The Other Side of Divine by Vanessa Davis Griggs

her in her struggle to get up. “And it sounds like your father is home.”
    â€œI know. But I wasn’t planning on staying long anyway. Andrew has plans for Valentine’s Day today.”
    â€œI know, and you came by to get your box of candy from Daddy,” Imani said. Lawrence stepped into the room after coming in from the garage. “And right on time, here comes Daddy!” Imani ran and hugged her fifty-one-year-old father, who seemed to have aged ten years, actually looking closer to his true age since he’d ceased dying his hair after dropping out of politics last year.
    â€œHello, hello!” Lawrence said, placing the familiar large paper brown sack on the kitchen counter. He reached inside the sack and pulled out a red heart-shaped box and handed it to Imani. “For you, Imani.”
    Imani took the box and grinned, giving her father a quick peck on his perfectly positioned, awaiting cheek. “Thank you, Daddy!” Imani left in a hurry, headed back up to her room.
    Lawrence picked up the sack and pulled out another red heart-shaped box, handing that one to Paris.
    Paris took the large box and smiled. “Daddy, I keep telling you that I have my own man now and that you don’t have to keep doing this every year.”
    â€œYeah . . . well. I just want you to know that even when you have your own ‘man,’ I was the first man to ever really love you, unconditionally I might add, and that’s never going to change or grow old. So deal with it,” Lawrence said.
    Already on her feet, Paris pulled the box close to her, then pulling herself just a little bit taller, gave her father a peck on his cheek just as Imani had done. “I love you, Daddy.”
    â€œI know,” he said with a nod and a smile.
    â€œAnd now, I need to make my way home.” Paris hugged her mother good-bye.
    â€œWe still haven’t finished our little talk,” Deidra said.
    â€œI know.”
    â€œAnd you’re going to tell me what it is,” Deidra said. “Right?”
    Paris smiled and started out of the room. “Bye, you two. I love you.”
    â€œBye, baby girl. Love you, too,” Lawrence said, watching her as she walked away. The front door closed. “Love you,” Lawrence whispered, before turning back to his wife, who was no longer smiling.

Chapter 12
    Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
    â€”Ecclesiastes 1:10
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    L awrence reached into the sack and pulled out an extra-large red velvet box. Lovingly, he handed it to the woman he’d known now and loved for over thirty years, this year marking their thirtieth wedding anniversary.
    â€œThanks,” Deidra said with as much enthusiasm as a dead fish as she set the box down on the coffee table.
    Lawrence forced a smile, then reached into the sack again, this time pulling out a small red velvet square box and presenting it to her with a slight bow of his head. “ This is also for you.”
    Looking down at the box, she frowned. “What is it?”
    â€œOpen it and see.”
    â€œLook, Lawrence, I told you when you left this morning on the pretense of looking for a job that I didn’t want anything for Valentine’s Day this year.”
    â€œYou meant you didn’t want anything from me for Valentine’s Day this year,” Lawrence said still holding out the box to her. “Please, Deidra . . . take this.”
    She let out an audible sigh and gently took possession of the box. Slowly, she untied the white ribbon and lifted the top. Her hand quickly flew up to her mouth. “Lawrence . . . how? Where did you get this?”
    â€œI’ll admit that it took some doing, but I was able to track it down.” Lawrence took a step closer to Deidra.
    She took the necklace out of the box, setting the now empty box down on the table next to the box of candy. “Is