s going on. When is the conference anyway?” Dr. Matt asked her.
“It starts tomorrow and continues throughout the weekend. I’ll be gone for too many days.” Misha felt they had ganged up on her, giving her multiple reasons why she should go to Philadelphia. She was too troubled. What if something happens while she was away? It would be the first time she left Courtney for more than a few hours. She had no doubt Matthew would take good care of her. It was still hard to leave her, especially now. She didn’t know if she could do it.
The dinner had been a good diversion for Misha and Matthew this evening. Her in-laws never let her focus on the hearing too long.
She sat on the bed dressed in her silk pajamas reading her Bible. She tried to find a verse that sent comfort to her restless soul. Matthew had volunteered to bathe Courtney and put her in the bed.
“Courtney’s asleep,” Matthew said as he walked into the bedroom. Noticing the Bible in her lap he asked, “What are you reading?” He sat on the bed beside her.
“Psalm Thirty-four.”
“Let me see.” Matthew took the Bible from her hand and leaned on the contemporary headboard of the bed and began reading. Misha placed her head on his chest and listened to him.
Go to Philadelphia.
The familiar voice in her spirit spoke to her. Misha knew it was the Holy Spirit telling her to go to the conference. How could she? She looked around their large master bedroom suite. The colors, the furniture, the curtains, everything seemed new to her. Where had she been all this time? She didn’t even like paisley, and there were paisley curtains hanging in the room.
Matthew tried hard to comfort her. What was she worried about? There was no way these people could take their child.
Matthew closed the Bible and held Misha. He closed his eyes and began singing, “’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus.” Misha knew the only time Matthew sang hymns was when he was troubled. This was the first real test in their marriage, and they were both struggling with it.
Tell him nothing happened between you and Heckler. The Holy Spirit spoke to her again. She obeyed the voice in her spirit.
“Honey, nothing happened between me and Courtney’s dad. There were no feelings between us.”
“I know.” He kissed her forehead. Misha felt his tense body relax. They lay on the bed in silence. “You know you should go to Philadelphia.”
“How can I go now?”
Matthew sat up and looked her in the eye. “You need to go now. Daddy was right when he said you might get something you need out of it. I believe this conference is something you need.”
“I don’t know.” Misha caressed his chest.
“Think about it. How many people are you close to here other than my family?”
He had a point. She wasn’t close to anyone other than his family. The couple of people she thought were her friends were only using her to get next to him. On Sunday morning, the people attending church only wanted to talk to him. As they stood side by side, people spoke to him but completely ignored her. Some had pushed her aside to take pictures with him. She didn’t trust anyone outside of family. She was not going to talk to anyone about her marriage or church business. She did have days when she wished she had someone to go shopping with or just talk to about things other than church stuff. Courtney had more friends than she had. She was already being invited to parties, and she was not even one year old yet.
It would be nice to have someone other than her family call her and ask her how she was doing. She prayed God sent someone to be her real friend. Matthew’s friends were celebrities and so arrogant. Many times being around his friends sent her into sensory overload. There were times when she didn’t like being around them because of what God had shown her about them in the spirit. When they had them over to their house, they only wanted to talk to him. Misha usually ended up acting like their servant, serving food and drinks. They made her feel unwelcomed, like an outsider in her own house. Even on her birthday, they didn’t pretend to be happy for her. She was pushed out of her own party and ended up playing with Courtney in her room until they left the house.
“What can we do now but wait? So, while you wait, you can be receiving a word from God and allowing Him to minister to you about being a first lady. Baby, I see you and what you have endured. I know it’s not easy being my wife. At the conference, you’ll meet other women who understand what it’s like being in your position.”
Misha sat quietly listening to the many reasons she should go to the conference. But she felt she needed to keep her child close.
Go to Philadelphia.
The voice in her spirit was relentless in pushing her to go to the conference. She had to obey the voice of the Lord. For whatever reason, the Lord wanted her to go. Maybe there was someone there she had to minister to. She had to remember she was a minister of the Gospel, a prophetess. He would show her who needed ministry when she got there.
“Okay, I’ll go.” Misha gave in.
Matthew’s lips widened into a smile. He jumped off the bed and ran into the closet and returned, pulling some paper out of an envelope.
“Here,” he handed her the papers. “I printed your boarding passes earlier. Your flight leaves at ten.”
“You were so sure I was going.” Misha reached for the envelope.
“I needed you to go.”
“What? You’re trying to get rid of me?”
“No, I’m trying to prevent you from going to jail.”
“Jail? I don’t get it.”
“I’m hoping you can find other ways of dealing with all the women at the church. I know they are there. I don’t pay them any attention, but you do. I know it bothers you. You can’t keep jumping up in every woman’s face, talking about you’re from Georgia and threatening to cut them. I’m scared you’re going to end up in jail, and I can’t get any until visitation day.” He started to laugh.
Misha jumped off the bed and placed her hands on her hips. He was only joking, but two could play that game. “You say that like you’re going to get some tonight.”
“Well, you are going away for a few days. You’ve got to put something in storage.” He slowly approached her.
Misha backed away from him and circled the bed. She stopped at the other side not wanting to play this game tonight. Tonight, she needed to be with her husband.