“RICHMOND. ARE YOU IN HERE?” Hearing the sound of his mother’s voice, Richmond stirred. Lying on the floor inside the kitchen, clenching a beer bottle to his chest, his eyes slowly peeled open. His head throbbed. “Richmond. Oh God, no.” Standing over him, his mother stooped beside him and touched the side of his stubbly bearded face. “Did you sleep in here last night?”
“I must have,” Richmond said, smelling alcohol on his breath. Glints of the morning sun seeping from the window shined on his face. Squinting against the bright rays while looking up at his mother, he sat upright, then stood. Empty beer bottles lined the counter; some were in the sink, too. His clothes reeked with alcohol. His eyes lowered to the balled letter on the floor, then back to his mother’s face. “Where’s Isabelle?” I don’t want her to see me like this.
“She’s over to Sandella’s.” Leslie caressed his spine. “Your father paid me a visit last night. He told me that he killed Salina and you know. I’m so sorry for what he did to you. So sorry.”
Richmond pinched the bridge of his nose. “I could kill him for what he did.”
“I know you can. Come. Let’s go sit in the den and talk.” Nodding, Richmond followed his mother into the den and sat on the sofa next to her. Wrinkling her nose, Leslie obviously smelled the liquor absorbing his clothing. She caressed Richmond’s arm. “I know you’re angry with your father, and you should be. What he did is unforgivable. However, I want you to do just that. I want you to forgive your father.”
Richmond’s heart jolted. His head jerked. “No. You’re asking too much. I’ll never forgive Russell for helping Salina commit suicide.”
Leslie cupped Richmond’s hands. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but as your mother, I feel compelled to tell you this—dying may have been what was best for Salina. No. it wasn’t best for you. And no, it wasn’t what was best for Isabelle. But it may have been best for Salina. She was suffering, Richmond. Bad. I can’t even imagine living in pain like she did. Can you?”
Suffering on the inside, crying inwardly, Richmond shook his head. “You’re right. She was in a lot of pain. It killed me seeing her like that. Seeing her suffer broke my heart. Sometimes when I hugged her, she’d say it hurt.”
“The doctors had said it was only a matter of time before she died. In her mind, she’d be more alive in Heaven than here on Earth. Now that she’s gone, she’s free of pain. God couldn’t take the sickness from her body, so he took her spirit…from the sickness.” Leslie’s lips curved upward. “I can see Salina in Heaven now. Jogging like she used to. Planting flowers like she used to. Walking and talking like she used to.”
Imagining Salina full of life in Heaven, warm bathed his aching heart. “As much as Russell hurt you, I can’t believe you’re here defending him.”
Leslie nodded. “Yes. Your father hurt me. He’s hurt all of us. I forgave Russell a long time ago for what he did to our family. I forgave him for myself, not for him. You see, when I was holding on to all that anger and bitterness, I wasn’t living the life God intended for me to live. But when I finally let go of the hatred for Russell, God stepped in and took care of him for me—Russell hasn’t truly been happy himself ever since he left me. God is dealing with Russell on a level that neither you nor I or anyone else can. Russell’s conscience alone will kill him. That’s why he had that heart attack. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he had another one and ended up dying.”
She’s right. Russell’s going to die one old, miserable man with a guilty conscience. Sitting there speaking with his mother made Richmond’s heartache soften. “I guess I can’t blame Russell completely. Salina does bear some of the responsibility for what happened to her.”
“Yes, she does. And if you’re really honest with yourself, you as well as I know those two were close. I think Russell loved Salina more than he loved me. Other than Isabelle, I can’t think of anyone else he’s loved more. Sometimes he’d come to me, crying his eyes out over Salina’s illness.”
“I’ve never seen him cry until last night.”
Leslie patted Richmond’s shoulder. “Russell said something about Salina had left a video?”
“Yes, she left a video.”
“Where is it?”
Richmond’s gaze transferred to the marble counter inside the kitchen. “On the kitchen counter. I haven’t watched it yet.”
“Mind if I watch it with you?”
“No. I’d actually like that.” Richmond was no mother’s boy, but right now he needed his mother more than she’d ever know.
Leslie clicked on the television, plopped the CD in the DVR, then retreated to the sofa beside Richmond.
As Richmond sat on the couch focusing on the television, an image of his wedding day with Salina appeared on the screen. Everyone, including his mother and father, was in the photo.
Leslie laughed. “I sure wish I was that skinny again. Back then, I was so fine, you couldn’t tell me nothing.”
Richmond chuckled. “You still look great, Mom.”
Laughing, she playfully hit Richmond’s thigh. “Quit lying. I’m old and pudgy now.”
“You’re too hard on yourself. You look great,” he restated.
Suddenly, a nice clipping of Salina giving birth to Isabelle appeared on the screen. He was standing beside her hospital bed, grabbing her hand, helping her push Isabelle from her womb. Remembering that special day, he smiled.
“Oh, look at Isabelle,” Leslie said, watching on in delight as Isabelle was birthed into the world.
Richmond felt a warm glow move throughout his system. “Seeing my daughter born was one of the happiest days of my life.” More images of their entire family displayed on the television. Pictures of Suade and Dirk. Sandella and Braylon. Russell and Leslie. Drake and Willa. God, those were the good old days, Richmond thought, his heart smiling, as well as his lips. The video ended.
His mother looked at him with delight. “Wow. That’s was a nice video Salina left for you. She’s trying to send you a message.”
“What message do you think she’s trying to send?”
“She wants you to forgive your father, and her. She wants you to keep living and have more days like on the video.”
“Yeah, that’s what she said in her letter.”
“I think you should listen to her. Russell told me that Kayla thought her grandfather had killed Salina and had kept it a secret from you.”
“I thought I could trust her,” Richmond snorted.
“What sense would it have made for her to tell you something she wasn’t sure about? Put yourself in her shoes. If you’d fallen in love with a woman, only to find out one of your relatives may have killed someone dear to her…would you go confessing if you weren’t for certain?” Richmond hesitated. “Don’t answer it. Just think about what I’ve said. Kayla makes you happy. Don’t let what Russell and Salina did ruin your relationship with her. Kayla is not at fault here.” Leslie wrapped her arms around Richmond and gave him a big hug. “I’m headed home. Call me if you need me.”
Richmond confessed, “Thanks for coming over. Your being here has helped me see things clearer.”
Smiling, Leslie patted Richmond’s shoulder. “That’s what mothers are for. You may be grown, but you’re still my baby. Gon’ always be my baby.”
Richmond chuckled. “I know, Mom. I know.”
After Leslie left, Richmond took a long, hot shower, then reread Salina’s letter. He also watched the video again. Sometime later, he sat in a chair on his deck and read Russell’s diary.
As sick as it may have sounded to some, he actually felt sorry for Russell after reading the old man’s words on paper. Still undecided about how he was going to approach this Russell situation, he closed the diary and peered out at the ocean.
Watching the waves crash up against the sandy beach, he thought of Kayla. Out of anger, he had spoken down to her last night. Had said something about her sucking his dick. She’d slapped the hell out him for saying it, too. Kayla was a feisty little so
mething.
If he’d been in her shoes, perhaps he would’ve done the same thing as her. Gazing out at the water, things became clearer and clearer to Richmond about what he should do regarding Kayla. Anxious to make a visit, he grabbed Russell’s diary, strode inside the house, then grabbed his keys. Anxious to make a house visit, he hastened out of the house.
Twenty-five minutes later, Richmond pulled up at a set of apartments not far from the Tanger Outlet Mall. After rechecking the apartment number that Don had sent to him through a text message, cool as a cucumber, he clambered out of his SUV, then marched up the pathway. Checking his surroundings, Richmond’s knuckles rasped on the door of apartment number 31B.
“Coming,” the voice on the other side of the door shouted. A second later, the door swung open, and there stood Carson Crawford…Kayla’s ex-husband.
“May I come in?” Richmond asked.
“Why are you here?” Carson asked. Apparently, Russell hadn’t filled him in on what’d happened, so Carson had no clue Richmond knew that he’d been fucking with his woman’s intelligence.
“I just wanted to talk with you about Kayla and CJ real quick.” His demeanor remained cool.
Grasping the door knob, Carson seemed hesitant. “Come on in.”
Richmond stepped inside the small apartment. As he watched Carson shut the door behind him, a greasy bacon smell wafted up his nose. Disdain for Carson rose like smoke inside Richmond as the jerk came to stand in front of him.
Carson shrugged. “So what do you need to speak with me about?”
Determined not to throw a punch, Richmond cleared his throat. “I spoke with my father last night. He told me he paid you to move here to pretend like you had an interest in Kayla and CJ. You are a low down, greedy bastard,” he snarled.
Carson’s hands flew up to his chest. “Look, this was your father’s idea. Not mine. What man in his right mind would turn down two hundred and fifty thousand dollars?”
Richmond took a step forward. “Now see, that’s your problem, Carson. You don’t know the difference between a boy and a man. You don’t know the difference between a dad and a father. Well, I’m here to school you today. A dad donates sperm. A father gives sperm and takes care of his child. A boy fucks a girl. A man fucks his lady. He makes love to his lady. And a real man takes care of his woman, in every way possible. And you, my dear brother…you’re neither a man nor a father. You’re a crock of shit.”
Loathe laced Carson’s narrowed eyes. “Get the fuck out of my house.”
“I will. Right after I—” Livid, Richmond punched Carson in the face, and his nose went crooked. Eyes rolling, Carson stumbled backward. Gripping his nose, blood oozed through his fingers. Carson swung a series of times, hitting Richmond in the chest.
Wanting to see him go down, Richmond jabbed Carson in the stomach, then his side. His chest. His jaw. Carson’s eyes rolled then he dropped to the floor. Blocking his face with his hands, he begged for Richmond to leave.
Glaring down at Carson, Richmond snorted. Speaking through clenched teeth, Richmond decreed, “Pack your things and get the hell out of town. Don’t ever come back. If you do, I’ll make sure you vanish without a single trace. That’s not a threat…it’s a fucking promise.”
Stalking toward the front door, Richmond turned over Carson’s coffee table. Magazines, a cup of coffee, and the remote went flying in the air.