The Summer of Me

To all the Facebook friends

who prayed this story into existence

S
EATED IN A SALON STYLING CHAIR IN THE BASEMENT OF
Destiny Madison's townhouse-style apartment, Bertice Brown turned and looked directly at her friend. “Are you crazy, Destiny?” she asked.

Destiny tugged on her friend's braid with her hands and used her foot to pump the lever to lock the movement of the styling chair. “How do you expect me to make this straight and tight if you keep turning your head and moving around?”

“Forget my hair for a minute,” her longtime friend said. “You're about to make a big mistake.”

“You don't know what you're talking about, Bertice,” said Destiny's other friend Natalie, who sat in the recliner across from the styling chair with her feet up. “You don't even have kids.”

Bertice huffed. “Neither do you. Besides, you don't have to be a fireman to know how to put out a fire.”

Destiny laughed at the banter of her two best friends.
“What the heck are you talking about, Bertice? There's no fire here.”

“You know what I mean,” Bertice said. “It's not smart for you to let your kids go off for the entire summer with that fat Mary Margaret. Let them go for the weekend, not the whole summer.”

Natalie rolled her eyes. “What do you think the woman's going to do, Bertice? She's not a serial killer or a child abductor.”

“Not that we know,” Bertice said.

“Now you're really talking crazy,” Natalie said. “What's your problem with the woman? She hasn't done anything to Destiny, the kids, or you.”

“I don't trust her,” Bertice said. “If she wants kids, she and Kenneth need to have them and leave Destiny's alone. There's something sneaky about that woman. Nobody is as good hearted as she pretends to be.”

Destiny had her own suspicions about her ex-flame's wife. It was a sore spot for her, so her friends rarely brought it up, but Kenneth had been dating Mary Margaret when Destiny became pregnant. Destiny had known about the woman, but she'd foolishly believed Kenneth when he'd told her it was over between him and his high school sweetheart. “To be honest, I thought about not letting them go,” Destiny said.

Bertice nodded. “That would have been the smart move. You're too bright not to see through Mary Margaret.”

“No, that wouldn't be the smart move,” Natalie said. “This trip will be good for the twins. They need to see the world outside Georgia.”

Bertice huffed again. “They have,” she said. “Destiny took them to Disney World in Orlando last year. That's outside Georgia.”

Natalie shook her head. “There's no reasoning with you.” She turned to Destiny. “You're doing the right thing, girl,” she said. “I know it's difficult but you have to think of your kids first. Besides, Mary Margaret is not that bad.”

Destiny swallowed hard. It was difficult to hear her friend spout positive words about the kids' stepmother. She enjoyed their jabs at the woman more than she acknowledged. “You two are so focused on Mary Margaret that you're forgetting something: the kids are spending the summer in Los Angeles with their father and their father's wife,” she said. “This is not about Mary Margaret. It's about the kids and their father.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Bertice said. “I've always thought Mary Margaret needed some tips on how to stay in her lane. She's too much in your business and the business of your kids.”

“She's married to Kenneth, Bertice. She's involved because he is.”

Bertice snorted. “Okay, Ms. Baby Momma of the Year. You sure have softened toward Mary Margaret. I can remember the day when you couldn't bear to hear her name.”

Natalie eyed Bertice. “People grow and change, Bertice. At least, most people do,” she added with a not-so-subtle dig.

“As usual, you're always on the side of Mary Margaret,” Bertice said to Natalie, lifting her arms in frustration. “When did my two friends become saints right here on earth?” She
cut a glance to Natalie. “I blame it on Gavin. We never should have let you marry that preacher. That's when you two began to change on me.”

Natalie laughed. “Like you could have stopped me.”

Destiny let the playful exchange between her friends wash over her as she considered the truth of Bertice's words. There had been a change in their friendship since Natalie married Gavin, one of the pastors at the church they all attended, three years ago. Destiny had watched her friend change from a selfish, sometimes vindictive witch with a
b
to a model pastor's wife. Natalie still had her same spunk but it was now couched in a genuine concern and love for others. Destiny didn't know much about miracles but she believed the change in Natalie was as close to one as she had seen. Natalie's compassion had been a strong factor in helping Destiny develop a cordial relationship with Kenneth and Mary Margaret. Bertice was right. She hadn't always been accepting of Mary Margaret. She wasn't wholly accepting of the woman now, but she was doing her best for the sake of her kids.

Destiny continued to listen as her two closest friends debated whether she should trust Mary Margaret. Bertice expressed the fears that Destiny felt about letting the woman into her children's lives, while Natalie presented all the good that could come out of a positive stepparent relationship. “The decision is made, Bertice,” she said when she grew weary of all the talk. “The kids are leaving on Saturday.”

Bertice opened her mouth as if to say more, but she wisely closed it.

“Are they excited?” Natalie asked.

Destiny sighed. “Too excited. They're bouncing off the walls. You know, they've never been on an airplane before. The entire summer is stacking up to be a big adventure for them. I wish I could experience it with them. I can't bear to think of the
firsts
I'm going to miss.”

Natalie lowered the footrest on the recliner and leaned toward Destiny. “You're doing the best you can do right now. The important thing is that you love your kids and your kids love you. That's all that matters.”

“I know,” Destiny said, “but I want to do more for them, more than my financial situation will allow. I hate that Kenneth and Mary Margaret can give them more than I can.”

“You'd have more money if Kenneth and Mary Margaret stepped up those child-support payments,” Bertice said. “I know fat Mary Margaret gets a fat paycheck from Turner Entertainment each month, so they can more than afford it.”

Destiny cut Bertice a glare. Both of her friends knew she didn't want or expect Mary Margaret's money.

“I'm just saying,” Bertice said. “They seem to be adding to your expenses, so I don't see why they can't chip in a little bit more. You know it's more expensive to live in Gwinnett County near them than where you live over here with the folks in South DeKalb.”

Destiny sighed. “That may be a moot point now,” she said. “I may not be moving to Gwinnett after all.”

“What?” Natalie asked. “I thought it was all set.”

Destiny shook her head. She hadn't been able to bring herself to tell her friends that her grand plans for the summer had fallen apart. As she looked at the concern and questions
on their faces now, she knew she had to tell them. “They rescinded the job offer, so I'm not going to have the money to move into the house.”

“What happened?” Bertice asked.

Destiny shrugged. “They said it had something to do with funding but I'm not sure I believe them. It doesn't matter really. There's nothing I can do about it anyway.”

“Well,” Natalie said, “you'll just find something else. We'll help you look, won't we, Bertice?”

“That's right,” Bertice added. “In fact, I may have the perfect business opportunity for you. Recently, my life between paychecks has gotten considerably better.”

Natalie rolled her eyes. “I don't know if I want to hear this. Please tell me the police are not going to come rolling up to your house anytime soon. If you get in trouble, you're going to end up with a public defender and a life sentence.”

Destiny laughed. “Stop it, Natalie.”

“It's the truth and Bertice knows it. We've heard about her
business ventures
before. They range from sorta shady to really shady.” She stared at Bertice. “Pyramid schemes are not legal. Please tell me this isn't one of your pyramid schemes.”

Bertice shook her head. “My ventures were network marketing opportunities, not pyramid schemes. There is a difference. Amway is network marketing and the guy who founded it now owns a basketball team. I bet he had his naysayers, too. Besides, this opportunity is not network marketing.”

Casting a wary eye at Bertice, Natalie got up from the recliner. “I'm leaving,” she said. “I don't want to know about your harebrained scheme. That way, I can honestly tell the
police that I don't know anything. I would hate to have to testify against you.”

“Oh, ye of little faith,” Bertice said, laughing.

Natalie picked up her purse. Then she leaned over and brushed a kiss on Destiny's check. “Don't get yourself in trouble listening to this crazy woman. Braid her hair and get her butt out of here.”

Destiny laughed. “I won't let her lead me down the wrong road.”

Natalie stared down at Bertice. “You need to be more careful of what you get caught up in, Bertice. One day things are going to go really bad for you.”

Bertice stood and gave Natalie a kiss on the cheek. “You worry too much, Miss Preacher's Wife. I'm not going to get into any trouble.”

“I'll be praying for you,” Natalie said to Bertice.

The concern in Natalie's voice raised alarm bells in Destiny's mind, but she pushed them aside as she walked her friend up the stairs and to the front door of the townhome she shared with her twins.

“I worry about Bertice,” Natalie said, after they were upstairs. “And you, too.”

“Don't worry about me,” Destiny said. “I'm not going to get caught up in any of Bertice's crazy schemes.”

“It's not that,” Natalie said. “Kenneth is not going to take the kids from you.”

Destiny closed her eyes briefly as she let the words that captured her greatest fear settle over her. When she opened them, they were damp. “He's going to try,” she said. “He
already convinced me the kids needed to go to school in his district since it has the better schools. Now he's harping on all the shuttling back and forth of the kids between school, his house, and here that we do each week. He makes a good point about it being more convenient if the kids just stayed with him and Mary Margaret during the week, but I don't want that. I want my kids with me each night. I'm their mother.”

Natalie brushed at a tear that fell down Destiny's cheek. “Of course you want them with you, which is where they're going to be. We're going to work this out, Destiny. When the kids get back from California, they'll come back to a new home in Gwinnett County close to their school just the way you'd planned. I'm believing God for it. Can you believe with me?”

Destiny nodded, silently thanking God for good friends like Natalie and Bertice.

“Then dry those tears and give me a hug. I have to get out of here.”

Destiny leaned into her friend's embrace. When she pulled back, Natalie gave her a sheepish smile.

“What?” Destiny asked.

Natalie sighed. “Because Gavin and I know how much you're going to miss the kids this summer, we want to give you a trip to California to visit them as an early Christmas gift.

Destiny shook her head. She couldn't take such an extravagant gift, even knowing her friend was coming from a place of love. “It's sweet of you to offer and I love you for even thinking of it, but I can't let you do it.”

Natalie lifted her brow. “What do you mean you can't let us? It's our idea. We want to do it.”

Destiny's heart warmed. “I know, but you do enough for me already. More than enough really. You and Bertice both help out more than you know by paying me to do your hair. I hate to take money for something I enjoy doing for my friends. No, you're both doing enough. Please don't treat me as a charity case. Besides, with my second-job situation up in the air, I have no clue what my schedule will be.”

“Okay,” Natalie said, though the look in her eyes told Destiny the conversation was not closed for good. “Call me tomorrow and let me know what crazy scheme Bertice has gotten herself involved in.”

Destiny laughed. “You can count on it.”

“And don't forget I want you to meet Gavin's old friend Daniel Thomas, who's moving to town. He's a great guy. You two will hit it off.”

“I'll think about it,” Destiny said, though she already knew the answer. She wasn't ready to dive back in the dating pool, despite Natalie's determination to push her back in there.

“Don't think about it,” Natalie said. “Come to dinner one night so you can meet him. It doesn't have to be a big deal. Just some friends getting together for a meal and some good conversation.”

“I don't know, Natalie. I can't see myself going out with a preacher. I'm no saint.”

“Neither is he,” Natalie said. “And neither am I, but look who I married. Forget Daniel is a preacher and think of him
as someone who has the same kind of hole in his heart that you have in yours.”

Destiny closed her eyes briefly and then opened them. “I doubt that.”

Natalie looked as though she wanted to say something more, but she just pulled the door open. Before she stepped through it, she pressed another kiss against Destiny's cheek and whispered, “You're not the only person in the world recovering from a broken heart. It'll heal if you allow it. God wants to heal it.”

Destiny leaned against the closed door after her friend stepped out into the night air and let her parting words wash over her. Was her personal pain that obvious? Kenneth had broken her heart and the recovery was taking longer than she expected. The twins were six and her heart still ached. How sad was that? Destiny pushed the thoughts away as she moved away from the door and made her way back to the basement where Bertice was waiting for her.