The CEO's Wife

Chapter 27

Closing

Jermaine Young

I stood there holding my father's hand. There wasn't a big headstone marking my mother's grave. There was a flat grave marker there with her name and underneath were the words 'beloved mother, daughter, and wife.' I never knew that my parents were married. It was a quick wedding, right before she died, and she was buried with no other jewelry except for the ring that my father had bought for her when he'd asked her to marry him. I listened to the sniffing from my father and held his hand tightly as he silently cried.

"I've been everywhere." he said after a while. "different towns, different states, and even a couple of other countries, and there was no place that felt like this."

"feel like what?" I asked him.

"felt like home. She was home for me, and without her, I didn't know where I belonged." he said. "I'm sorry, I should have been there for you."

"How could you be here for me and you weren't able to do it for yourself?" I asked him.

He laughed a little. "you're smart. You get that from her I think, and I never was smart, or particularly good at anything, but she loved me anyway."

"you're not a bad person you know," I said to him. "you're hurt and you don't know how to handle it. You weren't the perfect parent but I turned out okay and I think that my kid will be okay."

"what kid?" he asked. I looked over at him and he was looking at me with questioning eyes. "you're having a kid."

"yeah," I turned my attention back to the marker in front of us.

"you'll be great. You're good at everything." he said. "I don't know about that husband of yours, but you'll be okay."

"dad, stop talking about my husband." I said.

"there's nothing but love behind it," he replied. "you've made a very good life for yourself and the two of you will be great parents."

"Thanks, dad," I said to him.

"you 0must not have told him yet," my father said. "he lost his mind when he realized that you were gone, if he knew about that he would have torn up the entire east coast trying to find you."

"as if he still didn't do that." I said.

"he did. Hired a detective and everything, but you're my daughter." he laughed again. "so when you gonna tell him?"

"I don't know," I said. "I don't know what to say, or how to even say it."

"just say it," he replied. "when you're mom told me she was pregnant with you we were eating pizza and watching tv. You don't have to put a whole bunch of thought into it because it doesn't matter how you do it he'll be excited,"

Mother

It's been years since this place has felt so warm. I usually don't allow parties here other than the usual performances because this is my place and what I say does, but this moment is special. Like uncle said, a long-lost family does just pop up on your doorstep every day. I pulled together a party in only a few hours and you would think that it took months to plan. Everyone was so excited to come and see Melody because they haven't seen her since she was in diapers.

I could tell that she didn't really like all the attention. Having a bunch of people that you didn't know hugging you and wanting to take pictures, but she smiled and went along with it. Her husband was a real gem; he was right next to her, introducing himself and mingling with everyone. They complement each other well.

I sat at a table with Uncle, and Jermaine and the three of us watched them from across the room. Jermaine kept apologizing for how he disappeared after Lyrical died. He still acts like everything is his fault; my daughter didn't get sick because of him and there was nothing that he could do to change it.

"Jermaine don't say you're sorry to me anymore." I said to him.

"you don't have to holler," he said.

"you raised a good girl Jermaine." uncle said.

"I can't take credit for that," Jermaine leaned against the table. "if anybody needs credit for that then it should be my mother god rest her soul."

"yeah," I said. "because if we're being honest you didn't do shit."

"shut up," Jermaine replied.

"you don't have to be disrespectful." he said.

"no really hush," Jermaine said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Look," he pointed over and Melody was pulling Kirsnick off to the side. I don't know why he's telling us to be quiet because there is no way that we could hear them across the room with an entire party happening in between us. We could see Melody talking and wringing her hands.

"What's going on?" I asked him.

"Just watch," he said. They stood there talking and then he kind of backed up and looked around. He found a chair close by and sat down and it looked like he was sitting there taking deep breaths.

"Oh, okay I get it," I said.

"Yeah, great-grandmother," he said.

"The best-looking one you've ever seen," I said to him.

She went over to the drink table and grabbed a cup and brought it over him. He took the cup from her, and he looked up and smiled. They look so happy, so young, and looking at them I can see the same love on their faces that I saw when my daughter looked at Jermaine. I hope that life is good for them and their baby. With everything that she's been through I know she deserves it.