I would go to church with you, but that’s one habit I don’t plan to develop,” Lois informed Talise. “I work all week long, go out on Saturday night, and regroup all day Sunday. Sorry, I’m sticking to my schedule.”
Talise felt obligated to go to service this morning after she stood Sandra up the week before. She really enjoyed Sandra’s company, and at times, it slipped Talise’s mind that she was Ace’s mother.
Seeing Cameron yesterday was another matter. His walk and some of his facial expressions reminded her of Ace. Ironically, his generosity clashed with Ace’s callousness.
Being around his cousin filled her with regret for falling for the wrong Jamieson. Unfortunately, there was never any chemistry between them. It’s too bad because Cameron seemed like a genuinely good guy.
Nevertheless, his visit had flooded her mind with memories of Ace. She had come home and cried that evening. It also happened to be bad timing. Her father had called while she was in the middle of her distressed moment.
Frederick could tell right away that something wasn’t right. “Hey, sweetheart, what’s wrong? Are you crying? Did you and that no good young man have another fight?”
Whenever they talked, she evaded the subject. She never told her dad outright there had been no relationship—period—since she learned of her pregnancy.
“Daddy, Ace and I didn’t break up.” She paused to gather strength. “He dumped me as soon as he found out about the baby.” Talise braced herself as he exploded.
“What! You mean to tell me that he deserted you? What kind of animal is he? That’s it,” he practically growled into the phone. “I’m coming to get you and bring you home,” he yelled.
She held the phone away from her ear while her father continued his tirade. He kept it up so long that Talise thought he was going to hyperventilate. By now, she was sure Donna was somewhere near him with a brown paper bag.
“Daddy, calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down. I have a problem with you not telling me this until now, Talise.” He took a deep breath. “I want you to give me this gambler’s legal name and address. It appears this Ace and me need to come to some kind of understanding. You should have told me this sooner …”
Even though her father was causing her head to pound, she welcomed his anger. It mirrored her own bottled-up rage. He was right. It was time for her to go home where there would be no reminders of a Jamieson. Talise had to give this some serious thought.
She could have her things packed up by the end of the week. Her dad could fly in, they could rent a U-Haul, and then drive back to Richmond. Of course, she would have to turn over her remaining clients to Sasha. Talise could trust her to distribute them among the stylists, according to her clients’ preferences. She would definitely miss her friend Priscilla, but they would stay in contact.
Next, was her major employer. Hopefully, Talise would be able to work out an arrangement with the airline so that she wouldn’t lose her medical benefits. If allowed, she would take a leave of absence and probably have to pay a higher premium.
Although she hadn’t made too many friends on her job, Talise would miss her chats with Gabrielle. There was calmness about her that Talise wished she could emulate. They would definitely have to stay in contact.
With a deep sigh, the thought of choosing another obstetrician at five months was daunting. Talise didn’t realize she had zoned out until her father mentioned Donna’s name.
“I’ll have Donna book our flights and we’ll be there …” When he paused, Talise could hear his wife in the background.
“We can’t go this weekend, dear. You have that golf tournament benefit and …” Donna sounded like a dutiful secretary giving the boss his weekly schedule. Talise huffed.
Taking the phone, Donna came on the line. “Talise, can you hold off a bit? We really have a full schedule for the next few weeks. Plus, I’m going to have to rearrange the guest bedroom to accommodate your things and the baby. By the way, it’s a shame the way that boy used you like that and moved on…”
Nope. She made up her mind right then. Going home was not going to be an option after all. Donna just reminded Talise how annoying she could be. She was going to have to stick it out twenty-one more weeks.
If her mother were living, Marilyn would have been on the first plane out of Richmond. She would have practically moved in with Talise and seriously pampered her. That thought made her smile at the same time the baby kicked softly. She rubbed her stomach.
Frederick returned to the conversation at the same time a call from Sandra had beeped in. “Dad, we’ll talk about it later. I have to get this other call. Love you.” She disconnected and answered the other line.
“Hi, sweetie, I’m just checking to see if you’re up to some inspiration in the morning?”
Talise could hear the happiness in Sandra’s voice. “I could use some, but,” she hesitated. “I’m drained.” An emotional wreck was more like it after seeing Cameron had forced flashbacks of her and Ace. “Maybe I should stay home and rest.”
Sandra had done a poor job of masking her disappointment. “Okay, perhaps when you’re feeling up to it. Remember, once your soul finds rest, your mind and body will follow.”
That had been her drama last week. Now, this morning, she decided to go to church. Could God give her some rest from her emotional turmoil?
Rest. Lord knows she needed some. The question triggered her to recall a Scripture that she read a few days ago. It had brought her comfort at a time when she was feeling down.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. She was pleased with herself, this time remembering it was Matthew 11:28.
Determined to press on, she gathered her strength. With Lois uninterested and steadfast under the covers, Talise would go by herself. Hoping it wasn’t too early, she called Sandra. Not realizing she had been holding her breath, Talise exhaled when Sandra answered.
“I’m going this morning,” she announced.
“Praise the Lord.” Sandra sniffed. “That’s wonderful. I’ll wait for you outside at the entrance.”
Her baby shifted during Sandra’s jubilation. Smiling at that occurrence, Talise rubbed her stomach. They chatted a few more minutes before Sandra hurried her off the phone.
Perusing through her closet, it didn’t take long for Talise to find something to wear. This was the perfect occasion to put on the dress Sandra insisted on buying her. As she lifted the elegant dress off the hanger, surprisingly, Lois was up and wandered into her room.
Making herself comfortable lying at the foot of Talise’s bed, she squinted. “So you’re definitely going, huh? Well, you’ll look gorgeous in that color. Instead of having a sugar daddy, you’ve got a sugar mama.”
“Lois,” Talise warned. Her roommate had no idea about the internal tug of war she had going on when it came to accepting Sandra’s generosity.
“Okay. Okay. Wear those bronze strapped sandals. They’ll go well with it and your nail polish. Plus, the heels aren’t too high.” She yawned and sat up. “Okay, praise the Lord, pray for me. I’m going back to bed.”
As Lois stood and trotted back to her own room, the baby moved again. “I guess the baby book was right. You can hear.” She patted her stomach. It was the first time she felt this much movement. Maybe the baby was getting excited about going to church.
Just then, another Scripture came to mind: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” It was a portion of Jeremiah 1:5.
Talise was beginning to see that Sinclaire was right. Her Bible reading was beginning to make a difference. Her eyes misted. She loved how the Word spoke to her heart. “Lord, please don’t let it stop,” she thought out loud. The feeling of being close to God kept her in an exceptionally good mood throughout the time it took her to eat and get ready for church.
Finishing with plenty of time to spare, Talise liked her reflection as she studied herself in the mirror. Although she had noticeably picked up weight, it was proportioned throughout her body and not all stomach. Grabbing her keys and purse, she left the apartment.
Fifteen minutes into the drive, Talise realized two things. She forgot to bring her Bible, and Sandra’s church was farther away than she had expected. Nevertheless, she stayed focused. At last, her GPS had her turn off of Blue Hill Ave. On the corner of Woodrow Ave., a tall, white structure stood majestic like a beacon.
True to her word, Sandra was waiting for her, as she pulled into the adjacent parking lot. She stood poised by the door, wearing an outfit in her favorite color. Sandra looked pretty in pastel sage and adorned in a flirty hat. In Talise’s opinion, she was, in fact, striking. How could a man not chase after her, especially with her sons grown and gone?
Waving when she spotted Talise, Sandra left her post near the door and met her halfway. “I’m so glad you came,” she said, engulfing Talise in a hug and grinning like a proud parent. It was almost as though Talise could see her mother’s face reflected in Sandra’s expression.
“So am I, and the baby too. He or she’s been busy this morning.”
“That’s so exciting, isn’t it? May I?” Sandra grinned again, as she carefully placed her hand on Talise’s stomach. The baby didn’t do any somersaults, but Talise felt a slight movement. After moving to three positions on Talise’s stomach, she removed her hand. Shrugging, she looped her arm through Talise’s and they strolled to the main entrance.
“When are you going to find out about the sex of the baby? Then you won’t have to keep saying ‘he or she.”’
“My next doctor’s visit is on Thursday. But I’m not sure I want to know.”
Sandra faked a pout. “Eva is saying the same thing. I need to know, so I can go shopping.”
Talise laughed. The woman was so endearing. “Would you like to go with me to a doctor’s appointment? Lois has already made arrangements to go with me this time. But I have an ultrasound coming up soon. That would be the perfect time for you to go. There’s one stipulation, though. If you find out, you can’t tell me if it’s a boy or girl. I don’t want any hint or even see you buying all pinks or blues.”
“I would love to! I can leave work and then return after the appointment,” she responded. Sandra looked like she was about to cry, but she smiled instead. Talise noticed her slight dimple that was similar to Ace’s.
“Sandra, I have one more stipulation. Please don’t pass on any of my personal information to Ace. In my heart, he’s no longer the baby’s father. Just a reproductive donor.”