Chapter Three Family Tea
May 2022
A week had passed since the family dinner. Christine phoned twice, but Olivia couldn’t bring herself to answer. The first time her mother had been in the room. This time Olivia was in the middle of a run. But even if she hadn’t been, Olivia wasn’t ready to speak to Christine.
For now, she wanted to get to know the beautiful resort town, though her heart still belonged to Sag Harbor. Her home in Sag Harbor, along with the community, had been multiple gifts rolled into one from her godfather, Omar. A place where she could slow down from work and hear her thoughts. And after she slowed her pace, she changed her hair and her job and ended the relationship with her ex-fiancé, Anderson. It had seemed impossible to overcome so many obstacles and changes in such a short time over one summer, but she’d done it.
As Olivia jogged past the Highland Beach houses, a few residents outside gave her curious waves. She pivoted from her usual path and ran the street that led to Black Walnut Creek.
A familiar man jogged toward her. He was just as fast as Olivia and sped toward her as if he were in an invisible race.
He raised a hand, halting as he wheezed, “Olivia!”
She stopped and turned. “Alan?”
“Hey you.” He inhaled and exhaled. “Christine mentioned she called you a few days ago.”
“She... she did. It just wasn’t a good time. I was with Cindy. And she called a few minutes ago, but as you can see...” She waved a hand over her sweaty body.
“I’ll let her know we bumped into each other,” he said with a heaviness to his voice that gave Olivia the deep impression that she should call her grandmother.
“I’ll call her today.”
He nodded, looking down at his feet. All went quiet except for the rolling bay waters.
Olivia could tell he had something else on his mind. “Is everything okay?”
“I truly am sorry about the other day. I hope you give Christine another chance to explain her actions. She’s been really looking forward to getting to know you.”
Olivia thought about Cindy’s accusation that Christine encouraged her to have an abortion. Though her mother had been hard on her growing up, she thanked God Cindy had kept her. Still, the thought of her own grandmother saying those things, not wanting to give Olivia a chance at life, speared her heart. Olivia knew she shouldn’t care about the woman’s opinion, but deep down she wanted Christine to be proud of her granddaughter.
Olivia exhaled, shaking her head. She would have to unpack her feelings with her therapist, Dr. LaGrange, later in the week.
“I will. But I must be honest, the way she treats my mother is... disturbing. It makes it hard for me to want to try building a relationship with her.”
“I understand, and—”
“But does Christine understand?” Olivia would argue that she didn’t. Or rather, that she didn’t think it was important enough to reform her ways.
“She does, most definitely. Look, she and Cindy will never be friends, but she can be cordial.”
Olivia nodded. “If she treats my mother with respect, then we can move forward. I’ll return her call later today.” She stretched her arms. “Right now, I plan to do a cooldown. Would you like to join me?”
“Yes.” Alan walked the shoreline with Olivia.
“If you don’t mind my asking, what are your plans for the summer?” he asked.
Olivia shrugged. “I’m not sure. It’s unlike me, but I don’t have a solid plan. I’m committed to staying through the Fourth of July weekend. After that, I’m unsure. Just taking it week by week.”
“Well, hopefully between your family and the community, we can convince you to stay.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that.”
Alan laughed. “Why not?”
“I’m not sure if I’m ready to reveal my identity just yet. That’s why I’ve been avoiding people. I dislike scandals.”
“So does your grandmother.”
“I can see the headlines now: ‘Mayor’s Love Child Spends Summer in Highland Beach... Is She a Gold Digger?’”
“That’s quite a long headline,” Alan quipped.
Olivia threw her head back and laughed. “True, but let’s be honest. I will be the talk of the town.”
“Yes, you will. But it’s not the first time the Jones family has been under fire. Not by a long shot.” He sighed. “Trust me, we can overcome a little chatter.”
“What’s the point if I’m only here for a short period?”
Alan nodded his agreement. They walked in silence until Olivia broke it. “I’m just worried about CJ’s career. How will this impact his reelection?” Olivia nibbled her lips.
“What’s CJ’s take on this?” he asked.
“He’s Mr. Honesty Is the Best Policy. He wants us to announce our relationship and move on. Simple as that, damn the consequences.”
From her periphery, Olivia noticed a smile spread across Alan’s face.
“Why are you smiling? As his campaign manager, you of all people should be concerned.”
“I’m not just his manager... I’m his stepfather.”
Olivia rolled her eyes. The man was heavily invested in CJ’s campaign, from what she could tell. “Still, I ask... why aren’t you concerned?”
“Of course, I’m worried. And I won’t lie. This will affect his reelection. And he’s already getting over another hump with...” He stopped walking, stopped talking. “Maybe it’s old age, but life is too damn short for regrets. And CJ has regretted his actions regarding you and your mother for a long time. I want him to be happy.” He swallowed, clasping his hands behind his back. “I want him whole.” Nodding, Alan added, “I know a little something about regret and as his stepfather, I’d rather he be happy as an ex-mayor than unhappy as a mayor.”
“But is he really happy now?” Olivia winced at the doubt and insecurity dripping from her tone. “I can’t tell. I don’t really know him.”
“You don’t know him... yet. Just know that he’s been under an incredible amount of pressure with the reelection campaign. He’s made some mistakes, but he’s owned up to them. But take my word for it. He smiles more. He laughs, and he looks at you and your mother as if you two hung the moon.”
Olivia couldn’t vouch for how he looked at her, but her mother... oh yes. He looked at her like he wanted to be everything to Cindy.
Yet her mother seemed undecided. And after all she’d been through, Olivia didn’t quite know how to help. If she had been a friend of her mother’s, Olivia wouldn’t encourage her to take a chance on a man who abandoned her and his child all those years ago.
“As his consultant, I’ll smooth things over once the news breaks. It’s what I do.” Alan shrugged.
“If it breaks.” I’m not sticking around, Olivia thought.
“Trust me, these things get out. Everyone knows everyone. And soon people will talk.” He lifted his arms in the air to stretch. “Well, young lady. Thanks for the talk and cooling down with me. I’ll see you soon.”
Alan turned in the opposite direction and slowly jogged away.
Olivia’s phone rang again, and she sighed, hoping it wasn’t the persistent Christine. When she looked at the screen, she smiled.
“Olivia.” The way her boyfriend Garrett said her name sent delicious sparks up her spine. It’d been too long since she’d seen him.
“You never called me back about the dinner. How did it go?”
Olivia laughed, but without humor. “It was fairly terrible.”
“F-fairly terrible?” Garrett chuckled.
“Yes. You know those Real Housewives shows on Bravo?”
“Addy is obsessed with them.”
“Yes, it was like being on set. But of course this was unscripted, which is even more stressful because you don’t know what to expect.”
“So is your grandmother everything Ama and your mother said she would be?”
Olivia exhaled. “Yes and no. She hates my mother for sure, and she is controlling, but there’s a soft side to her. I suspect her daughter’s death as a teenager shattered the family. I think it’s obvious she wanted her sons to stay as close as possible and toe the line. It’s her version of keeping them safe.”
“How did she treat you?”
“Christine treated me nicely. She even seemed... happy to have a granddaughter.” Olivia remembered the affectionate way Christine had compared her to Indigo.
“She’d better treat you nice,” he growled.
Olivia laughed. “You sound very threatening, Mr. Brooks.”
“Threats are a waste of time. I’m more about promises. And I promise I won’t allow anyone to hurt you.”
Olivia’s heart melted at his words, though she didn’t show it. “You’ve been watching too many superhero movies. What are you going to do to a seventy-something-year-old lady?”
Garrett laughed. “I’m not going to lay a hand on your grandmother. But I’ll stand in front of you, let her know you aren’t to be insulted.”
“Don’t worry, I can handle Christine. Besides that, I get the strong impression she’s living with some regrets from the choices she’s made. It couldn’t have been easy losing two children.”
“I can’t... don’t want to imagine losing a child. Zora is my everything.”
Olivia smiled. She’d come to love Garrett’s daughter, who was also her goddaughter, like she was her own daughter.
“So I suppose softhearted Olivia will give her a chance to make amends.”
Olivia told him about the conversation she’d had just minutes ago with Alan and the predicament with her father’s reelection.
“What would make you happy?”
“Seeing your face,” Olivia quickly answered without thinking.
“Done.”
“Done?”
When she heard a familiar robotic noise through the phone’s speaker, she lifted the phone and smiled at the FaceTime request. After a loud zoop, Garrett’s face appeared on the screen.
Even on a six-inch screen, the man was the definition of fine. His dark brown skin was now peppered with a shadow covering his jawline.
“You know what I mean. I want to see you in person,” Olivia said with a pout.
“Well, then I can visit you, or you can come back home.”
Olivia smiled. “Soon. I promise.”
“Fine. I’ll just tell Zora that her favorite person said she’ll come home soon. You know she wants something more specific. Anyhow, back to my question.” Garrett smiled. “In this entire situation unfolding, what would make you happy?”
“I don’t know. With CJ’s campaign around the corner, I just don’t want him to—”
“You keep basing your decision on others’ reactions,” Garrett interrupted. “So I ask again: What do you want?”
“I don’t like keeping secrets. I want to walk around town with my head held high.”
“There you go. Sounds like your father wants that, too.” Olivia had told him CJ had protested about keeping her identity a secret.
“Yes, but it’s easier said than done.” Olivia shook her head. “You know, I just want one summer of peace. One summer when I can just relax.”
Garrett nodded. Olivia told him everything, including the deadly secrets about her father Chris that her godparents had kept hidden since her childhood.
“I think the peace will come once you’ve faced everything head on.”
Olivia scrunched her nose at his words. Face everything head on? Hadn’t she done that by uprooting her life and spending weeks with her father in his beach town?
“I’m here, aren’t I?” Then, muttering under her breath, “With my mother no less.” While she and Cindy were well on their way to mending fences, there were still miles of hurt between them. Luckily, it was a distance both were willing to bridge.
“You are there. But you’re hiding. Whispering.” His voice boomed loud over the phone. Olivia looked over her shoulder, wincing when she realized the truth in his words.
Olivia sighed. “I’m out of my comfort zone. I admit it.” She walked and stopped once she stood in front of CJ’s house.
“You told me once that Zora was incredibly lucky to have a father like me.”
“She is.”
“And I’m lucky to have a wonderful daughter. Look, there is no excuse for your father. He didn’t step up, and he let his brother do it for him. But he’s there now, and you said you wanted to get to know him. And part of getting to know him is looking at how he takes care of his town. How he interacts with his family and constituents. You don’t have to forgive him, but you owe it to yourself to fight for your peace.”
“Fight for peace?”
Garrett nodded. “Yes. Even if it doesn’t work out. Even if you don’t want anything to do with your father, you’ll leave Highland Beach with peace of mind, knowing that you tried.”
Olivia swallowed the groan that crawled up her throat. She wasn’t a groaner, and she wouldn’t start now. But she could start with the truth.
“I miss you.”
“I miss you more,” Garrett quickly replied. “I can’t wait to see you again. In person. In my arms, underneath me.”
“Shh!” Olivia giggled and then looked around. “Fine, I was going to wait for a few minutes, but if you really miss me, check your bottom drawer in the nightstand.”
“I’ll check now.”
“You don’t have—”
“I’m checking now.” She could see he was on the move.
He opened the drawer. “It’s a bag.”
“And you should open it,” Olivia teased.
“Okay, let me put down the phone.” He propped it on the nightstand and then rummaged through the bag.
“I love it.”
She beamed when he found the picture of the two of them with Zora at the Labor Day weekend race last year. Zora sat on her father’s shoulders, and Garrett’s head was bent low as he spoke to Olivia. Her partner Whitney had shared the picture after they made their relationship official.
“It’s my favorite picture of us.”
“And before we were together. You could see how crazy I am for you.”
Olivia’s smile grew wider. “There’s more.”
“I see, I... wait, my watch. Didn’t Zora lose it? I thought I’d never see it again.” He grinned.
It was the same watch she’d admired the day they ate ice cream together. When she asked for the model, he refused, stating that he didn’t want her to buy Anderson, her fiancé at the time, the same watch.
“Well, good thing I figured out where you got it from, hmm?”
“I know how much this cost, Olivia.” He looked troubled. “You didn’t have to do it.”
“Two more things.”
“Olivia.”
“Very inexpensive. I got it on sale.”
He sighed and searched the bag, pulling out two tickets and then grinning.
“Two tickets to the Caribbean festival.”
She smiled. “You asked me out last summer, but I... I couldn’t. I’d like to go with you this year if the offer still stands.”
Garrett chuckled. “Woman, I’ll go every year with you for the rest of our lives if you let me.”
“I...” Olivia didn’t know how to respond. Did he somewhat propose to me?
“Olivia, close your mouth.” He smiled and seemed oddly amused at her shock. “We’ll take it one step at a time, okay?”
“Sure, yes. O-of course.”
She was somehow elated and disappointed by the quick dismissal. Was she ready to get engaged or even married at this moment?
Yes?
Maybe?
Her heart thwacked against her chest, as if silently demanding that Olivia make up her mind right then.
“Thank you for the gifts.” Garrett broke the silence. “They mean a lot. You mean a lot to me.”
“Y-you mean a lot to me, too. I’ll call you later.” Olivia blew him a kiss and ended the call.
When she walked into CJ’s home, she stopped at the noise.
She leaned her ear toward the sound and heard it again. A giggle. A genuine giggle from Cindy Jones.
“Hello,” Olivia said, greeting her parents in a loud voice before she rounded the corner. She didn’t want to walk in on any surprises.
“We’re in here watching a movie,” CJ answered.
As Olivia walked into the living room, her father grabbed the remote, then pressed Pause.
Olivia stared at the screen, but she couldn’t place the movie. “What are you two watching?”
“Oh, it’s Poetic Justice,” Cindy replied. “It was our... I mean, we watched this a long time ago. Brings back memories.” Cindy’s smile faltered. She looked down and then away from Olivia.
Olivia nodded. “Well, don’t let me stop you. I’m going to take a shower.”
“You had a longer run than usual,” CJ replied. “I was about to go out and check on you.”
“I ran into Alan.”
“Alan’s running again?” CJ said in a high, disbelieving voice.
Looks like Alan wanted to run into me, Olivia thought. No wonder he heaved and ho’ed.
“I suppose so. He wanted to check in on both of you. Then we talked about your reelection.”
CJ grunted again.
“I’m not sure what your grunts mean just yet. Translation?” Olivia asked.
“I’m not sure if I want to be reelected.”
“Why?” Cindy straightened her shoulders.
“Because the life of a mayor is no joke, even for a small beach town. Everyone wants a piece of you—your mind, your time, your power. And everyone has an opinion of who you can and cannot date. Years ago, it was fine when I was... unattached. I slowed down this week, but I’ll be at full speed next week.”
“And you still are unattached,” Cindy noted, with starch in her voice.
“I don’t want to be,” he replied, staring at her mother.
They held each other’s stare while Olivia awkwardly observed them. She felt like an interloper.
“I’ll... just go shower.” Olivia pointed upstairs.
“You don’t have to leave.” CJ stood. “I’ve got nothing to hide. And I don’t want to hide you two.”
“You had no problem doing that for nearly three decades.” Cindy’s words held spite.
“No, I’ve always had a problem. But back then, I felt like you chose Chris over me, and I acted like a coward. Then after my brother died, I... thought about you and Olivia all the time, but then I was afraid that if I pursued you, you’d construe my actions as insincere.”
Cindy let out a weary exhale, then put the popcorn bowl on the table. “I’m going for a walk.”
“Mother...” Olivia followed Cindy outside.
Cindy paused at the front door. “I’d like to be alone.” Her voice was as sharp as a shard of ice. Pivoting around to face Olivia, she exhaled. “I’m not running away from you.”
“It’s okay. I understand.” Cindy needed to distance herself from CJ. Olivia couldn’t blame her.
Cindy nodded once, then strode down the steps.
Inside, CJ leaned against the refrigerator, a bottle of beer in hand.
“I suppose it’s five o’clock somewhere,” Olivia said, trying to lighten the mood.
He took a sip, a miserable look etched on his face. Olivia remembered the stories her neighbor Mr. Whittingham told of him as a boy. He was determined, straightforward, loyal. But the man in front of her didn’t seem that way.
“I’m not sure how to approach your mother. She’s so different. We’re so different.”
His level of honesty caught Olivia off guard.
She took some time before answering, staring at her father for a long time, taking him in, assessing his intentions as if she were trying to smell them. Then she broke the silence.
“I’m not sure if I want the two of you together, not that you want my opinion.”
Brown and intense, his eyes held her captive. “I want your opinion,” he finally answered.
“Then maybe give her time. You were friends before dating, right?”
He nodded. “Yes, but there’s always been something between us. We settled for friendship at first. When I was too stupid to see how she felt about me.”
“Well, you’re right in that you aren’t the same anymore. So instead of trying to win her back, just get to know the woman she is now. Stop playing on memories with that old movie.”
CJ chuckled, but without humor. “It’s not that old. Janet Jackson is timeless.”
“Yes, she is. But you know what I mean.” Olivia smiled. “Make fresh memories.”
CJ nodded. “Speaking of making memories, how about we have a drink on the patio and order takeout for lunch?”
Olivia smiled. “I’d like that.”
“I left a few menus in the kitchen drawer. You can choose a few restaurants you want to try.”
“How about we go out soon? Maybe we can drive to Baltimore.” Olivia knew she couldn’t hide away forever. And she was getting cabin fever.
CJ’s eyes brightened and a rare smile spread across his face. “I’d like that a lot. Just the two of us sound all right?”
“Perfect.”
Olivia showered and then afterward lingered in her room. She grabbed her phone and made the call.
“Hello, Christine.”
“Olivia. I’m so glad you called me back.”
“Yes, of course. My apologies for not calling sooner. I’ve been busy.”
“I would love to take you to lunch.” Christine’s voice was soft, almost shy.
The effect on Olivia was dizzying. She couldn’t believe this was the same woman who called her mother a tramp and a pumpkin.
Olivia’s heart pounded. Could she? Should she? She thought of her mother, striding the house with a storm cloud over her head, largely because of her grandmother.
“Hello?” Christine’s question roped her back into the conversation.
“Oh yes. Sorry. I’m just processing.”
“What was I thinking?” Christine sighed. “You’re right, it would be too much to ask of you, especially after my poor behavior.”
“W-wait, no. I’d love to have lunch with you.” She didn’t realize until Christine had backtracked her invitation that she really wanted to get to know her grandmother. She wanted to get to know the woman—her mother’s enemy. The mother to her father and uncle.
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow at noon,” Christine rushed, as if she thought Olivia would change her mind.
“That’s okay.” She did not want to walk outside to Christine’s car under the prying eyes of Cindy. “I’ll walk to your house. I’ll be there at noon. See you then.”
“Yes, of course. Bye for now.”
Olivia ended the call and tried to shut down her chaotic thoughts, all racing to the same conclusion—Christine was up to no good.
But as with every other lesson she’d learned in life, she wouldn’t rely on the feedback of others. She would give her grandmother a chance because not a lot of the Jones family was left. Her grandfather was dead. She no longer had her aunt Indigo and her uncle Chris—the man who’d had every intention of raising her, until he died.
This family had lost too much. Now it was time to heal.