Chapter One

The sun was breaking through the last remnants of night as the sounds of Beethoven’s Bagatelle No. 25 filtered out of a home. Sherry was an elderly woman of about 67 years old who had never lost her love for the piano. It was always at the break of dawn that Sherry decided to play as if welcoming the coming day. For those who knew her they knew she was a sweet but strict woman who controlled her schedule with an iron fist. She believed in no minute being wasted once the day started.

It had been a match made in heave when Sherry had begun to foster children after her husband had died. The first children to darken her doorway had been a pair of siblings who had won her heart and soon taken her name. She still had the framed documents in her study and that always brought a smile to my brother’s and my face. We had always talked about the perfect family, but we never imagined we would find it in the woman that now played the piano expertly in the living room of her home.

In the years of my journey in London she had never judged or reprimanded me for running and always sent me her blessings. I smiled at the memory of those years as I began my morning routine in the kitchen after putting my daughter Danielle in her highchair. She had my skin color and the fullness of my mouth but everything else was her father’s. Even the curly mass of midnight black hair was his. I had long straight bronze hair that seemed to glisten in the sunlight, that’s what Daniel always told me. My eyes were the color of dark chocolate and seemed to melt when I was in love. Daniel always had a colorful way of describing me it would seem. There was always beauty in my small, shapely form to him and it enchanted me every time he proclaimed it.

It had been two years since Daniel had passed away and I had brought my son and my very pregnant self home to my family. Momma had not said a word but simply taken me into the house and welcomed my son and unborn daughter into the family.

“Morning Granny Sherry” My son Timmy greeted his grandmother as he climbed onto the piano bench next to her. He was a clone of his father with those stunning blue eyes as expressive as Daniel’s had been. His hair was a wavy midnight black that grew like crazy and a baby face that already showed the signs of a strong jaw and high cheek bones. I didn’t have to see to know he was sitting by her side in silence and watching with rapt attention as his Granny played. It had become a routine for them and one that they both loved and held sacred.

“Do you think I can call in sick today?” Seth, my brother, asked as he walked in still half asleep and headed straight for the coffee maker. He kissed Danielle on the head as he passed her and made her giggle.

“Sure,” I looked at him and shared a knowing look with him, “if you want mom to give you that look” I finished and continued to make breakfast. It had become a soothing thing for me to do since I came back home, cooking.

“School and work is all I seem to be doing recently, kind of bumming me out you know” His voice had become smaller as he went on which brought my attention to him completely.

“It’ll pay off soon but until then maybe you can make some time for yourself with some friends.” I suggested as I wiped my hands on a rag next to the stove and walked to him as he leaned on the doorframe leading to the living room. He was watching Timmy pressing a key when mom indicated he do so.

“What friends? All are in the same position or out of state or best one of all, married and either have kids or are planning to have then. Life after high school is hard sometimes.” Seth sighed and turned to look at me with a tired look in his eyes.

It was hard to see how life had aged him to look like he was in his mid-twenties when he was only 20 years old. Since he was only a baby when our parents had died, it hadn’t affected him as much as it had me. But in the foster system things are different and your family becomes your only rock if you are lucky enough to stay together. We were one of the lucky few but then I had run away to London without so much as telling him. He had been mad for the first year but then when I got married he had been so sad that his anger had kept him from being there for me. It wasn’t long before we made amends and then he became my rock when my husband died. Even though he was a champ through it all, all that has aged him.

“It’ll all work out, don’t worry. Maybe later tonight we can pray together about it.” I offered the only comfort I could offer and laid a hand on his shoulder as he sipped his coffee and watched his nephew play piano. Life at that age was a blessing that everyone took for granted until they no longer had it. That seemed to always be the way of the human being, to take things for granted until it was too late.

“Go join them, I’ll handle breakfast by myself.” I nudged him into the living room with a soft smile on my lips.

“I love you” He said then kissed my cheek and handed me his empty coffee mug.

It was such a beautiful moment that filled my heart in a magical way. Love had a way of feeling like the impossible and the possible at the same time. So many times, throughout the last two years I had thought I had lost the ability to love but my family proved me wrong. My family filled me with so much love that the pain of my loss was almost completely gone. There were still times when I missed Daniel and wished he was with us, but those moments were few and far between. Usually it was for my children that I felt his absence for, he would never get to be a part of all the milestones of their lives.

I felt the tear fall as I watched Timothy with his grandmother and uncle in this family moment. There would be many more family moments but never with a father there to offer the support and guidance that a boy needed. It was unfair to think of it in this way, but it entered my mind from time to time. Would Daniel have gotten along with Seth? How would Daniel have reacted to knowing he had a daughter? These were some of the question I lived with sometimes, but I didn’t let them drown me anymore.

As I listened to the piano fill the house, I let my mind wander away from what my life could have been to what it was. After two years my life had taken on a balance that I didn’t believe it could have. Once I had knocked some sense into myself and realized my children needed me, I had made it my life’s mission to raise my children. I had decided to dedicate my life to my children and in order to do that I knew I had to better myself somehow. It was hard to find a way to make a living with two young children who I didn’t want to dump on my mother completely.

I decided to start my own business but finding something to sell was the tricky part and so I took up crafts. It started with cloth bracelets and anklets that were a huge hit with the teenage girls of the town. Slowly I began to learn new things like knitting and how to make my own jewelry. Before I knew it, my little business became a hit and I was making plans to make my own label and expand. An old friend from school owned a hair salon and allowed me to set up a stand in her waiting area to sell my things. Her regulars became my regulars and brought new customers for her and for me. It was such a blessing for both of us that I could hardly believe it.

With life going so smoothly, I sometimes wondered when the other shoe was going to drop. Nothing was ever easy in life and yet I found myself relaxing into this life and ready to live it for as long as God would permit. Was this all I was meant to do? Could this be it for me? I didn’t know if my life was fulfilled because I didn’t know what it felt like to be fulfilled. The struggles had given fruit but now what? What was I supposed to do next? I know my kids came first but they were still only babes, so what was I to do in the mean time?

Was it bad to want something more from life? It was a question I asked myself everyday and could still find no answer. As I sat and watched my family eat after I had set the food and plates out, I thought about what I would do once my brother and the kids left to live their own lives. Even if I hated to think about it, I knew some day my mother would be gone, and I would be pretty much alone. I didn’t know if I was okay with being alone eventually but that was still far away, right?

“What time do you need me to pick you up from the salon?” Seth asked as he began to pick up the plates.

“Actually, I just got the car back from the shop. Tommy Sanders dropped it off yesterday afternoon and said it should be good to go for now.” I told him as I began to gather Timmy up for his shower before I left for work.

“He is such a handsome young man and so well mannered too. Couldn’t tell the old man was a good for nothing with how well that one turned out.” Momma said as she got up and helped put away the left overs.

“Momma” I reprimanded lightly and just shook my head as she shrugged and gave a look as if to say she was just telling the truth.

“What do you mean for now?” Seth asked in frustrated confusion from the kitchen as he washed the dishes in a hurry, so he wouldn’t be late for his first class of the day.

“It still need that new alternator, we can’t keep buying used and play Russian roulette with it. Hoping it will last longer than the last or risking it being a piece of crap. Its better to get the new one in the long run.” I explained to Seth as young Tommy had to me the day before.

“How much do you need me to help you with?” Seth asked as he walked back into the dining room while wiping his hands on his jeans.

“Nothing don’t worry I have money saved” I waved off the offer with a smile and watched as the argument settled onto my brother’s face.

“That money is for the down payment of your house. You’ll never get out of here at this rate Sam, no offense Momma.” Seth added as an after thought as Momma walked back in to stand between us with her hands on her hips as if prepared to referee.

“No, it’s okay, I agree. Look darling, I love you and those little angels of yours, but you need to start living your own life. Right now, your only living day by day for your children and while that is admirable, you won’t be able to fulfill their lives without fulfilling yours too. They need you to live and love, so they can live and love. You’re ready to move on from Daniel and start a new and happy life.” Momma said as she placed her fragile old hands on my biceps and looked me in the eyes.

She had a way of touching your soul with one look and making you feel like a weight had been lifted off your shoulders. My eyes began to sting as I thought about her words and looked down at the little boy and girl starring up at me with those eyes so much like their father’s. If I didn’t do it for myself than I could definitely do it for my kids and maybe as time went on, I would start doing it for myself as well.

“Okay, let’s take it one day at a time. Let’s deal with the car first and then get serious about our future.” I accepted and decided while hoisting my little man into my arms with his laughter filling the room.

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“Innovation Cuts” was the best and pretty much only place to get quality hair treatments done in town. Jennifer Arcadia had opened her hair salon after her three years of fighting cancer and winning the battle along with her hair back. Her physical battle had not been as hard as the emotional battle with her mirror. Once she had been able to touch her hair again, she decided to make something of that experience. With a heart full of hope and love she donates ten percent of all her earnings to the making of wigs for cancer patients. Every hair donation made in her shop is celebrated and recorded as a life that is being changed or innovated.

Music of all kinds always flows throughout the salon and always seems to fit the customers in some strange way. It is almost like a different world when you walk in since the set up is so different. There was a huge long table in the center of the room where double sided mirrors could be moved and rotated to the side. The stylists’ client sat on each side and the mirror could be moved to the side to allow all four people to talk I they wanted. There were stations on each side of the walls from the table as well. This was the cause for a lot of chatter and even if they denied it, gossip.

The lounge or waiting area was like any other but some sitting chairs were placed on each end of the table. It could be said that Jenni had made her dream world in that salon since she matched the baby pink walls and offset white appliances. Her personality matched everything about the salon and it also gave a life to the place. She loved to talk and entertain guests while she loved color and noise too. I say she could have been a bed and breakfast hostess as well, but this is where life took her, and she was happy.

“Sammy!” Jenni called out from her place changing the music behind the hair products counter next to the door.

“Hey” I greeted with a huge smile and chuckle as I watched her shimmy over in her sky high heeled booties. She was wearing the tightest pair of jeans I had ever seen which was off set by the loose off the shoulder baby pink blouse she wore. There was never a gloomy day to be had with Jenni around.

“Oh my gosh, you will never believe who was here first thing in the morning.” Jenni began to pass along the gossip of the morning.

“Who?” I asked her indulgently as I pulled out my bag with my merchandise. As she began to prattle on about the latest gossip of the week, I put things out on the stands to show case my work.

“June Whittleman’s son is coming back to town apparently and she is over the moon about it. Since his divorce a couple of months ago, his whole family has been begging him to come back. According to June, he refuses to tell anyone why they split and has forbidden any bad mouthing of his ex.” Jenni reported as if this was the news of the day that everyone would find shell shocking.

I stood starring at my display stand for a minute and thought of June Whittleman’s son, Dean Whittleman. The man I had run away from almost seven years ago on his wedding day was finally coming back. It had been a surprise to find he had left town when I had come home but even more surprising to learn he got divorced. There had been a part of me that had wanted to pick up the phone and call him. No amount of years could erase the memories of friendship and love that were between us. Time had dampened the bond we once had but could not wash away the mark it had left in our history.

“What do you think?” Jenni asked, pulling me out of my thoughts and causing me to blush at being caught dozing.

“What do I think about what?” I asked bashfully and smiled nervously at her look of false anger.

“I SAID… Mrs. Collins came in today and refused to talk about her daughter. She is acting like her daughter died instead of just got pregnant. Cassandra must be feeling so horrible with her mother treating her like this. Its bad enough she has to be a single mother with her baby daddy in jail for aggravated assault. I was thinking of planning her baby shower, so she can feel the love and be excited for her baby. What do you think?” Jenni asked after she finished explaining the bad news about Mrs. Susan Collins’ daughter.

Susan Rodriguez moved to town with her daughter after marrying the wealthy Mr. Anthony Collins. Cassandra was only six years old when her mother remarried after her first husband ran away with a younger woman. Almost a decade later Mr. Collins passed away from a heart attack at the age of sixty years old. He left the majority of his estate to Cassandra for when she turned twenty-one. Susan had her daughter’s whole future planned out for her but it all went up in flames when Cassandra ended up pregnant at the age of nineteen.

“That’s an amazing idea Jenni, she should be finding out the gender of the baby next week. I volunteered to go with her, so I can let you know and maybe we can make it a surprise.” I explained as we walked towards all the women in the sitting areas to talk to them and see if we could sell anything.

“Perfect! This is going to be fun” Jenni hoped in place as she began planning the baby shower in her mind no doubt.

Cassandra Collins had been my nanny for the past five months and I had been helping her in any way I could with her pregnancy. I had been in her situation before with my daughter but with the support and love of my family, I was able to get through it. She didn’t have the support and love of her only family and that made it all harder. It had become a personal mission of mine to be there for her when her mother wasn’t. She would make it through it all but being a single mother at her age was harder than most older mothers.

I looked at some of the pieces the ladies were looking at and thought of how my kids pushed me to be a better person. It would be hard and seem almost impossible but, in the end, I knew Cassandra’s baby would make her a better person. All that was left to do was for Cassandra to make it to the birth of her baby. Everything would be worth it after that miracle moment and she would be one of the strongest people, a mother.

Author's Note

This is the first time I have written like this in a long time. Please help me see if I am making a mistake somewhere.

Reviews

[magensby]

Liked the 'knock some sense into myself'. Use spellcheck or grammar check because some of the words do not match the scene. It's almost like messaging and autocorrect changes what you wrote to something else, for example, 'allow all four people to talk I they wanted'. You probably meant 'all that they wanted'. Dean Whittleman returning to town seems a bit lost in the other paragraphs. You might have given more emphasis to that by separating that paragraphs from the others in some way.

Continue.