Defining moments, p.1
Defining Moments, page 1
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Acknowledgements
Epigraph
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
EPILOGUE
AUTHOR’S NOTE
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
About the Author
Praise for Jacquelin Thomas and Her Novels
“Jacquelin Thomas’s thought-provoking themes and well-drawn characters will keep readers turning the pages.”
—Victoria Christopher Murray, bestselling author of Truth Be Told
“Jacquelin Thomas is masterful.”—Shades of Romance Magazine
“[Jacquelin Thomas] brings an African-American perspective and . . . edgier tone into Christian fiction, while keeping the gospel message up front and center.” —Publishers Weekly
“Her underlying themes of faith, love, and current social issues will strike a chord with . . . readers.” —The Romance Reader
“Entertaining African-American Christian romance that will surprise readers . . . invigorating.” —Midwest Book Review
“A refreshing novel that delves into the heart of friendship, faith, and making dreams become a reality. Thomas does an excellent job portraying the art of true friendship.”—Rawsistaz.com
Copyright © Jacquelin Thomas, 2006
eISBN : 978-1-4406-2199-4
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
While the characters and events in Defining Moments are fictional, multiple sclerosis is not. It is usually considered a disease that adults get, but it is occasionally diagnosed in children. MS is a real disease, one that affects over two million people, one of whom was my oldest sister, Beverly.
I would like to thank the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for all the information they generously provided. For more information on this devastating disease, please visit their Web site at www.nationalmssociety.org.
God was trying to get my attention but I wasn’t listening.
It took Him allowing me to have MS to get my attention.
—LOLA FALANA
CHAPTER ONE
The first day of spring delivered devastating news to Sheila Moore, leaving her with a wretchedness of mind she’d never known before.
“Miss Moore, you have multiple sclerosis . . .” The neurologist’s words played over and over in Sheila’s head.
Before her diagnosis four days ago, she was a woman going forward with her life while nursing a broken heart.
Now she was nothing more than a broken woman.
When her neck ached and she couldn’t raise her right arm higher than midway, she went to see her chiropractor. The numbness and tingling sensations were all attributed to the constant spurts of fatigue Sheila had been experiencing for the past three or four months. She’d just assumed this was all part of perimenopause, just like the hot flashes and night sweats she suffered from time to time.
She didn’t consider seeing a doctor until her coordination was off and she began experiencing problems with her vision.
Now, after a battery of uncomfortable tests Sheila had been forced to endure, Dr. Hill confirmed the reason.
Multiple sclerosis.
She swallowed hard, fighting back tears. Throwing a tantrum wouldn’t help her now.
Sheila had heard of the disease, but didn’t actually know anyone who had it.
Until now.
Sheila glanced down at her body. She thought back to the days when all everyone did was tease her. Back to when her hair was short and nappy and she wore thick bottle-cap glasses. Back to when nearly every penny she earned went to laser and cosmetic surgery, not to mention the expensive dental work and thousand-dollar hair weaves.
I’ve worked too hard to look like this.
Sheila gulped hard, hot salty tears slipping down her cheeks. Life had never been fair to her. All she wanted was a little piece of happiness. From the moment she was born, Sheila had been searching . . . searching for love and acceptance.
Sheila swiped at a tear falling from her eye. If she couldn’t be happy in life—why couldn’t she at least have her health?
She was only forty-two years old. Why did her body have to fail her now?
“Jake . . .” Tori held the phone in her outstretched hand. “It’s Sheila,” she announced dryly.
Jake’s soft brown eyes clung to hers, studying his wife’s reaction. He could tell by the coolness in her tone that Tori wasn’t pleased that the caller was Sheila.
After everything he’d gone through with her, Jake decided that Sheila could only call his home in the event of an emergency. “Something must’ve happened,” he offered as an excuse.
A shadow of annoyance crossed Tori’s face. Covering the phone with her left hand, she whispered, “With Sheila, you never know. That woman’s always got something up her sleeve.”
Frowning, Jake took the receiver from her and placed it to his ear. “Hey, Sheila.”
“I need to take a leave of absence from Madison-Moore,” she blurted without preamble. “So we’re going to need someone to manage the office here in New York.”
He was momentarily speechless in his surprise. He’d never expected to hear those words coming from Sheila’s lips. The design firm they’d started together was her baby.
Recovering from the shock of her words, Jake inquired, “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing you need to know about,” Sheila sniped. “My leave is for personal reasons.”
“I see.” Jake glanced over his shoulder, stealing a peek at his wife.
Tori moved around the kitchen, seemingly engrossed in cooking, but he had a strong suspicion that most of her attention was centered on his telephone conversation.
“Well, do you have any idea how long you’ll be gone?” Jake asked.
“No, I don’t. I just wanted you to know that I’d be taking some time off. If someone comes to mind to replace me, just give me a call at the office.”
Jake pushed for more answers. “Wait a minute, Sheila. When are you planning to leave?”
Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed Tori standing a few feet away. She had stopped cooking and was now watching him and listening.
“We’ll need time to train someone, and there’s the upcoming campaign for Orion Entertainment—”
“You don’t have to worry,” Sheila interjected. “I’ve taken care of everything. It’s done. The new campaign for Knight Electronics is ready as well. I wouldn’t even consider leaving here without closing out my projects, Jake. Trust—”
Her words and tone contained a suggestion of reproach, causing him to respond, “Sheila, I wasn’t implying that.”
“Right.”
Jake was completely baffled. He didn’t know what to make of this new turn of events. Sheila was a bit of a control freak and very dedicated to Madison-Moore. She wasn’t the type of person to just walk away from her work.
What’s going on with her? he wondered.
Sheila continued talking, her mellow alto edged with control. “I plan to start my leave thirty days from today. That should be enough time to train the person who’ll be taking my place. I was actually thinking about Randy Copeland. Do you think he’d be interested in relocating?”
“I’m pretty sure he’d be interested,” Jake responded. “He loves traveling up there to work with you. Always the first to volunteer. I’ll speak to him about it tomorrow.”
“Great. I really like him and he’s a good worker—very dedicated.”
“If he doesn’t want to go, what about Marla?” Jake tossed out. “She actually has seniority.”
“Do you think she’s up to the demanding hours? She just had a baby a few months ago.”
“I’ll talk to her about it first. I know she and her husband have been thinking about moving back to New York so this may be right up her alley. If she turns down the position, then I’ll ask Randy.”
“Maybe we should consider having them both transfer up here,” Sheila suggested after a moment.
They talked a few minutes more about Marla and Randy. When the conversation came to a close, Jake felt the need to add, “Sheila, please let me know if there is anything I can do.”
“There isn’t.”
Her voice sounded bitter, and Jake knew his words had hit a tender spot, an old wound that had not completely healed even four years after it had first opened.
“I’ll call you in the office if something else comes up.”
“Sheila . . .”
“What?”
Her clipped tone made him lapse into silence.
“Well, what is it, Jake?” Sheila prompted. “What were you going to say?”
“It’s nothing,” he replied. “Just keep me posted. I really hope everything is okay with you.”
“Thankfully, you don’t have to worry about it. I’ll let you get back to your family.”
Before Jake could utter another word, Sheila had hung up.
He turned around to face his wife, who stood there studying him with intense curiosity.
“Did I hear you correctly? Sheila’s leaving?” Tori questioned.
She’d tried to concentrate on cooking, but couldn’t because she was too distracted by Sheila’s phone call. Maybe God had finally answered her prayer.
“No.”
His answer disappointed her. “Then what’s going on?” she asked as she retrieved a stack of plates from a nearby cabinet.
Shrugging in resignation, Jake answered, “All I know is that Sheila’s suddenly decided to take a leave of absence.”
“She didn’t say why?” Tori asked, relishing the rough feel of the etched floral border around the plate.
“For personal reasons. That’s all she said.”
Tori laid the plate down on the counter with the others and turned her attention back to him.
Jake stood with his back pressed against the wall. “She was so hostile that I didn’t want to press her for more information.”
“Sheila probably just wants you to think something’s wrong so you’ll go chasing after her.” Tori leaned over to steal a peek into her oven. “Maybe she thinks you’ve forgotten everything she did to us.”
Jake reached for Tori, pulling her into his arms. He stared down at her, his gaze filled with longing. “Honey, if Sheila wants to take a leave—then I say goodbye.”
Tori took a step away from him. “I’m with you. The last thing we need is to let Sheila back into our lives. She put us through so much. It’s been four years in reality, but emotionally, it still feels just like yesterday to me.”
Jake pulled her back into his arms, kissing her. “I want you to know that I’m so sorry for what I put you through. I—”
Tori placed a finger to his lips. “You don’t have to apologize, Jake. I forgave you a long time ago.”
“But you can’t forgive Sheila?”
“Have you forgiven her?” she countered. “Not too long ago, you were very angry with Sheila—you wouldn’t even talk to that woman for almost a year after she moved to New York.”
Nodding, Jake responded, “I forgave her. To be honest, I really can’t shift all the blame to her. I had a part in it—no matter how reluctant. I’m still guilty.”
“It’s not so much that I don’t forgive Sheila,” Tori said. “I just haven’t let go all of my anger toward her. She never admitted that she was trying to destroy our marriage or even apologized to me—just kept trying to blame you. We even caught her in the act of attempting to become pregnant with your child, but still she kept on denying everything.”
“Then you haven’t completely forgiven her,” Jake pointed out. “You know what the Bible says. Pastor Allen preached on forgiveness just last Sunday.”
Tori considered Jake’s words. “I guess I haven’t then. She needs to be a woman and come to me face-to-face with the truth. I just want to hear her say it. She owes me that much.”
Jake cocked his head to the side, listening.
“Are the kids up from their nap?” Tori asked before turning off the oven. “Can you hear them?”
“I think so.” He took Tori by the hand and led her up the back stairs. “I promised JJ that I’d take him kite flying after dinner.”
“What about Brittany? She’s gonna want to go with y’all.”
“I know, but she’s only two years old—I don’t think she’s old enough to fly kites. I do have an idea though. Why don’t you take our daughter out for ice cream?”
Tori considered Jake’s suggestion. “I think I will. We can spend a little mother-daughter time before she has her bath and bedtime.”
Tori leaned into Jake as she wrapped her arms around him. “I miss our Tiffany. I keep thinking that it’s going to get easier, but losing her still hurts. . . . If she were here, she’d be in first grade right now.”
A little boy ran out of a nearby bedroom when they reached the second level. “Daddy,” he called in excitement as he ran up to Jake. “Can we go now?”
They heard a younger voice calling out, “Da-yee, Da-yeee . . .”
“I’ll get her,” Tori said. She paused long enough to run her fingers through her son’s curly hair. “Hey, you.”
He grinned. “Mommie . . .”
“I’m going to get your sister, sweetie. I’ll be right back.”
Tori strode into a bedroom, returning a few minutes later carrying a little girl.
Jake picked up his son. “Little man, you’re getting heavy,” he teased. “Pretty soon you’re gonna have to carry me.”
This sent the toddler into giggles. “Daddy, I’m only three. I can’t carry you. You’re too big.”
“I don’t know. If you get any bigger I’m not gonna be able to do this . . .” Jake tickled his son.
Watching them, Tori burst into laughter.
Jake leaned over and planted a kiss on his daughter’s forehead. “Hey, Princess Brittany.”
“Da-yee,” Brittany cooed as she placed her tiny hand to her father’s lips.
Tori shifted her daughter to her other side before following Jake and JJ back into the little boy’s racing car-themed bedroom.
She loved her family more than her own life. She sat Brittany down, then picked up a discarded blanket left on the floor.
Tori held the blanket close to her heart, lifted her eyes toward the ceiling and sent up a silent prayer of thanks.
Hearing laughter, Tori turned around. Jake was down on the floor crawling around with their children. Both of them shared Jake’s soft brown eyes, full lips and sun-tinted golden brown complexion. She stood there admiring her husband’s handsome features as he played with JJ and Brittany.
“JJ, you’re gonna have to put on your shoes if you’re going outside with Daddy after dinner.”
“Wanna go out . . . side,” Brittany said. “Me go, too.”
“We’re gonna do something special together, sugar.” Tori picked up her daughter. “Just you and me.”
Jake stood up.
“Honey, can you get JJ’s jacket and shoes for me?” Tori asked.
“Sure.” Jake paused. “Tori . . .”
Jake looked at her as if he were photographing her with his eyes. A grin spread across her face. “Yeah?”
“I love you.”
She murmured in response, “I know. I love you, too.”
“I wuv you, too,” Brittany sang.
Tori felt blissfully happy, and she gloried in the blessing that there were no more shadows across her heart where her marriage was concerned.
Jake opened the doors to JJ’s closet and stepped inside. He came out with a pair of sneakers and a lightweight jacket.
“Is this okay?” he asked his wife.
