Tender to the Touch

Something was on Casey’s mind. He had been quiet all through dinner, and for the past hour he had listened to Tionna and Brianna reminisce about favorite Christmases past without saying one word.

“I was invited to an Eta Omicron Pi New Year’s party,” Brianna told her mother.

Tionna tried to hide her excitement, but she was proud of her daughter. Brianna’s first semester at Temple had been successful. Though she’d received her first B in an English composition class, she had earned an A in her other courses. Brianna had made a few new friends and was considering trying out for the cheerleading squad. She was adjusting well, but Tionna didn’t want her to take on too many extracurricular activities too soon.

“I know your aunts will be happy to hear that,” she replied.

Brianna’s cell phone rang, and she practically sprinted across the family room to answer it. Some things don’t change, Tionna thought. Though Brianna had matured some, she still exhibited signs of an anxious teenager. From the look on her daughter’s face, she could tell Quentin was on the line. Tionna had hoped they would have separated by this time, but Brianna seemed more in love now than she was in high school.

Brianna ended her call and then put on the new wool coat Casey had given her as a Christmas present. “I’ll be back in a few hours,” she said and grabbed her car keys from the table. “I’m going over to Quentin’s house.”

“Aww,” Tionna pouted. “I thought we were gonna hang tonight.”

“You can have me all day tomorrow,” Brianna responded. “Quentin’s going to Rhode Island for a few days with his family.”

“Gee, thanks for making your old mother feel special,” Tionna teased, then looked at Casey. “See how she disses me, babe?”

Casey pretended he didn’t hear Tionna speaking to him, and Tionna became concerned. As soon as Brianna left, she would find out what was on his mind.

Tionna turned back to Brianna. “Don’t stay out too late. I don’t want you on the road with all the holiday drivers.”

“Yes, Mother. I’ll be in before midnight,” Brianna said to amuse her mother, then headed out the door.

Now that they were alone, Tionna moved from the love seat to the sectional, where Casey was sitting, half watching a basketball game on television. “Hey, fella,” Tionna said as she sat next to him. “Kenya’s in her new home, and Jasmine and the girls are in Florida, visiting Roxanne. We finally have the house to ourselves. What do you want to do? Play Scrabble or maybe one of those kid computer games? That might be fun.”

Casey reached into his pocket, pulled out the studded bracelet he had given Tionna a few months ago, and dangled it in her face.

“Is that why you’re moping around?” Tionna said and took the bracelet from his hand. “I’m glad you found it. I was worried it fell off my arm at the clinic. I was going to tell you—”

“I found it at Jasmine’s house the night Hunky was shot,” interrupted Casey.

The smile on Tionna’s face subsided when she thought of that night.

Casey moved to the edge of the couch and stared Tionna in the eyes. “Were you there when Hunky was shot?”

Tionna nervously fiddled with her bracelet as she tried to remember the lie she’d told him. “I’ve been at Jazz’s house a number of times. Maybe—”

“I knew you’d say that,” Casey remarked, cutting her off mid-sentence. “You must’ve forgotten that I’m a detective, and a good one at that. I knew something was strange when you called me that day,” he continued. “You told me you were home, but I heard a lot of traffic in the background. You were calling me from your car, weren’t you?”

Tears rolled down Tionna’s cheeks. She didn’t want to tell Casey any more lies, but she couldn’t speak the truth.

Casey got up and looked at the Christmas tree he had helped Tionna decorate with Jasmine’s kids. “You don’t have to answer that. It’s best I don’t know.” Casey walked out of the room and stopped before entering the kitchen. “Was it self-defense?” Through the glass in the china cabinet, Casey saw Tionna nod her head. “Then let’s leave it at that.”

Inside the kitchen, Casey poured himself a glass of lemonade, then walked to the patio doors. He stared at the snowman he and Jasmine’s girls had put together on Christmas Eve, and sighed. Tionna came up behind him. She wanted to touch him, but fear of what he might have discovered about that night plagued her. The case had been closed, but . . . was there new evidence that pointed in her direction?

“It really was self-defense,” she stated.

Still gazing into the backyard, Casey spoke with little inflection in his tone. “I believe you. I just wish you had trusted me enough to tell me the truth. I told myself to let it go, but . . .” Casey turned to face Tionna. “I couldn’t move forward in this relationship or the New Year without getting it off my mind. I removed evidence from the scene of a crime, Tionna. . . . I’ve never done anything like that before.”

Tionna backed into the kitchen table and sat in the chair closest to her. Although Hunky was out of her life, he was still taunting her from his grave. What if Casey was found out? He could lose the job he loved, and Tionna could lose his love forever. “I’m so sorry,” she cried.

Casey put his glass on the table and got down on his knees. As he wiped her tears, he looked Tionna in the eyes. “I’m not going anywhere, Tionna. No matter what happens. But we’ve got to trust each other enough to share everything. You and I can’t have any secrets between us. That’s the only way you and I are going to make it together. Understood?”

Tionna nodded. She didn’t want to lose Casey now that God had opened her heart, but she didn’t want him to risk his career for her, either. As Casey gently rubbed her hands, Tionna’s spirit stirred. God had blessed her with a great man, one full of integrity and honor. She wasn’t going to let anything damage what they were trying to build together.

In that moment Tionna made a huge decision. If Casey’s career ever came into question because of what happened to Hunky and his wife, she would go against her promise to her line sisters and tell the truth. That was the right thing to do. And she believed it was what God would want her to do to save the relationship.