No Wasted Tears (22 page)

I love you so much, darling. It was my decision to keep our relationship from Sara. You see, your father left me to go home shortly after we were married. It was his intention to come back for me. We were going to share our marriage with Sara. I planned a beautiful dinner, but he never returned.

Destiny couldn’t believe what she was reading. It seemed that her mother’s life had been as lonely and hurtful as hers. She fingered the pale yellow paper, softened by age. The envelope appeared to be aged as well with no date, just the signature of her mother. There was love that still radiated from the paper, despite the years that had obviously passed since it was written. She continued to
read.

It wasn’t until weeks later that he informed me of the death of, first, his mother, then his brother and sister-in-law, who were killed in a terrible accident. They had one beautiful boy, Shawn, and were expecting a daughter. Tina was the name they had chosen. She was kept alive even though her mom was in a coma.

The paper slipped
from Destiny’s hands. She couldn’t believe the words she had just read. There was no way that this could be a coincidence. Could there really be another Tina and Shawn? Her senses were going haywire. Her hands began to tremble uncontrollably. She found herself rocking back and forth on the bed. The tears were flowing like a dam that had been breached. Reaching down, she picked up the letter. The words were a blur because of the tears in her
eyes.

I know you’re wondering why you were never told about them being your first cousins. Please forgive me. It was my choice. Your father wanted to tell Sara. You see, I loved Sara so much, and she had no one else but me. I couldn’t let her lose you. I asked your father not to take you from her. So that’s why you’re with her and not him.

It was at this time that Destiny noticed the handwriting. The words seemed to be strung together, frantically, with barely a space between, as if the letter had been written in one furious burst of energy. Destiny wondered when her mother wrote this letter. Had it been right before her delivery, or had it been written while she was at the hospital? She had questions that only her mother knew the answer to, or maybe Sara could fill in the blanks of this mysterious letter that seemed to be filling in the gaps if her life. Looking back at the paper in her hand, she
continued.

Destiny, life is laughter and pain; it is hope and despair; it is truth, and it is lies, beautiful and ugly all at the same time. And through it all, I want you to choose your own path, be what you want to be, do what you want to do. Because whatever you choose, you’ll still be my beautiful, precious child, and I will love you always. It is my promise to you this day, on your birthday that your life will change forever. Your father has a special birthday gift for you. He loves you, Destiny. He promised me that he would always be close to you and that he’d never be far away. He never broke a promise to me, so I know he will do as he promised. Remember, I’ll always be there to cheer you on,
whatever road you may choose to walk. When he comes to you, love him just as I did. Willie Brown is a good man, and I’m sure he’s been a great friend, but he’ll also be a great father to you.

May life be kind to you, Destiny, and may the sun smile on you. May you always find love and care, and that you give it in double measure. You will always be my Destiny.

I love you,

Mom

Destiny hastily refolded the letter into thirds and tucked it back into the envelope. She noticed her hand shaking as she hurriedly smoothed the envelope over the paper. Destiny had grown up believing that her mother was unwed and that she was an accident. She had been wrong about her mother and father. They had been very much in love, and they both loved her. Someone in deep emotional pain had written this letter. Someone who had been literally sick with love for her baby and her husband had written
it.

Sara would talk willingly enough about her mother’s first dates or what life used to be like in Kingstree before the interstate highway arrived. Once in a while, Sara would reminisce about the early days of her life, and Destiny would get a brief, precious glimpse of her mother as a baby or young girl. But questions about Destiny’s father were met with awkward silence. The past, she learned, meant pain. And the last thing Destiny wanted was to cause her auntie any more
heartbreak.

The only safe memories, the only ones Destiny could ask about and get a smile from, were the stories of Sara and Margret’s childhood in Kingstree. She’d told her of her parents’ courtship but never the mention of a marriage. Her mother’s story had made a powerful impact on Destiny, who grew up believing that love would eventually lead to a broken heart. She’d made her way unhappily through high school, where being smart disqualified her from popularity and her frizzy brown hair, acne-prone skin, and only reinforced her brainy image. Destiny was forced to believe that fairy tales she had read about rarely ever happened in real
life.

It wasn’t until college that she met her best friend, Tina Brown.
She was someone not as socially awkward but just as grade obsessed as she was. Tina was the youngest child of two. Her Uncle Willie had raised her. Destiny now knew that was her father. It was odd because he had always been there for her. Every major event in her life during and after college, he had been around. He saw her transformation from an awkward bookworm into a polished woman, her unruly hair then smoothed from a
perm.

As Destiny thought about Willie, she realized that Sara and he were one of the few constants in her life. Friends who didn’t understand her nonstop work schedule had drifted away—all accept Tina. Her social life outside the office was nonexistent because Stanley had wanted it that way. But Willie had been around even then. Never did a month go by that she didn’t see him. He was always in town for a conference or a meeting, but he always stopped in to check on her. They had even had lunch on several occasions. Uncle Willie, her father, was the only person who understood her ambition. Not only did he understand it, but he encouraged it. Willie never seemed to approve of Stanley; he always told her she could do better, and she now knew he was right. It was often that his hands carefully brushed the tears from her cheeks when she was sad or disappointed. She knew, even through the pain and grief, that she was loved and that she was safe. Yes, he had kept his promise to her
mother.

Lying back down on her pillow, Destiny clutched the letter close to her heart. She had a family, a family that was close. She found herself drifting off to sleep with the sweetest thoughts she’d ever had in her twenty-six years of
life.

Chapter 21

Lying in bed, Stanley couldn’t keep the thoughts of Destiny at bay. He was getting anxious needing to get to Seattle. After receiving a phone call a week ago from some woman, he knew exactly where she was then with the help of his own private investigator it had been easy. She had to know he would find her. His private investigator had told him she was currently seeing someone. But he seemed to think that they were only friends for now. Seven months ago he was furious when he got home to find her gone. She belonged to him and he’d convince her to come back with him. He had been her rescuer and he’d make her think she owed him that much. After all when she needed a job he offered her one. It had been easy to persuade her to move in with him, giving her a maid. And he was the perfect playmate. He would have never hit her if she would have listened to him, but she always wanted to do things her
way.

Marriage was something that was eventually going to happen. After his best friend Curtis married his old girlfriend, he had decided to go ahead and marry Destiny. But she was always going on and on about how he’d hit her and harassed her for no reason. So, she left. Now his like for her was replaced with all of the hate he had for Curtis. She would pay for walking out on him. Leaving him meant she never loved him. He would never forgive her for that. She would pay and suffer for the pain she had put him through. His need to find her grew stronger every day and he sometimes found it hard to concentrate on the things that were going on around him. Even his current girlfriend was driving him crazy, always talking about how much she loved him. Every night she wanted to go out and show everyone that she was his
girl.

He got out of the bed, throwing the covers back over her. He hadn’t wanted to hit her but she kept going on and on about why he hadn’t professed his love to her. There was no way she was going to distract him from getting Destiny back. He told her to shut up but she hadn’t listened. So he made her shut up the only way he knew how. But he wouldn’t hurt Destiny this time if she did what he wanted. Then once he got her back to South Carolina he’d teach her a lesson that she wouldn’t soon
forget.

Moving into the bathroom he yelled and told his date to get up and get out. He heard her scurrying around his room like a scared little rat. The laughter bubbled up inside of him and he couldn’t stop even after he heard her leave his
house.

Destiny woke with a gasp, sitting straight up in bed. She felt a strange lurching in her stomach; it occurred often when she had a dream that involved Stanley. Her sheets were soaked in sweat, as was every inch of her skin. Shivering and fighting the urge to jump from the bed, Destiny curled up into a ball underneath her
covers.

The dream had been so insanely real. It was always like that when she dreamed about Stanley. There was another kind of chill when she saw a copy of the letter on her bedside table she laid there looking at it with her emotions reeling. Spotting the clothes she had on yesterday, she must have just thrown them on the floor before getting into bed. She shook herself to forget the train of thought that she had been on because
that train had a destination she didn’t particularly want to arrive
at.

She glanced out her window at the daylight. Then looking over at her phone, she felt a strange sense of déjà vu just before it began to
ring.

Her heart began to pound in her chest. “Hello?” she whispered into the phone, her voice
cracking.

“Good morning, Destiny. Happy birthday,” said the voice she had heard often throughout the years. It was Uncle Willie. He’d been calling to wish her happy birthday since she met Tina in
college.

“Thank you, Uncle Willie.” Destiny wasn’t sure if he knew about the letter. She assumed he was just calling like he did every
year.

“I was wondering if it would be
okay to come by later today. I have something for
you.”

Was this a coincidence?
Destiny thought. “Yes, I look forward to seeing you,” she responded quickly before letting fear of the unknown frighten
her.

“Thank you, Destiny. I’ll see you after lunch.” With that, they hung up the
phone.

Destiny knew she would have a busy day. Adam was coming to take her to dinner later, and she wanted to get her hair done. So she swung her legs out of the bed, getting ready for what would be an eventful
day.

She was sitting on the couch in the living room, staring out the window, but her mind wasn’t taking in the beauty of the summer day on the lawn or Auntie’s roses. She was in deep turmoil from the phone call she’d received earlier. Her mind was tumbling like a dryer full of wet
clothes.