already his.
All the while, his soul was elsewhere. Miles and miles away in a city called Miami where Tracy was waiting for him to come home. He couldn’t wait to get back home to her. It was a long time coming, but he was finally going to do right by her. Him, Tracy, and their girls, finally a normal family. It’s what they needed after all these years of chaos .
Reginald filled Renee with silent apologies as he stroked her for the last time, just before dawn.
•
Saturday morning, Reginald awoke to find Renee’s side of the bed empty. After listening for a moment and hearing no movement from the bathroom, he panicked.
Perhaps things had gone a little too well last night. Perhaps she awoke and realized she didn’t want to sweep six years of lies under the rug so quickly after all. What if she decided to take Denise and run away? What if…
Before his mind could wander any further, their bedroom door opened and Renee strolled in carrying a breakfast tray. She was clad in a white terrycloth robe and wore a glowing smile that stretched from ear to ear. Relax, he thought. Clay.
“Good Morning,” he said, eyeing her sexily.
“Good Morning. I made breakfast.” She placed the tray over his lap and extended the retractable sides. “I called the McDuffies, Denise is fine. Then I labored over ham and cheese omelets, full of everything you like: green onions, bacon, tomato, and bell peppers. And I even toasted bagels and covered them with cream cheese…Just the way you like it.”
“You didn’t have to, Renee,” he said quietly. He covered her hand with his. “Despite what you’ve said, I know it’ll take some time for you to get used to what’s happened.”
“Listen, I really do understand. And as I said, I’ll wait for you. As long as it takes.” She kissed him lightly on the lips. “I love you too much to do anything else.”
As Reggie took the first bite of the delicious omelet and sipped his orange juice, he allowed himself to breathe for the first time in nearly twenty-four hours.
All was well again in Orlando.
•
Helen Jameson squeezed Crest onto her toothbrush and began brushing her teeth. This Saturday morning found her in the same mood she’d been trapped in for the last two days. The altercation with her younger sister had upset her terribly, leaving a bad mood she couldn’t seem to shake.
Once her teeth were clean, Helen gargled with Listerine until her mouth was on fire. Satisfied with her oral hygiene for the morning, she decided to talk to her mother about the situation. It was safe to assume that Renee had not yet beaten her to it, because knowing her mother as she did, she would have long since called Helen to discuss every detail. Beatrice loathed when any of her three children quarreled. Even in their adulthood, she continued being a dedicated mediator, looking out for the well being of the Jameson clan.
After making Cream of Wheat for Ashley and Brian, Helen settled back into bed with a bowl of her own. She reached for the remote control and decided on the Cartoon Network ’s Saturday morning lineup. Lowering the volume, she reached for the bedside telephone and dialed her parents’ number.
Bea answered on the second ring. “Hello?” she said, voice singing.
“Good morning, Mom! Long time no talk.”
“Good morning, honey. I know, I know. Ben and I were planning to stop by last evening for dinner, since you’re the only person we know who cooks on Fridays, but Dean and Pat invited us over for a game of cribbage, and we didn’t leave until almost midnight! I’m surprised I’m awake this early…”
The last thing Helen wanted to hear was her mother ramble about the cribbage game, so she cut to the chase. “Mom, I need to talk to you. Renee and I had it out on Wednesday evening, and it’s killing me.”
For the next few minutes, Helen abridged the details of the spat. She purposely omitted the portion where she had called her niece a bastard,
All the while, his soul was elsewhere. Miles and miles away in a city called Miami where Tracy was waiting for him to come home. He couldn’t wait to get back home to her. It was a long time coming, but he was finally going to do right by her. Him, Tracy, and their girls, finally a normal family. It’s what they needed after all these years of chaos .
Reginald filled Renee with silent apologies as he stroked her for the last time, just before dawn.
•
Saturday morning, Reginald awoke to find Renee’s side of the bed empty. After listening for a moment and hearing no movement from the bathroom, he panicked.
Perhaps things had gone a little too well last night. Perhaps she awoke and realized she didn’t want to sweep six years of lies under the rug so quickly after all. What if she decided to take Denise and run away? What if…
Before his mind could wander any further, their bedroom door opened and Renee strolled in carrying a breakfast tray. She was clad in a white terrycloth robe and wore a glowing smile that stretched from ear to ear. Relax, he thought. Clay.
“Good Morning,” he said, eyeing her sexily.
“Good Morning. I made breakfast.” She placed the tray over his lap and extended the retractable sides. “I called the McDuffies, Denise is fine. Then I labored over ham and cheese omelets, full of everything you like: green onions, bacon, tomato, and bell peppers. And I even toasted bagels and covered them with cream cheese…Just the way you like it.”
“You didn’t have to, Renee,” he said quietly. He covered her hand with his. “Despite what you’ve said, I know it’ll take some time for you to get used to what’s happened.”
“Listen, I really do understand. And as I said, I’ll wait for you. As long as it takes.” She kissed him lightly on the lips. “I love you too much to do anything else.”
As Reggie took the first bite of the delicious omelet and sipped his orange juice, he allowed himself to breathe for the first time in nearly twenty-four hours.
All was well again in Orlando.
•
Helen Jameson squeezed Crest onto her toothbrush and began brushing her teeth. This Saturday morning found her in the same mood she’d been trapped in for the last two days. The altercation with her younger sister had upset her terribly, leaving a bad mood she couldn’t seem to shake.
Once her teeth were clean, Helen gargled with Listerine until her mouth was on fire. Satisfied with her oral hygiene for the morning, she decided to talk to her mother about the situation. It was safe to assume that Renee had not yet beaten her to it, because knowing her mother as she did, she would have long since called Helen to discuss every detail. Beatrice loathed when any of her three children quarreled. Even in their adulthood, she continued being a dedicated mediator, looking out for the well being of the Jameson clan.
After making Cream of Wheat for Ashley and Brian, Helen settled back into bed with a bowl of her own. She reached for the remote control and decided on the Cartoon Network ’s Saturday morning lineup. Lowering the volume, she reached for the bedside telephone and dialed her parents’ number.
Bea answered on the second ring. “Hello?” she said, voice singing.
“Good morning, Mom! Long time no talk.”
“Good morning, honey. I know, I know. Ben and I were planning to stop by last evening for dinner, since you’re the only person we know who cooks on Fridays, but Dean and Pat invited us over for a game of cribbage, and we didn’t leave until almost midnight! I’m surprised I’m awake this early…”
The last thing Helen wanted to hear was her mother ramble about the cribbage game, so she cut to the chase. “Mom, I need to talk to you. Renee and I had it out on Wednesday evening, and it’s killing me.”
For the next few minutes, Helen abridged the details of the spat. She purposely omitted the portion where she had called her niece a bastard,
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