Fifteen Years (33 page)

She gasped. “JT … oh my goodness … what are you doing here? It’s good to see you. Are these mine? Oh my goodness. Come in. Come in.”

Josiah wished he had a camera to capture the joy on her face. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Then he placed the flowers on a nearby desk and pulled her close to him. Josiah loved the way Patrice looked at him. In her eyes he read things that he knew her lips would never say unless he made her his wife, and he was fine with that. Josiah kissed her deeply. When he unlocked his lips from hers, he searched her face as her eyes remained closed.

“Did you miss me?” he asked.

Only then did she open her eyes. “Very much.”

“I missed you too. Thanks for giving me that time. I needed it.” Josiah noticed the way Patrice struggled to pull her eyes away from him. He liked that. It was a far contrast from the day when she did everything she could
not
to look at him.

“Is everything okay?” she asked.

“After that kiss, do you really have to ask?” Josiah finally released her.

Patrice blushed. “I don’t mean between the two of us. I know we’re okay. Even when you called me and told me what Daddy had told you, I was never worried about us.”

Josiah smiled, pleased with her confidence in the strength of their fresh bond. “I stopped by the house this morning to spend a couple of hours with them and with Sammy. We all talked and prayed together. Everything is fine.” Josiah stepped away and placed a few feet between them, sitting on a nearby tabletop. “The more I think about it, the more I like it. From the time I set foot in Dad and Mom’s home all those years ago, I wished I were a Smith. Turns out that I am. I can’t be mad at that.”

Patrice closed the space he had placed between them and wrapped her arms around his neck. With him sitting on the top of the table, much of the height difference was erased and she could look him straight in the eyes. “I used to just envy Sam, now I envy both of you,” Patrice said. “I’m the only one who’s not a Smith.”

The corner of Josiah’s lips curled upward. “Just give it a little time, baby.” He knew she’d understand the underlying message.

Kissing was something that neither one of them seemed to get enough of. They exchanged several brief ones, and then shared a profound, extended one before Josiah moaned and pulled away again. Sometimes space was just needed. Patrice read him loud and clear and stepped away from him to reclaim her flowers.

“Oh. In case I didn’t tell you, those are for you,” Josiah said, grinning.

“Thank you. They’re beautiful.”

“Not half as beautiful as you are.” He admired the flattering fit of her tapered navy blue pants suit. The rich color looked good against her skin.

“Thanks.” She picked up the flowers and admired them closely “I sure hope the water in these little plastic thingies at the bottom of each stem will last until I can get them home and in a vase.”

“If it doesn’t, just let me know. I’ll buy more.”

Before Patrice could respond, another series of knocks were delivered to her door. She opened it to find her next student—a boy wearing an oversized T-shirt and a large silver chain around his neck that had a huge sparkling dollar sign dangling from it. Josiah shook his head. He felt like he had truly seen it all.

“See you later?” Patrice asked.

Josiah looked at the boy, wondering how much he should say in front of him. “Dinner at seven? I can pick you up at six thirty.”

Her face brightened. “Sure, but Arielle—”

“I’ve already handled that.” He could tell that she wanted to ask him what he meant by “handled,” but she took him at his word.

“Okay. See you at six thirty then.” She looked at her student who was looking back and forth at each of them during the exchange. “By the way,” she told Josiah, “this is Darius. Darius, this is Mr. Tucker.”

Josiah reached out his hand and smiled. “Pleased to meet you, Darius.”

“You thoo, Misther Thucker.”

His speech impediment was evident, but Josiah had expected that. Why else would he be having a session with Patrice? But it was the blinding flash that came along with the boy’s smile that took
Josiah by surprise. He had a gold grill that covered his entire top row of front teeth. Josiah shot Patrice a glance and then backed out the door.

Now
he had seen it all.

SUNDAY HAD arrived quicker than Josiah wanted it to. Usually when he missed a service at his church in Chapel Hill, he felt a void. Even if he worshiped at another church that day, he would spend most of the sermon wondering what Bishop Lumpkin was preaching about at Living Water Cathedral. But because he was able to feel the presence of the Lord at Sunday morning worship at Kingdom Builders Christian Center, Josiah hadn’t once thought about his home church. It was just what he needed to send him back to North Carolina feeling spiritually enriched.

Still, he couldn’t believe that it was almost time to say goodbye already. He wasn’t ready to leave the Smiths again; certainly not Patrice and Arielle. Josiah was even going to miss Blaze.

Joanne didn’t want the boys to get on the road with empty stomachs, so as they packed Sammy’s belongings, she filled several Tupperware dishes with portions of the dinner that they were about
to share. At her beckoning, the family gathered and sat down in front of a meal of fried pork chops, rice, corn on the cob, and homemade buttermilk biscuits. The combined aromas made for a delectable Sunday afternoon air freshener.

Thomas reached out for the hands of Patrice and Sammy, and the rest of the family followed his cue. “JT, you want to lead us in prayer?”

Josiah was astonished, and it showed on his face. In the Smiths’ home, Thomas always blessed the food. “Me?”

“One of the things I failed to teach you while you lived under this roof was how to lead your family in prayer. You were young at the time, and the idea of you having a family seemed so far in the distance that it just never occurred to me that you’d need time to rehearse.” Thomas stole a side glance at Patrice and continued. “Now seems like a good time for you to practice doing the honors.”

Josiah smiled in humble acceptance and then bowed his head and closed his eyes. But not before he noticed the way that Patrice blushed. “Dear Father, our Lord and Savior, thank You for this family gathering. Thank You for bringing us all together one more time in love and fellowship. Your awesome power never ceases to amaze us, and we thank You for wowing us every chance you get. Thank You for giving me my family back.” He paused to savor the moment. “Now, Lord, thank You for this food that we are about to receive. Make the food good nourishment for our natural bodies and the fellowship good nourishment for our souls in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”

A chorus of amens echoed around the table.

“Praise God,” Joanne said. “Don’t look to me like you needed no rehearsing, JT.”

Josiah appreciated her accolades. “I had a good teacher. Dad may have never taken me aside and walked me through the process
of blessing a meal, but I heard him do it enough to give me a good foundation.”

Thomas’s grin said the
thank you
that his voice didn’t utter. Picking up a biscuit, he said, “I wish you could stay a little longer, son.” He took a bite and chewed at a tempo that said he was in no rush.

“So do I. I’m gonna miss you all as soon as I pull out of the driveway. Especially you.” Josiah flashed a smile across the table at Patrice. She returned the favor, and then Josiah turned back to Thomas. “But I really need to get back. When I called my boss and asked him if I could recommend a new temp under their special needs program, he gave the green light for Sammy on the condition that I not take all of my vacation time at once. According to Lillian, the office’s gossiping, but capable receptionist, Mickey has been sweating bullets ever since I left. I’ll go back and work a couple of months or so, and then I’ll take another week off to visit you all again.”

“We’re already looking forward to it,” Thomas said. “Our home is your home, JT, and don’t you ever think otherwise. Anytime you want to come back to visit, you’re always welcome.”

“Absolutely,” Joanne said. “And next time, you ain’t staying at no hotel; I don’t care what you say.

“Yes ma’am.” Josiah liked the idea of staying with them the next time. Aside from spending more time with them, it would save him the trouble of having to bring his own bed linen.

“And you’re sure that Sam is gonna be okay working there with you?” Joanne asked.

“You worry too much,” Josiah said, putting his hand on top of hers and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “He’ll be fine. I’ll be there to keep a close eye on him. The semi-independence and work experience will do him a world of good.”

“I agree,” Thomas said. “And JT was right earlier too. It’s time for Sam to grow up just a little bit more. We’ve kept him too sheltered.”

Releasing a sigh, Joanne said, “I still don’t know how I’m gonna function with not having any of my children here in the house with me.”

“We can always sign up to start keeping more foster kids.” Thomas winked at her from across the table.

“Don’t make me throw this pork chop at you.” Joanne held her mock look of warning even when others laughed.

“Can I go with you too, Uncle JT?”

Josiah bit his bottom lip. He didn’t want to tell her no, but this was one that was out of his control. “I wish you could, baby girl, but you’ve got school. I promise that the invitation will stand during summer vacation though. I’ll make sure that your mom and you come for a couple of weeks so I can show you how and where I live. I have some friends that I want to show you off to as well.” He gave Patrice a look that told her that his invitation was genuine.

“You’re mighty quiet, sweetheart,” Thomas observed, looking at Patrice. “Are you okay?”

Josiah had noticed how reserved she had been the entire afternoon, but he didn’t want to put her on the spot by announcing it. He knew that Patrice was sad that he was leaving. He didn’t want to leave her either, but the method to his madness was what kept the sadness at bay. If he didn’t leave, he wouldn’t be able to prepare his life to include her on a permanent basis.

“I’m fine, Daddy,” Patrice answered. “I guess … I don’t know. So much has happened in such a short amount of time. I have a lot of things on my mind, I suppose.”

“Good things, I hope,” Josiah heard himself say.

Patrice’s eyes made a slow transfer from Thomas to Josiah.
They lingered awhile, and then a smile surfaced. “Very good things.”

Josiah’s heart leapt. He wanted to get up from his seat, walk around the table, take her in his arms, and pick up where they left off last night as they stood at his car door in her apartment’s parking lot, feasting on each other’s lips as they parted ways. But now was not the time. He’d have his chance soon enough.

“I’m going w-wit’ my big brudda.” Sammy had a knack for breaking tension whether the tension was good or bad.

“That’s right,” Josiah said, patting Sammy’s shoulder. “Two single men in the great big city of Chapel Hill. We ’bout to paint the town red, lil’ bro.”

“Look out world,” Thomas said, leaning back in his seat and holding his hands up in surrender.

Josiah caught the cloth napkin that Patrice slung across the table at him. “Don’t get a fat lip,” she teased.

“Speaking of fat,” Joanne said as she began clearing the table of dishes that weren’t being used. “I made a lemon pound cake with whipped icing last night. I promised to make a cake to celebrate JT’s promotion, and I did. Could I possibly tempt you all to have a slice?”

“Thanks, Mama.” Josiah beamed and clapped his hands in appreciation. “You can definitely tempt me.”

“Lead us all into temptation, honey,” Thomas agreed while he patted his belly.

While Joanne cut slices of cake and laid them on serving saucers, chatter continued around the table. Every chance Josiah got, he looked at Patrice. It would be several weeks before he could come back again. He needed to etch as many images of her in his mind as possible. They would give him something to hold on to until he could again hold on to her.

“We have something else for you too, JT.” Knowingly or not,
Thomas had broken the latest stare that had Josiah’s and Patrice’s eyes locked together.

“For me?” Josiah looked at the envelope that Thomas slid across the table and hoped that his foster parents weren’t giving him money. He knew that they still felt responsible for most of his childhood struggles, but Josiah didn’t want their money. He didn’t need it. Their love was more than enough.

“Well, are you gonna open it or not?” Joanne said while placing cold glasses of milk beside each of their desserts.

As he reached for the plain white envelope, Josiah practiced in his mind the way he would graciously turn down the money. The envelope was unsealed, and when he lifted the flap revealing the contents, his breath caught in his throat.

“We thought you’d like to have those, so I had copies made for you,” Thomas said.

Josiah pulled the photos out of the envelope and studied each of them. They were copies of the photos he’d seen when he made his first visit to the house last Sunday—the one they’d taken as a family, and the one with him as an eight-year-old looking over twelve-year-old Patrice’s shoulder as she typed on Thomas’s computer. Josiah held that one up for Patrice to see, and she grinned. The last one was a copy of the photo Thomas had just showed him on Thursday morning. The one with him in his father’s arms. At the sight of it, Josiah pursed his lips and smiled. Each of these photos would work together to complete the puzzle of his life. They would look nice in separate frames, surrounding the one that housed the picture of his mother.