Forgiveness and Second Chances (17 page)

“What, I can’t come visit my favorite cousin?” she asked, not being able to look him in the eye.

“Carmen, if you heard any part of that conversation you better keep it to yourself, or you’ll regret it, too.”

She looked at him square in his eyes. “I didn’t hear anything. I needed your help with this ticket.” She pulled a piece of paper from her purse.
He is crazier than I thought.

Weeks had passed and Malanie took some time off from work, to wallow in her sorrows.

“Hello.”

“Malanie, it’s been over a month since the agreement. Did you forget? You’re supposed to be with me. Stop making excuses.”

“I was out of town on business.”

“You’re here now, and I want to see you.”

She remained silent.

“Next Friday, we’ll eat dinner at that nice cozy restaurant on Phillips, then we’re going to my house to make sweet love. If not, I’ll be arresting your ex. I’ll see you soon.”

She hung up without saying another word. “Fuck you!” she yelled, throwing the phone.

Malanie lay in her bed in her pitch-black room, under her sheets. Suddenly there was a bright light, making her uncover her face. She looked at her visitor, surprised. “Mom!”

“Why is your room so dark?” her mom asked, fixing the curtains.

“Close them and please leave,” she said, giving her mom a dirty look.

Mrs. Johnson stared at her daughter. “No, you need to get up and stop feeling sorry for yourself.” Her mom began cleaning up clothes off the floor.

“Please leave, Mother!” Malanie yelled.

She kept studying her daughter, wondering when was the last time she hugged, kissed, told her thank you for everything she’d done for me, even after everything that had been done to her. She sat at the foot of her bed.
When was the last time I said I love you.

“Why are you here?”

“Because you need me. You need me to finally be your mother.”

“I need you for what?”

“She called me and said you needed me.”

“I don’t need you and who called you?”

“My granddaughter. Malanie, your daughter knows you’re hurting and it’s hurting her seeing her parents in pain. She’s a very smart girl for her age. She knows.”

“I didn’t know.”

“I know I’ve made mistakes raising you, and for that I’m forever sorry, but you never turned your back on me and I’m not going to do it to you now. You need someone to talk to, to listen and not judge and that’s me. I won’t judge you, I promise. What happened?”

Malanie lowered her head. “Jeremy.”

“What about Jeremy? You seemed to be happy these last couple of months. You told me it was because of your daughter and him. I know you think I hate him, but I don’t. I just thought he was a rich, spoiled, white kid trying to use you. He became so protective of you, and that was my job. I know I did a poor job of showing it, but back then I was so messed up, and now because of you sending my to rehab and therapy, I’m working on my past demons.” She took her hand. “I see it now. He makes you happy.”

Malanie burst out crying. “I love him.”

“Then why are you hurting each other? Tell him how you feel.”

She wiped her tears. “I can’t.”

“Why?”

She paused. “I need to get this off my chest. Mom, promise you won’t say a word.”

“Okay.”

Malanie told her mother the full story, everything that had happened at the police station, the charges. She mentioned how Luis had threatened her.

“Honey, you need to call the police.”

“No. If I do, he’ll have Jeremy convicted of something I know he didn’t do.”

Her mom grabbed her hands. “You’ve always trusted Jeremy. You trusted him with what was most precious to you, your child. I think you two can get through this. Tell him the truth, tell him you sacrificed yourself for him.”

“I can’t take that chance. I’ve hurt them too much already. Alanie can’t lose her father because of me.”

Her mother held her while she cried herself to sleep. “I love you, baby, and I’m going make this right if it’s the last thing I do.” She quietly left her daughter’s apartment.

“Come in,” Jeremy yelled, still annoyed by any little thing.

Mrs. Johnson entered his office.

He glared at her, arching his eyebrow. He didn’t have time for this lady’s attitude.

“May I?” She pointed at the seat in front of his desk.

He didn’t answer, but she sat down. “How did you get on base?”

“I have my connections.”

“Mrs. Johnson, to what do I owe this visit?” he asked in a stern voice, leaning back in his chair.

“Malanie.”

“Ma’am, I don’t want to talk about your daughter. We’re over. You should be happy,” he said, taking a sip of water. “Now if you’ll excuse me.

She didn’t move a muscle. “I can’t be happy when my child is suffering.”

He chuckled sarcastically. “She’s suffering because she wants to…. She left me.”

“Not because she wanted to.”

He glared at her, surprised.

“She made me promise not to tell anyone, but her happiness means more to me than her being mad at me. It won’t be the first time, and she’ll get over it.”

“Where was this kindness eleven years ago?”

She took a deep breath. “Let me get everything out before you blow up.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He was intrigued to hear her story.

She stared at him. “Control yourself,” she warned. “My daughter has never stopped loving you since the age of fifteen, and I think she will never be able to. I disliked you at first because yes, you were white, and I didn’t think you were good enough for my black daughter, but then I saw a change in her. She was happier, full of life.” She sighed. “Then I hated you because I thought you were taking her love away from me. Before you came along it was just us. I always came first to her, until you. I know I didn’t pay her much attention but I always knew she would be there. When her dad divorced me and my other kids abandoned me, she stayed with me.”

“Ma’am, I didn’t try to take her from you.”

“I was in a bad place back then. I know she confided in you.” She swallowed hard, clutching her hands. “We had a huge argument. I hit her and kicked her out of my house. I hadn’t seen her for months, and she only came home to ask me if I had seen you, and I told her no. She disappeared again and then appeared almost a year later. Malanie’s eyes were lost and empty. She was so skinny. Her clothes were torn. My heart dropped to my stomach and I rushed her to the hospital. She was dehydrated and starving. My baby went through all of this because of me, and that’s when she told me she did indeed have a baby. I just couldn’t lose her again and I kept quiet about your dad and you.” She took a deep breath, “I paid the private investigators off so they couldn’t find you.”

He was angry, but also felt sorry for her.

“I’m so sorry. Because of me, Alanie missed out on ten years with her mother.”

He just stared at her with unshed tears, visualizing everything she’d just said. He knew back then that her mother was abusive and on drugs, but Malanie always said she couldn’t leave her. She was all her mother had, because everybody else had turned their back on her. But Malanie put her own daughter first. Without even thinking, he said, “She is everything to me.”

“You’re everything to her, too.”

“Malanie doesn’t believe that. If she did, she wouldn’t have turned her back on me.”

“She didn’t have a choice. He didn’t give her a choice.”

“Who?”

“Luis.”

He punched the desk, then stood up, putting his hands on his head.

“He threatened her, saying he had power to destroy you and leave your daughter without a father. She sacrificed herself for you, Jeremy.”

“Why? Why didn’t she tell me?” He felt his nostrils flare as he spoke.
Why didn’t I see it before? What a fool I was.

“She’s been miserable without you. Her heart is broken, and it breaks my heart to see her like that. You may not believe me, but I’ve changed and it’s all because of her.”

“I need to see her, Mrs. Johnson,” he said, holding the door open. “Thank you for coming.”

“No, son, thank you for loving my daughter, and never giving up on her. I was so wrong about you,” she said with a smile on her face.

He made a stop before going to Malanie’s condo. Mrs. Johnson had given him the code and the keys. She’d also called the guards to let him into the building.

He quietly entered her room. She was sleeping peacefully, and then he noticed the puffiness under her eyes. He walked closer to her side of the bed.

She must have felt his presence, because she whispered without opening her eyes. “Mom, please go away. I want to be alone.”

He bent down and kissed her forehead, then he got into the bed next to her, putting his arms around her body, and whispered, “I love you.”

As soon as the words rolled off his lips, her eyes shot open, looking straight into his, with her red-rimmed eyes. She leaned up and jumped into his arms. “Jeremy!” Then all of a sudden she pulled away. “You have to leave. You can’t be here.” She tried pushing him away. “Please leave.”

“He can’t hurt us anymore. He doesn’t know I’m here.” She stared at him. He could tell by the change in her expression she knew that he knew the truth.

“My mom!”

“She surprised me. Don’t be mad at her. She did it out of love. Why didn’t you tell me? Why go through this alone?”

She touched his face, leaning into his embrace. “I would do anything for you and Alanie, even if it means my unhappiness.”

“Baby….” He took a deep breath. “Thank you for putting us first, but that’s my job. I would’ve protected you. I have the Navy and the truth on my side.”

“I was afraid. I didn’t want to leave our daughter without you.”

He kissed her lips. “Mmm, I missed your lips.”

“Only my lips?”

“Baby, your eyes are swollen.” He caressed just under her lower lids.

“Jeremy, if he finds out, he’ll send you to jail.”

“Lanie, my DNA wasn’t a match. The military ran their own test to make sure it was done right.”

“I never doubt you, but he threatened our family.”

“Even if he tried it won’t work. Briana told the truth to the military police, telling them she lied.”

“Really!”

“Yes, baby, he doesn’t have anything over your head. He has nothing.”

“Sorry….”

“I was so angry and hurt when….” He couldn’t finish.

“I didn’t mean any of the things I said at the station. I knew I had to push your buttons. I needed to hurt you.”

“And the part that I raped you?”

“Baby, I just said that because I needed you to be angry at me.”

That’s when he noticed her chain and pendant. He touched it. “Where did you get this?”

“From you. Alanie gave it to me on my birthday.”

He chuckled. “Our daughter is something else. I bought it for your birthday, but…it doesn’t matter. Happy belated birthday.” He kissed her.

“I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too.”

He kissed her passionately, making her his again, possessing her. He stopped kissing her. “I lost you for ten years and then another two months. I can’t let you go again.” He got down on one knee and pulled a black velvet box from his pocket. “I was going to do this later, but no time like the present. Malanie Tia Johnson, will you marry me?”

She stared at him in awe, covering her mouth, looking from the ring to his eyes.

“I know it’s not much. I didn’t get it from any fancy jewelry store. You earn more income than me, but I want to take care of you and our daughter.”

“Jeremy, you and that ring are more than enough. I’m not enough for you. I’m broken.”

He cupped her chin and gazed at her. “You’re so much more than enough. I was the broken one until God gave you back to me. Malanie Tia Johnson, God created you for me. Stop stalling and answer my question.”

“Ask me again. ”

“Will you marry me?"

“Yes…yes…I’ll marry you.”

He placed the ring on her hand, kissing each finger in turn.

“Make love to me,” she asked, lying back down.

“With pleasure.” He stood, taking off his uniform and placing it on the chair near her window.

She leaned up on her elbows to watch him, licking her lips. “I missed you,” she said, laughing and staring at his aroused cock, which peeked through his boxers.

“He missed you too,” he said, taking them off. He climbed on top of her. He was about to take her T-shirt off, and then he noticed it was one of his. “My T-shirt,” he said before gently tearing it off her body, and to his surprise she was already ready for him. Her chocolate body was on display for him. He gave her a mischievous smile, and began giving her wet kisses from her belly button to her left nipple, while he rubbed her right one, making her moan.