Flawbulous (18 page)

“What did you think I was going to do with Simon?
Snatch him up and sell him on the black baby market?”

 

–
Sullivan Webb

 

“Well, this is a surprise!” exclaimed Lawson. “You're becoming a regular around these parts. Come on in.”

Sullivan walked into Lawson's house and handed her some shopping bags. “Here. You can thank me later.”

Lawson began digging through the bags. “What's all this? Christmas isn't for another week.”

“A few super cute outfits for Simon. I was shopping for Charity and found myself wandering over to the boys' section. It was all half off, and you know I've never been one to turn down a good sale!”

“That's true. Where's Charity?”

“Tuckered out and home with Charles. She obviously didn't inherit my shopping stamina.” Sullivan looked up, surprised to see Desdemona sitting in Lawson's living room. “Oh, hi, Des. You here to interview Lawson?”

Desdemona held up her notebook. “Yep, gettin' all the goods on Kina.”

Sullivan sucked her teeth. “I can give you a book all by myself on that subject!”

“I thought you and Kina were in a good place now,” said Lawson.

“We're in a
better
place.
Good
may be pushing it.” Sullivan's mood brightened when she laid eyes on Simon. “Hey, Simon! Come give me a hug!”

“Somebody looks happy to see Mr. Banks,” remarked Desdemona as Simon ran to Sullivan's waiting arms.

Sullivan planted a big kiss on Simon's cheek. “Are you kidding? This is one of the highlights of my day!”

“They've become quite close,” Lawson informed Desdemona.

Desdemona scribbled something in her notebook. “Interesting. . .”

“I'm sure you two have lots to talk about. Why don't I take Simon outside and let him run around the yard and burn some of this energy off so you two can talk?” suggested Sullivan.

“Sully, you don't have to do that,” replied Lawson.

“It's my pleasure. Besides, it's warm outside today, and running behind toddlers is one of the ways I get my cardio in!” Sullivan reached for Simon's tiny palm. “Come on, Si. I've got five pounds to lose, and you and Charity are my versions of SlimQuick.”

Lawson smiled as she watched Sullivan lead Simon outside. “She certainly seems like she's in a good mood, doesn't she?”

“Yeah . . . you sure she hasn't been drinking?” asked Desdemona. “That could also account for her jovial mood.”

“I didn't smell any liquor on her. I think she's slowly coming back to herself. It's great to see.”

“Really? That's not been my assessment at all,” remarked Desdemona.

Lawson faced her. “Why not?”

“You know Sullivan and I have been spending a good bit of time together lately. From my observation, she's still very much in a disconsolate state. I think she needs help, Lawson.”

“I thought she was getting better.” Lawson watched from her living room window as Sullivan played peekaboo with Simon, and added forlornly, “Maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see.”

“That's often the case when people around us are hurting and have the potential to be destructive. We look for any glimmer of hope and run with it. Hoping the person is getting better is a lot easier than facing the possibility of their getting worse.” Desdemona joined Lawson at the window. “
Humph.
Doesn't that concern you?”

“Doesn't what concern me?”

“How attached Sullivan is to Simon.”

“No, Simon is my stepson, and Sullivan is my best friend. I don't expect her to treat him like a leper.”

“I'm not saying that, but the gifts and the unannounced visits . . .” Desdemona shrugged. “I think it's a bit much.”

Lawson turned away from the window. “What are you getting at?”

“Sullivan just lost her child. Now she's fixated on yours. It's not healthy.”

“Yeah, I admit that Sullivan has been having a hard time dealing with Christian's death, but I don't think she's fixated on Simon, not the way you mean.”

“You're probably right. You know Sullivan way better than I do.” Desdemona paused. “But she has said and done some things that I think are cause for concern.”

“Like what?”

“She has pictures of the two of them together on her phone, and she talks about him a lot,” revealed Desdemona. “It sort of makes me uncomfortable to tell you the truth.”

Lawson was now alarmed. “What is she saying about him?”

“She's talked about how much she misses her baby and how being with Simon makes her feel close to Christian. She said that when she holds him, she fantasizes about him being her baby. She also talks about wishing she could take off somewhere with her kids and never come back. Her
kids,
plural, so she's not just talking about Charity.”

Lawson refused to let her mind go there. “Come on, Des. Kidnapping? That's a pretty far stretch even for a writer like you!”

“Is it? Did you know that she'd been taking pictures of him?”

Lawson disclosed that she didn't.

“Sullivan is obviously going through postpartum depression, in addition to mourning her son,” said Desdemona. “The fact that she's self-medicating with alcohol only adds fuel to an already volatile situation. You've all said that she isn't in her right mind these days. It wouldn't take much for her to snap.”

“Okay, yes, she has been sad and has been drinking a bit much,” conceded Lawson, “but I don't think she's a danger to anyone other than herself.”

“Are you willing to risk this child's life to find out? People snatch up babies every day. How could you forgive yourself for putting Simon in harm's way? How would your husband forgive you?”

“I can't ban my best friend from coming over. I know how that feels. I could never hurt Sullivan that way.”

“But you can risk her becoming dangerously obsessed with your child?” Desdemona squinted her eyes, trying to make out clearly what she was seeing. “Oh, my God, what is she doing? Is she leaving with Simon?”

Lawson looked out the window, startled at seeing Sullivan taking Simon to her car. “What the . . .”

“Oh, my God!” cried Desdemona. “Lawson, you've got to get out there. You've got to stop her before she does something crazy! Go!”

Frantic, Lawson dashed out of the house. “Sullivan, wait!” she yelled. “Stop! Put him down!”

Sullivan looked up. “Lawson?”

“Give him to me!” Lawson raced to the car and whisked Simon away from her. “Where are you going with him?”

“Nowhere.” Sullivan closed her car door.

“Don't you ever take him without asking me again, you hear me?
Ever!
” shrieked Lawson.

“I wasn't taking him anywhere. I was getting Charity's ball out the car for Simon to play with.”

“Oh,” said Lawson, embarrassed. She set him down.

“What did you think I was going to do with Simon? Snatch him up and sell him on the black baby market?” Sullivan asked half-jokingly.

Lawson exhaled. “I didn't know what was going on. Clearly, I overreacted.”

Sullivan put her hand on Lawson's shoulder. “Are you all right?”

“Girl, I just got one of those Amber alerts on my phone. They always make me nervous. I guess I'm a little on edge.”

“I'd say more than a little. Did you really think I'd take him without telling you?”

“No,” replied Lawson, hoping to convince herself as much as she was hoping to convince Sullivan. “But sometimes people get forgetful or caught up in the moment. . . .”

“Yeah, but I'd never forget to ask his parents before leaving with him.”

“I know. I'm sorry.”

Sullivan let it go. “It's fine.”

Lawson forced a smile. “So are y'all about to play some kickball?” she asked, attempting to lighten the mood.

“We were, but I think I should go on home. It's getting late,” said Sullivan, not wanting to show that she was a little hurt.

“Sully, you don't have to leave. I was trippin'. I'm sorry.”

“No, you're being a protective mother. As a parent, you can never be too careful.”

“Thanks for understanding.”

Sullivan gave Lawson a quick hug. “I'll call you later.”

Lawson waved as Sullivan pulled out of the driveway and then headed down the street.

Desdemona appeared at her side once Sullivan was out of sight. “Looks like you got out here in time.”

“In time for what, Des? To stop an innocent ball game?” Lawson sighed. “Sullivan is no more of a threat to Simon than I am.”

Desdemona nodded. “I hope it's true for your sake and this precious boy's.”

“You don't know her, that's all.”

“I might not know Sullivan that well, but I do know what it's like to lose a child. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.”

Lawson agreed. “Yeah, Sullivan's been through a lot the past few weeks.”

“Actually, I was talking about you. I'd hate to you see you and your husband go through that because you trusted a loose cannon.” Desdemona could see the terror written on Lawson's face. “You better watch your back around her.” She looked down at Simon. “His too.”

“I can't blame you for reaching out to somebody else.”

 

–
Reginell Vinson

 

Mark crept up behind his wife, who was studying in their solarium, and stole a kiss from the side of her neck.

Reginell smiled and laid her schoolbooks to the side. “What are you doing home so early?”

“I was missing you, so I sent the basketball team home early and rushed back here to see my gorgeous wife.”

“Did you see anyone else today at work?” Reginell hedged.

“No, the rest of the staff is out for Christmas break, but, babe, you know we work together. I can't help but run into Lawson.”

“No, I didn't mean it like that,” she assured him. “I was wondering how she was doing.”

“Why don't you call and ask her?”

Reginell shook her head.

“Reggie, it's obvious you miss her. I know she misses you too. It's the holidays. Why don't y'all squash this already?”

“My sister doesn't know when to back off. It has to be that way for a while.”

“I hate feeling like I'm the reason the two of you are not communicating.”

“You're not, not really. Lawson has a problem maintaining boundaries. Look what she did to Namon and Shari! She wants to orchestrate our lives the same way. She needs to accept that we're married now. She can't run amuck in your life, like she used to, and she can't keep trying to control mine.”

“Couldn't you just tell her that?”

“Lord knows I've tried, but Lawson never owns up to being wrong about anything. I doubt this time will be any different.”

Mark sat down next to Reginell. “I think it's time I owned up to being wrong about something.”

“What?”

“The kiss.”

Reginell groaned.

“Baby, we haven't really talked about it, and it's the catalyst for everything getting so bad between you and your sister.”

Reginell picked up one of her books. “I don't want to talk about this right now.”

“We have to. You can't keep blaming Lawson for what happened. Some of that anger should be directed at me.”

“How can I be mad at you? You'd just discovered in the worst possible way that I'd gone back to the stripper pole after I'd swore to you that I was done with that life. I can't blame you for reaching out to somebody else. I'm thankful that it was only a kiss.”

“But it's more than that kiss that's got you upset. It's the way I am with Lawson.”

“She initiates all of it, not you.”

“But I let her,” revealed Mark. “Reggie, I love you, and you're the only woman I've ever truly loved, but I can't deny that I do have this . . .
thing
with Lawson.”

“
A thing?
” repeated Reginell, baffled. “Are you saying you have feelings for her?”

Mark went on. “Lawson and I get each other in a lot of ways. I have a ton of respect for her and . . .” His voice trailed off.

“And what?” Reginell could feel her heart pounding as she braced herself for his revelation.

“I guess a part of me has always wondered what would've happened between us if I'd known about Namon from the beginning. I can't lie. We had an instant connection the night we met and conceived him. We had that same connection when we met up again five years ago. It was strong enough for me to ask her to marry me.”

“You said you did that for Namon.”

“I did, but I wouldn't have even entertained the idea of marrying Lawson if there wasn't something there. It was that same pull that drew me to her the day we kissed.”

“You realize this doesn't do much to convince me that you don't have lingering feelings for my sister, don't you?” asked Reginell, already on edge.

“I admit, it sounds bad, but I'm trying to be honest with you and get you to see that it's not all on Lawson. I'm as responsible as she is.”

“So, basically, what you're saying is that you still have it bad for my sister,” responded Reginell. It was crushing to hear that her husband of a few months was already pining away for another woman. The fact that it was her sister made it that much more excruciating. “Thank you for letting me know it's not all on Lawson. You have feelings for her too. You can't imagine how relieved that makes me feel,” she added with sarcasm.

“Reggie, that's not what I'm saying.” Mark kneeled down in front of her. “Lawson and I do share a bond. We have a child, we work together, and we're in the same profession. We're friends. While I do have a connection to her, it's nothing you ever have to worry about. I don't want her. I don't want anybody but you. You have to believe that.”

Reggie sulked. “Why do you want me?”

“Huh?”

“I'm serious. Why did you choose me over Lawson? You said yourself that you have a connection and you have so much in common. You have a child and a soon-to-be grandchild,” said Reginell. “So why me? Lawson is the smart one, the responsible one. She can talk to people, she's confident, and she's pretty. Why settle for the sister when you can have the golden child?”

“Babe, I have something with you I could never have with Lawson.” He wrapped his hands around her. “Obviously, I'm attracted to you because you're smart, you're funny, beautiful, unbelievably sexy. . . .” Reginell blushed. “But from the moment we met, my spirit connected with your spirit. Do you remember that day in Lawson's living room?”

Reginell nodded. “I felt it too, but I didn't think I could ever be good enough for you.”

“You never have to worry about that. Reggie, I want you because I know that my heart is safe with you. I can bear my soul and be completely open with you. I can sleep at night because I know you've got my back no matter what. You accept me just like I am—kids and baby mamas and all!”

They both laughed.

Mark cupped her face in his hands. “I don't believe there's such thing as a perfect mate, because none of us are perfect. However, I think God places people in our lives who make us better. You're that for me. I'm able to see God through our relationship.”

“Really?” uttered Reginell, touched.

“Yeah. Being with you and having Namon and Mariah has helped me to learn how to put someone else first. It's made me more forgiving and gentler. It's made me more like Christ. And the fact that God took His time to create something as magnificent as you for me to love and take care of lets me know how much He loves me. I intend to spend the rest of my life showing you and showing God how thankful I am that He trusted me with your love.”

“What about my hysterectomy?” she asked, her voice breaking. “I can't give you any kids. I can't even be intimate with you the same way I was before.”

“I have my baby right here.” He squeezed her. “And intimacy has nothing to do with sex. Intimacy is how we are together and the way we love each other. As far as sex is concerned, it may take us some time to get back to swinging from the shower rod, but I can wait. I love you, and what we have is so much deeper than sex.”

Reginell slung her arms around his neck. “Baby, I love you so much. Hearing you say those things about me . . . No one has ever loved me the way you do.”

“Reggie, you never have to even think about me going after your sister. I love you too much.”

“I couldn't ask for a better Christmas gift than you.” Reginell pulled back from him. “You're the best man I've ever met.”

“I wouldn't be half the man I am if it weren't for you.” He kissed her. “Baby, now that you've made up with me, make up with your sister. Y'all don't need to be fighting like this and bringing that drama into the New Year.”

Reginell shook her head. “I love my sister, but I think we crossed a line of no return. Even if we made up today, nothing would ever be the same between us. Too much has happened.”

“Promise me you'll pray about it, okay? Lawson is the only sister you have.”

“And you're the only
husband
I have! I get where you're coming from with it, and I know you wouldn't cheat on me, especially with Lawson, but I still think she wants you. That much hasn't changed. Until it does, I've got to treat her like any other enemy.”