Best Friends Forever (12 page)

L
auren drove in front of Celine's house and saw Keith parked in the driveway, sitting in his SUV. Lauren and Celine were just returning from her treatment appointment.

Celine could only imagine what Lauren was about to say.

“What is he doing here?” she asked. “Shouldn't he be at work?”

“As far as I know.”

“He's really something else,” Lauren said, pulling in next to him. But before she could unbuckle her seat belt, Keith jumped out of his vehicle, hurried around to the passenger side of Lauren's vehicle, and opened the door for Celine. He helped her out of the car, placed his arm around her waist, and escorted her up to the front door.

When they got inside, Lauren followed behind them and set Celine's purse next to her on the family room sofa. “Can I get you anything?”

Celine shook her head. “No, I think I'm good for now.”

Keith moved closer to Lauren. “Look, I know you're not happy about me being here, but I'm really sorry about what I've done. And I'm trying to make up for it.”

Lauren barely looked at him. “You don't owe me any explanations at all.”

“I know, but you're Celine's best friend and I wanted you to know that,” he said, then turned to Celine. “And baby, I want you to know that I've taken a leave of absence from work. That way, I can take you to the rest of your treatments and be here with you around the clock.”

Celine was shocked but showed no emotion. She wasn't sure what to think about any of what he was saying. He'd gone from not caring one bit about her cancer diagnosis to now taking unpaid time off from his job?

“I think I'd better go so the two of you can talk,” Lauren said.

“Thank you for everything,” Celine said. “I owe you so much.”

Lauren leaned down and hugged her. “I've told you this at least a thousand times: You don't owe me anything. All I want is for you to get well.”

“I really appreciate you.”

“Anytime, and I'll call you later,” Lauren said.

Celine relaxed against the sofa pillow. “Keith, don't you think you should have asked me first?”

“Asked you what?”

“Whether I wanted you to take a leave of absence. Whether I want you spending all your time here and taking me to my radiation treatments.”

“I just assumed you would. Especially since it would prevent Lauren from having to miss any more work. Plus, baby, I'm your husband, and it's my responsibility.”

“It was
always
your responsibility. But you chose to leave me instead.”

“I know, and I'll always be ashamed of what I did and how I did it. But it's like I told you before, I made a huge mistake.”

“You did more than that. You hurt me like no one else ever has in my life, and you humiliated me. You made up some lame excuse as to why you wanted out, and you left Kassie and me like we didn't matter.”

Keith sat down next to her with an aura of sadness. “I know, and it was a sick and awful thing to do. It's as though I lost my mind for a while.”

Celine was starting to feel tired again, but she wasn't heading up to bed until Keith told her everything she wanted to know.

“So what's this woman's name?”

“Who?”

Celine stared at him as though he were crazy.

“Oh,” he said. “Paulette Wilson.”

“What does she look like?”

Keith seemed uncomfortable. “She's average height, about a size ten, and she has short hair.”

“That's interesting.”

“Why?”

“Because I'm tall with shoulder-length hair.”

“Baby, do we really have to do this?”

“Yeah, Keith, as a matter of fact we do. So where does she work?”

“She's a hairstylist.”

“Does she own her own salon?”

“No.”

“Does she go to church?”

“Not really.”

“Either she does or she doesn't.”

“She only goes once or twice a year.”

“Does she have any children?”

“Two.”

“Boys or girls?”

“One of each.”

“How old?”

“Two and eight.”

“Do they have the same father?”

“No.”

“Was she married to either of them?”

“Both.”

“Is she from here?”

“No, she's from Charlotte.”

Celine wasn't sure why, but for some reason, she was relieved to learn what she had about this woman. It didn't lessen the hurt or diminish how wrong Keith had been for having an affair, but at least some of Celine's curiosity had been met—but not all of it.

“There's something else I want to know.”

“What's that?”

“What was so special about her? What does she have that I don't?”

Keith stared directly into Celine's eyes. “To be honest, she couldn't hold a single candle to you if she tried. She's not nearly as beautiful as you are, and you're a hundred times smarter than her. You've also been blessed with the kind of class she'll never have. She could never fully compare to you, period. But there was one thing I couldn't ignore.”

“Which was what?”

“She was willing to do any and everything I asked her to do. From day one, she went out of her way to please me and make me happy. She said she would always make sure I never felt alone…the way I had with you.”

“Well, if that's true, then why are you here?”

“Because after a while, I knew I'd made a mistake. I knew I didn't love her, and that I could never love any woman the way I love you.”

Celine didn't have words, so she stood up. “I'm ready to lie down.”

“Baby, is that all you have to say?”

“I want you to leave.”

“You're too weak to be here all alone.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“Well, at least let me help you upstairs.”

“No! I want you out of here!”

“Baby, please give me a chance. Please let me be here for you.”

Celine held on to the back of the sofa. “Just leave.”

“Okay, if that's what you want, but I'm calling Lauren,” he said.

“No. Don't you call anybody. I'll be fine.”

Keith opened his mouth to speak again, but he obviously changed his mind, because he turned and walked out of the room. Before long, Celine heard the front door opening and shutting.

It was then that she made her way back around the sofa, dropped down on it, and cried like someone had died.

C
eline flipped her bedroom television between
CBS This Morning
,
Good Morning America
, and the
Today
show. This was one of those mornings when they each had various segments she wanted to see, and she was trying to catch them all.

When a commercial came on, Kassie walked into the room and got in bed with her. She still had on her pajamas, but it wouldn't be long before it was time for her to get ready.

“So when is Daddy moving back home? I just got off the phone with him, and he says he can't come back until you say he can. Is that true, Mom?”

Celine had so been hoping Kassie wouldn't bring this up again. At least not for a while. “It's a complicated situation, and I'm sorry for the way our separation is hurting you.”

“But all you have to do, Mom, is let him come back. Please, Mom. Pretty, pretty please.”

“I'm sorry.”

“Mom, don't you want us to be happy?”

“It's nothing like that.”

“Well, just call him and tell him to come back,” she said, reaching for the phone on the nightstand and passing it to Celine.

“Look, Kassie. I'm done talking about this for now.”

“But Mom—”

Celine frowned. “I mean it, Kassie. I'm done, and I don't want to hear another word about this.”

Kassie burst into tears, crying loudly. “Well, if Daddy can't come back home, I don't want to live anymore. I want to die like your mommy and daddy did.”

Celine pressed the Mute button on the remote and tossed it onto the bed. “I want you to stop this nonsense, right now!” she shouted. “You hear me, Kassie? And I'd better not ever hear you say something like that again.”

Kassie cried harder, but this time she hugged Celine. “I'm so sorry, Mom. I…didn't…mean…it. I…just…want…Daddy…to…come…back…home,” she said, sniffling.

“I understand that, but when I say we're done talking about something, I mean it.”

“I just want you and Daddy to love each other again. I don't want to live at two houses the way some of the kids at summer camp do. Some of the kids at my school have to do that, too, and they hate their parents for breaking up. It's just not fair, Mom, because I still love you and Daddy both. I'll always love you.”

“Honey, I know, and I'm sorry. I can't apologize enough.”

“But can't you at least try to love Daddy again?”

“Sweetheart, I've never stopped, but that's not the problem.”

“He loves us, too, and he says he won't ever leave us again. Not ever.”

Celine wasn't happy about the way Keith continued to speak to Kassie as though she were an adult. He had no right talking to her about their marital problems, but Celine knew he was doing it on purpose. He was still playing on Kassie's sympathy, hoping it would somehow affect Celine's decision. The sad thing was, it was slightly working. After crying profusely yesterday afternoon, Celine had found herself weighing her options. Part of her wanted to end things with Keith for good and file for divorce, but part of her wanted to keep her family together. She also wanted to do what she believed God wanted all married couples to do—honor their vows and work out their differences. He wanted them to love and forgive each other the way He forgave all of His children. This was the hard part for Celine, though. Forgiving in spite of the way she truly felt. Trying to move on and forget the way Keith had treated her. Trying to accept that Keith had sought out another woman, committed adultery, and acted as though Celine's illness wasn't serious. He'd done enough to last a lifetime, more than most women could stomach, yet Celine sat there teetering back and forth.

But then Kassie looked at her with more tears flowing down her face. “Mom, if you won't do it for Daddy, can you please do it for me? I just don't wanna be sad anymore. I don't want my heart to keep hurting. It hurts really bad. So please, Mom, can he come back?”

Celine still wasn't sure what to do, but seeing her daughter in such heart-wrenching pain was too much. Kassie hadn't done a thing to deserve this, and if taking her father back would make her happy, Celine was willing to make the sacrifice. Very few people would understand her decision, but this wasn't about everyone else. This was about her daughter's happiness, and Celine had to make that her priority. She had to focus on Kassie's state of mind and overall well-being, and that was all that mattered.

H
ours had passed, yet Celine still wasn't feeling very energized. She'd also discovered this morning that even though she was taking her iron medication, her iron level had dropped below what it had been at the ER. All she wanted was to feel better, physically and mentally, but while it was two in the afternoon, she felt like lying down and taking a nap.

And she would have, if she hadn't already called Keith to come over. Earlier this afternoon, she'd debated her decision once again, but now he was sitting in front of her at the kitchen island, waiting to hear what she had to say.

“So these are the ground rules. There won't be any sleeping together in the same room, and no sex under any circumstances. Then, once my radiation treatments are finished and I have more strength, I want us to go to marital counseling.”

“Of course. Whatever you want.”

“And if…and I do mean
if
…things get better for us, I still won't be having sex with you until we've both been tested for HIV.”

“That won't be a problem.”

“Nonetheless, I need you to understand how things are going to work from now on.”

“I told you I would do anything you ask, and I meant that.”

“I'm glad you feel that way, because the other thing I want is for you to call this Paulette person to let her know things are over between the two of you for good. I want you to tell her that you're moving back home and to never contact you again.”

“No worries,” he said. “I already ended things with her.”

“That's fine, but I want to hear you tell her with my own ears.”

Keith squinted his eyes. “Don't you think that's being a little childish?”

“Call it whatever you want, but either you call her in front of me, or all bets are off.”

“She's at work right now.”

“Then you can do it this evening once Kassie goes to bed.”

Keith nodded in agreement, but Celine could tell he didn't want to do it. And it wasn't like he had to, either. However, if he didn't do everything she requested, he wouldn't be moving back home, not even for Kassie. This morning Celine had made up her mind to do what was best for their daughter, but when she'd awakened from her nap a couple of hours ago, she'd decided that Keith would do things her way or no way at all. It was the only answer in terms of eliminating unnecessary stress—the kind of stress she couldn't continue to have and stay in remission.

When Kassie finished saying her prayers, she hugged and kissed both of her parents and got in bed. “Good night, Mom. Good night, Daddy. I'm so happy now,” she said, smiling more than Celine had seen her smile in weeks.

“We're so glad to hear that, sweetheart,” Keith said. “Now you get some sleep, okay?”

“Okay. I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you, too.”

“I love you, Mom.”

“I love you more.”

Keith followed Celine out of Kassie's room, shutting the door behind them.

“So are you heading to bed, or do you want me to stay awhile longer?” he asked.

“No, I want us to go downstairs so you can make your phone call.”

Keith immediately looked uncomfortable, the same as he had earlier, but Celine started down to the kitchen and so did he. It was best to do it there because that way Kassie wouldn't hear anything.

He pulled his phone from his jacket, which was lying on the chair, and dialed the number. He hung up fairly quickly, though. “She's not answering.”

“Well, if you don't get her tonight, then tomorrow.”

“Not a problem. And hey, how many more treatments do you have?”

“One tomorrow and the final five next week.”

“That's really great to hear. So can I take you to those? I mean, that is the reason I took a leave of absence.”

“I guess. I'll call Lauren tonight to let her know she doesn't need to pick me up in the morning.”

“Good. And baby, thank you for not giving up on me,” he said. “Thank you for giving me a chance.”

Celine didn't respond, but just then, Keith's phone rang.

“Is that her?”

Keith looked at his screen. “Yeah.”

“Then answer it.”

He hesitated but then finally pressed the Send button.

“Hello?” he said, obviously thinking he was about to have a quick one-on-one conversation…until Celine reached for his phone and placed it in speaker mode.

“Did you hear me?” Paulette spat.

“No, I didn't,” he said.

“I asked why you were calling me.”

Celine could tell the woman was irritated.

“I need to say a couple of things,” he told her.

“Like what?”

“I can't see you anymore. My wife and I are getting back together, and I'm moving back home.”

“Excuse me? And you're telling me this why? Oh, wait a minute. Is this some production you're putting on for your little wifey? Am I on speaker? Well, if so, did you tell her I dumped you more than a week ago, right after you got fired?”

“What?” Celine said louder than she'd planned. “Keith, what is she talking about?”

“Oh my goodness,” Paulette said, laughing. “So you didn't tell her you got fired for sleeping with one of your coworkers? And that the little tramp is filing a sexual harassment lawsuit against you and the company?”

Celine felt like she was about to pass out again. She must have been dreaming. Had to be.

“You've got some nerve calling me, Keith,” Paulette said. “Pretending like you broke up with me when you know I ended things as soon as I found out what you were up to. And sweetheart,” she said, obviously speaking to Celine, “make no mistake about it, this ratchet husband of yours is only trying to get back with you because he can't afford to live on his own anymore.”

Celine sighed. “Keith, is all of this true? Meaning your whole leave-of-absence story was a lie?”

Keith pressed the End button on his phone. “Baby, there's a lot more to the story. So please let me explain.”

“More to the story? What more could there possibly be? I heard that tramp of yours, loudly and clearly. You've been sleeping with two different women, and now you don't have a job.”

“I know, baby, but that chick at work is lying. She came after
me
.”

Celine raised both of her hands in front of her. “Just get out, Keith, and this time stay out.”

“Baby, no. Please don't do this,” he begged, but it was what happened next that broke Celine's heart.

“Daddy, who was that lady on the phone?” Kassie asked. She stood inside the doorway between the kitchen and the corridor, and both Celine and Keith turned around in horror.

“Did you really lose your job, Daddy?”

“Oh no,” Celine whispered, moving toward her daughter and hugging her. “Honey, let's go back upstairs.”

“Daddy, who was that lady on the phone? And why was she saying you slept with your coworker?”

Keith walked closer to them. “Honey, that never happened. The woman on the phone was lying.”

Celine nudged Kassie toward the hallway, and they went upstairs. Celine couldn't believe how stupid she'd been. She'd actually given in and made the decision to take Keith back, only to learn that he'd been sleeping with not one, but two other women. And who was to say there weren't more of them? There was no telling what else he'd done and what more Celine would find out as time went on. Then there was this news about his losing his job and the fact that he was being sued.

It was this last thought that stirred her nerves into a frenzy. “Oh my God,” she said out loud to herself while holding her daughter in her arms, trying to console her. If Keith had been fired, how in the world was she going to pay all her medical bills? More important, how would she and Kassie survive? What was going to happen to them now?