For Your Love (19 page)

“Okay. Hot chocolate too, please.”

“Gotcha.”

Kiki went to claim the seats, and Bobby made his way over to the food line. He couldn't believe how many ­people there were, and wondered why there were so many little girls mobbing Devon, and why he was dressed so wack. He also couldn't believe how nervous he was. The ring he'd gotten for Kiki had been burning a hole in his pocket since he'd picked it up earlier that day from the jeweler over in Franklin. The owner was nice enough to let him buy it on credit—­after Trent cosigned the application—­but the most important thing was that he had it. He was going to propose to her onstage right before the movie. He'd already cleared it with Tamar. He'd asked that she not tell anyone, so he was pretty sure no one else knew. Kiki didn't, for sure.

Down on the stage, Amari and Brain were going about their duties. Watching Devon holding court in the side aisle, Amari said, “Tell me he is not signing autographs.”

Brain paused, looked over, and said, “If I did, I'd be lying. Who's he think he is, Usher?”

“Not wearing those clothes.”

Amari spotted Kyra Jones walking down the center aisle, carrying a box of popcorn and a drink. When she saw him, she waved. Her braces were gone, and she had a new haircut. She didn't look like Jaws anymore. In fact, she looked like a babe. He was so surprised, he stood frozen.

Brain said “Don't just stand there like a dumbass, wave back! Thought you were from Detroit.”

That snapped Amari into motion, and he waved in return. “Aw, man, here she comes.” He busied himself with the mic.

“Hi, Amari.” Her smile showed pretty white teeth.

“Hey, Kyra. What's up?”

“I'm free of the metal!”

“I like the haircut.”

“Do you?”

“I do.”

“Is it okay if I sit with you again?”

“Sure. Leah's over there. Brain and I'll be done in a few minutes.”

“Okay.”

He watched her leave and cracked, “As the OG would say, ‘That girl is fine.' ”

“Don't tell Leah, but I totally agree.”

Their jobs done, they went to the kitchen for snacks and made their way to their seats.

The night got under way when Tamar stepped out onstage. Everyone quieted. The evening's movies were the animated
Rudolph the Red-­Nosed Reindeer
and
A Christmas Story
. Ralphie's quest for a BB gun was a Henry Adams favorite.

“Welcome, everybody. Doesn't our auditorium look grand?” Applause sounded. “We give thanks for the great job done by the repair crews. First up is a new band. They started out calling themselves HA, but they've changed their name. Ladies and gentlemen, Exodus!”

The applause rang out, as did the screams of joy from Devon's groupies. The lights, under the direction of Siz in the booth, hit the stage, and there they stood: Zoey in her Tina wig, holding a red guitar that looked twice her size; Devon decked out like Hook and holding a pair of rhythm sticks; and Freddy in his suit and dark glasses, his sax hanging from a strap around his neck. Zoey counted them down, and Freddy started wailing on the sax. The kids in attendance greeted the first few familiar notes with screams, and by the time Zoey sang “Hey baby, even though I hate ya I wanna love ya,” even Amari and the teens were on their feet dancing to Exodus covering Ariana Grande's “Problem.” Freddy was strong on the sax, and although Zoey still wasn't very good on the guitar, it was loud, and her pure-­as-­gold voice made up for her lack of playing skill. When the band reached the chorus, Devon snatched the mic free and moved to the apron of the stage. Leaning down, he began whispering the refrain, and the little girls lost their minds. They charged to the front of the stage and began singing back. Zoey sang the band into the second verse, and then into the short rap, accompanied by the voices of everyone in the house under the age of eighteen. The energy was so high that when the song should've ended, Zoey kept it going, and for another five minutes Exodus rocked the house.

They finally took their bows to a tremendous ovation. Siz shut down the spotlights, and the waving band hurried offstage.

Tamar stepped up to the microphone. “Wow! Let's give them another hand.”

Applause shook the building again. The band came back out onstage, linked hands like a cast on Broadway, and bowed.

After their departure, Tamar said, “Even had me dancing. Mal, I want that song on the box in the Dog ASAP!”

“You got it!” he called back, and everyone laughed and cheered.

“Now, before we start the movie, there's one more thing to do. Bobby and Kelly, where are you?”

Bobby stood up.

“Come on up. Kelly, you too.”

They walked down the aisle together. Kelly had confusion all over her face. Once they got to the stage, Tamar stepped out of sight, and Bobby walked to the mic. “First off, I want to thank everyone for all you've given to me, Kelly, and the babies. When we first got here, I wasn't sure this was the place for us to be, but you've changed my mind and our lives. So thank you, very much.”

He waited for the applause that greeted that to end before saying, “Kelly and I have been together since middle school, and no matter what I was doing, right or wrong, she was there. I love her a lot.”

A chorus of
Aww
s sounded from the crowd.

“And because I do love her, I want the world to know . . .” He walked over to where she stood and got down on one knee. Her eyes went wide as plates. He took the white velvet ring box out of his pocket and opened it.

“Oh my god!” she whispered. “Oh my god, Bobby?”

“Will you marry me?”

She started jumping up and down. Her hands flew to her mouth, and tears rolled down her cheeks.

­People in the audience started yelling, “Say yes!”

She was so moved initially, all she seemed capable of doing was—­nothing. Finally finding her voice, she said, “Yes.”

The audience cheered, and many of the ladies wiped at their own tears. As he placed the ring on her finger, took her in his arms, and kissed her, more cheers and applause went up.

When they returned to their seats, the house lights dimmed, the large screen lowered into view, and the animated
Rudolph the Red-­Nosed Reindeer
began.

That night, as they lay together in bed, Kelly looked at the small sparkler on her finger. “I love this, Bobby,”

“One day I'll get you a bigger one.

“No, this one is perfect.” Turning his way, she said in a serious voice, “We've never talked about getting married. Can I ask what's changed?”

“Me. Being here. Seeing life in a different way. Trent's helped a lot.”

“You two have gotten pretty close.”

“Yeah. He's a great man. If I had a father, I'd want him to be like Trent. Being around him is going to make me a better dad to the twins.”

She cuddled close. “I think you're pretty awesome now.”

He kissed her on the forehead. “Do you think Reverend Paula can marry us on New Year's Day? I'd like for us to start the year out as officially husband and wife.”

“You are so sweet. That's kind of soon, but we can ask her. Even if we can't get all the paperwork done, we can still have a little ceremony and do all the legal stuff later.”

He thought that was a great idea. “One more thing to tell you.”

“What?”

“I think I want to go to college and be an engineer like Trent.”

She rose up and looked into his face. “You're serious,” she said.

“Very. And he said he's willing to make an investment in our future, so he's offering to pay tuition, books, the whole deal.”

“Oh my god!” She fell flat again.

He saw her tears and eased her close. “Aww, baby, you have to quit all this crying.”

“I'm just so happy. Last Christmas we didn't even have enough money to buy each other a piece of gum, and now . . .”

“I love you, Kiki.”

“You've never said that before.”

He chuckled. “I know. Not something guys do where we come from, but for your love, I'm going to tell you that every day. Every day.” As he held her tight, Trent's words floated across his mind again:
A man is only as strong as the woman who holds him.

 

I
n the days leading up to Christmas, Rita Lynn could hardly contain her excitement. In less than a week's time she and Paul and Val would be winging their way to Kansas. Her phone was filled with the photos Trent had been sending, of Lily and Devon and Amari. That he'd taken the time out of what she knew had to be a busy period for him to do something so nice was further evidence of his big heart. Earlier she and Paul watched the video he'd sent of last night's performance by the band Devon was in. Now, meeting Val for lunch, she shared it.

“What in the world is Devon wearing?” Val asked, laughing.

“According to Trent, Devon calls them his swag clothes.”

She chuckled. “Oh, my, look at all the girls. Devon can sing. They're really jamming.”

“Yes, they are. I like the song.”

Val watched the rest of the performance and handed the phone back. “I'm looking forward to seeing them.”

“Me, too. You sent my packages?”

Val nodded. “They should be arriving in the morning. Did you tell Trent to expect them?”

“No. Christmas gifts are supposed to be a surprise. I'm assuming they'll pay attention to the ‘Do not open until Christmas' sticker I put on the box.”

“I'm sure they will.”

They concentrated on their meals for a moment. Then Val said, “Have something I want to talk to you about.”

“And it is?”

“I'm going to look into in vitro fertilization after the new year.”

Rita paused. She knew the challenges women of Val's age, class, and status faced in finding someone compatible to share their hearts and lives with.

“I'm tired of waiting for Mr. Right.”

“So you'll have a baby alone?”

“Yes. I have the donor picked out. You know my friend Manny Diaz?”

“Yes, and I always thought you two made a stunning ­couple. I never understood why you never became more than friends.”

“He's gay, Mama.”

“Oh.” Rita felt ridiculous.

Val reached over and patted her hand. “It's okay. Manny's smart, has a great personality. We've talked about it pretty seriously.”

“Is he going to sign off on paternity?”

“Yes. He and his partner, Kevin, have a baby on the way with a surrogate.”

Rita shook her head. “Lord, it's a whole new world. So what do you need from me and your dad?”

“Just love and support.”

“You got it. You're going to be a great mom.”

“Going to try my best.”

They spent the rest of the meal talking about the particulars, and Val answered as many of Rita's questions as she could. As Rita Lynn drove home, thinking about Val, she smiled at the thought of a potential new grandbaby and thanked God for yet another awesome blessing. Life was good.

Life was also good for the folks of Henry Adams as they prepped for Christmas. The last trips for shopping were done, packages wrapped and tucked away. The snow continued to fall, which meant more shoveling for Trent and Bobby and their crew but lots of cross-­country skiing and snowman making for those who enjoyed being outside. The kids basked in the freedom from school and spent their days playing video games and basketball at the rec, and doing their best to avoid Tamar and her never-­ending tasks. The Dog was decked out in wreaths, garlands, and a tree decorated with miniature animals, CDs, and candy canes.

On the evening of the twenty-­third, Trent answered a knock on the door. Outside were the Acostas, singing. Because they were singing in Spanish, he had no idea what the words were, but Anna's lovely soprano voice mixed wonderfully with Luis's baritone. At the end of the song, the Julys got their coats and joined the Acostas as they sang their way over to Bernadine's. They sang at each of the houses in the subdivision, adding the Paynes, Garlands, Dahls, and Jameses to the procession, switching from Spanish to traditional American carols and back again as they made their way.

They then got in their cars, drove out to Tamar's, and sang there. She added her alto to the chorus, and then the Douglas family and Reverend Paula joined in. The caravan made its way to Marie's house, where she and Genevieve bolstered the caroling with their voices. After making a final stop at the farm where Clay and Bing Shepard lived, the procession drove to the rec.

They spent a few minutes listening to Anna give the history behind the
posada,
explaining that it was celebrated in Spain, Mexico, and many places in America, particularly in the Southwest. She went on to say that in some countries the
posada
lasted nine days—­one day for each month of Mary's pregnancy.

Luis added, “
Posada
is a lot more involved and richer than what we did this evening, but we wanted you all to have a taste of our traditions. Speaking of tastes, that delicious smell filling the building is the pozole
.
It's a soup that families traditionally eat following the
posada
. It's made with pork and chilies and lots of hominy corn.”

“But pozole is all about the garnishes,” Anna added.

Everyone lined up for their first encounter with pozole. The garnishes on the table included thin slices of cabbage, radish, and avocado, along with cilantro and small wedges of lime. For those who wanted to add more heat and spice, there were chilies and hot sauce. The idea was to add whatever garnishes you wanted to the base soup, grab a few tostadas, and enjoy.

Whereas Devon and Brain were a bit skeptical, Amari, who'd always been an adventurous eater, dove right in, and after his first few spoonfuls declared, “Mrs. Ruiz. This—­every year, every Christmas for the rest of my life.”

“Do you like it?” she asked, laughing.

“Yes, ma'am.”

Gemma and Wyatt, who'd had Spanish neighbors in Chicago, were familiar with the soup, and Wyatt almost beat Amari back to the main table for a second helping.

After dinner the piñatas were raised, yet another
posada
tradition. The kids had a donkey at their end of the gym, and although the game was usually for children, the adults, who'd settled their differences over the debacle with Rita Lynn, had a pig on their end. Given short, fat T-­ball bats and blindfolded, the batters were spun around a few times and sent to find their stuffed papier-­mâché prey. Much hilarity ensued as swings were taken that met only air, some that met with ­people not quick enough to get out of the way and in Genevieve's case a bull's-­eye that split the pig in half and sent the contents of pennies, wrapped peppermints, nuts, and other low-­cost, fun items all over the floor. She said later she imagined it being Cletus.

When it came time to go home, everyone thanked the Acostas for adding their rich traditions to the cultural quilt of Henry Adams, and they all looked forward to participating again next year.

On Christmas Eve the Dog closed at noon. It would stay closed until the day after Christmas to allow the staff time with their families. The Julys drove to the church for the 5:00 p.m. ser­vice, at which Amari and Devon were serving as acolytes. The boys took the stairs down to the lower level to put on their vestments, while Lily and Trent went up to the sanctuary to take their seats. Gold-­foil-­wrapped pots of red poinsettia framed the altar, and the traditional Nativity crèche anchored a small table in the back. The ser­vice was always a beautiful affair, from the short opening chorale concert in which Roni sang, to Reverend Paula's traditional white vestments, to the candle­lit singing of “Silent Night” that marked the end, but this Christmas Eve would be even more special: the Douglas twins were being baptized, and Trent had been asked to be their godfather.

Lily said quietly, “I think you'll be an awesome godfather.”

Trent nodded at Marie and Genevieve as they took their seats across the aisle. The sanctuary was filling up around them. “I'm going to do my best. Have to admit I'm pretty honored to be asked.”

They watched Amari, now in his robe, walk solemnly up to the altar to light the candles as a prelude to the beginning of the ser­vice. As he lit each one, Lily said, “He's come such a long way.”

Trent agreed. “Couldn't ask for a better son.”

The sanctuary was packed as Roni stepped up to the microphone and raised her gifted voice in praise. When she was done, she transitioned to the role of organist and began the processional. As the cross bearer, Amari led the way down the aisle, flanked by torchbearers Devon and Kyra. Behind them walked Bobby, all decked out in a new suit, carrying his daughter, and Kelly in a lovely dress and heels, carrying Bobby Jr. Resplendent in her gold-­accented white robe, Reverend Paula brought up the rear.

The baptism was held at the ser­vice's midpoint, and Trent and godmother Genevieve joined the Douglas family at the altar. The vows were spoken and the godparents read their promises. Then Reverend Paula took each twin in turn and, cradling the baby in her arm, slowly poured a bit of holy water over the crown of their little head. Tiara laughed, but Bobby Jr. wailed loudly in protest. At the end, the congregation welcomed the two new Chris­tians with rousing applause.

The ser­vice continued with communion and ended with the lights being dimmed in the sanctuary. The small white candles everyone had been given upon entering the church were lit. The sea of flames flickered in the shadows as the congregation sang “Silent Night.” Their combined voices rose and filled the sanctuary. For Trent it was always the most moving experience of the church year, and yet another of the many reasons he loved living in Henry Adams.

That evening after church, Trent and Lily sat on the couch and watched their sons walking around the tree, trying to make their decision. They were allowed to open one gift on Christmas Eve. Devon finally settled on a small one from Amari. He tore off the paper, and his eyes popped. “Sick! Thank you, Amari!”

“What is it?” Lily asked.

He held it up. “A CD of James Brown's greatest hits!”

While both parents displayed their amusement, Devon said, “You know he died on Christmas Day, so can I play this in the morning while we open the rest of our gifts?”

Lily looked to Trent, who shrugged. “Sure, Dev. Why not? That'll be fun.”

Amari's choice was a flat, medium-­size gift from his parents. He pulled the paper off, and his eyes widened. “Oh, wow!” It was a framed print of
The March
by Jacob Lawrence. “Thank you!”

“Now you don't have to wait until you're grown and have your own place,” Trent told him.

Amari studied it with a seriousness that reflected his growing maturity. “This is awesome.” He raised his gaze to theirs. “Thank you, guys.”

They rounded out the evening by starting a fire and roasting marshmallows, before being treated to Amari's rousing reading of
The Grinch Who Stole Christmas
.

Christmas morning, the residents awakened to two inches of freshly fallen snow. Kiki thought it was quite beautiful. Bobby, not so much, because he was anticipating having to go out and shovel later. In the meantime, they enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before turning their attention to the unbelievable amount of gifts the babies received from the community. Last night after church, ­people gave them package after gift-­wrapped package. There'd been so many, Rocky had to help them get some of them home, putting a few of the larger items in the bed of her truck—­most notably the two rocking horses from Grandma/Godmother Genevieve. Now, as they opened the trove—­while keeping an eye on the babies to make sure they didn't eat the wrappings—­they found diapers, bedding, clothing, toys and more toys, and two huge plastic saucer things that, from the manufacturer's tag, turned out to be sleds. There were new snowsuits and mittens and hats and tons of little kids' learning CDs. Tamar gave them a box filled with baby-­proofing items for the house that included locks for the cupboards, inserts to fit into the electrical outlets, and two sturdy baby gates. Kiki loved her. The Garlands gifted the twins with a CD player for their room and a bunch of music CDs to enjoy. There were storybooks and recorded books from Crystal, and enough stuffed animals to start their own zoo.

Once everything was unwrapped, they took it all in and Bobby cracked, “These ­people are way out of control.”

“I know—­but it's because they haven't had any babies here for a long time.”

“I can see that, but we'd need like five more kids to use all this stuff.” He glanced over and grinned.

“Don't look at me. Maybe in a few years, but right now these two are all a girl can handle.”

“If it were up to me, we'd have at least three more.”

“Good thing it's not, so get a grip.”

When Mal knocked on Bernadine's door, what she saw left her speechless. A horse and sleigh were outside in front of her house.

“Would my lady like to go for a ride?”

She stood there so long, looking out in amazement, that Mal chuckled. “Baby?”

Crystal, in her pajamas and her new leather boots, looked around her mom. “Wow! Now that's the shizzle. Looks just like a Christmas card.” The sleigh was brown, and the huge draft horse was decked out in ribbons and bells.

Bernadine finally regained the power of speech. “Where on earth did you get them?”

“Santa. He's off the clock now, so he's in Miami knocking back nonalcoholic mai tais.”

She laughed. “Give me ten minutes to throw on some clothes.”

“Make sure they're warm. One of your furs would be best.”

Ten minutes later, with everyone on their porches watching and smiling, Bernadine, wearing her best full-­length faux fur coat over a ton of layered clothing, was helped into the big sleigh by her personal Santa, wearing a red Santa hat. He climbed in beside her, and with a slap of the reins the horse pulled forward, the runners caught the thin coating of snow, and the neighborhood residents cheered until Santa and his lady were out of sight.