Straight to the Heart Read online

  All of these topics were overdone. He could practically see his audience rolling their eyes. Yet he knew that if he did touch a common problem, his angle had to be unique and compelling. He tilted his head back and stretched. An idea had taken hold. He had to make it happen.

  “Hey, Omar, heads-up, the footage for your opening piece wasn’t any good. Can’t use it,” the assistant editor stated.

  Omar dropped his pad. His idea was now forgotten. This new predicament required quick thinking. He raced down the hall to the editing booth. Finding a solution was his mission. Finding one before his boss caught wind of the problem was essential.

  Stacy walked into her cousin’s apartment. Sabrina had opened the door and disappeared into her room to continue dressing. The entire place looked like a children’s play den. Toys were strewn everywhere. As she inspected, she spied several cardboard wrappings of past meals.

  “Where are my little cousins?” She loved her second cousins, even if their mom could be a scatterbrain at times.

  “Fran! Lenny! Your aunt is here. Show some manners!” Sabrina screamed from her bedroom, before emerging with one shoe in her hand and the other on her foot. “Don’t make me come in there to you.”

  Stacy raised her hand to calm the situation. Most of all, she wanted Sabrina to stop screaming. “How soon will your date be here?”

  “I have to pick him up.”

  “Figures,” Stacy muttered. Somehow, her cousin always seemed to select guys who needed something from her. “You’re taking him out, then.”

  “Yeah. He’s in between jobs.” Sabrina poked out her head. “I can’t pay you for this.” She disappeared again.

  Stacy went into the kids’ room. They were engrossed in an action-adventure movie that she’d consider too old for them. “Hey, guys, where’s my hug?” She slowly walked in front of the TV, earning a roar of protest.

  She held open her arms and they promptly ran into her embrace, wrapping their small arms around her hips.

  “Are we staying at your house?” Fran asked. A faint trace of whatever she’d drunk gave her a mustache. Her small pigtails were all askew.

  Stacy nodded, earning another hug.

  “Auntie, can we get nuggets and fries?” Lenny asked with a big grin. Obviously he knew that his cute smile was his selling point.

  “Have you had dinner?”

  They both nodded.

  “Then why don’t we have apples and cheese for a snack?”

  “I only like red apples,” Fran announced. She grabbed a backpack and started to stuff her dolls in.

  “I hate cheese.” Lenny’s grin had turned into a ferocious frown.

  “You don’t have to eat cheese. How about yogurt?”

  “Why can’t you have good stuff to eat—like candy?” Lenny’s mood didn’t lighten.

  “Well, you know I do have some treats, but no one gets anything unless you both are good. I have to be good, too. We are the Three Musketeers, right?”

  “I don’t want to be a mouse.” Fran looked at her backpack with all the toys bulging out and threw it down with frustration. The zipper couldn’t close.

  “Musketeer is a soldier.” Lenny finally smiled again, clearly proud of his knowledge. “I saw the cartoon.”

  Stacy moved through the room, gathering clothes for them. Most of the stuff she pulled out of the drawers was stained and smelled. Didn’t Sabrina pay attention to what they were doing in here? Stacy went to the kitchen and grabbed a large trash bag from the box under the sink. Then she returned to the kids’ room and shoved in as many clothes as possible. She’d wash as much as she could.

  “Okay, I’m heading out. I’ll call you when I’m coming home,” Sabrina said.

  “I’ll keep them tonight. But you need to get them in the morning.” Stacy looked at the youngest members of her family. They needed love and attention. She was willing to give them what she hadn’t had.

  Sabrina positively danced a jig in the hallway. She celebrated her good luck by placing a call and sharing the good news. Plans were suddenly amended.

  “I’m serious, Sabrina. Tomorrow morning.”

  Sabrina gave her kids a hug and kiss, blew a kiss to Stacy and left. Her trail of perfume left a significant marker all the way to the door. Stacy turned her attention back to her wards for the night. Their bright, eager faces stared back at her.

  “I think we’re all set.” Stacy herded them out of the apartment and out of the building. “Oh, no! Your car seats.”

  “What car seats?”

  “Don’t you use car seats?”

  “Sometimes. Grandma makes us sit in them all the time, though.” Lenny didn’t sound happy with his grandmother’s rules.

  “Very good for Grandma. That’s pretty important and we can’t go to my house if you don’t have car seats.” Stacy’s mood matched the kids’ unhappy expressions. She didn’t want to stay in Sabrina’s home. Besides, Omar had said he would visit. She wasn’t expecting him for another half hour. Maybe she should call to let him know that the plans might change.

  She approached her car, parked on a side street. Something appeared to be propped against it. The kids ran ahead. “Our car seats. Look, Auntie, we have car seats. Did the fairy godmother leave them?” Fran asked, looking around for the mythical creature.

  “No, sweetheart. It was probably your mother. I’m sure that she knew we couldn’t leave without them.” Stacy could see Sabrina driving up, hurriedly setting the seats against her car and jumping back in to be on her way. She looked up and down the street, strangely empty on a Friday night. Thank goodness no one had helped themselves to the items.

  “Kids, stop running!” Stacy kept the reminder on a continuous loop as they raced up and down her hallway. They liked the sound of their feet against the hardwood floor. “Time to eat your apples. Fran! Lenny!” They had been forbidden to go into her bedroom, but she could hear their giggles behind the partially open door. “I’m not playing hide-and-seek,” she declared, a small smile tugging at her lips. She couldn’t believe that she sounded like her mother, when she’d been around—and coherent.

  “Come out, come out, wherever you are,” she sang, as she noisily moved through her living room, dining area, kitchen and bathroom. Finally she moved into the bedroom and flipped off the light switch.

  Two piercing screams came at her. She turned the light back on. “Gee, I didn’t know you were in here.”

  “You need a night-light,” Fran said. Her eyes were round and full of horror.

  “She was scared. I wasn’t.” Lenny gave his sister a soft shove.

  Stacy placed a restraining hand on his shoulder and firmly shook her head. “Have you had a bath?”

  “No. Too many baths dry your skin,” Fran declared with a matter-of-fact attitude.

  “I want you to take your bath. I have lots of moisturizer for your skin. You’ve got clean clothes from the dryer. You’re going to smell like a good little boy.”

  “Good little boys have a smell?” Fran questioned, her focus on her older brother. From the way she wrinkled her nose, she wasn’t buying Stacy’s line of thinking.

  “Yep, and so do good little girls.”

  “I’m taking my bath first.” Fran ran into her bedroom, already peeling off her clothes.

  “Lenny, have a seat in the living room until I’m done with Fran. The remote is on the table. Only the kids’ channels are appropriate for viewing.”

  Lenny nodded, then hurried into the living room to claim his spot on the couch.

  Stacy took Fran by the hand and headed for the bathtub. The water gushed into the tub while Fran splashed with her dolls. The harried activity with the kids slowly demolished Stacy’s hairdo. The curls had loosened under the bathroom’s humidity. Now if she managed to stay dry, that would be an accomplishment. Fran continuously slapped her hands on the water’s surface. Her girlish giggles proved contagious.

  “Looks like you need a hand.”

  Stacy spun around, scared and sur
prised to hear Omar’s voice. He remained in the hallway while her heart dislodged itself from her throat and settled back into place.

  “How did you get in? I didn’t hear the doorbell.”

  “I rang a couple of times. Then your nephew opened the door.”

  Stacy’s mouth opened at the potential horror of such an innocent action. “How could I forget to tell him not to open the door or answer the phone?” She didn’t want to leave Fran alone. She’d have to talk to Lenny later.

  “You do your thing and I’ll sit out here with Lenny.”

  Stacy nodded. Fran hadn’t slowed down with her water play. Stacy soaped up a washcloth and scrubbed her little body.

  “All right, little girl, you’re all done. You can have a warm glass of milk and then bedtime.”

  “Warm milk is nasty.” Fran grimaced, showing her baby teeth.

  “Okay, cold milk.” Stacy felt wilted around the edges. She had a nagging pain in her lower back since she’d spent the last half hour leaning over the tub.

  Fran grinned and hugged her. Good, she’d received approval. Stacy sang familiar childhood songs and rhymes while she applied lotion to Fran’s slim frame, then sprinkled cornstarch powder on her, before slipping on her nightdress. “Now you smell so good that I may not be able to stop hugging you.”

  After she had poured Fran her drink, Stacy headed for Lenny. From the look on his face, he wasn’t going to head to the bathtub as easily as his sister. It was too late for any nonsense. She put on a stern expression.

  Omar sat across from the little boy. He was teaching him how to move chess pieces on a board. Lenny leaned forward and whispered into Omar’s ear. Then Omar nodded.

  “Lenny has something he’d like me to say.”

  Stacy didn’t take her eyes off Lenny. She crossed her arms and waited.

  “Lenny feels that he is too old for you to help him with a bath. He also doesn’t think that you should see him naked. And he will call you if there is an emergency in the bathroom.”

  Stacy thought everything was reasonable. Yet she was a bit surprised by Lenny’s adamant position. Maybe privacy was something that eight-year-olds protected at the pain of death. She stepped aside as he marched past her.

  “There is a fresh blue towel on the rack.”

  “Okay.”

  Stacy hovered at the door. “If you need me, I’m here.”

  “Aunt Stacy, I’ve been taking showers on my own for lots of years. I’ll remember to wash behind my ears and everything.”

  “Step away from the door,” Omar whispered. “He isn’t risking life and limb in there.”

  “What if he slips and falls? What if he hits his head?” Stacy imagined an increasing number of serious injuries that could happen behind the door. She shook her head. “Nope, I’m not moving.”

  Omar sighed. “I’ll pop us some popcorn and then we’ll sit out here and eat.”

  Stacy chuckled. “I know I’m being unreasonable, but I can’t help it.” She slid to the floor and sat with her knees drawn to her chest, listening to Lenny and smelling the scent of freshly popped corn.

  “Aunt Stacy!”

  Stacy jumped at Fran’s call. She scrambled to her feet and ran into the bedroom. “What, honey?” She sat on the edge of the bed holding Fran in her arms.

  “Could you leave on a light?”

  “Oh, I forgot.” Stacy went to the electrical outlet where she had a night-light already plugged into the wall. She flicked on the switch, which provided a soft, comforting glow. She stayed with the little girl until she fell asleep.

  Then the silence hit her. Silence meant that the shower had stopped. She was supposed to be on watch. She eased her arm from under Fran, then ran into the hallway. The closed bathroom door didn’t matter. She was going in.

  Her hand grabbed the doorknob as it was pulled from her grasp. Lenny came out with a wide grin that showed his toothless gaps. “I like your shower,” he announced as he walked past her.

  Chapter 7

  “Ever thought about having children?” Stacy looked up at Omar’s face.

  A large bowl of popcorn sat between them. The kids were down for the night. A bad movie from the eighties played on TV. In her way, she had managed family night. Stacy enjoyed the mellow mood in Omar’s arms.

  “I think that I’d like having children. We didn’t have an easy childhood, but we had each other,” Omar answered.

  “Well, mine certainly had its memorable moments. Most of which I’d rather forget.”

  “Do you have a big family?” Omar stroked her cheek.

  “Not really. A few did try to help out as much as they could, or at least that’s the version I choose to believe.”

  “You don’t sound bitter.”

  “I’m not bitter. Sad, maybe.” If she admitted to any resentment, she’d sound ungrateful for how her life had turned out to this point. “One time I think life is short and I should do whatever I want. The next time, I think that I should be helping others not to endure what I did.” Stacy leaned up. His eyes held her gaze, filled with empathy. As much as she felt safe with him, she wasn’t sure that she wanted to share the darkest parts of her life. She heard the pride in Omar’s voice when he talked about his family. What she knew existed in her past didn’t hold up against his hearth-and-home lifestyle.

  “Now that I’m working in a profession where I can excel, I wonder if I wasted too much time job-hopping. Unfortunately, I have such a shady reputation that my brother doesn’t believe I will stick around.”

  “I believe in you.” Stacy reached up and touched his jaw. She admired the strength in his face, the determination that shone strong. Omar seemed so consumed by his big brother’s approval, she wanted to see him reach inward and draw on his own strength.

  “That means a lot to me.” He pulled her closer to his body, resting his cheek against her head.

  They remained leaning against each other, lost in their own thoughts.

  “Aunt Stacy, wake up.”

  Stacy stirred, wondering why she was dreaming about Fran. She tried to turn over and get more comfortable, but met with an impediment.

  “Aunt Stacy!”

  Stacy frowned, trying to get her thoughts in order. Then a doorbell rang and she came instantly awake. “Fran!” She sat up, rubbing her eyes. “Are you okay?”

  “Someone’s at the door.” Fran looked at the door. She held on to Stacy’s hand tightly. Unlike her brother, she didn’t run to the door.

  “Where’s Lenny?” Stacy walked toward the door. The sunlight peeped through the curtains. She couldn’t believe that she’d slept through the night. She looked through the peephole and saw Sabrina. She opened the door.

  “Hi, cousin, looks like I woke you up.” Sabrina stepped in, a little too perky for the morning. “Did my kids wear you out? Well, welcome to my—”

  Stacy closed the door and turned to see what had interrupted Sabrina’s enthusiasm. “Oh, that’s Omar.”

  “Well, I wasn’t the only one getting my groove on.” Sabrina scooped up her daughter and peppered her face with kisses. “Where’s your brother, sweetheart? Not sure that your aunt knows anything at this point.”

  “Omar and I fell asleep on the couch.” Stacy couldn’t imagine how she had fallen so deeply asleep. She must have been really tired. She tapped the top of Omar’s head. He didn’t need to look that contented on her couch.

  “Yep, I’m up.” Omar sat up and quietly stood when he saw everyone staring back at him. “Didn’t realize you had company.”

  “At least his clothes are on,” Sabrina remarked, before setting Fran down. “Sweetie, go get Lenny. Tell him that we have to go. Grandma is coming over this afternoon. We need to get the place straightened up.”

  Fran ran down the hall, screaming out her brother’s name.

  Stacy turned back to Sabrina, ready for her remarks about having Omar in her apartment.

  “Are you going to offer a cup of coffee?” Sabrina walked into the kitchen.
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br />   Stacy followed her in, while Omar excused himself.

  “Looks like you’re keeping him a secret.” Sabrina motioned toward Omar’s exit.

  “No, I’m not. He’s my friend.”

  “Good for you. You had me worried that you were going for the old-maid routine. Just because Antonio was a jerk, don’t let that stop you from finding a good man. That’s my philosophy, anyway.”

  Stacy started the coffeemaker. She didn’t want to have a discussion about Antonio. She’d rather not talk him into her existence, again.

  “Well, tell me about your man,” Sabrina said a few minutes later, as she poured herself a cup of coffee, took a long, noisy sip and pulled out a cigarette.

  Stacy removed the cigarette from her cousin’s fingers and handed it back to her. They had discussed the no-smoking policy repeatedly. There wouldn’t be any compromise. Sabrina could roll her eyes all she wanted, it wasn’t happening.

  “I want to hear what he does for a living. Where he’s from. Doesn’t sound like he’s from around here. His accent is from up North.”

  “Maryland. He’s got a family, brother and sisters. He’s the white-house-with-picket-fence sort.”

  “Whoa! He looks too hip for that. And the boy next door is too tame for you. He’ll bore you in a second.”

  “He’s finding his own rhythm here in Atlanta. Maybe I’m in the mood for a change.” Stacy knew she’d been skirting the same thought. Talking about her feelings gave her more confidence.

  “I think I’ll need a second cup. Kids, go play in your auntie’s room. Mommy’s not done talking.” Fran and Lenny disappeared.

  “I’ll keep them company.” Omar stepped into the kitchen, accepted the cup of coffee from Stacy, winked and left.

  “What nonsense are you saying? The music was supposed to get you out of the neighborhood, change your lifestyle, give you some bling,” Sabrina lectured.

  “I am out of the neighborhood, in case you haven’t noticed. The bling is overrated.”

  “Brenda must be going ballistic over the new you. Is that why you’re back here in Atlanta? I figured you’d be in Hollywood or New York. You haven’t been this quiet and low-key, ever.”