When All Is Said and Prayed Read online

  “It wasn’t that I was trying to keep things from you, Mrs. Vanderdale,” Miss Nettie explained. “It’s just that—”

  “You don’t have to explain a thing to us, Nettie,” Mr. Vanderdale interrupted. “Clearly, this is a part of your life that you wanted to go back and atone for.”

  “Oh, God, it is,” Miss Nettie said, her eyes watering. “And I never really knew just how much I needed to do this. I just thank God for my Stuart, for encouraging me to do it.” She looked at Paige. “And for Paige, for helping me do it.”

  Mrs. Vanderdale looked at Paige in an accusatory manner. “You knew all this time that Miss Nettie had a boy?” The hurt expression on her face was now fully visible and undeniable.

  “I found out not too long ago,” Paige answered, trying not to sound defensive. “Miss Nettie came to me for help in trying to find him. We spent hours on the Internet. It got us some information, but ultimately, I had to put her in the hands of my attorney.”

  Paige’s words didn’t make Mrs. Vanderdale feel any better. Why was it that Miss Nettie felt that she wouldn’t be helpful in the process? “Nettie, you know we could have hired the best private investigators in town.” She looked at her husband, silently entreating him to back her up.

  Mr. Vanderdale jumped in. “Of all people, we would have empathized with you and understood your wanting to get your boy back. We know exactly what it feels like to be without a son.” He looked at his wife, and the two shared a moment.

  “I know you would have,” Miss Nettie said. “It’s just that I didn’t know if my son was dead or alive. I didn’t want to put you all through anything that would remind you of your own son.”

  Mrs. Vanderdale chuckled. “Nettie, I’m reminded of my own son every morning, when I wake up. Helping you fill a void in your life or find some type of closure with your son would have been an honor. But that’s neither here nor there. I’m just glad you found him.” Mrs. Vanderdale gave Miss Nettie a big, warm hug. She couldn’t promise that after things died down, she wouldn’t have a conversation with Miss Nettie about her feelings about the matter, but for now, that wasn’t as important as rejoicing with Miss Nettie.

  “Congratulations, Miss Nettie,” Samantha said, chiming in.

  “Thank you. Thank you all,” Miss Nettie said as tears of joy fell from her eyes.

  Mrs. Vanderdale signaled for someone to hand her a napkin to give to Miss Nettie so that she could wipe her tears away. “Well, that explains the extra setting,” she said, pointing to the table. “I thought that you’d just miscalculated or that Stuart was going to join us. But it looks like your son is the mystery guest. How special.”

  “Is he little, like us?” Adele said after staying out of the grown folks’ business for as long as she could. “Or bigger like Mr. Ryan’s sons?”

  “Yeah, Adele said they’re going to be our brothers,” Norma added.

  All the adults looked at one another and then started laughing.

  “From the mouths of babes,” Mrs. Vanderdale said.

  “Can’t get nothing past kids,” Paige said.

  “You’re right about that,” Miss Nettie said. “Now, I just hope my kid can get over the past.”

  The laughter died down.

  “Well, what did he say when you talked to him?” Paige asked. “And when did you talk to him? How long have you had to keep this big secret inside?”

  “I just talked to him for the first time a couple days ago,” Miss Nettie offered. “He was shocked.” Her eyes gazed off. She looked as though she was lost in thought, reflecting on the conversation she’d had with her son. “He didn’t believe me at first. He actually had a birth certificate with another woman’s name on it. We learned that it was an amended birth certificate, though. I had the hospital records as proof he was born to me. He was mine before he was hers. According to my boy, even though the woman he thought was his mother for years was a good-for-nothing something, it’s his father who he felt should have never lied to him.”

  “So how were you able to convince him without a doubt that you were his birth mother?” Paige asked.

  “I didn’t. Mr. Rudy did. Well, not Mr. Rudy personally. He ended up having to focus on some big case that he and his own paralegal had to work on. So he had one of his partners’ paralegals help me. She did the research and ended up contacting my boy’s attorney, one who had worked for him in the past. We sent him all the documentation proving that I was, in fact, his birth mother. Took a blood test too.”

  “Attorney? You found your son living under a bridge, and yet he can afford an attorney?” Mr. Vanderdale asked.

  Miss Nettie was becoming either agitated or nervous. It wasn’t clear which. Nonetheless, she continued answering the questions that were being posed to her. “He’s not his attorney now. He has no money to pay him now, but supposedly, once upon a time, my boy did pretty well for himself. Had the fellow on retainer for years and had spent good money on the man. Guess my son had spent enough money on him over the years that his former attorney decided to help out this one last time—pro bono—in figuring things out. We all got our answers, proof positive.”

  “God most definitely had His hand in this,” Paige said, shaking her head in awe. “You said he lives under a bridge?”

  Miss Nettie nodded.

  “How did you end up tracking him down with no address? How long did it take? Who actually found him?” Paige was shooting questions left and right.

  “It was actually his attorney who knew of his last whereabouts,” Miss Nettie said.

  Paige asked, “Who is—”

  “Enough talk. We can go over the fine details of it all at another date. When is that boy of yours coming?” Mrs. Vanderdale asked.

  “He’s already here. He’s back in my quarters,” Miss Nettie answered.

  Everyone looked shocked.

  “When? How?” Mrs. Vanderdale asked.

  “Stuart brought him in through the back a bit ago. He helped him get changed up and looking decent. “I’m sorry I didn’t give you all a better heads-up.” She looked at Paige. “And I’m sorry to be intruding on you and your fellow’s time.” Miss Nettie swallowed hard, waiting on a response.

  “How many times do I have to tell you that we are family?” Mrs. Vanderdale said. “You’re family.” She pointed at Miss Nettie. “The way we are welcoming Ryan into our family as a son . . . is the same way we are welcoming your boy into the family,” Mrs. Vanderdale continued. “Now go get him, already.”

  Paige looked at Ryan, took his hand in hers, squeezed it, and smiled. Everyone showed their agreement with nods or smiles.

  “All right then,” Miss Nettie said, clapping her hands excitedly and then taking a huge deep breath. “I’ll go fetch Stuart and my boy.” Miss Nettie lifted her shoulders, held her head up high, and wobbled it with confidence. “Family,” Miss Nettie said as she walked off proudly. Moments later she mumbled under her breath, “Let’s pray so.”

  Mrs. Vanderdale took her seat again. “Wow! I didn’t expect all this to go down at dinner.”

  “God is definitely still in the miracle business, indeed,” Paige said.

  “Can we eat now?” Adele asked.

  “Yeah. I been hungry a long time ago,” Norma said.

  There were some chuckles.

  “Hold on just one second, girls,” Paige said. “We’re going to wait for Miss Nettie and them to join us, and then we’ll bless the food and dig in.”

  “Yay,” the girls cheered.

  A couple seconds later, Miss Nettie opened the dining room door. “Everyone, I’d like for you to meet my son.” Miss Nettie stepped to the side and raised her hand like she was one of Bob’s beauties on The Price Is Right.

  Miss Nettie’s son stepped into the room behind her, and Stuart was behind him. Miss Nettie’s son walked in with his head kind of down. He had a small Afro, and his face was covered in facial hair. He was kind of thin and frail and looked as though he might be wearing some of Stuart’s clothes.
Stuart was a slightly bigger man, so the clothes were loose. Miss Nettie’s son must have lived a hard life, because he was around forty but appeared to be darn near Miss Nettie’s age. Considering he was homeless and was living under a bridge, it was pretty safe to say that his life had, in fact, been rough.

  Miss Nettie, smiling from ear to ear, put her arm around her son and kissed him on the cheek. He looked over at her. She gave him a smile of encouragement. She wanted him to hold his head up high. Still looking at his mother, he gave a half smile, then lifted his head higher. She nodded for him to turn, with his head held high, and face everyone to greet them.

  It was almost as if he’d reverted to the little boy Miss Nettie had abandoned in the hospital all those years ago. That was how he came across—as more of a lost little boy than a grown man. By the way he was staring into his mother’s eyes, it was clear that he had found himself in Miss Nettie. Looked as though this was a chapter in his life he had needed all along, whether he knew it or not.

  Under his mother’s encouragement, he turned toward the family seated at the table and smiled. His teeth were still in pretty good shape, especially given that he was homeless. They were bright white, and it didn’t look like any were missing. A front one looked as though it might have been chipped, but other than that, any dentist would have been proud.

  “Everyone,” Miss Nettie said, “this is my boy, Mr.—”

  “Oh, my God! Oh, my God!” Paige stood. A chill took over her, and her body began to shake. Her clammy palms were planted flat on the table, as if she was trying to keep her balance. Her eyes flooded with tears, as if a dam had broken. She stared at Miss Nettie’s son. She’d gotten past the clothing; the frail, thin body; the Afro; the facial hair; and the pretty teeth. It was when she got to Miss Nettie’s son’s eyes that the blood could have drained from her body. Although she didn’t recognize any other parts of him, she would forever recognize those eyes. The eyes that, she’d thanked God, Adele had not inherited.

  Chapter 20

  “Paige, wait! What’s wrong?” Ryan called out as Paige knocked over the chair she’d been sitting in and began scooping up Adele and Norma like they were running from a . . .

  “Monster! He’s a monster!” Paige said as she snatched up her girls by their arms. “We have got to get out of here. Get my babies out of here!” Paige was frantic. Too frantic to notice the look of fear in her little girls’ eyes.

  “Paige, baby.” Ryan stood and tried to calm her by grabbing hold of her arm.

  “Don’t touch me!” Paige screamed. “Don’t anybody touch me.” Her voice boomed across the dining room.

  “My ears! Mommy, my ears!” Norma threw her hands over her ears.

  Paige had Norma by her elbow and was yanking her from the table. “Let’s go. We’ve got to go.”

  Mrs. Vanderdale looked at Ryan. “What’s going on?”

  He shook his head. He had no idea what was causing Paige to behave so erratically. He just continued trying to calm her. “Paige, you’re scaring the girls,” Ryan told her.

  By now Paige had both her daughters in her grip and was leaving the dining room, headed for the front door. “No, we’ve got to get out of here. We’ve got to go,” she said over her shoulder.

  Ryan managed to block her path. “No, not until you tell us what is going on.”

  “I swear to God, if you don’t get out of my way . . .” Paige said with such venom as she glared Ryan down.

  His eyes bucked. Paige had said the word monster. Well, that was exactly what he felt he was standing in front of. He looked down at her girls, who were afraid and were crying. He didn’t want to stir up any more drama by trying to stop Paige. He was the one who had driven her there, so he had no idea where she intended to go. Still, he stepped aside.

  Mrs. Vanderdale was horrified. She looked at her husband. “Norm, go do something. I can’t have her dragging my grandbabies out there in the state of mind she’s in.”

  Mr. Vanderdale stood. “I’ll go talk to her.” He looked at his daughter. “Sam, come get the girls.”

  Samantha stood to follow her father. Ryan went to follow as well, until Mr. Vanderdale put his hand up to stop him.

  “Please, Ryan. I know you’re concerned. But please let me talk to her first.” Mr. Vanderdale waited for a response from Ryan.

  Ryan hesitated. That was his woman. He wanted to be there for her. He had to admit, though, given the way Paige had just behaved, she might very well need some professional support in addition to emotional support. Mr. Vanderdale was definitely the man for that job. So knowing Paige would be in good hands, Ryan relented.

  “Thank you,” Mr. Vanderdale said, knowing how hard it was for Ryan to fall back when the woman he loved was so distraught. He exited the dining room. “Paige, wait!” he called out when he saw her by the front door, hurrying to put Adele’s and Norma’s jackets on.

  Paige was oblivious to her name being called. “Come on, girls. We have to go,” she said, still struggling to get jackets on the uncooperative girls.

  “Mommy, what’s wrong?” Adele cried. “I want Grandma. Why are we leaving?”

  “And I’m still hungry,” Norma whined.

  “Just put the jacket on!” Paige yelled, which only caused Adele to cry that much harder.

  “Paige Vanderdale!” This time Mr. Vanderdale’s voice shook the entire house.

  Paige immediately looked up and noticed him.

  Samantha walked around her father and over to Adele and Norma. “Come on, girls,” she said softly to them. “Come with Auntie.” She began to scoot them away.

  “Where are you taking them?” Paige demanded to know, walking over and yanking Samantha by her arm.

  Samantha was too outdone by Paige being aggressive with her. “You know I would never hurt my nieces,” she said as she stood nose to nose with Paige. “Don’t even come at me like that.”

  Mr. Vanderdale walked over and separated the two before things could get out of hand between them. “Paige, I asked Sam to sit with the girls while I talk to you.”

  Keeping her eyes on her daughters, with a look of desperation and fear the entire time, Paige asked, “Where is she taking them?” She then looked at Mr. Vanderdale. “She better not be taking them back in there with that . . . with that . . .” She pointed at the dining room. “Monster.”

  Mr. Vanderdale gently lowered Paige’s hand and took it in his. “It’s going to be all right. Do you trust me, Paige?”

  Paige looked into Mr. Vanderdale’s eyes. In all honesty, she didn’t trust anyone right about now. She said nothing.

  “Paige, do you trust me? Do you trust Naomi? Sam?” He nodded toward Samantha. “Have we ever done anything to hurt you?”

  Paige shook her head.

  “Have we ever done anything to hurt the girls?”

  Again, Paige shook her head.

  “Then you know in your heart we never will do anything to hurt you and the girls,” he reasoned. “Now, Samantha is going to take the girls to the den, and you and I are going to talk. Okay?”

  Still slightly petrified, Paige was beginning to regain her good sense. “Okay,” she agreed. She then looked at Samantha sternly. “Keep your eyes on them. Don’t let them go with anybody.”

  Samantha nodded and then exited the room with the girls.

  Once Mr. Vanderdale and Paige were alone, he walked her over to the couch in the parlor and sat her down. “Would you like me to call your parents or anything?”

  Paige shook her head like a frightened little schoolgirl who was in trouble and didn’t want the principal to call her parents on her.

  Mr. Vanderdale could tell by looking at Paige that she was truly traumatized, to the point where she was mentally reverting to earlier stages of her life. He had to handle her with care. He was a psychiatrist by trade and by heart, so this wasn’t a challenge for him.

  “Just now, back in the dining room, you got really upset. Tell me what happened.” Mr. Vanderdale sat down on the couch
.

  Paige swallowed hard before she began. “Miss Nettie brought him here. Her son. He’s a monster.”

  Once again Mr. Vanderdale could see Paige going back in time. This time he could tell by her gloomy expression that she had regressed to a dark time. He watched her rock slightly and begin to bite her nails. He placed his hand on her shoulder and slowly stopped her from rocking. “Why do you think Miss Nettie’s son is a monster?” he asked.

  “Because he is!” Paige shot up in anger. “He did all those bad things to me and treated me like trash.”

  “Okay, okay. Just calm down.” He patted the vacated seat on the couch. “Come on. Sit back down next to me, Paige.”

  Paige stared at Mr. Vanderdale for a moment. She didn’t want to sit down. She wanted to snatch her children up and get the heck out of that house quick, fast, and in a hurry. Even if it was on foot.

  “Please, Paige. Talk to me,” he pleaded, extending his hand.

  After looking into Mr. Vanderdale’s eyes, Paige loosened up. For her, in that moment, in her current state, looking at Norman Sr. was like looking at Norman Jr. Paige felt safe and secure again because she knew beyond a doubt that her Norman would never hurt her. He’d sacrificed his life to protect her. Finally, Paige slowly placed her hand in Mr. Vanderdale’s and sat down.

  Keeping her hand in his, Mr. Vanderdale urged Paige to tell him what was going on. “Your words are safe with me,” he reminded her. “Tell me what’s going on. Why has seeing Miss Nettie’s son upset you? Who or what does he remind you of?”

  Paige trembled before saying, “Blake.”

  “He reminds you of Blake?”

  Paige tucked her lips in and tried not to cry while she began to talk. “He is Blake. Miss Nettie’s son is Blake.”

  Mr. Vanderdale tried to remain as calm as possible and to keep his eyes from bucking out of his head upon hearing Paige’s words. He needed to remain as neutral as possible. “Blake, as in your ex-husband, Blake?” He swallowed, hoping it wasn’t so, before asking the next question. “Blake, as in Adele’s biological father?”