Everything is Everything Book 2

  He looked down at his grandson and a proud smile covered his face.

  “Hi there, young man. You must be Matthew.”

  “Crash,” Scotty corrected. “It’s the name he goes by.”

  J.C. lifted his grandson into his arms. Crash stretched for his father who he had become very familiar and comfortable with.

  “That’s your granddaddy.” Scotty said while allowing his father to win his son over.

  “My daddy!” Crash said.

  The men laughed and J.C. looked at Vanessa who had finally climbed down from the barstool to join them.

  “Hello, Vanessa.”

  “Hello, Juan Carlos.” Her eyes swept across him. He didn’t look old enough to be her father even though he had salt and pepper hair. He was handsome. She had gotten her height from him—she certainly hadn’t gotten it from her mom or grandmother.

  She remembered when her mother had first told her about her father.

  ‘Your father’s no Trick. Your father’s a pimp…’

  He held out his hand to her. She placed hers in his and he shook it gently.

  “It’s nice to see you. You were a baby the last time we saw each other.”

  Vanessa just nodded, her eyes never leaving the man that had changed the course of her mother’s life--the man that had lied to her so that he could pimp her out--the man that had left a legacy of pain and dysfunction in his wake.

  “So you are a chef?” She asked politely.

  “Yes. I’m the sous chef—second in command but hardest working.” He chuckled and Vanessa reached to take her son from him.

  “Juan Carlos has been going to culinary school here at the Art Institute.”

  “Art?” Vanessa asked.

  “Culinary arts.”

  “Oh, right.” Vanessa said.

  She bounced Crash up on her hip when he kicked to be released in order to explore.

  They didn’t stay much longer. And although Vanessa was polite, Juan Carlos noted that she spoke to him as if he was Scotty’s dad and not hers as well. At one point she referred to him as Mr. Tremont before he insisted she call him J.C. or Juan. But what he really wanted was for her to think of him as ‘Dad’.

  But that was something he was prepared to work for.

  Scotty gave him a hug and whispered in his ear.

  “Give her time.”

  II

  “Where are we going now?” Vanessa asked once they were in the car.

  “Do you have any plans for the day?” Scotty asked with a smirk.

  She shrugged. “I’m all yours.”

  He looked at her. “Good to know.”

  They ended up going to a shopping center. It was two days before Christmas and the place was packed.

  Scotty bought a car seat for Crash. “It’s too dangerous driving around with him sitting in your lap.”

  He purchased some toddler friendly dishes, toys—specifically a set of Hot Wheels, training pants and a potty chair.

  “What is all this about?” She asked with a raised brow.

  Scotty scowled. “I changed this boy’s diaper this morning. Any boy who smells like a grown man needs to do his business in a toilet.”

  She placed her hand in his as they continued their shopping.

  Back in the car, Scotty whisked her away to another mysterious destination. Crash had fallen asleep in his new car seat and Christmas music was playing softly over the radio. She felt more comfortable than she had in a long time. She looked at Scotty.

  “Remember when I told you that there was something that I’d rather do than performing?”

  He looked at her. “Yeah. I remember.”

  “Well the answer to that is this. This is what I want to do more than performing, more than anything.”

  Any look of humor fell from Scotty’s face. They drove in thoughtful silence.

  When they got out the car again, Vanessa knew that this was where Miss Gloria, Tyrone and Ginger had moved.

  “Everyone is going to be here; Beady, Phonso, even G and his wife and kids. He’s got two now.” Scotty finally got the straps released from the car seat and lifted his son into his arms.

  “G is clean?”

  “He’s working on it.” After he lost his drug business and was unable to pay back his loan he’d gotten both of his arms broken and was in the hospital for nearly a month with various life threatening injuries. He could have been killed but they hadn’t wanted that. They wanted the next best thing; for him to live in fear and pain.

  The front door of the townhouse opened and Ginger came rushing out. Her thick red hair was now cut into a cute short style, which caused her to look more mature than her fourteen years. Only her eyes and her broad smile indicated that she was much younger than her chronological years.

  “Vanessa! You came home!”

  She threw her arms around Vanessa and hugged her tight. Vanessa laughed and kissed her freckled cheek.

  “Ginger, you’re all grown up!”

  “I’m not as tall as Erica.”

  Beady was suddenly there and the pretty young woman hugged her briefly and then cupped her cheeks. “Last time I saw you, you were in misery. You look happy now.”

  “I’m much happier.”

  Phonso was suddenly there and he grabbed her in a tight bear hug and swung her around until she laughed.

  “Phonso, put me down!” But she still clung to him until Scotty scowled.

  “Okay, lets get into the house before we all catch pneumonia.”

  Miss Gloria, EJ, Erica, and Ty were waiting to greet her from the warmth of the house.

  By the time that all of the greetings had been made, Ginger had taken possession of Crash, removed his winter gear and was busily engaging him with a stuffed animal. She didn’t mention the bar on his feet--if she even noticed it.

  G and his wife arrived a short time later along with their kids—one of which was younger than Crash. G now walked with a cane and looked gaunt. There were scars on his face but he smiled and looked honestly happy to see her and Crash.

  He lifted the boy in his arms and announced to the room that the baby was whiter than Scotty. After the laughter died down Miss Gloria announced that dinner was served and they gathered around the large dinner table where Miss Gloria had prepared a lasagna, salad, garlic bread, fried catfish tenders and boiled potatoes. Desert was spice cake with orange icing and green Jello with fruit cocktail suspended in it.

  Vanessa loved it and she laughed and talked and ate as if it was old times.

  She helped clean up the dinner dishes and then Scotty wanted to go into the living room where the Christmas tree was neatly decorated so that they could all relax and get caught up.

  Ginger kept Crash preoccupied. She was being an attentive baby-sitter, allowing him to explore the Christmas tree without letting him to pop tinsel or ornaments into his mouth.

  Miss Gloria put on a Motown Christmas album and Vanessa rested her head on Scotty’s shoulder as they talked and laughed.

  “Can we do this again at Christmas?” Ginger asked.

  “Maybe we can do it on every special occasion.” Scotty said. He turned and gazed into Vanessa’s brown eyes. He took her hand, his thumb gently sweeping over her engagement ring.

  “Two years ago I made the biggest mistake of my life. I forgot that I was in a partnership. I thought that I had to be the one to make everything right. And in the process I nearly lost my soul mate and my son.”

  “Awww …” Ginger said.

  “Shhh.” Erica replied while watching the two people who were still obviously head over heels in love.

  “Vanessa White, I asked you once if you would marry me and you said yes. I want nothing more than to be married to you, but I want to ask you again because this time I want to offer you not just marriage but an understanding.

  “I promise you that I will never attempt to think for you. That our life together will always be a partnership and if you ever need me to say yes, even if I want to say no, than toge
ther we will come up with a compromise.

  I promise that my love for you is enduring; and I make this pact before the people that I most love and value. Will you marry me Vanessa?”

  Vanessa couldn’t stop staring into his eyes. The both of them had learned a hard lesson. But they had learned.

  “Yes.”

  If there were other words that Vanessa would have spoken, none could have been heard overt the cheers of their family.

  Crash looked around in surprise, not sure what all the noise was about but it gave him an opportunity to allow his loud, random screams to it.

  Vanessa jumped up. “I have to call my grandmother! And Charisma!”

  Vanessa was on the phone for nearly half an hour before she was able to rejoin the celebration. She stopped at the doorway and just looked silently at the people gathered in the living room and felt love for them all.

  Family was not comprised just of blood and flesh, but from love.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Do you go into Winton Terrace or Findlater Gardens anymore?” Vanessa asked. She had been thinking about traveling up to Garden Hilltop just to reconnect with her past and her mother.

  Since becoming a mother, Vanessa found herself thinking about her own mother often. There was a new connection that she had never expected to feel with her. It was a sense of guilt that she had taken so long to gain a higher understanding of her mother’s life.

  Now she had ‘walked’ in her mother’s footsteps and the journey had been far from pleasant.

  Beady was shaking her head. She’d dyed her hair auburn red and it was still short. Other than that she didn’t look much different than she had two years ago.

  “Winton Terrace has nothing but bad memories for me,” Beady stated.

  The guys and Erica were watching sports, Miss Gloria was dozing in her armchair and G and his family had left. Ginger was playing with Crash and was now putting several hats onto the boy’s head while he played peek-a-boo with her.

  “You lived in Garden Hilltop,” Beady said. “That was much better living than at the bottom of the hill.” Beady remembered that when she lived with her mother she was always hungry, cold or hot. There was never enough of anything to go around.

  “Donald Miller lived up there with me.” Vanessa said. “He pretty much terrorized the Hilltop while Tino terrorized the bottom of the hill.”

  Beady smiled. “Tino wasn’t as bad as he seemed.”

  Vanessa gave her a doubtful look. It was easy for her to think that because she had grown up with him. “He used to beat Scotty. He still has the scars on his face from the beatings.”

  Vanessa remembered the time she had gotten jumped by a gang of girls. It had happened after Scotty had missed several days of school and when he came outside to help her she saw that he was covered in bruises. Later he had confessed that Tino had beaten him up.

  Funny thing is that Tino was there with him, making the girls leave her alone. They were as afraid of him as she was.

  But he had helped her. And it wasn’t the first time.

  Vanessa nibbled a cookie. The two girls were sitting at the dining room table where they could look into the living room but still have a bit of quiet.

  Beady touched her hand. “We never talked much about what Donald did that night. How are you handling it? Do you still get nightmares?”

  Vanessa’s breath felt tight in her chest. “How did you know that I have nightmares?”

  Sometimes in her dreams Donald was on top of her and Scotty hadn’t come in time. Sometimes he beat her to death. Sometimes he chased her. It didn’t happen as much but enough to still make her uncomfortable.

  Beady looked at her. “I don’t know how much Scotty told you, but I left home when I was kid because I had been molested.”

  Vanessa looked at her in surprise. “I didn’t know. Scotty never talked about why you left. I’m so sorry, Beady.” Vanessa had assumed she’d left home due to neglect. Everyone knew that the Tremonts had nothing but what they got by illegal means—whether that was by stealing or selling drugs.

  “I still dream about it, too.” Beady said. “Not all the time, just enough to remind me that I’ll never be allowed to forget it.”

  Vanessa squeezed her hand. She didn’t think Beady knew about what had happened to her at the hands of Tino and she wondered if Tino had done the same to her. But if so why hadn’t they taken away all of the kids, or at least removed Tino from the home? He’d just grown up and left.

  “Was … was it Tino?” Vanessa asked softly.

  Beady looked at her in surprise. “Scotty asked the same thing. No. It was my biological father.”

  Vanessa blinked. “Mr. Johnny?”

  Beady nodded without looking at her.

  “He was my aunt’s boyfriend …” Oh my God, Jalissa!

  “He didn’t touch you, did he?!” She demanded.

  “He didn’t touch me … but I knew something wasn’t right with him.” She left out the part that she’d seen his penis one night when she was a kid. He had snuck down to the kitchen one night when she and Jalissa were supposed to be sleeping on the pull-out couch. He was naked.

  “What do you mean about something not being right?” Beady asked.

  “It’s my cousin Jalissa. I think he might have done something to her.” She knew too much about sex, even before the age of ten. And Mr. Johnny had spent a great deal of time over there.

  “God …” Vanessa whispered. Was that why Jalissa and Callista had such a volatile relationship? There were times when Jalissa seemed to hate her mother and would be intentionally disobedient. And at other times she seemed to seek her love—like when she had told Vanessa that she sided with her mother even though she knew she was wrong.

  “Are you okay, Vanessa?” Beady asked.

  She nodded. “I think I want to talk to my cousin.”

  What if Jalissa had been living with something terrible like this all alone?

  “Are you okay, babe?”

  They were in the car driving back to Scotty’s place. They hadn’t discussed it, but both knew that Vanessa wouldn’t return to sleep another night at Charisma’s parent’s house.

  “You’ve been quiet since we left.”

  Vanessa placed a hand on Scotty’s knee.

  “I’ve been thinking about Jalissa.” She shared her fears about Mr. Johnny.

  Scotty’s expression darkened. “That bastard. He’s still destroying lives long after his death.”

  “I want to try to find her. I don’t know if she’s still in Winton Terrace but can you ask around?”

  “Yes, honey. I’ll do that.” He seemed suddenly in deep thought. “Did you mention to Beady about what Tino did to you?”

  “No. I got the impression that she had no idea about it.”

  “I never told her and I don’t think the others did either. She and Tino were close.”

  “I think about him a lot, too.”

  “What do you think about?” Scotty asked softly.

  “I wonder if I had known him at a different time if he would have been a different person.”

  Scotty didn’t speak.

  “Didn’t you love him?” she asked.

  “Vanessa … there is something I have to tell you. I never did because … because I was ashamed. But I won’t keep any secrets from you.”

  “What is it, Scotty?” Vanessa was suddenly afraid.

  Scotty took a moment to gather his thoughts while she watched him tensely.

  “That last night, after Tino put his hands on you …”

  “Yes?”

  “I got so mad that I picked up a hammer and I beat him with it. I was going to fight him and that time I meant to win.”

  “Scotty …” She said in surprise.

  “I hurt him bad. The way I hurt Donald—only Tino didn’t die. But I kept hitting him over and over.” He glanced at Vanessa who remained quiet. “It wasn’t just because of you. We’d just found out that Beady was molested and it just adde
d up that Tino was responsible. Later I found out that he had nothing to do with it.” He sighed. “You know the rest.”

  After a few moments she sighed. “Damn, babe. You can’t beat yourself up over it. By the time you did that, Tino had done a lot to create that reaction from you.”

  “I don’t feel bad,” he whispered. “I don’t feel bad about Donald, either.” She stared at him and he glanced at her as he drove. “I won’t let anyone hurt my family.”

  When they got home, they remained quiet and deep in thought. Scotty wondered if Vanessa thought he was too violent or out of control. And Vanessa wondered if she would have to tiptoe around the bad stuff.

  For instance, she had planned to tell him all about dancing at the club and the way she had been stabbed in the back by her boss’ girlfriend. But now she didn’t dare tell him about how she had made her money and she certainly wouldn’t tell him about the way Dino had talked to her. What if he wanted to go up and hurt them for hurting her?

  No, that was ridiculous. Scotty wasn’t a sociopath!

  She was too tired to talk about it, though, and too tired to wake up Crash just to give him his nightly bath. Scotty offered to do it and Vanessa climbed into bed with troubled thoughts.

  By the time Scotty placed their sleeping son beside her on the bed and lay down on the other side of him, Vanessa was deeply asleep.

  The next day, Scotty didn’t press her about her quiet. She had learned a lot and not all of it had to do with him.

  Scotty made some phone calls and discovered that Jalissa’s mother still lived in Winton Terrace. He didn’t get any information on Jalissa.

  “Are you sure that you don’t want me to go with you?” Scotty asked with worry. Winton Terrace could be a dangerous place. He didn’t feel confidant that something wouldn’t take away his joy again.

  Vanessa kissed him. “I need to do this alone. Thank you for letting me borrow your car and for watching our son.”

  He studies her closely. “I don’t mind watching our son or lending you the car. But I do mind someone doing something to hurt you. I remember what happened the last time.”