“Son, when you know that you’re in the wrong about something, you should tell the woman before anyone else gets achance to or before she finds out some other way. It never ends well for you if you don’t,” my father advised.
“I didn’t do anything wrong except not tell her that Jeremiah was back. As far as the rest of it, she came in at the end of a conversation.”
“Baby, what does Angel most enjoy? What means the world to her?” Mama asked.
“Belle and her family are her world.”
“What does she like aside from that? In terms of hobbies and entertainment, I mean,” Mama clarified.
“She loves music, Christmas, and singing.”
My mother’s eyes immediately lit up, and she clapped her hands. “I’ve got the perfect idea.”
Dad and my brothers instantly groaned.
“No,” Joshua declared.
“Nope,” Nicholas stated.
“Uh-uh, you’re not dragging us into this,” Daddy stated firmly.
Mama smiled knowingly at them and asked, “Why not? This is for Chris, and he never asks us for anything. He gives back to the community and serves it faithfully.”
Dad replied, “As do we all.”
“I know, but when was the last time Chris asked us to do anything?”
Joshua answered her. “Chris didn’t ask us anything. You’re asking us.”
“I’m so confused. Who’s asking what? Because I still don’t know what’s going on,” I stated.
“I have an idea that will get her back on your good side, she’ll hear you out, and she’ll forgive you. After all, it’s the season for giving. Get it? For giving . . . forgiving.” Mama clapped and laughed at her corny joke as the rest of us groaned and shook our heads.
My father and brothers clearly were not happy with her idea. But I listened intently as she explained what her idea was, and though I could see why my brothers and father didn’t like it, I didn’t care. I was willing to do whatever it took to get my woman and baby back into my life. Because I didn’t give a shit who liked it; Belle was mine, as was Angel.
Chapter 17
Angel
CHRISTMAS EVE
“Baby, cheer up. It’s Christmas Eve, and it’s Belle’s first Christmas. Do you want her to remember her first Christmas as the one where her mother was sad?”
“Mommy, why does everyone keep doing that?”
“Doing what?”
“Using Belle to get me to behave the way they think that I should. Belle doesn’t even know what Christmas is. And she won’t remember this Christmas any more than she’ll remember whether I fought my battles with a positive attitude or chose the coward’s way out this year.”
“What?” she asked, looking up from stuffing Belle’s wrapping paper in a trash bag.
“Nothing, Mommy.” Her argument reminded me of the same one Sawyer posed about how I should handle going to the ball knowing that Jeremiah would be there. We see how that turned out.
“I just want you to cheer up and enjoy your time with your daughter. I don’t know what’s going on with you and Chris, but you can’t let that impact this baby’s Christmas. And whileshe may not remember this Christmas as she grows older, she will feel your energy right now and respond to that.” Mommy chastised me, removing a squirming, whiny Belle from my arms.
She patted my baby on the back tenderly and rocked her in her arms as she sat on the couch and grabbed a cookie that she’d baked earlier from the platter on the table. “Keep acting up, and I’ll be taking my baby on that cruise with me. Yes, I will. I’ll pack your little sweet cheeks into the suitcase, sugar mama.” She cooed to Belle, who gurgled happily.
“Angelina, I’ve told you a hundred times, sometimes these young kids have to learn the hard way. Lord knows you did,” my grandmother Helen stated, walking from the kitchen into the living room where we were.
