Chapter 23 023
THE night was quiet in Amelia’s room, the only sound the gentle hum of the ceiling fan spinning lazily above. She stood before the mirror, adjusting her silk bonnet over her hair, smoothing it down carefully. Hazel was already asleep, curled up on the bed, her breathing soft and steady. She had insisted she wanted to spend the night with her.
Just as Amelia turned to slip beneath the covers, her phone rang out from the dresser. The screen lit up, breaking the dimness of the room. She walked over and glanced at it.
Mom.
A smile tugged at her lips. She swiped the call.
“Hello, Mommy.”
“Amelia, my dear,” Mrs. Harlow’s voice came warm, tinged with that familiar pride. “Were you already asleep?”
“Not yet,” Amelia said softly, glancing toward Hazel. “I was just about to.”
“Good, good,” her mother replied. “I thought I would check in. How is my son-in-law? Adrian must be treating you well, I can hear it in your voice. You sound happy, Amelia. You sound cared for.”
Amelia chuckled, sitting down at the edge of the bed.
“He is, Mommy. He takes care of Hazel and me. You know Adrian.”
“Yes, yes,” Mrs. Harlow said with a small sigh of contentment. “You are blessed to have him. A husband like that doesn’t come every day. I tell the women at church, not everyone is lucky enough to find a man who provides, who protects, who keeps his home. You got it all, Amelia. And I thank God for that.”
Amelia laughed quietly.
“You will make me blush, Mommy. Adrian is not perfect, but he is good to us. That is what matters.”
“And Hazel? How is my granddaughter? She must be growing taller by the day. You know I miss her giggles in this house.”
“She is fine,” Amelia said, her eyes softening as they drifted toward Hazel’s sleeping figure. “Still full of energy. We were at the park today, she played on the see-saw until I had to drag her away.”
Mrs. Harlow laughed lightly, but it didn’t last. Her tone shifted as she sighed into the receiver.
“Hmm. Unlike Hazel, some people don’t seem to grow into anything useful at all.”
Amelia’s heart dipped. She knew where this was heading.
“Mommy…”
“Yes, I’m talking about your sister,” Mrs. Harlow pressed on, her voice tightening. “Claire. Still no man in sight, no stability, no seriousness. What kind of woman her age doesn’t even have the sense to keep one?”
“Mommy,” Amelia said gently, “it is just time. Everyone’s time is different.”
“Time?!” her mother snapped, scoffing audibly. “How much time does she need? Everything about Claire has always been late. Learning to walk, late. Learning to speak, late. Learning to begin eating proper meals, late. Graduating from high school, late. Getting into college, late! And men? Ah, God help her! After school, she entered her first relationship two whole years later, and even that didn’t last. None of them do! She can’t even keep a man longer than five months. Five months, Amelia!”
Amelia pressed her lips together, sighing softly.
“Mommy, please. Don’t be so hard on her. People grow differently. She will find her way.”
“No,” Mrs. Harlow said sharply. “With you, it wasn’t like that. Everything worked perfectly. You finished school, you met Adrian, and in just one year, he proposed. Today, you are his wife. You gave me a granddaughter. You are everything a woman should be. Tell me, is that such a hard thing to do?”
Amelia’s smile faltered. She rubbed her temple.
“Mommy, it is not like that. I just… my life isn’t perfect either.”
“You don’t understand!” Mrs. Harlow’s voice cracked suddenly, carrying old pain. “Twenty-two years ago, your father died. My husband died. Do you remember how?”
Amelia closed her eyes. She knew. She had heard this before.
“He died in an accident,” Mrs. Harlow whispered fiercely, “trying to get her that nonsense fries she loved, at an ungodly hour. That girl isn’t just late in everything, she brings misfortune! Misfortune!”
“Mommy,” Amelia whispered, her voice soft but firm, “please. Don’t say that. It is not fair.”
But her mother wouldn’t stop. Her complaints spilled on, as they always did, circling back to the same grievances, the same comparisons. Amelia listened quietly, giving soft hums of acknowledgment, waiting for the storm to pass.
Finally, when Mrs. Harlow’s voice grew weary, she sighed.
“Anyway. I just don’t know what will become of her.”
Amelia forced a small laugh.
“Mommy, everything will be fine. Claire will be fine. Let’s just leave it in God’s hands, hmm?”
There was a pause on the other end, then a quiet hum.
“Goodnight, Amelia. Kiss Hazel for me in the morning.”
“Goodnight, Mommy. I will.”
The call ended.
Amelia lowered the phone slowly, staring at the darkened screen. She exhaled a long breath, one she hadn’t realized she was holding. This wasn’t the first time she had heard these words. It wouldn’t be the last. She set the phone back on the dresser, turned off the light, and slipped beneath the sheets beside Hazel.
Her eyes closed, but sleep didn’t come quickly.
The suite was calm, its golden lamps throwing a warm glow across polished furniture and soft sheets. Vivian sat before the dresser, her reflection staring back at her while her thumb scrolled absently over her phone. The faint hum of the city buzzed through the windows, muffled behind heavy curtains.
Adrian lay sprawled comfortably on the king-sized bed, phone in hand, the light of the screen reflecting against his sharp features. He looked at ease, too much at ease.
“Babe?” Vivian’s voice broke the silence, soft but edged with something unsaid.
“Yes, babe?” he replied without lifting his eyes from his phone.
Vivian hesitated, then sighed.
“Honestly… that lady Leonard brought to the party,” she shook her head slowly, her earrings swaying with the movement, “I do not like her.”
Adrian smiled knowingly, the kind of smile that said he had heard this before.
“Babe, you don’t like any of the ladies Leonard moves with.”
“Yes, because he keeps changing them like audition tapes,” she shot back, her tone sharper now, “and it is disgusting.”
Adrian chuckled, amused at her bluntness.
But Vivian wasn’t smiling. Her lips tightened, and she tilted her head slightly, her gaze narrowing.
“Plus… I saw the way she was looking at you during dinner. I don’t like it.”
He scoffed, finally lowering his phone to glance at her.
“Baby, she wasn’t looking at me.”
“Mmm.” Vivian folded her arms, unconvinced.
“She wasn’t,” he repeated firmly.
“Okay,” she said, looking away, her tone flat.
Adrian shifted upright on the bed, watching her carefully.
“And even if she was, I only have eyes for two women. My wife—” his finger pointed casually toward the air, “—and you.”
Vivian’s brows knit together. That wasn’t the reassurance she wanted.
“Still,” she pressed, “Leonard is a bad influence. He is reckless, Adrian. And if you are not so careful, he will drag you into his mess.”
“Okay.” Adrian leaned back lazily, running a hand through his hair. “He is Leonard—”
“Mhm?”
“I am me, okay? We are not the same.”
“Really?” She arched a brow.
“Yes. What kind of statement are you even making about me, babe?” His voice had hardened, more defensive now.
Vivian dropped her phone onto the dresser with a faint thud and rose, her silk robe swaying as she walked across the room toward the bed.
“I’m just saying,” she stood before him now, arms folded, “I’m hoping that one day you won’t just wake up and join him in his foolishness. Babe, listen—”
Adrian finally set his phone aside and shifted forward, all his attention fixed on her.
“I am not one of your options. I am here because I love you, and because I care.”
He sighed.
“You are never an option. Of course, I do love you,” he assured.
Vivian’s expression softened, but only slightly.
“Then control your friend. Because the next time I see one of his mistresses flirting around you, honestly—” her voice sharpened, “—I would embarrass all of you.”
Adrian threw his hands up, half amused, half pleading.
“Baby, baby, baby, please. You are stressing for nothing. Okay? Come here.”
“Come where?” she snapped, though her lips betrayed a twitch of a smile. “Listen, I’m just protecting my territory. I don’t share, and you know that.”
“Baby,” he said, lowering his voice playfully, “come to daddy.”
Vivian burst into laughter despite herself.
“Come to what? Come to what?” she sang teasingly as she climbed into the bed, still giggling.
“Come to me,” he whispered, pulling her closer.
“I want sugar,” she murmured, wrapping her arms around him as they both fell back against the pillows.
“You want what?” he teased.
She laughed again, shaking her head.
“Well… I do not share my sugar. I do not share my sugar.”
Their laughter tangled in the air, a playful rhythm masking the seriousness of her words.
“You are just being jealous,” Adrian said finally, kissing her temple.
Vivian closed her eyes, her laughter fading into silence.
“Maybe,” she whispered. “But jealous women don’t lose their men.”