November – December 2000
Bennett started calling early Friday morning. Poppy blocked his call and promised never to be so gullible again. Once she was back in New York, Poppy told Tommy everything. She left nothing out. She even told him she was so scared to tell her Gran since she was following in her mother’s footsteps. She was knocked up by a man who was not going to stand by her.
She told him how Bennett had cheated on her the night after telling her she was the only one. Truthfully, she would have never believed Bennett could be so deceptive if she had not seen it with her own eyes.
She replayed the events of that morning in her head over and over again. She had really believed he loved her. How could she have been so wrong? She should have trusted her instincts. She knew Taylor and Bennett were too close.
As bad as everything was, it only got worse on the Monday after Thanksgiving when her great-aunt passed. Gran offered to send her another bus ticket, but Tommy would have none of it.
Instead, he booked two tickets to Memphis. He held her hand and stayed by her side through the funeral and dinner afterward. Poppy knew Gran was dying to ask what the deal was with her and Tommy, but to her credit, she did not. Right before Poppy and Tommy left Memphis, Gran took her aside and told her to be careful. She said that Tommy was too old for her.
Given that Tommy was only a few years older than Bennett, she conceded that Bennett might have been right about the age thing. Of course, Poppy assured her grandmother they were just friends. Poppy could tell she did not believe her.
On the trip back to New York, Tommy made her a deal she could not pass up.
They were sitting in the gate area of the Atlanta airport. In front of them was a family with a young boy. The dad was playing chase with the toddler. Tommy couldn't look away.
After several minutes, Tommy took her hand and said, “Poppy, my girl, I am going to tell you something that only my doctor and I know. I have a fatal disease. I am okay now and hopefully will have several good years ahead of me. But, ultimately, it is going to kill me. I have always wanted to be a dad. I had thought when my art career took off I would hire a surrogate to carry a child for me. But this illness is genetic. I refuse to pass it on and bring a baby into this world that will be orphaned before he is grown. But, if you let me, I can be a dad to your son.
“We will have a marriage in name only. We will figure it out if you find someone you want to be with. As long as you always let me be his father, I will ensure you that you will be taken care of. You may not know this, but I am very well off financially. My paintings are selling well; and hopefully, they will continue to appreciate in value. You are too talented to drop out of school to take some minimum-wage job.
“Marry me. I have insurance that you are going to need. You can live with me. We will raise this baby together for as long as I have.”
Poppy was so shocked by the offer. She couldn't believe it. She asked Tommy to give her time to think about it and Tommy agreed as long as Poppy agreed to go ahead and move in with him to save money in case she decided against it. Over three weeks, they fell into a companionable routine. Poppy took her first finals and completed her class pieces. She had just finished her last class when her cell phone rang. It was Gran.
“Hello, sweetheart. How are you? Classes all done?” asked Gran. Her grandmother sounded better than she had in months.
“Yes, I just submitted my last project. I am so tired. How are you? Did you meet with Aunt Brenda’s lawyer?”
“I did. You will never believe it. I knew Brenda’s husband left her well cared for, but I had no idea how well.”
“That was good, I guess,” said Poppy. “What happens to all that money now?” Aunt Brenda did not have any children.
Gran said, “You won’t believe this, but she left it all to me. Her investments, life insurance, all of it. She had a house in Collierville and a condo in Gulf Shores. I feel so guilty that she had to suffer and die for me to get it. I would trade it all to have her back and healthy. But, I am glad she is out of pain.”
“So what are you saying?” asked Poppy, unsure she was following her grandmother.
“I am saying my days as a maid and cook are over. I have already let Mr. Carrington know that I won’t be back. I have listed her house in Collierville. I plan to move to her condo at the beach. I will have to pay her medical bills, but even after that, if I am frugal, I can live on the money for the rest of my life. You know how much I love the beach. This is a dream come true. I can’t wait. In fact, I am planning to move by Christmas. I can’t wait for you to come and see it. And even better, I will be able to help you out with money when you need it. I don’t want you working when you need to be studying.”
“Oh Gran. You don’t have to worry about that. In fact, I have been meaning to call you and tell you that I am getting married.” Poppy did not decide to take Tommy up on his offer until she heard her grandmother talking about moving to Gulf Shores. She knew that if Gran thought she was pregnant and alone in the big, bad city, she would leave the beach and move to the city to help her raise her son. She could not do that to her. She had already raised her mom and her. It was her time to rest.
“What in the world are you talking about?” demanded Gran.
Poppy could tell her grandmother was dumbfounded. Poppy knew she needed to sell this to Gran, or she would be on the next plane to New York. “Tommy is the best man I have ever known. He is kind, considerate, and cares about me. He will never hurt me. He has asked me to marry him, and I said.”
“What about art school?” asked Gran.
“Tommy wants me to continue; he insisted on it.”
Gran was quiet for a moment, then she asked, “Do you love him?”
If she had asked if Poppy was in love with him, she would have broken and told her the whole story. But she didn’t, and the truth was she did love Tommy and their friendship.
“Yes, Gran, I love him.”
Poppy and Tommy married over Christmas in Gulf Shores at Gran’s. They returned to New York in January and started preparing for the baby they had already fallen in love with.
Chapter 12
