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Two weddings in the space of three months were almost more than Toya Milner could take, especially since she was a bridesmaid in both weddings. But she couldn’t let her mother or sister down. So, Toya smiled her way through her mother’s wedding because she was truly happy that her mother had found love again. Her father passed away over three years ago, and her mother had grieved long and hard. It was time for her to smile again.
But today, she was wearing a peach bridesmaid gown because it was her sister Tia’s turn to get married. And Tia picked peach as her color even though pastels weren't a good look for Toya. Tia was marrying the father of her child, the man she truly loved. Robbie Carter turned out to be a good guy, and Toya was glad that they had each other. But the reason the smile she felt in her heart for her sister wasn’t shining through her eyes today was simply that Toya wanted a love of her own and didn’t understand why she couldn’t meet a man who wasn’t trying to use or abuse her.
“Hey, no frowning. This is a happy day,” Jarrod Reed said as he put an arm around her shoulder and lightly nudged her.
“Of course, it’s a happy day.” Jarrod was way too close for her liking. Toya stepped back, letting his arm fall off her shoulder. “Where is your date? Why are you over here bothering me about my facial expressions?”
“Since you are now my sister, I think it is more than appropriate that I am concerned about you being a big ol’ grump on the happiest day of our other sister’s life.”
Toya gave him the hand. “Just because your father married my mother, does not make us brother and sister.”
“Why doesn’t it?” Jarrod demanded to know.
“It just doesn’t.” Toya walked away from Jarrod because she couldn’t explore all the reasons why being his sister didn’t work for her. Maybe if he weren’t so gorgeous, Toya wouldn’t have fantasized about being his wife when they were teenagers. But none of that matters anymore, especially since Jarrod stood her up for her senior prom.
Her cell phone rang. She looked at the caller ID, but the number was private. She never answered private numbers, but for some reason, she hit the accept button.
As she was trying to say hello, she was interrupted, “I know it’s not right to call you, but I need help.”
A chill went down Toya’s spine as she thought for just a moment that the caller sounded like Marvel Williams. “Why are you calling me? What do you want?”
“I’m not trying to cause no trouble, but I’m living on the street. I can’t even feed myself. I just want you to talk to your mother for me. Tell her to let me come back home.”
“Deacon Brown?” Toya couldn’t believe the nerve of this man. He and Marvel had plotted against her mother, and now he wanted help.
“It’s me. I called you because I know that you have a big enough heart to forgive a foolish old man. Like the prodigal son, I went out into the world and made a mess of my life. I now know how good I had it, and I want to come back to the church.”
“You embezzled money from the church. Why on earth do you think my mother would just let you waltz back into Christ Life Sanctuary as if you didn’t try to tear it down?”
“I wasn’t thinking right back then. But tell your mom that I really need her help. My wife is sick. She needs a heart operation, but the church cut off my insurance, and I can’t afford to pay for her operation.”
Before Toya could respond, Jarrod snatched the phone away from her ear. “How dare you get Toya involved in this dumpster fire you created. Turn yourself into the police. Accept responsibility for what you did. Until you do that, we don’t want to hear from you again.” Jarrod hung up and handed the phone back to Toya.
“I was handling the situation myself. I didn’t need you to come over here, like I’m some damsel in distress.”
“Whether you like it or not, I’m going to always have your back.” He got in her face and rubbed noses with her. “You’re stuck with me so just face it.”
“Whatever.” Shaking her head, Toya put her cell back in her purse and headed for the door. All this family togetherness and wedding stuff was more than she could take. She needed to break free and get back to life as she knew it. But ever since that incident with Marvel, life just hadn't been the same.
In the space of a few hours, everything had changed for her. Now, as she walked out of the hotel where Tia’s wedding reception was being held, she looked around, taking in every sight and sound before stepping out of the building. The day Marvel kidnapped her; Toya hadn't been aware of her surroundings as she left her office building.
He had been standing by the trunk of his car, smiling at her as if everything was still good between them, even though they both knew it wasn’t. Even so, Toya never expected Marvel to pull a gun on her or to demand that she get in his car. The rest was all too painful to think about as she quickly got in her car and locked the doors. As she turned on the engine, Toya glanced around, checking her surroundings once again. That’s when she noticed Jarrod standing a few feet away with his back against the concrete wall as if he thought he could blend in.
She rolled her window down and yelled so he could hear her, “It’s daylight, Jarrod. I don’t need a bodyguard right now.”
“How do you know I’m not out here taking a smoke break?” He said as he walked over to her car.
Toya rolled her eyes. “Show me your smokes.”
“Don’t try to bum cigs off of me. You earn enough money at that law firm to buy your own.”
“I’m on leave from my law firm, and you don’t smoke.”
Jarrod threw up his hands. “Okay, you’ve got me. I was following you. But you can’t just be wandering off on your own like that.” When he caught the look she gave him, he said, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know you’re grown. But help a brother out. I’ve been defending you since we were kids. Remember that bully who wanted to fight you just because you wouldn’t give him a kiss. Who took that beat down for you?”
Toya laughed at the memory. They had been in the sixth grade when Jarrod became her hero. The bully’s nickname was Meathead because he had a fat head. But that wasn’t all. His stomach hung over his pants, and he had arms like Terry Crews, the ex-football player, turned actor.
That bruiser landed one punch to Jarrod’s cheek and knocked him on the ground. Toya and Tia then jumped on the bruiser’s back and pounded on his head until the school security guard pulled them off. They all received a one-day suspension, but it was worth it because that big boy never bothered her again. “I don’t want you to get beat up by Deacon Brown, so just stay out of it.”
“Ha ha, very funny. But I think I can take Deacon Brown. It’s you I’m worried about. I don’t want you caught up in all that drama again, Toya. I’m serious about that.”
Jarrod gave her that look. The one that told her he was about business and wasn’t in the mood for games. “I'm not going to meet up with Deacon Brown. So, stop worrying.”
Toya couldn’t even be annoyed at Jarrod for watching out for her. He’d done that since they were kids. But as she drove home, she wondered why in the world he was still single. She and Jarrod would be turning thirty-two this year. So, it was time for that man to settle down. He would make a wonderful husband and father. Toya had thought about introducing Jarrod to one of her sorority sisters but had never followed through on that.
When she arrived home, Toya pulled up to her mailbox, rolled her window down, and took the mail out of the box. She opened the garage door, drove into her garage and quickly put the garage door back down all the while looking through her rearview mirror to ensure that no one tried to sneak into the garage.
Before opening the door to enter her home through the kitchen, Toya said a silent prayer asking God to protect her and make sure that no one was inside her house waiting to kill her. She entered the townhouse and turned off the alarm system. The fact that the alarm had not been set off was another way she ensured that no one evaded her home. Toya leaned against the wall next to the alarm and exhaled. This had become her ritual every time she had to re-enter her home.
Toya solved this problem by quitting her job at her law firm and only leaving the house when absolutely necessary. She knew this behavior wasn’t normal and that she should probably see a therapist. But how would she explain that to her mother who thought that Jesus could solve every problem? Would her mother think less of her for needing something other than Jesus?