Imitation of Wife Read online

  “We talk about some things. Other stuff we talk around. There’s a difference,” Peyton told her.

  “What do you mean?” Sylvia frowned.

  “We have discussions about grades, or college, or fashion. We laugh about movies, TV shows, and yeah, we love our celebrity gossip. But when it comes to dating or guys, it’s always been this negative vibe and a warning. ‘You don’t need to be thinking about boys, Peyton. You don’t have time to be wasting on these knucklehead boys,’” Peyton mimicked. “God forbid I say I want to go on a date, or worse, if Tank had come over to the house like he’d been trying to do for months. That would’ve been a disaster.”

  Sylvia shook her head. “See, that’s where you’re wrong. Had you come and explained to me and Daddy who Tank was and allowed us the opportunity to meet him, we may have been open to your dating him. Instead, you decided to sneak around, and look what happened.”

  “I was wrong for doing that, and I apologize.” Peyton sighed. “But, Mom, you know even if you would’ve been cool with meeting Tank, Dad wouldn’t, and you always side with him, no matter what. It’s always his way or no way.”

  “That’s a lie, Peyton, and you know it.” Sylvia stiffened, and her anger began to rise.

  “It’s not. Remember when you said I could wear makeup, and we went to Sephora and bought stuff and had so much fun? Then Daddy came home and lost his mind. All of a sudden, you agreed that all I really needed was lip gloss, mascara, and eye liner.”

  Peyton was right about that situation. But it wasn’t that Sylvia had been siding with Garry. It’s just that she’d seen his point when he pointed out that Peyton was beautiful enough without needing all of the makeup she was wearing at the moment. The salesperson at Sephora who’d given them a demo had been generous and given Peyton a dramatic look, which included lots of eyeshadow, foundation, lashes, and highlighter. When Garry saw her, he was very vocal about their daughter’s glamorous appearance. Peyton was disappointed but seemed to understand when Sylvia told her she only needed a simple look.

  “Peyton, I know you know how much your father and I love you.” Sylvia sighed.

  “I do.” Peyton nodded. “And before you say it, I already know, you make the decisions you do to protect me.”

  At that moment, Sylvia’s mind went to her husband and why he’d kept so many secrets from her in an effort to protect her and their marriage. How he’d withheld the truth, and even after everything was revealed, she’d accepted his reasoning. She’d acquiesced with no question. Could there be some truth to what Peyton was saying?

  Tap, tap, tap.

  “Breakfast is ready,” Aunt Connie stuck her head in the door and announced.

  “I’m not really hungry,” Peyton said.

  Sylvia knew that didn’t matter to Aunt Connie. When it was time to eat, it didn’t matter whether you were hungry. It also didn’t matter what you felt like eating.

  “Be downstairs in five minutes. You don’t want it to get cold.” Aunt Connie smiled then disappeared from the doorway.

  “But—” Peyton went to protest. Sylvia quickly shook her head, and Peyton’s mouth snapped closed.

  “We’ll finish this discussion later.” Sylvia stood up. “And you know there will be consequences.”

  “I know.” Peyton sighed. “Real talk though, this is all Jordan’s fault if you look at it. She’s the one who was with that man Daddy was fighting,” Peyton said. “She’s been nothing but trouble since she got here.”

  Sylvia frowned. “No, ma’am. I’m not gonna let you do that. Jordan and her actions don’t have nothing to do with the fact that you decided to sneak off without permission, young lady. That damn sure wasn’t on her. Now bring your behind on.”

  Peyton had sense enough to simply mutter, “Yes, ma’am.”

  The two were heading downstairs when Sylvia heard her cell phone ringing from the bedroom. “Go ahead, I’ll be down in a minute.”

  “I can wait for you, Mom,” Peyton offered.

  “Go eat,” Sylvia told her before rushing down the hallway to her bedroom. By the time she reached her phone, it had stopped ringing. In addition to missing the call from Lynne, her best friend, Sylvia also had three missed calls from Janelle. Despite calling her sister earlier to help out with the Tricia situation, Sylvia still had some choice words for her sister about her decision to take Peyton out of town without saying anything. Now wasn’t the time, though. She tossed her phone back on the bed and went downstairs.

  “You want me to make your plate?” Aunt Connie offered when Sylvia entered the dining room. Peyton, Jordan, and Garry were already seated, all three looking forlorn and picking at their food. Sylvia looked at the grits, eggs, sausage, bacon, and homemade biscuits sitting in the middle of the table and wondered how her aunt had managed to prepare all of it in a short period of time.

  “No, I got it,” Sylvia answered, picking up one of the empty plates and putting a small amount of each item on it. Had she allowed her aunt to do it, it would have been piled with more than she would’ve been able to eat, that was for sure. It was a risk she knew not to take.

  The tension in the room was deafening. Not even Aunt Connie’s small talk was enough to engage everyone in a full conversation. Peyton and Jordan mumbled one-word answers to any question directed at them, while Garry and Sylvia remained quiet while purposely avoiding looking in each other’s direction.

  “When we leave church today, I was thinking we could stop by that new grocery store they built. I heard they have a nice produce section,” Aunt Connie said. It was as if the tension became thicker, and everyone became focused on their plate.

  After a few seconds, Sylvia looked over and said, “We aren’t going to church, Aunt Connie. We all had a late night, and uh, we have some things to handle with the girls.”

  Surprisingly, Aunt Connie didn’t fuss. She just shrugged and said, “I understand. I had a nice conversation with Ms. Jordan when she came in my room and let her know what she did was unacceptable. Ain’t that right?”

  Jordan nodded and said, “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Well, just because y’all are being heathens and skipping service doesn’t mean I am. Let me get on up so I can get ready for service,” Aunt Connie stood and announced. “Peyton, Jordan, y’all clear the table and put the food away. Garry, feed Gypsy and then make sure you take her out so she won’t have an accident.”

  “I can drop you off,” Sylvia volunteered, “and pick you up.”

  “No need, baby. I’ll get there and get home. You take care of everything going on here.” Aunt Connie gave her a reassuring nod.

  Jordan stood and picked up both her and Aunt Connie’s plates and headed into the kitchen.

  Peyton glanced up and said, “I can do the kitchen by myself. I don’t need help.”

  “I know you can, and I didn’t ask you if you needed help. You and your sister will do it together,” Aunt Connie told her. Peyton exhaled loudly.

  Garry looked as if he was going to say something, but instead, he whistled and called out, “Gypsy.”

  The small Pomeranian hopped into the dining room and ran over to Garry. While everyone’s attention was on the dog, Sylvia used the distraction to quickly exit the uncomfortable atmosphere and go back to her bedroom. She needed to think and somehow process everything. She thought about going to church with Aunt Connie just to get away from the house. But there was no sense in running away. Her troubled marriage and children would still be waiting when church was over, so there was no point. Her head was pounding, and after taking a much-needed Extra Strength Tylenol that she found in the medicine cabinet, she lay back on her bed and closed her eyes.

  Chapter 3

  Janelle

  As if last night weren’t crazy enough, Titus’s wife showing up at Sylvia’s house was even more perplexing. Janelle was both baffled and nervous in addition to being tired as hell. After getting home after two in the morning from the basketball game, she’d tossed and turned most of the night, an
d when she finally drifted off to sleep, Sylvia called to tell her about her unexpected guest. There was no way she could go back to sleep now, so she got up. She needed a drink, and a strong one. She also needed to talk to someone, so she dialed her best friend Nivea’s number. When Nivea didn’t answer, she called her other friend Natalie.

  “What’s up?” Natalie answered.

  “I need a drink. Actually, I need several drinks,” Janelle told her.

  “So early? Wow, what’s going on, chick?”

  “I’ll tell you when we get to Brutti’s. Where the hell is Nivea? I called her, but she didn’t answer,” Janelle said as she pulled out a pair of her favorite jeans and a sweatshirt.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t talked to her since Friday. She’s been low-key this weekend. Maybe she finally hooked up with Sherrod. You know she’s been chasing him for the past couple of weeks.” Natalie laughed.

  At the sound of Sherrod’s name, Janelle froze. She almost told Natalie that couldn’t be where Nivea was because she and Sherrod were together the night before at the state basketball championship where he’d been involved in an altercation with her brother-in-law, something she still couldn’t believe happened. Instead, Janelle simply said, “Maybe.”

  “You know she’s gonna be mad if we go to Brutti’s without her. We’re gonna have to hear her mouth,” Natalie warned.

  “Then she should’ve an—” Janelle’s response was interrupted by a beep. She looked at her phone and saw that it was Aunt Connie. Her heart began racing, wondering if something had happened at Sylvia’s house with Tricia. She waited a few moments before finally clicking over and nervously saying, “Hello.”

  “Good morning. I know you’re up,” Aunt Connie said.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Janelle told her.

  “I’m gonna need to ride to church with you this morning. I’ll be ready in about an hour after I make breakfast then finish getting dressed,” Aunt Connie told her.

  “Uh, I, uh, wasn’t planning on going to church this morning, Aunt Connie. I didn’t get home until late last night. Actually, it was more like this morning,” Janelle explained, slightly relived that was the reason her aunt was calling and not for anything else.

  “I know what time you got home. But you’re up now.”

  “Aunt Connie, can’t you ride with Sylvia?”

  “She ain’t going this morning. She’s got stuff around here to deal with.”

  “Is, uh . . . Does she still have company?” Janelle couldn’t resist asking. Her aunt hadn’t mentioned anything about Tricia, and Sylvia hadn’t called her back yet, so she was curious.

  “No. Titus’s wife is gone. I know that’s who you’re talking about. Poor woman is worried to death about her son. Too worried to be concerned with anything else, right now, thank God. That’s why you need to be going to service, because Lord knows y’all dodged a bullet this morning, because things could’ve gone way differently,” Aunt Connie told her. “And we need to go lift that young man up in prayer so he can come home safe. Hell, we especially need to lift our own family up in prayer because the devil is busy, and his ass needs to be handled. So I’ll see you in an hour.” Aunt Connie hung up before Janelle could say anything else. It probably didn’t even occur to her aunt that she’d cussed and talked about the Lord in the same sentence.

  “Janelle, you there?” Natalie’s voice came through the phone. Janelle had forgotten that her friend had been holding on the other end.

  “Yeah, I’m here. My bad,” Janelle told her. “But brunch has been changed to a late lunch.”

  “What? Why?” Natalie asked.

  “I have to go handle the devil’s ass first.” Janelle put her jeans and sweatshirt back and reached for a dress instead.

  “Well, hopefully by the time you’re finished handling that, Nivea will have surfaced, and she can join us,” Natalie suggested.

  “I’ll text you when I’m headed to Brutti’s,” Janelle told her.

  * * *

  An hour later, she pulled into the driveway of her sister’s house. After parking, she sent Aunt Connie a text, letting her know she was outside. Under normal circumstances, she would’ve tapped on the door to the kitchen before using her key to walk in. But today definitely wasn’t normal. Sylvia hadn’t answered her calls or responded to any of the texts she’d sent, which meant that despite their phone call with Titus earlier, she was pissed. Janelle knew she owed her sister an apology and an explanation for taking Peyton to the game without permission, and she would give one. But for now, she decided to give her a little space.

  A tap on her window caused her to jump. She turned to see Garry standing next to the car, looking like he’d just lost his best friend. “What you sitting out here for?” he asked after she rolled down the window.

  “Waiting on Aunt Connie. We’re heading to church.”

  “You can wait inside, though. It’s no biggie.”

  “I’m good. She’s probably coming out any second. She told me to be here in an hour. Am I blocking you? Do you need to get out?”

  “No, you’re fine.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. It was chilly out, but he had on a short-sleeved shirt and wasn’t wearing a jacket.

  Janelle frowned then asked, “What are you doing out here?”

  “Walking the dog.” Garry pointed to Gypsy playing in some nearby bushes.

  “You sure aren’t walking her very far.”

  “True.” There was an awkward silence for a few seconds until he said, “Last night was something else, huh?”

  “Is that what we’re calling it? Something else?”

  “Sylvia is done.”

  “Oh, trust me, I know she is. I tried calling her, and she’s not answering. I figure I’d just talk to her when I bring Aunt Connie back after church. Maybe by then, she’ll—”

  “No, Nellie, it’s over,” Garry interrupted her. “She’s done . . . with me.”

  “What do you mean?” Janelle asked, noticing the tears in his eyes. She’d known Garry over twenty years, and the only time she’d seen him cry was when Peyton was born.

  “I mean, Sylvia wants a divorce. She told me she wants me to leave. Last night was the last straw. That fight with Sherrod . . .” His voice drifted off.

  Janelle was speechless. She knew her sister was frustrated and to her breaking point, but she wasn’t expecting this. After Sylvia’s initial forgiveness of Garry’s acceptance of Jordan into their home, Janelle thought their marriage would survive, although it would take some work. She was proud of the way Sylvia was handling the situation and admired her strength. She’d always been the stronger of the two sisters. But maybe she’d been wrong. Had she been looking at things at face value instead of truly seeing how heavy the weight was of everything Sylvia was carrying? Garry, the affair, Randi’s death, Peyton, Gypsy the dog, Aunt Connie, Sherrod, the fight after the game, and then this morning Tricia showing up on her doorstep. It was more than any woman should have to deal with. And I didn’t make anything any better by helping Peyton sneak away to the game. I have some fault in all of this too. I owe Sylvia one hell of an apology. “Damn.”

  “It’s my fault,” Garry said, causing her to realize she’d spoken her last word out loud instead of in her head.

  “What are you gonna do?” Janelle asked.

  “Go in the house and talk to his wife,” Aunt Connie said as she walked over to the car. “That’s what he need to be doing instead of standing out here in the cold chatting with you.” Instead of coming from the front door, she’d come from the opposite side of the house without either one of them seeing her.

  Garry hurried to open the car door and help her inside. “She doesn’t want to talk to me.” He shook his head right before closing the door.

  “How you roll down this window?” Aunt Connie asked. Janelle hit the button, and when it lowered, she said, “She ain’t the one who needs to be talking. You do. Just make sure that whatever it is you telling her betta be worth her hearing. No
w I’m gon’ praise the Lord. See you when I get back.”

  Garry put his hands in his pockets and took a step back as Janelle started the car. She rolled the window up as they pulled out of the driveway.

  “You really think Sylvia wanna hear anything he has to say, Aunt Connie?”

  “Nope, she don’t. And I don’t blame her either. But that don’t mean he shouldn’t try. Talking is the one thing that fool need to be doing. If I were him, I’d be singing like a canary and telling my wife anything she wanna know and then some. That’s been his problem this whole time and what caused some of this mess he’s got everybody in now.”

  “Some?” Janelle raised an eyebrow.

  “Don’t act like you ain’t do your part, Nellie. What were you thinking about taking Peyton all that way without saying nothing to her mama and daddy?” Aunt Connie glared at Janelle.

  “I didn’t think it was that big of a deal, Aunt Connie. I swear,” Janelle explained. “It was just a basketball game. Had the fight not happened, it would’ve been harmless.”

  “And did you know about the boyfriend?”

  “No, I didn’t know. I didn’t know about any of that other stuff until we got to the game, I swear,” Janelle said adamantly. “None of it.”

  “Out of all the boys that child could be dating. Out of all the men you could be dating.” Aunt Connie shook her head, making Janelle feel even guiltier than she already was.

  “None of it, Aunt Connie,” Janelle said again.

  “So, explain to me what you saw happen last night. And the pharmacist, how is he involved in all of this?”

  Janelle told her aunt her version of what happened and exactly what Sherrod had explained when they spoke in the parking lot afterward. “That’s all I know.”

  “This is a whole mess,” Aunt Connie said. “Is he seriously going to fight for custody? Can he do that? He’s not Jordan’s father. Garry is.”

  “I don’t know.” Janelle shrugged as she pulled into the church’s crowded parking lot. Her phone rang, and she glanced at the Apple Watch on her arm. As if he felt himself being discussed, Sherrod was now calling. Janelle dismissed the call and focused on trying not to hit the well-dressed pedestrians heading toward the front doors of the church. “I’ll drop you off in front, Aunt Connie.”