Key To My Heart (Love Conquers All) (30 page)

“Ava?”

“Hmm,” she answered as she stooped down to pick up the mess on the floor.

Stooping down next to her, Langston removed the trash from her hands, dropping it back on the floor. Taking her hands in his, he stood, bringing her with him. “What’s the matter, baby?”

“Is this just about sex for you, Lang?” Ava wanted to kick herself. Her voice came out shaky like she was about to burst into tears. Well, she was about to burst into tears, because she was not about to become one of those women who engaged in ex-sex. If that was what Langston wanted, then he needed to look elsewhere.

“Is that what you think?” Langston asked incredulously, his jaw clenching.

Putting her hands on her hips, Ava raised an arched brow at Langston. “I don’t know. That’s why I’m asking you. Because if it is, you got an—”

Langston rolled his eyes before pulling Ava closer. She struggled against the kiss he silenced her with. The more she struggled, the deeper he kissed her until she gave in to him. Breaking the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers. “Ava…girl…love you. I never stopped.”

After Langston’s declaration of love, Ava confessed that she’d never stopped loving him. She’d even gone so far as to admit she’d stayed singled for so many years because she had never truly gotten over him.

In between making love and cleaning up the mess, she and Langston did more than talked. They communicated. Langston made a sworn oath to Ava that he would never allow anything or anyone to come between them again. He couldn’t help but laugh when she said, “And if you do, I get to kill you, right?”

Ava also made a promise not to revisit the past. She told him that doing so only brought up painful, bitter memories. Although she would never forget the memories, she was now confident that Langston’s love would finally be able to heal her.

Where Zoe was concerned, Langston discussed the possibility of opening an office in Philly so they could be close to Ava. As much as the idea of seeing Zoe and Lang every day touched Ava, she protested. “I can’t let you do that, Lang. What about Zoe having to move to a new school and making new friends? If anything, I can look for a nursing job down here.” For over an hour they went back and forth, trying to convince the other whose idea was better. Finally they decided to see what Zoe had to say on the subject.

The week went by in a blur as she and Langston spent time alone, getting reacquainted. With each passing day they found themselves falling deeper and deeper in love. It wasn’t because the lovemaking was fierce and passionate, but rather because they literally felt like one being. One evening after having dinner, Langston took Ava to a jazz club. Holding her close as they swayed to the music, he whispered in her ear, “Baby, I don’t know how I made it without you all these years. The only thing that kept me going was Zoe. Every time I looked at her, I thought about you and how much I missed you. I wish I had of—”

Ava put her fingers to Langston’s lips. “Shhh. No living in the past, remember? We’re here now, all together as a family.”

eee

Running down the stairs to answer the phone, Ava smiled. It was probably Langston calling again for the third time to see if Zoe was home yet.

“Hello?” Ava smiled at the friendly voice on the other end of the phone. “Hey, Charles! How’s it going?” Ava missed the older man who served as Langston’s driver and butler, and Zoe’s nanny. Charles thought he was clever. When he learned Ava was coming to stay for the summer, he suddenly had
a friend
in Alabama that needed his help for the entire summer.

The older man chuckled. “Hey, darling! This old boy is doing just fine. How’s everything going with you guys?” Charles loved Langston like a son, and he wanted nothing but the best for him and Zoe. And he knew Ava was what they needed. It would break his heart to see the sadness in Zoe’s eyes whenever he took her to a matinee and all the other children were with their mothers.
That sweet little chile needs her mother.
Not wanting to be underfoot, Charles decided to take a two-month vacation to visit some friends, even though Langston and Ava had firmly protested.

“Everything is going well on this end. Zoe went to Disney World with my folks. They should be bringing her back home any minute.”

Charles smiled. He could hear the excitement in Ava’s voice about her daughter coming home. “Well, I’m not going to keep you. I’ll be back to work in a couple of weeks. Tell everyone I said hello.”

A couple of weeks. I’ll be going back home then.
“OK, Charles. I’ll let Langston and Zoe know you called.”

Disconnecting the call, Ava flopped down on the sofa dropping her head in her hands. “What am I going to do?” The last thing she wanted to do was go back to Philly without her daughter and her man.

The ringing doorbell caused her head to snap up. The thought of seeing her parents and little girl lifted her suddenly downcast spirit. No way was she going to be moping when she greeted them at the door. Swinging open the door, a genuine smile curved her lips.

Oh hell no.
Just that fast the smile dropped from her face like a ton of bricks.
What does this witch want?

“Langston isn’t home,” Ava told the older woman, her voice void of emotion.

“I didn’t come to see Langston. I came to see you, Ava.”

She wanted to slam the door in the woman’s face so badly that she could taste it. However, she would respect her, because after all she was Langston’s mother. What in the world did she have to say to Ava?

“Oh, really? I can’t imagine why that would be.”

“Ava, please let me in. I really need to talk to you.”

Was that a tear in dragon lady’s eye? No, it couldn’t be. Stepping aside, Ava allowed Beatrice in. Going into the living room, Beatrice took a seat on the sofa while Ava sat in an armchair across from her.

Clearing her throat, Beatrice admitted, “I need your help.”

OK, this woman has been eating crack cookies.
“My help?” Ava questioned, lifting a suspicious brow.

Beatrice smoothed out wrinkles that didn’t exist in the gray Chanel skirt she wore. “Yes. I need you to get my son to talk to me.” Beatrice wiped away a tear. “He won’t take any of my calls.”

Letting out a deep breath, Ava prepared to give Beatrice a dose of the grownup Ava, not the little college girl she’d treated like dirt. “Well maybe the reason is because you told him, and I quote, ‘I never wanted you with your black self, and you were nothing more to me than an insurance policy.’ You know that just might have something to do with why your son hasn’t called you back.” Crossing her arms across her chest, she shot Beatrice a look that made the older woman swallow past the lump in her throat. “I’m not even going to get started on the fact that you paid that crooked ass hospital administrator to instruct the doctor and nurses not to let me hold my baby.”

Ava smirked when Beatrice let out a surprised gasp that her dirty little secret was out. “I’m so sorry,” Beatrice whispered.

Sucking her teeth, Ava hissed, “Whatever. The only reason you’re sorry is because Langston found out.”

Beatrice’s hand moved to fumble with the pearls around her neck. She’d never realized how alone she was in this world without her son and granddaughter. After Langston had refused to talk to her, and her attempt to reconnect with her estranged sisters had failed so miserably, her lack of any loving relationships hit her hard.

And to add insult to injury, somehow word got out in the legal community that she and Langston were on bad terms. All the friends she thought she had turned their backs on her too. She needed her son back in her life. And if anyone could talk him into giving her another chance, it was Ava.

“Ava, please help me. I don’t have anybody. I didn’t mean those things I said. You don’t understand—”

“Understand what?” Ava shouted, holding on to the armrest because she wanted to jump over on that sofa and choke Beatrice. “I understand that you made it your mission to destroy my life and to mistreat my child! I can’t believe you have the audacity to come over here asking for my help! You must have lost your senile mind!”

“No! You don’t understand!” Beatrice yelled back, tears streaming down her face. The older woman bubbled over like an erupting volcano as she told Ava every detail of her life from losing her mother, her relationship with her sisters, to marrying Langston Warrington Jr., and his many indiscretions. She even shamefully disclosed how she made the mistake of not loving her child because of his father’s sins, how she was so consumed with hatred that she passed on her anger and bitterness, punishing her and Zoe. Beatrice finally ended with, “Langston and Zoe are all I have.”

When the older woman finished, she looked as if she had aged twenty years. In that instant, Ava felt an overwhelming sense of sorrow for this woman. If she hadn’t had the love and support of her parents, friends, pastor, and most of all God, she very well may have ended up like Beatrice.

Ava got up and went into the kitchen to get Beatrice a glass of water. The older woman’s hands shook so badly that water spilled over the edge of the glass as she placed it to her lips. Ava handed her the napkin she had brought from the kitchen so she could wipe the water from her mouth. After Beatrice had taken a sip, Ava removed the trembling glass from Beatrice’s hand.

Setting the glass on the coffee table, Ava turned to Beatrice. This time when she spoke to the older woman, her tone was gentler. “Ms. Beatrice, I can’t make Langston talk to you. You really hurt him.”

Beatrice sniffed, wiping her tears with the napkin. “I know I did. But I hope he can forgive me. Do you think he’ll forgive me?”

Ava shrugged and honestly answered, “I don’t know. Only Langston can answer that question.”

“Do you think he still loves me?”

OK, how did I suddenly turn into Dr. Phil?
Before Ava could open her mouth to answer the woman, there was an interruption.

“Of course I still love you, Mother.”

Both women’s heads jerked toward the archway as Langston entered the room. “I’m just disappointed in you.”

“How much of our conversation did you hear, and why are you home?” Ava asked as she got up and went over to Langston, standing on her tiptoes to give him a peck on the lips.

“Enough, and I wanted to be here when Zoe got home.” He had heard the entire conversation. So many emotions were running through him. Even though he didn’t excuse his mother’s behavior, he was able to understand her madness a little better. “Mother, I’ll give you a call later in the week so we can talk.”

Beatrice smiled as if a heavy weight had been lifted off her. Her son was going to talk to her. “OK, son, I better get going.” Just as she was about to leave, Zoe came running into the living room with Janet and Dominic on her heels. “Mommy! Daddy!” Jumping into Ava’s arms, she hugged her neck tightly.

Ava giggled. “Hey, my Zoe! Did you miss me?”

Bobbing her head up and down, Zoe said, “Uh-huh. I missed you and Daddy. But I had fun with Grandmom and Grandpop too.”

Langston tweaked Zoe’s nose. “We missed you too, Love Bug.”

As Janet entered the room with Dominic at her side, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Ava immediately read the look on her mother’s face. Handing Zoe to Langston, she went to her mom. “I missed you too, Mommy.” Pulling her mom into a hug, she whispered, “Everything’s all right. I’ll call you later to tell you all about it.”

Janet nodded as Ava went over to Dominic. “Hey, Daddy. Did these two drive you crazy?”

“No, not my two favorite girls.”

Ava playfully punched her dad in the arm. “Hey, I thought I was your favorite girl.”

Dominic chuckled, squeezing Ava in a tight hug. “You’ll always be my favorite girl.”

Beatrice felt awkward and out of place as she watched the interaction with her son and his new family. Again Janet greeted Langston with a motherly kiss on the cheek and a hug, and Dominic and Langston shared a handshake and a firm pat on the back.

Everyone’s attention landed on Beatrice as she cleared her throat. “How are you, Janet and Dominic?” Dominic nodded his hello, but Janet only managed a tight smile. “We’re fine,” she said. “Thanks for asking.”

Stepping close to Langston, Beatrice tenderly touched Zoe’s back. “Hi, Zoe.”

Beatrice wanted to cry when Zoe flinched, drawing closer to her father.

“Hi, Grandmother,” Zoe mumbled, lying her head on Langston’s shoulder.

“Langston, please walk me to the door.”

Setting Zoe down on the floor, he tweaked her nose. “I’ll be right back, Love Bug.”

“Bye, Grandmother.” Zoe waved to Beatrice.

Beatrice didn’t know if the child was waving because she was glad she was leaving, but it felt good that the child no longer looked afraid of her. For the first time in years, Beatrice smiled. She really smiled at her granddaughter. “Bye, sweetheart.”

With her hand on the doorknob, Beatrice turned to her son. “Langston, I am really sorry for everything. I hope one day you and Ava can forgive me.”

Langston hugged Beatrice. He too hoped he could one day forgive her. “Stop by the office tomorrow so we can have lunch and talk.”