Chapter14
“Happy six months!” everyone cheered.
Carson’s toothless smile was wide, his eyes scanning the faces surrounding him before settling on the cake resting in front of him. Icing and cake debris splattered the adults. Carson’s hiccupping laugh made it easy to forgive.
Russell and Nariah slipped away while the rest of the family was preoccupied with taking pictures. Their relationship had improved, but she was less free with her forgiveness this time around.
“We make pretty babies,” Russell said.
“Yeah we do.” She didn’t pull away from him as he wrapped his arms around her waist. His heat felt good against her back. Despite still being on guard, she couldn’t deny the way being in his arms made her feel; safe, wanted, loved. She leaned into him and rested her arms on his.
“Does this mean you forgive me?” He tickled her ear with the tip of his tongue.
“No and stop,” she said, waving him away. “Just because we—” she made sure her family was still preoccupied— “did it a couple of times doesn’t mean anything.”
“I can’t tell.” He pulled her back into him, his hand between her legs. “You definitely have down here.”
They broke apart, separating to different areas of the kitchen as Tyra entered. Her laughter stopped, her eyes narrowing. “What’s going on in here?”
“Nothing, we were just uh—”
“We just about to come out,” Russell answered. “I have something I need to tell you all.” He held the door open for the women before following them out.
With everyone gathered on the couch, he put himself front and center. He locked eyes with Carson, who was sitting in Nariah’s lap, to keep his nervousness at bay. “As I’m sure you all are aware, I haven’t put my best foot forward in regard to Nariah. Being frank, I’ve let her down and I wasn’t there for her when she needed me most.”
He took a breath, continuing before Tyra had a chance to interrupt. “Even though Nariah hasn’t talked much about her past, I’m sure I’ve reminded her of her failed relationships and I’ll have to live with that.”
Tyra softened. She appreciated his candor and the ability to accept responsibility for his actions. She cleared her throat and raised her hand. “I just have to say this before you continue. I have to apologize.” All eyes cut to her, Russell’s the widest of the bunch. Carson mirrored what everyone else was doing, looking up at his grandmother. “I didn’t know the situation with your father. I was insensitive and for that I’m sorry. For the record, I think you’re a good man and you managed to do so in spite of your father.”
“Thank you Tyra, that means a lot.” He combed his fingers through his hair.
Nariah noticed the muscles in his jaw. She offered a short smile as encouragement.
“With that being said, I want to take Nariah and Carson to meet my family. I think it’s time. With your blessings of course.”
“Do you really need our permission,” Tyra joked.
“I would like it,” he admitted.
“Nariah is a grown woman,” Maxwell yawned, standing. “She can go if she wants. Just leave the address and contact numbers.” After a long stretch, he announced he would be in the basement watching the game.
“Me too,” Jacoby added. He gave Russell a handshake and hug before following his dad.
Tyra, Nariah, Russell, and Carson remained, staring at one another, quiet for their own reasons.
“Like Maxwell said, it’s up to you,” Tyra said. “It’s a big step.”
“Are you sure the time’s right?” Nariah asked Russell. “I mean, we’re still, you know, tryin’ to work things out.”
“I’m not expecting anything to come of it. I just want Carson to meet his uncle and brother. He deserves it. If you don’t want to meet them, that’s fine.”
Nariah’s gaze shifted from her son to his father, her heart captivated by Carson as he tried to figure out what his toes were, staring in wonder as he curled and released them. “I guess you’re right. He does need to know the other side of his family.”
“When are you leaving?” Tyra asked.
“As soon as we can get packed. I just have to let the pilot know.”
“You’re friends with the pilot?”
“We’re flying private.” Russell chuckled.
“That’s right, you’re a billionaire.”
After hugs and apologies were exchanged, Russell left to join the other men, the sounds of the football game leaking through the door on his way down the stairs.
Nariah put Carson down for a nap and joined Tyra in the kitchen. She followed her mother’s instruction, chopping up celery, onions, and bell peppers. The women worked around one another, their movements seamless despite not having cooked with one another in a long time. The distinct spices took center stage, spinning and dutty wining in traditional Jamaican fashion to the beat their cutlery and appliances made. It wasn’t long before Nariah and Tyra joined in. The prep work done, all that was left was to let the stew cook.
Nariah pulled herself onto the counter, sitting with her legs crossed as she had done when she was a little girl. She was always fascinated with her mother’s happiness living the domesticated life; being a wife and homemaker.
It wasn’t something she inherited. Seeing it as a crutch in her youth, she had gained appreciation for the necessary skills to shoulder the weight associated with a family of four. As she thought back, she couldn’t remember a time seeing Tyra panic; not when the entire house came down with chickenpox, not when her dad lost his job and couldn’t find work for six months, not when they were left without water after construction crews broke the main line to the house.
Through it all, she remained the rock.
She couldn’t even remember seeing her mother cry. Despite having only looked at their differences for the majority of her life, she had come to realize that her mother was the reason for her own strength.
Tyra startled as Nariah wrapped her hands around her waist, hugging her from behind. “What’s that for?”
“I love you, Mommy.”
She wiggled around, wrapping her arms around Nariah’s shoulders. “I love you too sweetheart.”
“You’re the best Mommy,” Nariah said, letting her go. “Thank you for everything you do.”
Tyra sat in a chair, pulling the nearest one closer to her, patting the seat. “What’s on your mind?”
Nariah hoped she would develop the ability to read Carson’s mind as he grew older. “I was thinking about how you always kept us together. You never worried. And if you did, you didn’t let me and Jacoby see.”
“That’s what a mother is supposed to do. It wasn’t easy, trust me. And I did worry, a lot.”
“I know I gave you hell. I’m sorry.”
Tyra enclosed her hands around Nariah’s, tears causing her eyes to gleam. “You weren’t the only one. But I knew it would pass. You’re independent. I know you probably don’t think so, but you get that from me. So I expected tension between us at some point.”
“How do you do it? I can’t imagine—”
“You’ll learn. That baby that’s sleeping in the other room will pull out the best in you.” She laughed. “It doesn’t hurt to have a billionaire as your baby daddy.” After kissing Nariah’s forehead, she said, “Don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re going to make mistakes, both of you. Things won’t always be perfect, neither will they always go your way. You just have to roll with the punches.”
“I don’t know, Mommy. I’m scared.”
“As you should be. Having a family isn’t for the faint of heart. It takes patience and resilience, and that’s without kids. But you’ll get through it.”
“How are you and Daddy still together? You guys are getting ready to celebrate your 35th anniversary,” Nariah asked.
“Compromise and negotiation. You know how they say happy wife, happy life?”
Nariah nodded, captivated by the secret information.
“That’s true, but it’s also misleading. No one can make you happy. Our minds change too easily for that and it’s too much pressure to put on another person. You must be happy within yourself first.”
Nariah thought about all the Saturdays, she, Jacoby, and their dad spent out of the house, while her mom stayed home. “Self-care Saturdays.”
“That’s right.” Tyra winked. “There’s nothing wrong with spending time with yourself. Your happiness is important and deserves special attention. Another thing, how many times did you see or hear me and your dad argue?”
“Once or twice maybe.”
“Rule number two: never argue in front of your children. Kids should remain kids as long as possible. Arguing about adult issues in front of them only helps to disintegrate their innocence.”
“What else?” Nariah asked. She felt as if she should be taking notes, as if the information would never be shared again.
“Rule number three: don’t lose yourself in your relationship. Most people think marriage is two people coming together to form one. Again, this is true, but misleading. It’s how you lose yourself, in my opinion. You are an individual first. Despite how much you love someone, you were born alone and you’re going to die alone.”
“That’s depressing.”
“But it’s the truth. You and the person you love are supposed to form a union, meaning to take one another into consideration at all times. You help each other through your problems and celebrate each other’s successes. If a person truly loves you, you shouldn’t have to change too much about yourself.”
“And what’s too much?” Nariah asked.
“Anything physically, but that’s just my opinion. If the person you’re with is that focused on your physical appearance, he doesn’t love you for you.”
Nariah thought back to when Russell suggested what to wear and that that she would be more beautiful with her natural curls. She opened her mouth and closed it, deducing that his intent was pure because it was in reference to her natural state. “Thank you, Mommy.” She noticed Tyra’s smirk. “What?”
“That’s not all that was on your mind. Spill it,” she said, going to check the stew.
She was right. Nariah wanted to know what to do about the situation with Russell. Despite them feeling right together, she couldn’t help but string together all the things that had happened in the short time they knew each other, all of them pointing to the relationship ending in disaster.
“You and Russell are going to be fine,” Tyra said, retaking her seat.
“Okay, you gotta tell me how you do that.”
“I will not. I’m giving you all this game, but I have to keep some for myself.” Tyra rose again, this time coming back with a wooden spoon filled with brown broth.
Nariah tasted it without direction, her eyes rolling as she relished the savory flavor. She held up the okay sign before asking for another spoonful.
Tyra fed her half and drank the rest. She sat down again. “Now tell me what’s worrying you.”
Nariah dropped her head between her arms. “Everything, Mommy. It seems like everything is going against us. I know relationships aren’t easy, but I know for a fact it’s not supposed to be this hard.”
“It’s all a test, my sweet. Everything that’s happened is a test of your love for one another. When you get married—”
“Who said anything about getting married?” Nariah questioned.
“He’s going to ask and you’re going to say yes. You can fool yourself, but you can’t fool me. It’s good that you two are going through this now. It’s still early in your relationship.”
“I don’t want to go through it at all, though.” The table muffled Nariah’s words as she voiced how unfair it was.
“Life isn’t fair; I’ve always told you that. But it is balanced. Russell has made his mistakes, but he’s willing to accept responsibility for them, which is something I can’t say for the majority of men these days. That’s something to be thankful for. Also, he loves you to the moon and back.”
“How can you tell?”
“By the way he looks at you. And he stood up to me.”
Nariah giggled. “That’s true.”
“And again, he’s a billionaire.”
“I never cared about his money Mommy. I love him...for him.”
Tyra cupped Nariah’s face in her hand. “That’s beautiful sweetheart, but you can’t tell me the money didn’t make you tingle a little bit.”
“Oh my God, Mom!”
“I’m just saying, if your dad was a billionaire—” She fanned herself.
“I’m goin’ to watch the game.”
“Tell the boys the food will be ready in a couple of hours.” The door creaked open. “Love you.” She chuckled.
Slam.
###
Nariah stared down the runway until it disappeared into the horizon. Last time she was here was when she spazzed out at Russell. It was the day their relationship changed forever. She welcomed her changed feelings, the yellow lines mirroring the happiness she felt. Carson was going to meet his older brother and that meant the world to her. She rubbed Russell’s hand, keeping her gaze out of the window.
“What’s on your mind, love?”
“Just thinking about how far we’ve come since the last time we were here,” she answered. She hadn’t even noticed the huge jet sitting in her peripheral. Despite having ridden on it once, she still felt out of touch with the luxury.
The wind tussled her hair. Thunder in the distance worried her.
“We’re going in the other direction. No worries.”
She stared up at the graying sky, dark grey clouds swallowing innocent white ones alive. Carson seemed to notice the hostility in the weather as well. Becoming fidgety at the lightning flashing around, tears began to spill down his cheeks at the large crack of thunder that followed.
“Are you sure about this, Russell?” Nariah asked, unfastening Carson’s belts.
He turned her, pointing out a patch of blue that managed to dodge the growing chaos around it. “I wouldn’t put you or our son in danger. We’ll be fine.” Russell kissed her before handing their bags to the pilot. Five minutes later they were boarded and strapped in. Russell unstrapped himself, doing the same with Carson. “I want him to see the cockpit.” Carson’s eyes remained on her as he looked over his dad’s shoulder. A toothless smile was his response to the kiss Nariah’s blew.
The boys had just gotten back to their seats when the loud speaker crackled, the pilot’s friendly voice appearing afterward. “Alrighty folks, as I’m sure you can see, the weather is being a bit stubborn. If we leave now, we’ll only catch the tail end of the storm.”
Rain blasted on the windows. Wonder was in Carson’s eyes as he slapped at the streams of water flowing on the outside.
“If you’d like to wait, there will be a twenty-minute delay.”
“Can we please wait?” Nariah asked. “I’d feel more comfortable.”
“Sure baby.” Russell excused himself as he went to take the call ringing his phone. “It’s my brother.”
She appreciated the gesture, Russell showing that he learned from their previous conflict of him not being honest with her. Because he was a few feet away, she was still able to hear parts of the conversation, his facial expressions allowing her to guess at the rest. From the looks of it, he wasn’t happy.
Russell ended the call with a growl, shoving his phone into his pocket.
The hardness of his bicep told Nariah things must not have been going according to plan on the other side of the country.
“Dad’s not gonna be there.” Russell combed his fingers through his hair, his jaw clenched. “Piece of shit.” He apologized to Carson for the curse.
“What’s going on?”
“I’d rather not say.”
“Don’t do that,” Nariah insisted. “We promised to tell each other everything.”
“Just know he isn’t as open to new things as me.”
A powerful gust of wind blasted the rear of the plane inching it forward. There was no other way to interpret it than to consider it an omen of things to come. The decision to wait was justified as the downpour turned into a torrential rain, bits of hail mixing in. The pilot updated them on the new wait time and how much it would delay their flight.
Nariah had no luck in calming her bawling son down. Russell whispered something in his ear and played peek-a-boo with him, having more luck. She smiled as she listened to and watched him explain what was happening, Carson hanging onto his every word.
“We’re safe in here buddy. It’s just water and some loud noises. When you get older, we’ll go play in it.” He stuck a finger in a bottle and lightly splashed Carson, who clapped at the droplets. “See, you’re alright.” Russell smiled at Nariah.
“You’re so good with him.”
“Seth used to be scared of the thunder. I told him the angels were playing the drums in Heaven.”
After an hour, the sky had transitioned into a light gray, a light drizzle covering the windows.
“Alright everybody, we’ve been cleared for takeoff,” the pilot informed them. “We will arrive in California in just over five hours. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.”
###
Nariah woke up to Carson’s small hands exploring her face. She nipped at his fingers, causing his eyes to bulge.
“Best alarm clock ever, huh?” Russell smiled.
“Mmm, it’s a tie, you’re a pretty good one too.” Carson broke up their kiss, pushing both of their faces away. “How was he? I’m sorry I fell asleep on you.”
“It’s okay, love. I had to change a few diapers, but I actually like doing that. Is that weird?” Russell laughed.
“Only if it wasn’t your son.”
Russell continued holding Carson as he led Nariah down the steps. As usual, a black car waited for them, this driver unknown. Russell introduced him as Leo, his father’s driver.
The mention of the Haines’ patriarch took Nariah back to the phone call and Russell’s explanation of it. She pushed her concern to the back of her mind, instead focusing on the perfect California weather. “I wouldn’t mind living out here.”
“If you’re serious we can go house shopping.”
She scoffed at the suggestion, though she knew he was serious. It wouldn’t be bad to have a vacation home to escape the brutal New York winter, she thought to herself. She laughed at herself, already falling under the lure of the billionaire lifestyle.
As they coursed through the dark wide, pothole-less streets, she had to continue closing her mouth as they passed mansion after mansion, which seemed to get bigger as they ascended the hill. She made good money as a personal trainer, but she deduced she wouldn’t have been able to afford the mortgage for even one of the smaller houses for half a month. “I should have brought some business cards.”
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that,” Russell said.
“What about it?”
“Whoa, Ms. Independent, I haven’t forgotten that you’re a modern woman.” He reminded her about his plans to turn the basement of the building he bought into her fitness studio. “You don’t have to work.”
“I don’t consider what I do work,” she shot back.
“Of course, love. So I’m guessing you want to move forward with the renovations. Tell me what you need and I’ll get it for you; equipment, design, everything. And I’ll introduce you to some people that could help while we’re here.”
“Did I ever tell you how great you are, Russell Haines?”
He narrowed his eyes, his hand creeping between her thighs. “Only when—”
“Carson is watching,” she hissed, her grin belying her disapproval.
“I can wait until we get to Dad’s house.”