“Ms. Brown, can I talk with you a minute?”
It was Kelly Douglas, the town’s hairdresser and Crystal’s best friend. Kelly and her husband, Bobby, had moved to Henry Adams last winter with their twin toddlers: Bobby Jr. and Kiara. “Sure. Come on in,” Bernadine said, smiling.
Kelly took a seat and Bernadine asked, “How are things?”
“Things are good. No issues.”
“And Riley?”
“Doing his job, which is all I ask. Keeps talking about running for mayor, but I tune that part out.”
“The last time he ran he got one vote. Genevieve’s. He might get a goose egg this time around.”
“He won’t get mine. That’s for sure.”
“Mine, either. So, what brings you by?”
“I’ve picked out a name for the salon and want to know what you think.”
“Okay.”
“We’re all about town history here and from talking with Tamar I know that back in the day there used to be a saloon called the Liberian Lady, so I want to call my shop The Liberian Lady and Gents Salon.”
Bernadine beamed. “I love that, and the play on the word saloon is just perfect. Brilliant, Kelly.”
“Thanks. I’d like to have the name either on the glass on the front door or one of the windows. Maybe use a fancy, scrolly kind of font. Would that work, or be too expensive?”
“I’m sure we can find a way to do it and keep it cost effective. I love the idea of the old-fashioned font.”
“Good. When Amari, Brain, and Leah get back from vacation, they’re going to help me put up a web page, so we can let people know we’re here.”
“You’re on the ball, my dear.”
“Learning how to turn my world by watching you.”
“I appreciate that.”
Kelly stood. “Let me get back before Riley turns the shop into his campaign headquarters. Can’t wait to move in this weekend.”
“I’ll get started on ordering your signage.”
“Thanks, Ms. B.”
“You’re welcome, Kelly.”
She exited and left Bernadine smiling. Lily and Trent had taken the week off and were in Kansas City acting out their own version of Home Alone, so Bernadine had the Power Plant to herself. She hoped they were having fun. She, on the other hand, kept being distracted by thoughts of Mal and the ongoing mess between them. He still wasn’t responding to her texts, so she stopped sending them. She hadn’t seen him, either. Rather than get caught up in a public confrontation at the Dog, she’d avoided the place and had taken to eating lunch at her desk and dinner at home. She missed him. She missed them.
“Hello, Ms. Brown.”
Bernadine looked up to see social worker Aretha Krebs on the threshold. The smug smile on her face instantly set off warning bells. “Ms. Krebs. Good to see you.”
“I’ve come to collect the Herman children.”
Bernadine froze.
The smug smile spread. “They have a great-aunt in Cincinnati who’s agreed to take custody, and my counterpart in Ohio has solved the mystery of their parents’ estate. The businesses were sold and the money’s been in an escrow account, along with life insurance payouts. The family’s financial advisor had a stroke a few days after the parents’ accident and the original caseworker retired before all the financial background work was finalized.”
“And it wasn’t caught.”
“No. Their office dropped the ball, probably due to large caseloads and being overworked as we all are. The advisor isn’t physically able to return to his practice, so his daughter’s been going through the files and just found the estate paperwork a few days ago.”
“So, the great-aunt has stepped up now that the kids have money?”
“I talked with her last evening. She said she didn’t know the kids were in the system.”
“And you believe her?” Bernadine asked skeptically.
“I believe the children will be better off with a family member than with Ms. Dahl.”
Bernadine knew Krebs’s feeling on the matter so she let it go. “Have you vetted the great-aunt?”
“I have and there are no red flags.”
Bernadine sighed inwardly. She didn’t like this outcome but lacked the authority to step in.
Krebs gave her another fake smile. “So if you can have the children brought here, we can get them on a plane to Cincinnati this evening. A caseworker and the aunt will meet them at the airport.”
Bernadine thought back on Lucas’s desire to stay with Gemma. “And the children get no say?”
“No. Not when there’s family willing to take them in. My counterpart in the Ohio office agrees the aunt’s a better fit, too.”
Bernadine understood the policy but wanted to know where the aunt had been for the past two years. She also wondered if it was wrong for her to disbelieve the woman’s claim of not knowing the kids were in foster care. “How old is the aunt?”
“Seventy-three. She’s the grandfather’s sister.”
Bernadine didn’t like this at all. “Okay. Let me call Gemma and we’ll have the kids packed and ready to leave shortly.” This news was going to break the kids’ hearts, Gemma’s too, but maybe the great-aunt would give them the stability and love they needed. She set aside her misgivings and called the store.
Lucas, Jaz, and Wyatt were spending the day at the rec center with Ms. Marie. He and Lucas were playing checkers and Jaz was in a chair reading. When Ms. Dahl showed up unexpectedly Lucas saw her red-rimmed eyes and wondered if she’d been crying. Rather than be nosy and ask about it, he studied her silently. He didn’t like seeing her looking so sad.
She spoke to Ms. Marie first. “Marie, I need to talk to Lucas and Jasmine. Can I use Tamar’s office?”
Lucas froze.
“Sure, go right in.”
Wyatt, seated on the other side of the checkerboard asked, “What’s going on Gram? Have you been crying?”
Her lip trembled for a second before she gave him a watery smile. “Let me talk with Lucas and Jaz first, okay?”
“Gram, what’s the matter?”
“In a minute, Wyatt.”
Lucas shared a look with the now serious-faced Wyatt. Something had happened and he sensed it wasn’t good.
He and Jaz followed her into the office and she quietly closed the door. “You’re going back to Ohio.”
Jaz screamed, “No!” and began crying. “No!”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Your grandfather’s sister wants you and Lucas to come and live with her in Cincinnati.”
Lucas felt like he’d been turned into ice. “What if we don’t want to go?”
“Ms. Brown asked about that, but Ms. Krebs said when a family member wants custody, you and Jaz have no choice.”
Jaz continued to sob. Her shoulders shook with emotion. Ms. Gemma’s tears rolled down her cheeks as she pulled Jaz close and held her. “I want you to stay here, too. But I don’t have any legal standing.”
All his fears were realized. He’d been right not to dream or hope or attach himself to anyone there. Empty inside, he asked, “When do we leave?”
“Immediately. Ms. Krebs is waiting for you at Ms. Brown’s office.”
Jaz looked up and cried, “Please! We don’t want to leave. Please help us, Ms. Gemma.”
“Sweetie, I can’t. This breaks my heart, too. I’m so sorry. Your aunt is probably really nice.”
Lucas thought the only good thing about this whole heartbreaking situation was that he and his sister would still be together. He took her hand and said softly, “Come on, Jaz. We need to get our stuff.”
He met Ms. Gemma’s eyes and her tears reflected the ones he had hidden inside.
Up in his room, Lucas was stuffing his small cache of belongings into the new trash bag Ms. Gemma had given him when Wyatt appeared in the doorway. He looked both sad and angry.
“Hey,” Lucas said.
“Hey.”
“Thanks for everything. It’s been nice.”
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“You’ll be back.”
Lucas offered a rueful smile. “If you want to think that, go ahead.” His packing done, he stared over at the boy he wouldn’t have minded calling brother. “Will you take my books back to the library when you go next time?”
He nodded solemnly. “Do you have our phone number, in case you want to call.”
“I do, but I probably won’t.”
“Why not?”
Lucas wanted to say it would hurt too much. “I just won’t, that’s all.”
“Okay,” he said as if understanding. “Was nice knowing you, Lucas.”
“Same here.”
They shared one last long look and Wyatt left. Alone, Lucas wiped away a tear and carried the bag down the hall to hook up with Jaz. “Are you ready?”
“Yes,” she said softly. “I want to stay here so bad.”
“But we can’t,” he snapped. Then he felt bad. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I need to stop acting like a baby.”
He saw their mom’s features in her face and all the pain and fear rushed up inside him again. He wanted to hug her tight and tell her everything would be all right, but then they’d both start crying again, and the Krebs woman was waiting. No sense in delaying the inevitable. “Hand me your bag.”
“No, I can carry it.” She met his sad eyes and said, “I love you, Lucas. You’re a good big brother.”
“Thanks. I love you, too, Jaz.”
And together they set out to face life’s next challenge.
Lucas managed to remain stoic when the time came to say goodbye to Ms. Gemma and to Ms. Bernadine in her office. He knew if he began crying he’d never stop. Beside him, Jaz stood quietly while tears ran down her cheeks.
“Take care of each other,” Ms. Gemma said, hugging them each in turn. “I’ll miss you both.”
Lucas nodded. Jaz grabbed her tightly around the waist and held on. A teary-eyed Ms. Gemma rocked her gently.
Ms. Krebs cleared her throat. “We need to get going so we don’t miss the plane.”
Jaz stepped away, wiped her face, and took her spot beside him.
Ms. Bernadine said, “We’re always here if you need anything.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Krebs said impatiently, “They’ll be just fine. My office recommends you have no future contact so you don’t interfere with them bonding with their family member.”
Lucas didn’t like her and blamed her for being prejudiced against Ms. Gemma, and for why they couldn’t stay. She’d be flying with them on the plane to Ohio and he hoped that once they arrived, he and Jaz would never have to see her again.
Storing Ms. Gemma’s kindness in his heart, he followed Ms. Krebs out to her car. She opened the back door for them and said, “I was pretty excited the first time I flew on a plane. Have you ever flown before?”
Lucas said, “Yeah. I flew to Australia with my mom for a doctor’s conference when I was seven.”
She stopped, stunned. Rolling his eyes, he climbed in and helped Jaz with her seat belt before buckling his own. When Ms. Krebs entered, he saw her eyeing him in the mirror with an odd expression on her face, but he turned away.
When they arrived at the Cincinnati airport it was dark. Lucas pulled the rolling suitcase Ms. Krebs had given them to stuff their trash bags into and waited while she looked around the nearly empty baggage claim area. A tall African American man wearing a suit walked up with a short, round, elderly African American woman wearing a black-and-white polka-dot dress and a big wide-brimmed church lady hat. She smiled the moment she saw them, so Lucas assumed this was their great-aunt. Ms. Krebs told them on the plane that her name was Wanda Borden.
“Ms. Krebs?” the tall man asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m Ed Gladwin from Ohio Social Services. This is Mrs. Borden.”
Krebs smiled. “Glad to meet you, Mrs. Borden. These are the kids. Lucas and Jasmine Herman.”
She was still beaming. “How are you? Welcome to Cincinnati.” She opened her arms. “Come give your auntie some sugar.”
He and Jaz shared a quick look before Lucas walked over and let himself be folded in against her round body. She smelled like peppermint and her face was a bit sweaty. When she turned him loose, Jaz took his place. After the hug, she said, “What a pretty name for a pretty little girl. I had jasmine in my yard when I lived in California and it made the night smell so sweet. How was the flight?”
“Okay,” Lucas voiced quietly.
“You must be exhausted. Are you hungry?”
“A little bit,” Jasmine said.
“I’m a great cook, and I left some stuff on the stove. We’ll eat soon as we get there.”
So far, so good, Lucas thought but he knew better than to hope. Ms. Krebs watched his face, but he didn’t acknowledge her. She’d gotten them here; now she could go.
Aunt Wanda said, “Ms. Krebs, I want to thank you for letting me know about them. I’m sure we’ll be fine from here on out. Won’t we, kids?”
Lucas nodded because he knew it was expected. Jaz did the same.
Mr. Gladwin said, “Ms. Krebs, I’ll take you to your hotel. Kids, I’m your worker and I’ll be by tomorrow to check on things. Nice meeting you both.”
Ms. Krebs met Lucas’s cold eyes and, if she’d been expecting a fond farewell, she didn’t get one. “Take care, kids.”
He and Jaz nodded but that was all. She left with Mr. Gladwin and they followed Aunt Wanda out to her car.
Once they were inside, she drove off. “I’m so glad to have you two with me. Nothing like youngsters to keep an old lady young.”
She asked what grades they were in, in school. They told her and she replied, “The one near my house isn’t fancy like the one you probably went to when you lived with your rich mama and daddy but you’ll be okay there.”
She said the word rich as if it were a bad word and Lucas became instantly wary.
“Going to be lots of changes living with me, but again, you’ll be okay.”
In the shadowy backseat, Jasmine slid her hand into his and he squeezed hers gently in response.
The car left the highway and merged into an area like the inner-city neighborhoods he’d lived in during his first stint in foster care. A few minutes later, she pulled into the driveway of a house on a quiet street.
“We’re here,” she announced.
They took their suitcase out of the trunk and followed her up the two cement steps to the porch. By the light from the bare bulb above them Lucas saw the burglar bars on the door and the windows across the front of the house. Aunt Wanda stuck a key into the full-length bars first, and once it was opened, she fumbled for another key to unlock the main door that led inside.
The interior was lit by a lone lamp in the small front room. Lucas spied a brown couch, an old cracked-leather recliner and a big flat-screen TV. The air smelled like stale perfume.
She put down her purse and removed her hat. “Put those bags down. Got some work for you to do before you eat.”
Lucas stopped. He was hungry after the long day and so was Jaz. “We’re really hungry. Can we eat first?”
“You sassing me, boy?” she asked ominously.
He froze and whispered, “No, ma’am.”
“Good because you don’t want to find out if you do. Now follow me.”
They climbed the worn, slick carpeted stairs to the second floor. She clicked on a light and led them down the short hallway. “You’ll be sleeping in this room.”
Another light was thrown on to reveal a space filled with boxes, furniture, and clothing piled high, and he couldn’t tell what else lay beneath all the layers of stuff. He looked around with wide eyes.
“Take everything in here down to the basement,” she instructed them. “There’s some sheets and blankets beneath those big boxes in the corner. When you find them, go put them in the washer. Once they dry and you get the beds made, you can eat.”
She exited.
He
glanced over at his sister, who said in a voice bordering on a wail, “She’s mean, Lucas.”
“I know.” He’d been stupid to hope. “Let’s get started so we can eat.”
At 1:00 a.m., after eating a cold plate of collards, pork and beans, and chicken, they fell into bed. Lucas could hear Jasmine crying softly in the dark in the bed beside his. He didn’t try and tell her things would work out because they both knew it was a lie. Fighting exhaustion, he wanted to at least console her but his tired eyes slid shut and he dropped like a stone into sleep.
Chapter 10
The following morning, Bernadine sat in her office going over her agenda for the day. She’d be meeting later with Samuel and Brenda Miller, the middle-aged couple interested in opening a coffee shop and bakery inside the Henry Adams hotel. They were presently living in Vegas where he worked as a pastry chef at one of the major hotels. She was an accountant who’d recently taken a buyout from a brokerage firm. Bernadine had been communicating with them for the past few months via e-mail, phone, and Skype. Today would be their first physical face-to-face and she was looking forward to the visit and showing them the space. She was about to get up and pour herself another cup of coffee when the phone rang. Caller ID showed tina craig, and she smiled as she picked up.
“Good morning, Lady T. How the are you?”
“Stressed but blessed, B. How are you?”
“Having issues with Mal, but I’m surviving.”
“Oh, no. What’s going on?”
For the next few minutes, Bernadine gave her a rundown, and when she was finished, Tina offered sympathetic words of support. “I hope you two can fix things.”
“Me, too. Did you call for something specific or just to say hey?”
“The latter, yes, but two other things, too. One, Merilee said you were looking for help with a restaurant you want to open?”
Merilee Worth owned a nationwide chain of seafood places, and, like Bernadine and Tina, was a member of the Bottom Women’s Society, a club made up of divorced first wives of wealthy executives.