Chapter 17
The flowery wallpaper was covered by tacked-up five-year-old drawings. It added comfort to Annette’s room at the rehabilitating nursing home. A week before, she'd been transferred from the hospital for continued recovery and therapy.
Sanford and Son was on the TV while Red Fox exaggerated a heart attack. With a chuckle, Annette shook her head and grabbed the remote to mute the show.
“Girl, what's with all these deep breaths and sighing and carrying on?” she asked Raven.
“Granny, I've gotta tell you something.”
“You and Liam have eloped?”
Her pupils almost popped. “How much of that crazy old fool are you listening to?” Raven glared at Fred. When she was younger, she'd laughed her ass off while watching the show with her grandparents. She wanted to smile; he had that effect.
“Well, what is it?” Annette fluffed her puffy hair, mentioning a senior citizen with a head full of hair across the hall.
“Granny, stop. I thought you only had eyes for Idris Alba.” Raven laughed.
“Tell me this news that has you moping around.”
She sat tall. “Our house has burned down.”
Annette chuckled. “I thought you were going to tell me something interesting.”
“Granny—”
“ReRe, you and my precious little grandchild are fine? I'm fine.” She waved her questioning away. “Our family has climbed mountains; this isn't even a mole hill.”
“But Grandpa—”
“Your grandpa is—” Annette pointed to her chest “—right there. Your mother told me already. ReRe, I will be so glad when you stop holding things in or trying to carry more than your burdens.”
Raven didn't hear a single word of wisdom, because Charlene peeked into the room. Sharon had played her. Her grandma had too, by inviting Charlene.
Charlene placed her finger to her lip, mouthing shhh, then steered the stroller over to the sliding glass window on the far side of the wall. She pulled up the stroller umbrella to shield Trinity from the sunlight, then gave her mom a hug. “Hey, Mama.”
“My baby.” Annette patted Charlene’s face.
“Mama, I’m so sorry ….” Throat constricting, Charlene’s voice broke.
“Stop apologizing. I’m not mad. You’re my daughter, I love you.”
“I’m the reason you’re here.”
“I’m getting old. You know that. Raven, she doesn’t want to know it, but I am.” Annette patted her hand. “Don’t tell her you’re sorry anymore. She’s not that type of girl. Do you want to work through your issues with Grumpy?” Annette added emphasis to the nickname while smiling at Raven. It had been years since she'd been called Grumpy.
“All right, Granny, I didn't put Royael to bed last night. And now I see why you preferred I didn’t bring her this late. But I'm getting tired, okay.” Raven kissed Annette. Ignoring Charlene, she walked to the stroller and peered at the sleeping baby. Finally, giving her mother the stink-eye, she said, “I missed my little sister.”
“Wow, I’ve been here a whole week.” Annette smirked as Raven silently rubbed her baby sister’s cheek. “I was beginning to think y’all organized a plan to visit me at a different time.”
Scraping against the floor broke the silence as Raven scooted the visitor chair away from Charlene’s. Annette rubbed at the annoyance in her eardrum. “Both of y’all need to rest.”
“What are you talking about, Mama? I’ve been on break from the show for a while now.”
“And I had to take last semester off school.” Raven rolled her eyes at Charlene. “Thank God Liam came around. I’m catching up on classes.”
“I don’t mean a physical rest. I mean a spiritual rest. God don’t want y’all to go through life suffering. Char, you’re having trouble with your marriage, and you—” Annette turned her attention to her grandchild “—you’re just as angry and unforgiving as you were the day Liam left you pregnant.”
Raven huffed.
“How did you know about Damien and I?” Charlene mumbled, eyes worried.
Raven gave her mother an incredulous look. The star’s sexy Deceptive Desires costar, Miguel Sanchez, was smack dab on the center of every gossip magazine with Charlene at his side. The headlines were raving that five months after giving birth, she was back to her slim seductress physique. There were magazines scattered down the hall, and all of Anette’s friends were gossiping about it. While fans across the nation hoped that where there was smoke, there was fire, Raven felt bad for Charlene. She felt worse for Damien.
Raven started to stand. “Granny, I think I’m—”
“Raven, I’m not done with you.”
She plopped back into her seat.
“Char, Damien is too confident of a man to play into the snare of some trashy magazine. Now, ReRe, I’m a little over the attitude today. You have always been smart to respect your elders, but you can’t avoid your mother. And Liam is a whole ’nother subject entirely. Let me tell you something, chile, you can forgive him. Every time I see Royael running around learning something new, dancing and looking so beautiful in pageants or recitals, I just think, he’s missed out. That’s something he’s going to have to forgive himself for. Besides, God doesn’t need no help judging. Put your faith in God that Liam has come back for a reason.”
“He didn’t come back, I went and got him.”
“Chile, I’m an inch away from making you grab a switch off a tree. I’m feeling strong enough to swat them legs! Liam could be signing a check every month and putting it in the mail, but he wants to be with you and Royael. Why would he let you move in after the fire?”
“I didn’t move in.” Raven spoke quickly, trying not to incriminate herself, though she was doing a helluva bad job. Licking her lips, and slowing her tone, she added, “I’ve been there for only seven days.”
“Okay, Grumps, whatever you say. I swear Otis was the only one that could knock some sense into your hardheaded behind.” With shaky fist, Annette grumbled. Nerves settling, she looked back and forth between her family. “I want both of y’all to do something for me.”
“Yes, Mama.”
“Yes, Granny.”
“Get up and hug one another. Forgive and forget.”
They both stood.
Raven wrung her fingers, then shook her head, staring at the ceiling before she rushed out of the door. “Sorry, Granny.”
As she walked through the dimly-lit parking lot, Raven’s head fell back. She sighed deeply. Then she dug into her purse for the anxiety pills Dr. Stanton had given her. She barely took the darn things, but decided that day was as good as any to start taking them religiously.