In My Rearview Mirror Read online

  Margo put Ian in the swing and Evan on her breast. Trying to nurse two babies at the same time proved difficult, so taking care of one at a time seemed to be the best option.

  Evan fretted throughout his whole feeding. Maybe he didn’t like her milk, but he’d done well up to this point. She checked Evan’s head and he seemed to have a slight fever. She laid him down and rubbed his stomach. She touched his forehead and it seemed warm.

  Baby Ian began to cry. Margo sat in her rocker and fed him, all the while watching out for Evan. Baby fed, Margo looked for some Tylenol for children and gave a smidgen to Evan. She went to her bedroom and sat on the bed, holding both babies in her arms. They were quiet for the moment, looking around at the strange place that was their mother’s room. They were fascinated by the television when Margo turned it on.

  News Fourteen provided local and state news every half-hour. It was about ten o’clock, Margo noticed—time to get the top of the news. The babies went to sleep and Margo lay up against the backboard of her bed.

  “And in Fayetteville, Mr. Malik Mason, candidate for state senator, gave a press conference this afternoon. We will go to Sharon Wells, who has the story.”

  Margo sat up straight with the babies tight in her arms.

  “Today, senatorial candidate, Mr. Malik Mason of Fayetteville, gave a surprising announcement. In a private ceremony performed in the state of South Carolina, candidate Mason married Ms. Ivy Myles, who as recently as a few days ago, lived in Atlanta, Georgia, but grew up in Fayetteville. From talking with several people who attended the press conference and knew Mr. Mason well, none of them had any knowledge that Mason was seriously dating anyone. This was a well-kept secret. Again, senatorial candidate, Malik Mason, was recently married to Ivy Myles in a secret ceremony in South Carolina. This is Sharon Wells, News Fourteen.”

  Margo sat frozen on top of her bed, her bundles of joy still snuggled up against her. She now ignored the voices coming from the TV set as she tried to digest what she had heard. Did the newscaster say that her daughter, Ivy, got married to a man she had feelings for once?

  Scooting from the bed, Margo deposited the twins in their cribs and covered them lightly with blankets. Her brain was working overtime, unable to fathom what she had heard. Margo tried to suppress the anger that began to well up inside of her. She walked briskly to her room and grabbed her cell phone. She had to talk to Winter.

  Before she was able to dial Winter’s number, the doorbell rang. She looked at the clock. It was ten-fifteen. Who would be coming to her house this time of night without calling first? Maybe it was Winter, but she had a key. The doorbell rang again.

  Illuminating the house, Margo walked stealthily to the front door. She peeked through the peephole and pulled back and looked again. “Winston?” she asked.

  “Yeah, Mom, it’s me. Open up.”

  “Boy, you need to call and let me know you’re coming when you come this late,” Margo said as she opened up the door. Winston came in and Margo clamped her hands over her mouth when she saw J.R. and a young woman.

  “Hey, Ma,” J.R. said, falling into her open arms. When J.R. pulled away, he introduced his friend. “And this is Elaine, my friend.”

  “Hello,” Margo said, in a low, sweet voice with tears streaming down her face. “I’m sorry, Elaine. I haven’t seen my son in awhile, and I’m so happy after the news I just learned. Give me a hug, J.R.”

  “What happened, Mom?” Winston asked.

  “Look, this is not the time. I’m . . . I’m so glad you’re here. J.R. dressed up in a suit. My God, son, you’re looking good. Sorry, Elaine, but I’ve got to make a fuss over him.”

  “You ain’t got to do that, Ma. It’s cool. I love you. Miss you, too.”

  “So how did the dinner with your dad and the senatorial candidate go?”

  “Everything was great,” Winston replied. “It’s what happened afterward that has us stunned.”

  “What happened?” Margo asked.

  “You tell us what you learned, and we’ll save the juicy gossip for last. It’s going to blow your mind,” J.R. said.

  “I don’t know about that,” Margo said. “I’m still in the state of shock with my bit of news.”

  “So spill it, Mom,” Winston encouraged.

  “Where do I start? I had just finished feeding the boys and was sitting in my room watching television. It was tuned to News Fourteen. At first, I wasn’t sure if I had dozed off and had some kind of horrific dream, but hearing it from the newscaster’s lips made it a nightmare. Do you know where your sister, Ivy, has been?”

  Winston and J.R. looked between each other.

  “There was a press conference in Fayetteville today where Malik announced that he had married Ivy. Imagine my shock when I see my daughter that I haven’t heard from in four of five months smiling that fake smile and waving like she was the Queen of Sheba. Married? How long has she been in Fayetteville? I was so hurt. Mad to be exact.” Margo caught her breath. “Mad as hell.”

  “You’re right,” Winston began, “our news has lost its punch.”

  “So what happened at dinner? I still want to know. Your mother has been in prison and needs to hear some exciting news.”

  J.R. went to Margo. “Ma, why don’t we all sit down? What you got cooking in the kitchen?”

  “Boy, this is the first time I’ve seen you in God knows when and you’re talking about food. I thought you just ate.”

  “Yeah, but I know my momma, and I know you’ve got some food stashed in here somewhere.”

  “Nothing but baked chicken, mashed potatoes, and spinach.”

  Winston and J.R. took off.

  “I don’t know about my boys, Elaine. There’s nothing fancy in those pots. Let’s follow them.”

  Elaine followed Margo into the kitchen. “This is a nice house, Mrs. Myles. Oooh, I like.”

  “Thank you, Elaine. Look at my boys eating up my chicken and licking their fingers. I hope you washed your hands.”

  “Ma, I don’t care if it is baked, this chicken is so good,” J.R. exclaimed.

  Margo laughed. “Y’all eat it all up if you want to. This makes me happy. Now somebody tell me what happened at dinner. It looks like you didn’t eat anything.”

  “Mom,” Winston began, after wiping his face with a napkin. “We know about Ivy. She and Malik showed up at the Mint.”

  “The Mint? Your father and I used to go there on special occasions.”

  “He told me,” Winston said. “Anyway, Ivy didn’t see us at first, but your drama queen daughter, my twin sister, had to go over to make it known that we were in the house. You could tell that Ivy was shocked, and to have Winter tell it, Ivy flashed her great big rock and told her that she and Malik were married.”

  “What did your daddy do?”

  “He didn’t want to make a scene, especially since we were in a nice restaurant and Dr. Wright and his family were there,” Winston continued. “Dr. Wright is our client and loves our work with guarantees for more contracts. That saved Malik’s ass tonight.”

  “Pops threatened him,” J.R. put in, eating the last of the mashed potatoes. “Pops wanted to pound Malik into the ground.”

  “Well, I’m glad he didn’t. So did Ivy say when she was going to get up with us?” Margo inquired.

  “You mean with you, Ma?”

  “Yes, J.R. With me.”

  “Ivy didn’t say anything to us and we didn’t say anything to her. She had her ‘don’t mess with her tonight’ mask on. And we left her alone.”

  “This is so sad. I can’t believe that my own daughter didn’t have the decency to call me after I’ve left her a ton of messages, and then to go off and marry Malik. J.R., were they seeing each other while you were in Atlanta?”

  “Ma, I can’t divulge information like that, but to answer your question, not to my knowledge. I haven’t seen Malik since God knows when.”

  “Too much drama for one night,” Elaine finally said. “I’m going to pray fo
r all of you.”

  “Please do that, Elaine,” Margo said. “We do need Him.”

  “Can I see my little brothers?” J.R. asked, looking at Margo.

  “Yeah, baby, go on up. Winston will take you to the room. I’ll be up in a second.”

  J.R. held Elaine’s hand and followed Winston out of the room. Margo smiled. “My baby has come home.”

  Sixteen

  What was meant to be a night of celebration quickly turned into an evening that Ivy wished she could erase from her memory. The silence that ensued during the long ride home from Raleigh to Fayetteville only complicated matters because she could read the distrust all over her husband’s face.

  Yes, she knew her mother was pregnant, but why should Malik care? It wasn’t a secret that her mother led Malik on, laid in his bed, gave up her goodies and was in denial when her daddy found out and then threw Malik away like yesterday’s trash, talking about she had made a mistake and that she only loved her husband, Jefferson. Her mother made her sick, but Ivy wasn’t going to let it get her down because she was now Malik’s wife and she was carrying his baby.

  Ivy flipped these thoughts in her mind like a tossed salad as she leaned on the passenger side window and prayed that the ride would soon be over. She wished Malik would say something, anything to open the door that would allow her to explain her reasons for not saying anything about her mother. As much as she tried to remain civil tonight, Ivy was hard pressed to do so with her sister, Winter, looking down at her as if she was the family outcast, hurling her accusations and insults like she was the family spokesperson. If the situation had been different, she would have knocked Winter to the ground.

  Sighing, she could feel Malik’s eyes on her, probably trying to process her mood, maybe contemplating what he would say when he finally decided to break the silence. They drove on.

  Ivy nearly jumped when she heard his voice. She shook her head, not certain where she was.

  “Ivy, we’re home,” Malik said softly, still sitting in his seat.

  She buttoned her coat and grabbed her clutch and waited for Malik to come around and open the door. He did so, but without a word, and Ivy vowed to not speak first. She followed him into the house and went straight to their master bedroom while he took a detour for the kitchen.

  The silence was killing her. Ivy dropped her clutch onto the bed, took off her coat and dress, and hung them up. She stood for a moment in her black lacey bra and panties, thinking about how she was going to break the ice. Malik Mason was going to talk to her tonight. They were going to get it all out in the open so they could begin to live their lives on the good foot.

  Thirty minutes passed and Malik had not yet come into the bedroom. Maybe a hot shower would soothe the tension that now coursed through Ivy’s body. Yes, that would do it, and if Malik had not come into the room by the time she finished, she was going to march out to the kitchen or wherever he was and confront him. She was ready to put her cards on the table—all of them.

  Fifteen minutes later Ivy felt great, the tension from her body melted away—nothing that a good, hot shower couldn’t take care of. She looked at her image in the mirror and smiled, and as if on cue she brought her left hand out in front of her and looked at her magnificent rock that bound her to Malik. She brushed her hand with the other and delighted in how she felt. Tonight’s little event was just that, a small and minor event that some good lovin’ would cure. She was counting on it; she was counting on Malik being in their bedroom when she exited the bathroom, waiting to take her in his embrace and say that all was forgiven.

  Ivy took the shower cap off of her head and swished her hair. She never thought she’d get rid of her dreads, but she liked her new look. It made her look like a senatorial candidate’s wife, one who could wield influence for her man and possibly earn him a bid for the governorship or stretching it a bit, President of the United States of America. Ivy repressed her night dream, picked up her gown from the vanity chair, pulled it over her head and proceeded from the bathroom.

  Entering their master bedroom, there was no sign of Malik. In fact, the house was deadly quiet. Ivy put on her robe and went in search of her husband. She found him in front of the fireplace with his arm resting on the mantel with a glass of wine in the other. Malik looked up as she came close.

  “Malik, are you okay?”

  “You tell me,” he said, as he looked Ivy up and down with sultry eyes, not oblivious of her beauty.

  “Come on, baby. Let’s not end this night like this. It started out so well. I’ll admit it was awkward seeing my family in the same restaurant where we chose to dine, and maybe I could’ve handled the situation with my sister a little better, although she was being a complete asshole. But one thing is for sure, Malik, and that’s how I feel about you. I love you with all my heart and soul.”

  Malik moved his elbow from the mantel and turned to face Ivy. He took a sip of his drink, then put it down on the coffee table.

  “Yes, it was a very awkward situation for the both of us. Seeing your father unnerved me somewhat, considering how we left each other the last time we saw each other. He brutally attacked me with his words, but I should have seen it coming.” Malik seemed far away. “A vivid memory of one of the last times I saw him came to mind. We were at Texas Roadhouse for a farewell luncheon or dinner—I can’t remember—for Angelica Barnes. It was after Hamilton’s funeral. Ivy, I acted like a complete ass.” Malik stopped and looked at Ivy; then he turned and looked anywhere but straight at her.

  “I was obsessed with being with your mother, although she had blatantly stated that she was staying with your father. Damn, I had slept with your mother.” Ivy cringed. “She told me she wanted me to make love to her and that she would tell Jefferson that he was history. But I don’t know what happened between the time of our last kiss, when she left my house, and when she got home. She snapped. And she turned on me and made me look like a pure fool at the repast after Hamilton’s funeral.

  “I was angry, and I told Jefferson that Margo slept with me and wanted to be with me. Your dad was my boy. We loved each other once. But in that restaurant, we were two different people—we hated each other, and hate is a strong word. There was no mistaking the venom, and right there in front of hundreds of patrons in that restaurant we fought like archenemies, looking like the fools that we were before we were thrown out and banned from the restaurant for good. I’m glad the manager didn’t ask me for my name.”

  For the first time in minutes, Ivy spoke. “Do you still have feelings for my mother? Is that the reason you reacted when you heard about her pregnancy?”

  “That’s a stupid thing to say, Ivy. Aren’t I with you?”

  Tears formed in Ivy’s eyes. “Yes, you are, but even talking about her now, it almost sounds like you wish it was her instead of me you’re with. And . . . the way you reacted when you learned my mother gave birth to twins is haunting me.”

  “Ivy, you are worrying for no reason. Margo told me she wanted nothing to do with me. I haven’t seen her in almost a year. Why would I care what she’s doing with her life?”

  Ivy blinked several times and gave out a sigh. She had ideas of her own, but this was not the time to verbalize them. She hid them in her bosom and smiled instead. “I guess it’s my insecurity,” she finally said, although not wanting to admit it, she was probably right.

  Malik went to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. He pulled her to him and kissed her on the lips like a starved animal. After releasing some of the pent-up emotions, he kissed her gingerly. He came up for air and held her head between his hands. “I love you, Ivy. I’m happy that you’re my wife. We are going to make a great team.”

  Ivy kissed him back when he drew her into him, his yearning to please now sure and more intense. The one thing Ivy missed when Malik declared his love for her was his desire to have a family. While not spoken, it was the left unspoken part that left her vulnerable, especially since a new member of their family was already growing i
n her womb. She’d take it a day at a time, but tonight she’d take whatever Malik presented as a peace offering.

  Seventeen

  Margo sat up in bed as the crackle on the baby monitor announced that the twins were awake. She yawned and then looked back at the clock on her nightstand that read six-thirty. Margo wasn’t ready to get up after tossing and turning all night, unable to get a good night’s sleep and unable to get the visual out of her head of Malik and her daughter, Ivy, together.

  “Married,” Margo said out loud. “Ivy has gone and married a man almost twice her age. Has she lost her damn mind?” Then a voice deep inside said admit it, you want Malik for yourself. Margo shook her head, then turned toward the monitor where her crying babies were calling out for their mother. “I’m coming.”

  She pushed herself off the bed and ran into the twin’s nursery. They were both screaming, their little arms moving and feet kicking. Evan settled down upon feeling his mother’s touch, but Ian continued to holler regardless of what Margo did to try and quiet him.

  Quickly, Margo changed each twin’s diapers and rubbed their backs. She picked up Ian to feed him, and although he had a dry bottom, his screams seemed to intensify. Margo touched his forehead to see if he had a temperature. It was slight but not enough to make him holler as he did. He was too young to be teething, so it must be something else. Margo sat in her rocker and began to breast feed, but that didn’t satisfy Ian. In fact, he refused to eat. Now Margo was concerned.

  She laid Ian down and picked Evan out of the crib and fed him. He seemed to be pacified after Margo burped him and put him back in his crib. Ian was still whining, and when Margo touched him, his whole body seemed to be on fire. As if knowing he would now receive attention, Ian began to wail again.

  “It’s going to be all right, Ian,” Margo whispered, leaning over into the crib to plant a kiss on his chubby cheek. She picked him up. “Mommy is going to take you to the hospital to see why you’re so hot. I’ve got to find the doctor’s number so he can meet me at the emergency room. Don’t cry, little baby, don’t cry. Mommy’s got you in her arms.”