Enigma (23 page)

Stepping on to the stage, I felt a little nervous as my feet moved across the black surface toward the center where Avan stood, smiling. Whatever he was about to do, I knew it would be big. The day was nearly over, and something told me he was going to make it go out with a bang.

“Mattie, I know technically we’ve only been involved for a short time, but I want you to know that you have always been the most important thing in my life. I made you a promise earlier today, and I want to turn the tables and ask for a promise from you now. I know Lorenzo has been your dad for a few years now, so I got his permission before doing this,” Avan said, looking me straight in the eyes as my heart started fluttering.

As I stood listening to the words Avan was saying, I had completely forgotten that we were standing in front of a room full of people.

“Mattie, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I want to be with you from now and for all eternity, and I’ve already promised that I will never leave you. If you accept this gift I have for you, it will symbolize that you accept my promise and that you promise to be with me for all eternity as well. It’s a true promise ring, but you have to know that this promise is one that once made, it cannot be broken,” he said, opening a little black velvet box that had two golden rings inside.

I looked at the rings and then back at Avan. Was he proposing? It sounded similar to a proposal, but he called it a promise ring and not an engagement ring, so it couldn’t have been right? I was shocked! I loved Avan more than anything, but I wasn’t even legal age yet. I had to answer him when he finished what he was saying, and I knew it. Thinking things through from every angle considering my living situation, age, my past, and my unplanned future, I knew the answer I had to give.

“Avan, with everything considered in my life, I want you to know that I love you with every fiber of my being,” I replied, choosing my words carefully so I did not give anyone the idea that I was just making a rash decision. “I promise you that I will never leave you and wish to be with you from now and for all eternity,” I ended with a smile, which was returned by Avan.

Just as I said it, the golden rings inside the little box began glowing brighter than the lights that shown upon Avan and me. They seemed to float into the air on their own, sliding onto both mine and Avan’s ring fingers on our left hands. As it slid on my finger it tingled, leaving a cold trail down my finger as it glowed with a bright white light. Before the glow stopped, I watched in awe as the two words
Angel’s Promise
etched themselves into the tops of our rings, appearing as though it was hot with fire. So immersed in what was happening right in front of my eyes, I had not even wondered why more people did not rush toward us, gasping and finding the whole experience impossible!

Once the glow had faded, the beautiful, shiny, ring rested on my finger as naturally as if I put it there myself. Looking over at Avan’s hand, I saw that his looked exactly like mine as he walked to me, embracing me in a hug, stroking the back of my hair with his hand. I breathed in deep, memorizing his scent as I did every time he came near me; I closed my eyes and wished I never had to leave his arms. Being right here made me feel safe and secure, like nothing in the world could get near me. I knew a feeling of love like the one I felt for Avan was the kind that could endure the worst of storms, the deepest of valleys, and whatever my unknown future might hold. As Avan gave me a squeeze, it reminded me that we were still on the stage at Spirits in front of all the people at my party. I separated from his hug as Bob told everyone there were a few other gifts to open.

I sat back down at the table where I had been as Bob came over with a large yellow envelope, putting it into my hands. Taking the envelope from him, I was thrilled that he would think to give me a gift after he had already shut down Spirits for regular business tonight, letting Avan hold my party here.

He was an entrepreneur who also owned real estate all over Oceanview, so he let the employees run Spirits and he would drop by certain days just to make sure all was going well. As an employer he seemed to have the upmost faith in everyone he had employed at Spirits. He never recounted the register to check if money was missing or recounted the inventory to see if anyone was using it for themselves. Instead he just trusted them.

I had no idea what to expect inside the envelope Bob handed me, but I could hear something jingling inside. The first thing I pulled out was a piece of paper that looked very official. Taking a closer look, I could not believe what I was holding in my hand! The paper had black lettering on a paper that was sort of yellowish with a green patterned trim. Across the top of the paper were the words
Property Title
stating that the property at 777 Golden Way Ste., 828 Oceanview, California, had been transferred to me! I studied the title, not knowing what to think; I noticed the empty line above my name on the bottom of the page that needed my signature to make the transfer complete. Raising my eyes from the paper, I saw that Bob was still smiling as he held out a heavy-barreled fountain pen in my direction.

“Bob, thank you so much. What is this place?”

“It’s the apartment your dad rented from me at Angel Towers to keep for you when you needed it someday. I believe he told you it was his office,” Bob said, still holding the pen.

My dad had always been so protective of me that I had never actually been to his office in Oceanview. He had always told me that with the clientele he represented, he was afraid someone who was against him for any reason might see me coming or going from his office and retaliate at him by harming me. Knowing that he was making plans for my future for all those years was really touching.

“You want me to have it?” It was beyond comprehension how he could just give me an apartment.

“Yes, Mattie. I know you need it. It is my job to help those in need whenever I am able to do so.”

“I don’t turn eighteen for another year, though. I don’t know how I’ll be able to move in or turn on any of the bills in my name.”

“The bills are taken care of, Mattie, and the judge here in town is a friend of mine. I think it’s safe to say that if you really want to accept my gift, there will be no problems getting emancipation due to the situation,” Bob added reassuringly.

“I don’t know how to thank you!”

“You can start by signing your name on the line and accepting my gift,” Bob said with a laugh.

I took the pen and signed my name on the line as an older man, who was one of his associates, signed as the notary after I added my signature. When he was done everyone clapped and whistled, shouting “happy birthday” again. I pulled the set of keys from the envelope, studying them in my hand. It was hard to think I just got handed my own apartment. Looking at the keys, I saw that on both sides of each one was a pair of wings engraved on the top part of the key. It struck me as a nice touch, seeing as how the apartment building was named Angel Towers.

With everything that had happened today I felt as though my life was about to evolve into something great. I intended to make a lot of changes that, to some, would seem very fast and not well thought through. For the first time in my life I knew that the pieces were all falling into place, allowing me the opportunity to turn into the person I was meant to be. A small part of me was going to miss some of the amenities I was used to, but given every detail that I recently discovered, I was convinced this was a much-needed blessing, even if it had been arranged by Avan.

CHAPTER 10

In the following months, I started on the emancipation project immediately. Luckily Bob had many friends in high places in the Oceanview community, which worked to my advantage. An attorney friend of his showed me step by step what to do when it came to documentation. I had to list all the reasons why it was in my benefit to be on my own rather than where I was. Another thing that happened to be in my favor was that at this point in time, Sharon Mumford was listed as being my primary guardian. This made coming up with reasons for emancipation easy! I could have come up with reasons all day long and filled ten blank sheets of paper worth of statements that would have made Oceanview officials ashamed that they ever considered this worthless excuse for human life to be responsible for me.

Once the judge scheduled a hearing for the emancipation, he pretty much looked at my school attendance, my plan of how I would support myself, where I would move, my grades, and the documentation I provided in order to make a sound decision. I could tell by the look on his face that he was reading my reasons for emancipation regarding Sharon Mumford. He had gone from stern judge to being appalled as he frowned deeply and grunted in disapproval of the facts that I listed.

Sharon never responded to the certified mail that was sent to her from the courthouse, nor did she show up for the hearing. Knowing she hadn’t been in contact with Damien either, I had to conclude that she wasn’t even aware there was a hearing date set. Seeing how my parents were dead, I was a responsible, straight-A student who always showed up for school, and seeing the documentation that Sharon was a freak, it didn’t take more than five minutes for the judge to tell me I was now emancipated and free to live on my own.

Knowing what would happen if Lena became aware of my decision, I had not said a word to her about any of this. She had made it so easy not to tell her; in the past three months she only talked to me when she absolutely had to. Admittedly, in the beginning after she came back from the movie shoot, I pulled away a bit, but she took being distant to a completely new level. I hardly even saw her at school. Graduation night, Damien showed up just in time to see her cross the stage, and then he gave her a hug and rushed to the airport to catch a plane.

Lena could care less that he had only shown up for a moment. Damien had offered to send us both on a month-long Caribbean vacation as a graduation gift. I had declined because of my secret little plan I was weaving behind the scenes, but Lena jumped on it. That meant I had an entire month by myself to move out and settle in.

After consulting with Bob’s lawyer friend, I discovered that anything bought and given to me was a gift, so I could take anything such as furniture with me. Once Lena was gone, most of the crew from Spirits showed up with two moving trucks, and we all started taking everything I owned from my room. We left a note regarding my move and emancipation. Since I had had a few months to prepare, I had been ordering furniture for the apartment from magazines and online and having it delivered.

Bob was so nice; all I had to do was tell him when something was scheduled to be there and he would show up to let the deliverymen in with my purchases. I had done things this way not only to prevent Lena from catching on, but I wanted everything to be livable and ready in place when I arrived. We got everything moved in and set up with time to spare. To my surprise cable, Internet, and phone were all up and running as well.

The one thing I did not enjoy about the process was knowing I had to go by Allen Hearsch’s office to provide him with my documents, show I was emancipated, and give him my new address. Walking in gave me the icky feeling it always did as I felt a cold chill go up my spine. I sat in the red leather chair in front of Mr. Hearsch’s desk as he looked over the papers inside the folder with the usual grimace on his face. After shoving the folder in his desk drawer, he looked down at my hands that were resting on the edge of his desk, focusing his eyes on my ring finger as if he were trying to cut the ring off with laser vision.

“It looks like you have everything in order,” Mr. Hearsch said smugly.

“Mr. Hearsch, may I ask you a question?” I was scared to ask him what was on my mind. I never wanted to have more of a conversation with him than I had to, but I wanted more information.

“What is it?” he snapped as he stared at the ring, almost gritting his teeth.

“What do you know about Damien Montgomery and Sharon Mumford?”

“That you were living with Damien because Sharon is irresponsible. Are we done here?” “Yeah, but I meant as people. Do you know if they ever went by any other names?”

“Mattie, I really don’t have time for this,” he said with impatience as his eyes met mine, looking away from my ring.

“I’m sorry. I just thought you might know something.” I felt like a three-year-old in time out.

“I don’t, and I have other clients waiting, so if we’ve covered everything, then I will see you next time.”

Walking out of Allen Hearsch’s office always left me feeling as if he absolutely hated the fact that I was breathing. He was going to grow old and lonely if he kept this attitude issue up. There was no way he would ever get a date much less a wife! It would take someone incredibly special to put up with him. I know they say there is someone out there for everyone, but I was really beginning to doubt that there would ever be someone for him.

I got home to my new apartment building just after five and parked in the parking garage, when I saw Avan’s clean, waxed, glossy, white Mustang in my rearview mirror. I had given him my spare key so that he could come to my rescue in the event that I locked myself out, so I figured he had probably shown up to surprise me and say hi. Walking across the row of parking spaces, I entered the glass doors that lead to the first floor where there was an information desk, restroom, some couches, and elevators. I pushed the arrow pointing up, hearing the faint ding that let me know the elevator was on its way down to get me. A few seconds later the elevator gave another faint ding as the doors opened, revealing Avan leaning against the handrail.

“What are you doing here so early?” I asked, smiling, as he welcomed me into a hug.

“I live here.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah, everybody that works at Spirits lives on the seventh floor. You didn’t know that?” He gave a little laugh.

“You never told me that!”

“It’s listed on the directory downstairs. I’m sorry, Mattie, I thought you would see it.” “I’m not mad. I just wish I’d known so I didn’t feel so far away from you sometimes. That’s all.”