If I Were Your Woman (16 page)

Stephanie stared at the number for a few moments, thinking, debating with herself. Was Ali her father? Was that the reason he seemed so familiar to her? When she was growing up, her mother never kept pictures of her father and she only had a vague image of him when she was three or four years old. The only other person who would even have an inkling of what he looked like would be Samantha. There were no aunts or uncles, no grandmas or grandpas. For the most part she and Sam were orphans, having had to look out for themselves since their early teens when their mother simply stopped coming home.

She swallowed down the past, looked at the number, and punched it into her cell phone. Whatever he had to tell her would be more than she'd ever known. That much she was sure of.

“Hello?”

She froze. There was a lot of noise in the background, banging and yelling.

“Hello?”

“Um, this is Stephanie.”

“How are you? I can barely hear you. I'm on a construction site.”

“I understand. I was hoping we could talk…about my dad.”

B
arbara finished up for the day at the hospital and prepared to go home. Her parting conversation earlier with Michael still rested with her. She had to admit it was certainly ego boosting to have a young man in love with you, especially at her age. But she knew deep in her heart that she needed more and needed to give more and that would never happen with Michael.

She had her evening all planned. Hopefully it wasn't too late to work things out with Wil, and if it was she would simply deal with it.

By the time she reached her apartment is was a bit after six. She had two hours to take her shower, get dressed, and make it on time.

She took her time with her bath and then soothed her frazzled nerves with aromatherapy body lotion. She painstakingly applied her makeup and was once again delighted that she'd cut her hair into such a manageable, not to mention sexy, do. She'd chosen her outfit with care. She didn't want to be too out there, but she still wanted to be noticed.

She checked the bedside clock. She had forty-five minutes to get there. But she wasn't going to chance her driving, so she called a taxi service. Her heart was in her throat for the entire trip and she silently prayed that her little plan didn't backfire.

 

Barbara arrived with time to spare. She was shown to her reserved table and waited. Every few minutes she checked her watch and was about ready to bust from the three glasses of water and the basket of bread she'd consumed.

She'd been there for more than a half hour and was beginning to think she should just leave, especially if the waitress came back one more time and asked what she'd like to order.

Despondent, she picked up her purse and had collected her coat from the back of her chair when she glimpsed movement coming in her direction. Her heart stood still when their gazes connected.
Please don't let him walk out.

Wil stopped short when he spotted her and turned over his shoulder to scowl at his son, who was beaming with delight. He pushed his father forward until they stood in front of Barbara.

“Hi, Ms. Barbara, sorry we're late. Trying to get Dad out of the house on a weeknight is murder.”

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“What's this all about?” Wil grumbled.

“Why don't you sit down, Dad, and find out? Look, I gotta go. I have homework. Enjoy yourselves.”

Wil looked totally flustered. He turned to Barbara. “You two set me up.”

“Something like that,” Barbara said. “Please sit down.”

Wil huffed but finally sat. He folded his arms on the table. “Why am I here?”

She looked him right in the eyes. “So that I can tell you that the only man I want in my life is you. Nothing and no one can come between that. Not all the money, the fancy cars, hotels, trips…none of that. What makes me happy is you. I waited the better part of my adult life to find happiness. I lost you once. I don't plan to do it again.”

Wil twisted his lips. “You look real good,” he offered.

She grinned. “Is that right?”

“Pretty thing like you needs a real man to take care of her, love her, make her feel that she's the most important thing in his life and that if he lost her, he'd lose a part of his soul.”

Barbara's eyes filled and before she could stop them, tears spilled over her lashes.

“I hope those are tears of happiness,” he said, reaching across the table for her hand. “Because the last thing I ever want to do is cause you pain.”

“They are,” she said through her choked sob. “The happiest tears I've ever shed.”

“Are you two ready to order now?”

Wil looked up at the young girl, then across at Barbara. “No, we're going to go home.”

 

She should have called Tony so that he could be there with her. This was definitely not the greatest part of town. She paced in front of the building to both keep warm and keep her mind from running in a million directions at once. He said he'd meet her here by eight o'clock. It was almost that now. She hugged her arms to her body and stomped her feet.

A yellow cab pulled up. Moments later Ali stepped out.

“Hope you weren't waiting too long. You know how hard it is for a black man to get a cab in New York.”

“No problem,” she said, her nerves jumping up and down.

“Let's get you out of this cold.” He trotted up the stairs and pushed open the rickety front door that had no lock, nor the second door. “It's not much but it's warm. Once you see it, you'll know why I want to get a place soon. I hope you're in good shape. The elevator is out and I'm on the fifth floor.”

Stephanie was too nervous to respond, she just followed him up the musty-smelling stairs. Finally they reached his door. She looked around. The hallway was a color that she couldn't quite make out. It might have been green at one point. She heard yelling coming from one end of the hallway and inhaled the smell of food cooked over years that had seeped into every crevice of the building.

He stuck his key in the lock, jiggled it a few times before it would give way, then opened the door and switched on the light.

Stephanie walked in cautiously behind him. It was better than she'd envisioned. It was clean and she could tell that he tried his best to spruce the room up with a few plants and a bright bedspread on the single bed.

He hurried across the room and pulled out a folding chair that was stacked against the wall. He opened it for her, then took one for himself.

“Make yourself as comfortable as possible. Can I fix you some tea to take the chill off?”

She shook her head. “No, thank you.”

He slowly sat down opposite her. “To be truthful I never thought I'd see you again. Last time I saw you and your sister ya'll were about four years old.”

“What do you mean?” Her heart thudded wildly. “Saw us where?”

“With your mama and your daddy. I was your dad's best friend. We grew up together in Atlanta. Franklin and Melvin, thick as thieves.”

“You knew my father?”

“Sure did.”

“Where is he, what happened to him?”

“Your mother and father married right out of high school. Your dad loved your mother like nobody's business. And before you knew it, your mama popped out not one but two beautiful twin girls.” He smiled at the memory and shook his head. “Your father was so proud and his chest was sticking out so far he could barely button his shirts.”

“What was he like?”

Ali leaned back on the metal chair. “Your dad was a damned good musician. He could play the piano in a way that would make you think you'd gone to heaven. He used to play in some of the clubs around town to make extra money on the weekends.”

“He played piano?” she asked in awe.

“Yep, and could outrun anyone on the entire track team in high school. He was a good man, a hardworking man that would have done anything for his wife and kids.”

Her throat muscles constricted. “Then why did he leave us?”

“He didn't leave, not the way you think or what your mother may have told you. He got drafted for the war in Vietnam. When he left it nearly killed your mother. She was as fragile as anything and relied on Franklin for every breath she took. When he went off to war a piece of her mind went with him.”

Stephanie's gaze raced around the room trying to find somewhere to land. Her father went to war. Her mother went crazy. It was all too much. But she had to know more. She wanted to know it all. She deserved to know after all these years.

“I tried to do the best I could for her and you girls. I'd bring food, clean the house, take care of you and your sister when your mother would get into one of her spells.”

“Spells?”

“Sometimes she would just sit by the window for days, not eat, not wash, not even take care of her kids. She'd just stare out the window looking for Franklin.”

Stephanie jumped and began to pace. “My mother was crazy.”

“Your mother's heart was so broken there was no way to fix it.”

“Then one day I came by the house and everyone was gone. Nothing there but the curtains sailing in the breeze. I wrote to your father and he flipped. His platoon sergeant said he ran into an open field and stepped on a land mine.”

She gasped in horror.

“When he finally came home—”

“Came home! My father came home?”

Ali nodded his head. “Lost his leg, but he came home. But that war had done things to him. He saw things that no one should have to see in this lifetime. And it changed him. When he came home to nothing and the only thing to occupy his thoughts was the horrors that he'd seen, he shut himself off from the world.”

She let the question hang on her lips, wanting to ask it but afraid of the answer. “Is my father still alive.”

Ali paused for a long moment. “Yes. I lost track of him for years but he's in the V.A. hospital in Austin, Texas.”

She covered her mouth with her hands. “Oh my God, oh my God,” she cried. Her body shook as the sobs overtook her. All these years, all these years…She wept like a baby, and Ali held her in his arms just like he did when she was a little girl and the feeling in Stephanie's heart was oh so familiar.

 

“Are you going to be all right? I can drive you home and take the train or bus back over here,” Ali said.

“No, I'll be fine. I need some time alone to process it all.”

He nodded in understanding. “If there's anything that I can do you just let me know.”

She stared into his eyes. “It's been so long. How did you even know it was me?”

“You look just like your daddy,” he said gently. “He was my best friend in the world. I'd never forget his face. The first time I caught a glimpse of you coming out of the spa I had to do a double take. I followed you that day that you almost fell in the snow. I had to see you up close. Then when I saw you at the restaurant I knew for sure. You hold your head to the side like your mother did every time she was thinking about something. Ron told me about Sam. I'm so sorry.”

“Maybe you can go with me to see her sometimes.”

“I'd like that.”

“I'd better go.” She reached up and kissed his cheek. Thank you, Uncle M.” She stepped back and looked into his eyes. She'd swear he was going to cry.

“You remembered?” he said, his voice thick with emotion.

“Yes, I did.”

 

The first thing she did the minute she walked into her apartment was call Tony.

“Babe, I have so much to tell you.”

“What's going on? You sound like you've been crying.”

“I have but it's all good.”

“I don't understand. What happened?”

“Just get your fine self over here and I'll tell you all about it.”

“Don't have to ask me twice.”

“I will tell you this.”

“What.”

“I do belong to somebody, Tony.” Her voice cracked into tiny pieces. “They did love me. They did.”

Friday night two weeks later

I
t was girls' night and par for the course the fabulous foursome were gathered at Barbara's house. Terri had been called out of town on business, so she couldn't join in the festivities, but promised to be there next time.

The music was popping, food was in abundance, and the alcohol flowed free. They were coming toward the end of a fierce game of spades when Barbara slapped the winning card on the table.

A collective groan rose from the assemblage.

“I think she cheat,” Ann Marie said. “Nobody can't win all the damned time.”

Elizabth chuckled. “Don't hate, as the kids would say.”

“All I got to say is that it's a damned good thing we don't play for money. I never win,” Stephanie moaned.

Barbara got up from her seat. “I'm going to refill the ice tray so that you losers can continue to drown in your sorrows.” She walked off laughing to herself and ignoring the names other than her own that were being hurled in her direction.

She went over to the refrigerator and opened the freezer just as Elizabeth came up behind her.

Elizabeth kept her voice low. “I didn't want to say anything yet, but Ron asked me to marry him.”

“What!” Barbara squealed. “Oh my goodness, congratulations, sweetie.”

“I'm so happy I could bust,” she said, still whispering. “But for now it's just between me, you, and Ron.”

“Sure.”

Elizabeth ducked back out.

“Well, I'll be,” Barbara murmured. She was pulling out the ice tray when Ann Marie popped her head in and came over to her.

“Don't say nutin' but guess who me daughter Raquel been tiptoeing with?”

Barbara couldn't begin to guess. “Who?”

“The damned security guard at the spa!”

“Drew Hawkins? Get out.”

“But don't say nutin'. Raquel don't won nobody to know yet.”

“Your secret is safe with me.”

“Good. I knew it would be.” She hurried back into the living room.

“At least he's a decent, good-looking man,” she mumbled and banged the ice tray against the sink, just as Stephanie came in acting like she was looking for something.

She inched over to Barbara. “You gotta swear you won't say anything, not until I confirm it and go see my father and tell him.”

“Your father! Steph—”

“Me and Tony are leaving to go see him in Texas next week.” She beamed with delight.

Barbara wrapped her in a bear hug and held on. “Sis, I know how much this means to you.”

“Yeah, it does.” She stepped back, sniffed, and wiped her eyes. “Just promise not to say anything just yet.”

“Cross my heart. But what is it that you have to confirm?”

“That I'm pregnant.” She grinned, whirled away, and walked back inside.

Barbara grabbed a seat and sat down before she fell down. Although she kept a poker face she knew a little bit about Steph's father from Elizabeth. But a baby! She chuckled and shook her head. What was her crazy behind gonna do with a baby? Well, the kid would have three aunties to help out.

She pushed out a satisfied breath, got up, and finished putting the ice in the bucket. Well, the world had finally settled back on its axis and all things were good again. She picked up the bucket and tucked it under her arm. At least for the time being. She chuckled out loud. Yeah, at least for the time being.