You Get What You Pray For (9 page)

“Well, do any of you have anything to say for yourselves, considering you threw me under the bus and let it roll right on over me without lifting a finger to save me?”

The women looked from one to the other before Isabella grabbed a platter on the table and said, “Fried green tomatoes, anyone?”

When everyone simply shot her the evil eye, Isabella popped one in her mouth. She was careful to chew at least thirty-two times, like “they” said you should. Because she was almost certain one of these women was praying she'd choke on that little tomato.

Unique was busy unpacking her suitcases. She was finally back in Malvonia, Ohio, for good. She really didn't know how to feel about it, either. Since she hadn't been 100 percent gung ho about packing up and going to West Virginia ten months ago, she had had no idea it would be this hard to leave the state behind. She loved her job at the nursing home there, as well as the people she worked with on the staff and, definitely, the patients. Then there was that unexpected person whom she had never dreamed she'd miss. As a matter of fact, the first time she met this person she wanted to do bodily harm to him.

“Lord, you surely work in mysterious ways,” Unique said as she hung in her bedroom closet the three church dresses she'd taken to West Virginia and alternated wearing whenever she could make it to a Sunday service there.

Now that she was back in her home, sweet home, she couldn't wait to get back to her home church, New Day Temple of Faith. She'd missed the congregation, her pastor, and despite all its shenanigans, she had missed the singles' ministry too.

“Singles' ministry,” she said under her breath, pulling a pair of slacks out of the suitcase that lay on her bed. She flopped down on the bed, and the slacks landed on her lap. Did she even want to get back into the singles' ministry? Who knew? In the past few years it had shut down, then started back up again, and it had changed leadership so much, it might not even be a functioning ministry anymore.

Sure, Unique knew that when Mother Doreen initially received the vision from God to form the ministry and reported that vision to Pastor Margie, who ultimately approved the ministry's creation, its purpose was to support single members of the church. But most of the women who joined the ministry didn't want support in being single. They wanted help in finding a man. Unique felt that it was pretty safe to say that she no longer needed help in finding a man.

She removed her hands from atop the slacks and began to fondle the diamond heart necklace she wore around her neck. A smile crept across her face as she thought back to the moment she received the gift. It had been in a little box, tucked down inside a vase of red roses that sat in the middle of the table at which they dined. Their table for two was on the patio of a nice little quaint restaurant they'd driven forty-five minutes to get to. It was their fifth official date.

They had talked on the phone, had had lunch together, and had watched a couple movies together with some of the patients in the activity room at the nursing home. Had Unique's suitor not had been several years older than her and had they attended high school together, they probably would have been voted the most unlikely couple. True, the moment they met, fireworks went off, but not in a good way. Having two hotheads in one room was bound to cause an explosion. But once they both put their guard down and managed to tame their sharp tongue, they began to connect like Legos, which was exactly what Unique called the two of them.

“I don't want to be that far away from you,” Unique had said after telling her newfound love she'd be heading back to Malvonia for good. “We're like Legos, you and I. We may snap, but we snap together. We were made to be together. As corny and as cliché as that sounds, it's true. At least it feels that way to me.”

“I feel the same way.” His charming smile and his hand brushing against Unique's cheek had made her melt. “Legos are meant to be together. After all, how much fun can you have with just one Lego?”

She smiled, grateful that he had the sensitivity and the understanding to grasp the comparison she was making. “Yeah, I mean at first, when we met, we snapped at each other. But then we started to build something beautiful, like one does with Legos. But . . .” Unique put her head down. “But when you're playing with Legos and you build something so tall and beautiful, it eventually falls down, and it seems like that's what is happening to us.”

“Malvonia is only three hours away, Unique. Some people live on opposite coasts and have relationships over the Internet. We can make this work.”

Unique sighed. “I've changed in recent years . . . a lot.”

And, boy, oh boy, was that the truth. Being in jail, losing the boys, giving up custody of her daughters—these were grown-up situations that had forced Unique to mature and act like she had good sense. This whole change that had taken place within her was ironic to Unique. Seemed like all that bad stuff would have made her angrier, bitter, and over the top, but instead it had calmed her, had made her pay attention to and appreciate life. She figured that was what had made it so easy to give her love interest a chance. She'd changed. After all, over three years had passed between their first meeting and their second. She wasn't that same feisty ball of fire she'd been back then, and she based her decision to give love a shot strictly on that fact. It was possible they both had changed. Besides, she felt it would be nice to do a little dating while in West Virginia, especially with no busybody church hens or two mothers there to have to spill the tea to.

That was the reason why Unique hadn't mentioned her relationship to anyone back at home. She didn't want input from anybody but God. In the past she had tried doing things her own way and had failed miserably each time. Yes, God had been there to catch her when she fell, but she had vowed that the next time He picked her up, she would allow Him to carry her wherever He wanted her to be. Taking her own route had led her only to a dead end, to this feeling that she had to start the journey of life all over again. Maybe she did. She would look at that as a good thing.

God had taken her to West Virginia. At first her flesh had been hesitant, but her soul had said yes. That chapter in her life had, in fact, turned out to be a good thing. Was God now asking her to let that good thing go? Was this romance supposed to be temporary bliss, since her stay in West Virginia hadn't been permanent to begin with? When the nursing home contract was extended, Unique knew it was God's way of keeping them together. Could they still have the same type of bond if they were three hours away from one another? Would distance make their hearts grow much fonder?

It had been a pleasant surprise, indeed, for Unique, finding love. The fact that the two of them, of all people, had formed a relationship was the biggest surprise of all. No one would believe it, which was another reason why Unique never mentioned it to anyone—that and the fact that she really didn't know how serious things would ultimately get between the two of them.

But now, with all this distance between them, when all was said and done, would she even have a man, or would she become a lifetime member of the New Day Temple of Faith Singles' Ministry?

“Thanks for coming over, Mommy, but I told you I didn't need any help,” Unique said after closing the door behind Korica. “It's not like I'm relocating from West Virginia to here. I lived in an extended-stay hotel there, and all I had was my clothes. I did not need three men and a truck to help me move a boatload of boxes to West Virginia, and therefore, I don't need you to help me unpack any.”

“Sheesh. Well, shoot me and cook me up for Sunday supper,” Korica said with her fists on her hips. “Can't a mother just want to come by and see her child who's been living in another state for months?”

Unique put her hand on her head. “I'm sorry, Mommy,” she said, apologizing. “It's been such a long day. Driving here, putting all my clothes away. Saying good-bye to Patsy and all my staff, saying good-bye to all the patients, and saying good-bye to—” Unique caught herself before she uttered that name. Now was definitely not the time to mention the relationship she'd been having in West Virginia.

“Oh, baby. I understand.” Korica walked Unique over to her black leather sofa in the modest two-bedroom, twelve-hundred-square-foot apartment. They sat down, and she put her arm around Unique. “I know it was much more than a job you were doing back at the nursing home. It was part of your calling. But what's that you Christian folks are always saying about the world being big enough for stuff like that.”

“God making room for our gifts and talents?” Unique said.

“Yeah, that mess.” Korica waved her hand as if she was shooing a fly, which was basically what church talk was to her, anyway. Something that just bugged the crap out of her. She felt as if there was some book that people received immediately after joining a church that listed all the church sayings. In order to go to heaven people had to memorize at least half of them.

“It's not a mess, Mommy. It's scripture,” Unique said, exasperated. “But I know what you're trying to say, and I believe God's Word, so I'm sure He'll find something just as fulfilling for me here in Malvonia.” Unique prayed that this was true in more ways than one.

“I can't believe you're making me go to this party alone,” Nicholas said as he looked at himself in the mirror while straightening his bow tie.

“And I can't believe you're going at all,” Lorain retorted, pouting and crossing her arms as she sat on the edge of the bed and watched Nicholas get dressed.

“But it's a black-tie affair. You love those,” Nicholas said, trying to reason with her.

“Yeah, but if I'm within two feet of Tabby, it might turn into a black-eye affair.”

“Listen . . .” Nicholas sounded exasperated. “Lance and Tabby invited us to this event long before you and Tabby had your little falling-out.”

“Little falling-out.” Lorain stood up in a huff. “That woman is spreading lies about your family, and you think it's nothing. You wanna go over there and break bread with her?”

“What lies? If she got information from the Internet, then it must be the truth. You and I both know everything on the Internet is true.” Nicholas cracked a smile at Lorain through the mirror.

“Nicholas Leon Wright, I'm being serious. This is no time for jokes. Your family's reputation is at stake here.”

“Look, honey.” Nicholas walked over to Lorain and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I'm a man, and I don't get in the middle of what goes on with you wives. Lance agrees. I'm sorry. Men aren't built that way.”

“Peter is,” Lorain huffed. “Peter says he doesn't care why his wife doesn't like somebody. If she don't like them, then he doesn't, either. Now, that's what I call a man supporting his wife.”

“And that's what I call a man who just wants to get some from his wife.” Nicholas laughed at his comment.

“And he laughs, still thinking this is a joke.” Lorain raised her arms and then allowed them to flop back down at her sides. She sat back down on the bed.

“Honey, lighten up, would you? Come on. What you are saying sounds like the antics of a high school clique of teenage girls.” Nicholas sat down next to his wife. “Who is this Peter, anyway?”

“He's Cynthia's husband.”

Nicholas was puzzled. “Cynthia?” He thought for a moment, saying the name over and over in his head, trying to recall where they knew a Cynthia from.

“Yeah, from
Real Housewives of Atlanta.
”

Nicholas stared at Lorain momentarily to see if she was being serious. Her stone face indicated that she was dead serious. Nicholas shook it off, then stood. “Us doctors are an elite circle here. Women are women, and we can't—we won't—let what goes on with you guys interfere with the support and bonds we have with one another. It's not that we are betraying our wives or siding with the enemy. I wish you could understand.” Nicholas walked back over to the mirror to give himself a final once-over before he headed out to the party.

One of the doctors at the medical group that Lance and Tom had partnered with had received recognition from the Ohio Medical Board for outstanding service to the medical community. Lance was throwing tonight's shindig in celebration of this accomplishment. Nicholas was right; Lorain loved a black-tie affair, as well as any other opportunity to be the trophy on Nicholas's arm. But she had vowed not to step foot on Tabby's
plantation
ever again.

“I wish you could understand what it means to put me first and support me.”

Lorain's words made Nicholas stop what he was doing momentarily. Then he straightened his tie one last time and turned to walk out of the room. “Sweetheart, you have no idea how I've put you first, how I've supported you in everything you've wanted to do. Just like when it came to our
wedding.
” He shot her a knowing look.

Lorain was taken aback. Nicholas seemed to turn icy for a few seconds, and then, suddenly, the chill was gone and he was his usual warm self again.

He walked over and kissed her on the forehead, then headed for the bedroom door. “I'll tell Tabby and Lance that you said hello and that you are sorry you couldn't make it.” Nicholas exited the room, closing the door behind him.

Lorain sat on the bed, feeling uneasy. What had just happened with her and Nicholas? Why had he suddenly turned so cold, then gone back to his usual self, like nothing had happened? And why had he mentioned their wedding? It was as if he had some underlying disdain for her.

Lorain stood and began to pace. She had a funny feeling, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Every time Nicholas mentioned anything about their wedding, he always seemed to freeze up, like if he didn't freeze his thoughts, they would boil over and burn her. Lorain couldn't understand why. After all, he was the one who had agreed to elope, skipping the big wedding their parents wanted them to have in a church and opting for a chapel in Las Vegas. She hadn't forced him to. Sure, she'd been pretty aggressive in convincing him that a big church wedding didn't make sense, that marriage was something they should do sooner rather than later, but she hadn't twisted his arm.

The question of whether or not Nicholas resented her for robbing him of the holy matrimony he had envisioned for himself was now gnawing at Lorain. To make matters even worse, Lorain had promised Nicholas that they would have a huge reception after they married, something that she'd allow their mothers to plan, but that, too, had never happened. Lorain had got too caught up in taking care of the twins. Then Nicholas had started his own practice. The time had never seemed right.

Could it really be that Nicholas had been holding this against Lorain for all these years? Maybe so, but something deep within Lorain told her that there was much more to it. But what else could there be?

Lorain went and checked on the girls. She peeked into the white and pink room they shared, each girl with her own full-size bed decorated Hello Kitty style. She made sure they were tucked nicely in bed and sleeping soundly. She then returned to her own bedroom. She lay down on the bed and tried to sleep, but thoughts of Nicholas and the whole wedding business kept her up thinking.

She wasn't quite sure what was broken. Something was, though, and by the time she closed her eyes, she had an idea how to fix it.

 

 

“A surprise wedding? Child, you done lost your mind,” Eleanor said as she and Lorain sat in the kitchen nook over at Eleanor's place. Eleanor's house wasn't nearly as large as the main house, nor did she have a gourmet kitchen. But her kitchen was big enough for her to burn on that stove. And it was big enough to hold the residue of the bomb Lorain had just dropped. “But you're already married.”

“I know that, Mother, but Nick and I never had a real wedding, or the reception I promised him we'd have to make up for not having a real wedding.” Lorain was full of excitement as the wheels turned in her head as she contemplated how to make this the best wedding her husband could ever imagine.

“Oh, I get it now. No real wedding and no real reception means you didn't get no real gifts, either,” Eleanor mused. “Folks kill me with that. Especially the ones who want a wedding to be all small and intimate but then want to turn around and invite everybody and they mama to their big ole reception so they can rake in all the gifts they signed up for on their registry.” Eleanor let out a harrumph. “If I ain't good enough to come to the wedding, then I ain't good enough to come to no reception, bearing gifts, either.”

“You know me better than that. It's not about the gifts.” Lorain immediately shot down Eleanor's theory. “I can go out and buy whatever I need, that is, if we didn't already have everything we need.”

“Be careful with your words. Having everything you want is completely different from having everything you need.”

“Well, I feel like I have both. Apparently, though, Nick doesn't have everything he needs, wants, whatever. A wedding ceremony must have meant more to him than he let on.”

Eleanor took a sip of her coffee. “But, baby, I don't understand why now. I could see if you guys renewed your vows for, like, your tenth anniversary or something like that. Even had an anniversary party for your fifth. But the whole shebang of a wedding ceremony seems strange, if you ask me.”

“Well, I didn't ask you.” Lorain said it as respectfully as she could.

“Sure, you did. You asked me to help you plan a wedding for my future son-in-law, who happens to be my current son-in-law.” She cut her eyes at Lorain. “Uh-huh. That sounded stupid, didn't it? Go on and admit it.”

Lorain began to question why she'd ever decided to include her mother in this. After thinking about the idea all night, Lorain had finished getting herself dressed this morning and, as soon as the twins got on the bus, had headed straight to her mother's place. She'd wanted to call her mother last night, when the idea first entered her mind. But had she woken her mother up out of her sleep, Eleanor might have shot more words than just
stupid
at her. So she had anxiously waited to share with her mother what she thought was a bright idea.

Lorain had thought Eleanor would be as excited as she was, considering Eleanor hadn't been too pleased about being robbed of the opportunity to plan her only child's wedding when Nicholas and Lorain eloped. Perhaps too much time had elapsed and the novelty of it all was gone as far as Eleanor was concerned. So why couldn't Nicholas get over it just as easily? That was one of the reasons why Lorain thought there might be more to Nicholas's comment about their wedding.

“Forget I even asked, Mother,” Lorain said, standing to leave.

The white, hard plastic, contemporary bar stool spun slightly after Lorain lifted herself off it. Eleanor had copied the whole black-and-white kitchen theme at the main house. She loved her black- and white-checkered flooring. Her kitchen could substitute as a fifties malt shop. It was just more updated.

“If I can plan a monthly meeting for the wives,” Lorain said, “then a wedding can't be that much more difficult. Besides, I can have Sister Tamarra's company do the catering. Unique will be my maid of honor, of course, so she can't do any cooking. Sister Deborah is married to a
New York Times
bestselling author. I'll have her get him to write an original poem to recite at our wedding, kind of like what Oprah had Pearl Cleage do at that all-women's Legends Ball thing she had. Ooh, and Sister Paige knows she can blow. She definitely has to sing.”

“Hold up.” Eleanor held up her hand. “Weren't Paige and Tamarra on some basketball wives' type of mess at Mother Doreen's wedding? I heard them two got into it bad right in the church kitchen. I wouldn't have those two nowhere in the same vicinity . . . or at least not near the wedding cake. From what Unique said, I think half the bridesmaids ended up wearing that cake.”

Lorain thought for a moment. “Yeah, you're right. Oh, well, I'll think of something.” Lorain tapped her foot. “Sister Helen can—”

“Crazy Sister Helen? The one that has to take happy pills? The one I can't even believe you got twitching up in front of your husband from nine to five as his receptionist?”

“Come on, Mom. Everybody has a story. Don't judge her.”

“It's hard not to when she stood right there in the middle of the singles' ministry meeting and told all her business. Do you know that girl used to be a stripper?” Eleanor shook her head in disgust.

“No, but I know a couple of first ladies who used to be one, and a prostitute too,” Lorain retorted. “Anyway, if I want to get this done in the next four months, I better start making phone calls. I haven't talked to some of the women from New Day in a minute. That's why I thought you could help by reaching out to a couple of them for me.”

Although Lorain had chosen to leave New Day, Eleanor had remained a faithful member. She swore up and down that attending New Day was like being part of the cast of a real-life soap opera.

“I guess I can help you out in that area,” Eleanor said, giving in. “You calling those women up that you barely keep in touch with wouldn't seem right. But then again, this whole wedding business don't seem right.” Eleanor put her hands on her hips. “What's really going on?”

“Nothing. I just want to give my husband something I've never given him before.”

“I get that, but does it have to be a wedding that's going to cost an arm and a leg and cause so much work? Wouldn't oral pleasure be cheaper? Now that is something I'm sure you've never given him before that he'd much rather prefer . . . or not given him enough of, anyway. A man can never get enough—”

“Mother, please!” Lorain spat in disgust. “I'm trying to talk to you about my wedding, not my sex life.” Lorain stormed off toward the kitchen door that led to the path to the main house. Before opening the door, she stopped in her tracks and turned to face her mother. “But for your information, I take great care of my husband, both in the bed and out. Thank you very much.”

“And you are very welcome,” Eleanor replied. “'Cause like they say, you get it from your mama.” Eleanor began to do this little grinding dance move, gyrating her hips as she rose up off her stool.

“Ugh, there is no talking to you sometimes.”

“Then perhaps you should try talking to that husband of yours instead. Talk is cheap, but in this case, that would be a good thing, because it would be cheaper than throwing a wedding that probably isn't even going to resolve whatever it is that's going on over there under your roof, anyway.”

“There's nothing going on, Mother. Now, I've got a lot of work to do, and a little bit of time to do it in, if I want to pull this off by July. I wanted you to be a part of this, but obviously, that's not going to happen. But I am having this wedding, with or without you.” Lorain walked out the door.