Silver Lining (21 page)

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Authors: Wanda B. Campbell

BOOK: Silver Lining
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Chapter 28
T
he doorbell chimed four times before Kevin comprehended that the sound was live and not a figment of his imagination. The realization wasn't enough for Kevin to move from his location on the couch in the den. There was only one person he wanted to see and that person had a key. Whoever was on the other side of the oak door was irrelevant and insignificant to him.
“Kevin, I know you're in there. Open the door,” a voice stated from the other side of the door.
“You can't hide forever,” a second voice added.
It was Tyson and Leon.
Kevin moaned in resignation, then reluctantly rolled off the couch and moped to the front door. He didn't acknowledge his visitors; just slightly opened the door, dragged himself back to the couch, and reclaimed his position, staring at the ceiling with his hands folded behind his head.
Leon stood over him, demanding answers. “I asked you plain and simple what your plans for Marlissa were. Why did you lie to me?”
“Leon, he didn't lie to you,” Tyson answered for Kevin. “He just didn't tell Marlissa the truth like I advised him to.”
“Why is she on my couch crying about her life being over?” Leon wanted to know.
Kevin blinked. At least now he knew where Marlissa was. After calling her cell phone all night without an answer, he'd feared the worst.
Leon had the perfect solution. “You need to get over there and fix this, now!”
“Change your clothes first,” Tyson said. Kevin was still dressed in his dress shirt and slacks from the night before. “Have you been out here all night?”
Kevin remained unresponsive. If not for intermittent blinking and sporadic chest inflations, Kevin seemed lifeless.
Leon retired the tough guy attitude and lowered his tone. “Look, man, tell me the truth, do you love Marlissa or not?”
“Can't you tell?” Tyson had all the answers. “She hasn't been gone twenty-four hours and look at him. He can't brush his teeth, his eyes look like he poured in red dye.” Tyson gestured toward Kevin's face. “I've seen dead people with more color than this.”
Leon didn't understand. “If you love her so much, then why isn't she here?”
“Because he's a certified dummy, that's why,” Tyson answered again. “You should have seen the good doctor in action last night.”
“You're right, Tyson,” Leon said after getting the disaster highlights. “That was dumb. But as dumb as he is, Marlissa still loves him.”
“Not anymore. She hates me.” Leon and Tyson looked at Kevin as if he had rudely interrupted a private conversation.
“I ain't too crazy about you right now either, but my girl really does love you,” Leon tried to assure him, but it didn't work.
Kevin finally sat up. “You didn't hear the words. You didn't see the hurt.” He leaned his head against the wall and exhaled. “I don't know what came over me last night. That sister thing was
real
stupid. I should have corrected him. I didn't even acknowledge her in my acceptance speech.”
Tyson and Leon kept quiet now that Kevin was on a roll.
“And the things she said, she accused me of using her and said I lacked integrity.” Kevin purposely paused, hoping the guys would jump in and defend his character, but they remained quiet. “She has this crazy idea that I don't love her anymore.”
“Why does she think that?” Leon asked with a tone of sarcasm.
“Ah, man!” Tyson said in response to Kevin's silence. “Kev, please tell me that you have said the words to her at least once since she's been back. At least once since y'all been
cohabitating
.” When Kevin dropped his head, Tyson threw his hands down. “Man, you must have graduated valedictorian from the Dummy Institute of Thoughtlessness with a PhD in Stupidity!”
Leon slapped his hands against his knees and sat down. “See, that's why I didn't want to attend traditional college, too much book knowledge saps your common sense.”
Both Tyson and Kevin stared at Leon, but neither corrected his warped analogy.
Kevin had grown tired of the insults. He knew he'd messed up big time, but they made him sound like a moron. “She knows I love her. How can Marlissa not know how much I love her? Since she's been back I can't sleep in this house without her. Okay, maybe I haven't told her that, but she should know how much I've come to depend on her presence.” Kevin tried to turn the tables to sound like the victim. “I take very good care of her. I make sure she has more than enough money, reliable transportation; she never has to worry about food or clothing or anything. I even gave her my time. I came home to her every night. Doesn't that prove how much I love her?”
“No, you would do the same things for a mistress,” Tyson started.
“Or whore, but that wouldn't mean you love her. Just that you like what she's giving you and want her to look good while giving it,” Leon finished.
With the wind gone from his sails again, Kevin fell backward as the possibility that he had in fact taken advantage of Marlissa became a reality.
“What you gave her were things. She wanted you. She needed to know that you loved her enough to forgive her,” Leon explained. “One of the major concerns on the road to recovery for an alcoholic is whether or not our families and the ones we love will be able to forgive us and afford us another chance. Marlissa had given up on your marriage, thinking the damage was beyond repair. She didn't have any hope until you pursued her. People in recovery work extra hard trying to be the perfect this or that, to earn the love and trust again. If you weren't willing to give her that, you should have left her alone, especially after she shared her past with you.”
Tyson didn't know what Leon was referring to, but his grave tone expressed the seriousness.
The tension in the room had escalated; the playfulness had evaporated.
Leon continued. “Look, Kevin, everybody makes mistakes, but Marlissa doesn't deserve to be taken advantage of. She loves you, but if you can't fully love her back then leave her alone.”
 
 
The moment she took her usual seat, Marlissa second-guessed her decision to attend service. It was then that she realized how long it had been since she'd been to church without Kevin by her side. Praise and worship was barely underway when the tears and the emptiness returned with a vengeance. Marlissa didn't mind this emotional breakdown as much. That was one of the benefits of corporate worship. A person could cry all through service. People would assume they were feeling the Spirit and leave them alone. There were a few saints that would read right through the façade, though. Mother Scott was one.
In no time, Mother Scott had joined Marlissa in the row, and while holding her whispered in her ear. “Don't worry, baby, Mother will take care of it. When I get through with the good doctor, the only thing he gon' be good for is the altar.”
The declaration made Marlissa chuckle. “Don't worry about it, Mother, I'll be all right.”
“Me and Drake are gonna make sure. We gon' pray the devil out of him.” Mother patted her shoulder, then went back to her seat, but not before giving First Lady Drake the warfare signal: forearms across her chest with fists balled.
“Thank you, Jesus. You always know what I need,” Marlissa whispered as Pastor Drake preached a sermon about not allowing your circumstances to ruin your destiny. Marlissa listened intently as Pastor Drake broke down Philippians 1:6 to terms she could understand. His words encouraged and motivated her to move forward with her life and the life of her unborn child.
By the benediction Marlissa felt renewed. Her heart was still heavy, but she had the strength to face her future without Kevin and without alcohol. Being a single parent wasn't something she'd signed up for, but it wasn't the end of the world. Starla was right; Kevin would do right by his child. Their baby would probably enjoy a better life than she had. Despite her broken heart, Marlissa didn't regret carrying his seed. For her, their baby had been conceived out of love, and, to be honest, she enjoyed making a baby with Kevin.
“You're looking better,” Starla commented after the customary dismissal hug.
“I am feeling better,” Marlissa replied.
“Are you ready to talk to Kevin?”
“No, but I am ready to get off your couch.” Starla looked disappointed. “Don't worry Starla, I will tell him soon.”
“Promise?”
“In the house of the Lord on a stack of Bibles with blessed oil dripping down my face. Thank you, Starla,” Marlissa said, once they stopped laughing.
“For what?”
“For allowing Leon to be my friend. A lot of women would have a hard time with their husband having female friends. Not to mention having one as a roommate. How many women do you know who would allow a female to beckon her man in the wee hours of the morning?”
“Not too many,” Starla admitted. “But you are special to Leon, to both of us, actually.”
“How so?”
“Leon told me about all the times you kept him from falling off the deep end and how you encouraged him to keep pursuing me and the boys after every rejection. At first I did have a problem with the living arrangements, but then I realized that although he shared a living space with you, his heart always belonged to me. I was just too scared to trust him again. Plus, the first day I met you, I knew you and Kevin were still in love. It was written all over your faces.”
Marlissa held up the “timeout” sign. “You were doing good until you mentioned that name.”
“Okay, I'll leave it alone,” Starla conceded. “But, seriously, thank you for helping my baby get himself together.”
“And thank you for befriending me. You know, it's your fault I'm pregnant anyway.” Marlissa rolled her eyes at Starla. “It was your crazy advice that almost made me lose my mind. You really should write a book.”
Starla chuckled. “You mean Mother Scott should write a book.”
Marlissa giggled all the way back to her Lexus. “Laughter truly is good for the soul,” she said as she exited the parking lot.
Chapter 29
L
ewis stared at the paper in his hand with disbelief. Leon was quitting his job today and thus ending Lewis's connection to Starla. What was more shocking than Leon no longer needing his job was the reason for his departure.
“Leon, how did you come up with enough money to restart your own construction company so soon?” Lewis knew for certain he couldn't have done that on what he paid him. “What about your contractor's license?'
“That's already been taken care of.” Leon smiled proudly, then handed Lewis a Star Construction business card complete with his logo and contractor's license number.
Lewis was almost speechless. What was he supposed to do now that Leon was on the right track? Lewis gave Starla her space and time, but only because he was waiting for Leon to mess up again. When he did, Lewis planned to be right there waiting to comfort Starla. Lewis pasted on a fake smile and extended his hand. “Congratulations and welcome to the world of entrepreneurship.”
“Thank you, Mr. Mason,” Leon said while shaking Lewis's hand vigorously.
Too much joy flowed from Leon. Lewis had to say something to burst his bubble. “Leon, you know, starting a small business requires a lot of hard work and money. You have a wife and two kids to support. Are you sure you don't want to keep your job here until you build up a steady flow of customers?” Leon stopped smiling; Lewis had struck a chord. “I'm sure you don't want to drop the financial burden of sustaining the household on your wife.”
“Mr. Mason, you're forgetting, this is not my first time running a business. I know all about hard work and how much money it takes. I was successful before and I will be even more successful this time because I now have God in my life.”
“Of course, eventually you're going to succeed,” Lewis said, nodding. “But in the meantime, your wife and children need to eat. I understand completely how a man should go after his dreams, but it's not fair to do that at the expense of your wife and children.”
Leon glared at him, and Lewis wondered if he'd made a mistake referencing Starla and the boys.
“Mr. Mason, I know what's best for my family; that's exactly why I'm leaving this place.”
Lewis continued to dig. “What about money, Leon? Do you have enough to stay afloat? I could help you out.”
“No, thank you, I have everything I need,” Leon said with finality.
Leon turned on his heels, and, without looking back, exited the store and jumped into his truck. His days of working for someone else were over. Not that he was above it; it just wasn't what he was born to do. He wanted a legacy, something to pass on to his boys if that's what they wanted. Leon's desire to build Starla a house was stronger than ever. After making it through the fire of disappointment without her love for him getting consumed, Starla deserved the best of everything, and Leon was determined to die trying to grant her wishes. Their trip to Calistoga transported their love back to the early days of their courtship so much that Starla finally agreed to renew their wedding vows.
Naiveté was not one of Leon's characteristics. He was concerned about their future. To be honest, he was frightened. He prayed constantly for his courage to outweigh his fear. It did, and Starla's unwavering belief in him was the fuel that kept his engine running. “Father, I thank you for giving me more chances than I can count,” Leon prayed before leaving the gas station parking lot as an employee for the last time.
 
 
“How are you this morning?” Mr. Atkins's smile showed nearly all thirty-two of his teeth. That's one of the things Marlissa loved most about her employer; Brother Atkins was drenched in happiness all the time. “The joy of the Lord,” he called it.
Marlissa forced a bright smile at her boss, determined not to drag her personal business into the office. “Blessed and most highly favored. How is your Monday morning so far?”
Mr. Atkins nodded. “Just lovely. God woke me up and kissed me with His sunshine.”
Marlissa quickly went over the day's schedule with him, pondering if she should tell her boss about her pregnancy. She decided to wait until she started to show.
Mr. Atkins's office door barely closed before Marlissa booted up her computer. She was on a mission. She needed to find an apartment she could afford on her insurance salary alone. This morning's bout with morning sickness helped her realize that she wouldn't be able to work sixteen-hour days during her pregnancy. Prenatal care was another issue. Her job didn't provide health insurance. Marlissa was among the thousands of working poor in California. That left her with two options: apply for state assistance or ask Kevin for help. Right now she was leaning toward door number one.
Marlissa searched every Web site for housing within a ten-mile radius and grew more frustrated by the minute. Not one of the rental Web sites offered any hope. The nice apartments were way out of her price range. The ones in her range were in the worst neighborhoods. “I should take your daddy's house and make him find an apartment,” she grumbled and rubbed her stomach. “You would love it there.”
Her thoughts drifted to what her baby would look like. Would he be tall like Kevin or average like her? Would Kevin's chocolate skin dominate or would his chocolate blend well with her creamed coffee complexion? What would she name her son or daughter? “I'll just have to wait and see,” she stated when the phone rang.
Her stationary smile fell once she heard the caller's voice. It was Kevin. She'd been avoiding his calls, but the insurance office phone didn't have caller ID.
“What do you want?” she said dryly.
“Can I see you today, please?”
“No.”
“What about tonight?”
“No.” She heard Kevin sigh after the second refusal.
“Marlissa, we really need to talk.”
To her, Kevin sounded exhausted, like he hadn't slept in days. Marlissa stroked her abdomen. “I know, but not tonight. I'll let you know when I can pencil you in. Bye.” She hung up before she gave into her desire to see him.
It hadn't been two whole days since the breakup, and as much as she hated to admit it, Marlissa missed him. This morning she cried through what would have been their prayer time. What about Bible Study? How was she supposed to sit in the same building with him? “He better take my advice and go back to his mother's church,” she mumbled, and resumed her fruitless Internet search.
Two hours later Marlissa gave up the futile search and faced the hard facts. She couldn't have this baby without Kevin's help. She couldn't even find a one-bedroom apartment without his signature. “I should have kept that bank check card a little longer.” She folded her arms and pouted. It was too late; on her way to work, she had picked up the rest of her belongings from the house and left the check card along with the house and car keys on the kitchen counter.
Marlissa brooded a while longer before she swallowed her pride. “Let's go see your daddy.” She sighed and looked down at her still-flat stomach. She wasn't going to ask him for anything. Her intentions were to simply tell him about the baby and then wait and see what he offered.

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