What God Has For Me (3 page)

Granny Rose had whispered something in
Halcyon’s ear that day and she never had forgotten it. “Every
little girl deserves a good daddy and every woman deserves a good
man,” Granny Rose had said with a hug.

Her grandmother had mastered the art of
chastening someone with the sweetest spirit. Halcyon had braced for
a tongue lashing on how she was living in sin with Scott, but it
never came.

“I never thought I would be this happy,” Desi
said, glowing, invading Halcyon’s thoughts of the past. She snapped
to attention.

More personalized gifts followed from her
mother, Tracey and then Halcyon. Since no babies were allowed, the
women were free to chat and indulge in the teacakes, gourmet
sandwiches, and platters of fruit.

They were all having a good time until Desi
checked the time. “Well, I’ve been away from my baby long
enough.”

“I was wondering how long it was going to
take you to miss your little one.” Their mother chuckled. “Tracey
still holds the record for the shortest Mommy’s Day Out. Although
Halcyon was playing it cool, I know she was bursting at the seams
to get back to Ashanti.”

“And my daughter should talk,” Granny Rose
interrupted. “I had to drag her out the house to take some time for
herself.”

So another round of tattle tales began. The
conversation bounced from one topic to another until Desi became
sober. “I can’t believe I stood in divorce court boo-hooing in
Michael’s arms. My heart was so torn back then, but MJ is evidence
of what God had for us, if we were faithful to His promises. The
Lord is good.”

“Yes, to some people,” Halcyon mistakenly
said out loud what she was thinking. She shrugged. “Well, anyway, I
guess that is what I get for not being faithful to Christ. If for
nothing but sweet wish revenge, I wish Scott had come chasing after
me, asking for my forgiveness, wanting to work through our issues…
yada, yada, yada, so I could have made his life miserable...”

“Baby, wishing misfortune on someone else
could hinder your blessing,” Granny Rose warned.

Halcyon nodded. “I know, but Scott turned
around and married a chick with her own child instead of staying
with the woman who had borne his children.” She frowned. “I can’t
figure it out. Wasn’t that a slap in the face, a punch in the gut,
and a kick in the side. More than once I asked myself what was
wrong with me.”

“Nothing!” Her mother interjected. “He was
not the one for you.” Sarah
hmph
ed. “Now, don’t turn this
into a pity party.”

“I’m not trying to, Momma, and I’m sorry,
Desi.” She sniffed. “But when I’m around this much happiness, I
want it too, but in hindsight, I realize I went about it the wrong
way. I’m the one who flirted with Scott, and chased him and tried
to convince him what a good catch I was. I thought I was in love
with him and didn’t have patience for his feelings to catch up with
me. I’m the one who sabotaged our relationship, desperate for his
love, by getting pregnant.”

“Sometimes we don’t think clearly when it’s
our first love… I still think you should file for child support,”
Tracey stated, which is what her sister did after she and her
husband broke up. But as Halcyon watched the drama unfold between
Tracey and her ex, she thought her sister had put too much effort
in making him do the right thing: pay child support, show up when
it was time for visitation; take an interest in his sons and
countless other offenses.

“I already forced myself on him, I’m not
about to force his affections for his own children and have him
reject them too. I’m taking a class online to finish my accounting
degree. Plus, I accepted a part time job in the evenings until
something better comes along. My son and daughter will be
okay.”

It seemed just her luck that while she was on
maternity leave and coping with the realization that she was on her
own, her company downsized. The severance package was more than
generous, but when it ran out, Halcyon started job hunting, but
without that degree, she wasn’t qualified for what she had
essentially done for six years.

Coming up with a Plan B, Halcyon accepted an
overnight four hour shift at UPS. It marked another fall from
grace: from behind a desk at Frankel & Sons with a marvelous
view overlooking downtown, to a windowless, dingy hangar-size
warehouse with half the pay.

Plan B was worth it. At least she would have
a medical and dental benefits package for her children. All her
decisions now were based solely on the happiness and welfare of
Ashanti and Jonathan. She could be at home with them during the
day, take an afternoon nap with them and get them in the bed before
she headed to work. They were in good hands with her sister and
mother at home.

“Things will get better, baby,” her mother
patted Halcyon’s hand. “The right man will walk into your life and
everything will change.

Halcyon shivered. “I don’t want to think
about another man, especially around my children. If you and Tracey
can go solo, so can I,” she said, then folded her arms.

“Hold on. I had a good marriage with your
father, and I’m glad you had a chance to see how a real man treats
a lady. God just didn’t give Harold and me enough time together.”
Sarah’s eyes watered and she turned away. “But for the time we
shared, it was worth it.”

Their mother had tried to duplicate the love
she shared with her first husband when she remarried. But that
ended after the first hit. Sarah hadn’t been ashamed to file for
divorce and told them that a real man doesn’t hit a woman.

“Hey, this is supposed to be ‘about me’ day,”
Desi teased.

That quenched Halcyon’s bad mood. “You’re
right. Sorry, sis.” She offered a genuine smile.

“Not a problem. I’m praying for your
happiness, and a real man, but this may be a good time to return to
church and start over spiritually,” Desi hinted

“That’s right,” Granny Rose jumped in at the
mention of anything that included a church.

Although she no longer dabbled in
fornication, Halcyon saw no need to start going back to church.
“I’ve got years of repenting to do before I even think about
stepping one heel in church, and as for a man, I’m done. Scott’s
wife doesn’t have to worry about any baby mama drama from me. I’m
sure no man who may be interested in me wants to deal with any baby
daddy drama either.”

“It sounds like you’re trying to talk
yourself into happiness, and it doesn’t work that way,” Tracey
reached over and patted her hand. “Although it’s true that a good
man is hard to find, a great woman is no easy catch. That’s the way
I look at it now. You’ll get there.”

“I know. Once I can get over my
self-inflicted relationship wounds, I’ll be fine. I just have my
moments.” Halcyon exhaled. “Sorry if I’ve spoiled your “Mommy’s Day
Out”.”

Desi frowned. “Are you kidding me? Nothing
could spoil this moment. Besides, we’re here for one another.
You’re still hurting and we understand that, but we’ve got your
back.” She winked.

“I need a group hug after that.” Everyone
stood and did just that. “Well, I guess we better head home”
Halcyon suggested. “I start my first shift tomorrow night and I
need to get things done and get accustom to going to bed before the
children.”

***

“She what?” Zachary roared over the phone,
then composed himself. There was no need to kill the messenger. But
he couldn’t believe what his brother was telling him about the
position Halcyon had accepted. There were so many things wrong with
that scenario that he didn’t bother to voice them. But in his mind,
his objections flashed before his eyes.

First, the woman was too fine and delicate to
work in a warehouse environment. Her curves and other assets would
definitely be distracting around lust-driven men. Plus, it was the
graveyard shift, a time when she should be safe at home with her
children.

Halcyon was a stubborn, proud and determined
woman—her granny’s words, not his—but that’s what attracted him to
her. Of course, Zachary dated off and on but none of the women
captured his heart the way Halcyon had with no effort.

“Why didn’t she come to me—or you—if she
wanted a job?” Zachary snapped. “I’d have created a position just
for her. I didn’t even know she was looking.”

“Desi says she refuses to ask Scott for child
support, so I know she needs the money.”

Scott.
Zachary bit his
tongue—literally, and that hurt. What kind of man wouldn’t want to
take care of his children, especially if he had the means?
Scumbag.
On the few occasions when Zachary had crossed paths
with Scott at family gatherings, he never sensed that the man knew
the jewel he had in Halcyon by ignoring her or being concerned in
what interested her.

The way Zachary saw it, Halcyon and Scott
were living in two separate worlds under one roof. Although he
selfishly cheered when she walked away, Halcyon paid the price with
an emotional toll that might have been hidden to others, but he saw
it clearly. Zachary had stopped the victory dance and began praying
for her that eventually she would open her eyes and see him in a
new light. “If she would let me, I could take care of her and the
children.”

“Really?” Michael said it in a way that
Zachary imagined a smart aleck expression on his face. “Have you
made a move, yet?”

“No.” Zachary twisted his lips in
frustration. He had hoped Halcyon would have confided in him more
about what was going on with her, knowing that he was simply a
phone call away. “But timing is everything.”

“Yeah, and time’s a wastin’. I’ve got a wife
and a son that need me,” Michael had the last word as he ended the
call.

The way his brother was attentive to his
sister-in-law as if Michael had been on a year long mission trip,
one would be surprised to learn they actually worked together every
other day at his electronics store.

So as Zachary stood on the
sidelines—again—Halcyon survived her first week, and then the
second without any complaints or grumblings. Zachary had to give it
to her, he didn’t think he could hang on the graveyard shift, but
he knew Halcyon was a determined woman. He loved that about
her.

So Zachary stopped by her house more when he
got off work, like this evening. His excuses were to play with the
children, bring dinner, and check on his “other” family. Mom
Holland never said a word, but her expression hinted that she knew
he was up to something, but never asked.

He hadn’t realized he had fallen asleep on
the sofa with Jonathan in his lap and Ashanti huddled under his arm
until he felt a nudge.

“Zach.” The sweet whisper caused his lids to
flutter before Halcyon’s soft features came into focus.

“Hey.” He smiled and she smiled back. That’s
when he noticed what she was wearing, fitted jeans and an oversized
jacket over a nice T-shirt. She brought casual to a whole new
level. The baseball cap with her ponytail looped through the back
opening made her look youthful.

“You look pretty.”

“Thanks.” She blushed and wiped her hands on
her pants, then reached for Jonathan. Zachary stood and shifted the
boy in his arms and handed him over to his mother as Ashanti
stirred, rubbing her eyes.

“Come on, baby girl, let Mommy get you in the
bed before I go to work.”

“She’s really excited about going to school.
We’ve been practicing her colors and numbers.”

Halcyon chuckled. “Yes, she can hardly wait
for pre-school.”

He got a whiff of her perfume: alluring,
intoxicating and dangerous around the wrong men—knowing all men.
She didn’t need any more heartache. What Halcyon needed was him.
She just didn’t know it yet. “Well, be careful driving and tell
those guys to keep their hands and eyes off you.”

Giggling, she headed toward the stairs. “Yes,
big brother or should I say, daddy?”

To him there was nothing to laugh about.
Zachary welcomed the idea of being a daddy someday, but he wouldn’t
be hers.

“Whoa.” Zachary closed his eyes and opened them
again. It was like a tsunami meets hurricane face off in his
brother’s kitchen. “What happened in here, sis? Has Michael gotten
behind on his chores?” Zachary teased as Michael trailed behind
him.

From the front door to the kitchen entrance,
their custom-built four bedroom house was a showcase. Not a diaper
in sight, but once Zachary crossed the imaginary line from the hall
into the state-of-the-art kitchen, the madness slapped him with the
granite countertop covered with pots, pans, serving dishes, paper
products and other items that were unidentifiable.

Desi turned away from the sink and giggled,
then offered him a one arm hug while holding MJ in the other. “Stop
it. Mickey is good to me. We got a late start because the baby had
a rough night. I think he’s teething.”

“Babe, he’s only three months,” Michael
offered as if he had become a pediatrician in training.

Zachary pivoted and gave his brother an
amused smirk. “Really?”

He shrugged and pushed Zachary out the way to
retrieve MJ. “Hey, little man,” he cooed to his son. “I’m just
going by what the baby book says,” he added without taking his eyes
off MJ.

“Right.” Zachary glanced from Michael to
Desi. “Okay, where do you want me to start?”

Since family gatherings were part of the
Holland makeup, the long Memorial Day weekend gave them a reason to
be together and Zachary had volunteered to barbecue. The holiday
also meant booming sales at the Bishop brothers’ electronic
franchises.

“The grill is ready to go. Halcyon, I mean
the Holland women”—she said in a singsong voice, then cleared her
throat— “and crumb snatchers will be here soon. They can pitch in
then.” Desi’s eyes seemed to dance with mischief before she winked,
then excused herself.