Hold My Hand
6 Years Old
Mercedes Jones and Samuel Evans had more in common than they wanted to admit, even at the age of three, they were in each others lives, their paths had crossed at a church convention, and again at a weekend retreat their parents attended nearly six months later. Of course at two years old you never notice that much about anyone other than you might of shared toys at some point, so life had been pretty much, ignorant bliss. They were total strangers when they eventually started school, they sat on separate tables, boys played with boys and girls stuck to other girls Mercedes soon realised, everyone tended to move away from her as soon as she started talking, so she learned quickly not to speak. By six Samuel and Mercedes were used to seeing each other at conventions and spending time in camp Girls or Boys Brigade while their parents prayed or whatever it was they did in the mornings.
School wasn't a pleasant place for either of them Mercedes still didn't have any friends, she thought it was because she was beautifully made, as her Mom told her whenever she complained of someone calling her fatso, moonshine or the N word. Samuel walked around with a group of boys he was fast learning to dislike, they were forever cussing people out just because they weren't like them, he knew that wasn't a nice thing to do, but you were nobody if you didn't have friends so he kept up
"Hold hands with someone standing next to you and form a circle" Miss Carol; the teacher shouted across the hall
The boys were laughing about having to hold each others hands, so Samuel had already decided he was going to hold a girls hand just to be different, walking off into the middle of the room "Hold my hand" he stretched his hand out for the girl standing next to him to grab
"No" she frowned running off around the circle, he'd never liked her anyway, she was always in these frilly dresses showing everyone else up for not being able to afford such nice things, he should have guessed she wouldn't hold his hand, but it didn't stop his embarrassment
"Will you hold my hand?" he asked Mercedes stood next to him now
"Come on hold hands" Miss Carol snapped, they jumped and grabbed each others hand
"Ouch" they both screamed at the same time, pulling away from each other
"That's called an electric shock, chemistry or stars aligning" Miss Carol laughed, at their embarrassment from everyone seeing it "You'll be fine" she pushed her lip out at Mercedes face telling her she wanted to cry "Are you alright sweetheart?"
"Yes Miss" she forced out trying to be brave about it
"Okay, hold hands" she stood waiting
Samuel and Mercedes were hesitant about it, there were going to be consequences for this, he was with the horrible gang, she was the joke of the class and they were never going to hear the last of this, they shared a smile and slowly held hands, they stood listening to what everyone wanted to be when they grew up "So what do you want to be when you grow up?" Tony shook Sam's hand asking
"I want to be res..pons..i..ble for finding some of the most hidden treasures in the world" Samuel stood concentrating on his words
"Archaeology" Miss Carol nodded impressed
"Yes, like my Granddad" he laughed, pulling at Mercedes hand "So what do you want to be when you grow up?"
"I want to be a.." she looked around for a while trying to come up with something "A teacher, I want to be a teacher like Miss Carol" she smiled
"Great job" Miss Carol smiled at her, moving on to the next person
The group soon finished the exercise, then his friends stood laughing at him for taking the girls hand "The Chemistry" Tony made an explosion noise before laughed
"Aligned" Teddy laughed
"Is the fat, black girl your girlfriend now?" Brent asked laughing
"No" Samuel snapped "You shouldn't call people fat or black, everyone has a name"
"Sorry forgot you were a christian too" Tony laughed
"I've got a sister, she's fat but she's cool" Teddy stepped closer laughing
"Stop it" Samuel told him looking over at Mercedes, she smiled at him and he couldn't help returning her smile, she'd been kind enough to hold his hand
They didn't become best friends after that, the boys were always being horrible to her, and he by association was a part of that, even though he'd never dream of taking part in it, they went through school sharing a hello and a smile when they met, in memory of the electrical charge that passed through them that day when they held hands. School passed by at a snails pace for Samuel, he'd left that group of friends shortly after they'd thrown popcorn over Mercedes in the hallway, everyone in the school witnessed it, so of course it was the topic of conversation for days, he was sad about it, sad enough to isolate himself from them. He was more than happy when that summer came neither of them were looking forward to the next school year, it was another one to suffer through, they stood together but alone in their pain
"Can I borrow your ruler?" Mercedes stretched across to his desk asking, they were about to take their end of year exams to determine which grades they were going to be in when they started freshman year
"Can it borrow your ruler?" Brent mimicked her voice
"Sure" he smiled handing it over, growling at Brent giving him the sarcastic love sign, he was forever bullying them for talking to each other, "Take no notice" he told her "We've got this" he smiled before the exam started
"How do you think you did?" Mercedes asked him as they walked out of the classroom
"Alright" he puffed his chest at her "I wanted to go to Belmont, I hope I get in"
"Good luck with that" she smiled walking away
"Hey" he called after her, catching her up "Where are you trying to get into?"
"I don't know, like you, anywhere that's away from around here, my parents are moving to Brooklyn in the summer, I guess I'll be going to school over there"
"Brooklyn?" he gasped "That's like thousands of miles away isn't it?"
"I don't even know" she giggled "I'm late for my ride" she carried on walking
"Hey" he called after her again, walking towards her "I heard somewhere if you hold someone's hand and it's while the stars align, you have to marry them, do you think that's true?"
"No" she laughed "But I guess something good happens"
"I was kind of hoping that too" he smiled watching her walk away, shaking her head at his theory
Four weeks later it was the end of the term, they were doing their plays, getting gowned up to accept their certificates and getting ready for prom, everyone was talking about the prom, but on the evening the girls stuck to each other like glue and the boys were more interested in the table football than dancing. The few that were brave enough to get up and dance with a girl were laughed at until they gave up and stood talking instead, everyone felt out of their depth. Samuel and Mercedes hadn't gone together but they'd stood watching everyone together all evening, whispeg their jokes and maybe having a good time
"Can I call you Mercy?"
"Why?"
"Because I think you need a alter ego for Brooklyn and I want to be the one that named her"
"What's a alter ego?"
"Someone you wished you were, in my case bigger, better and braver than me"
"So like Mercy's not scared to say what she thinks, think what she wants and be who she wants to be?"
"Exactly"
"So I'll call you Sam and you'll be all those things you wished for" she laughed, turning to see a crowd of boys watching them, and bursting into laughter at them realising it, they stood "Got that Sam?" she looked at him smiling
"Loud and clear Mercy" he giggled, finding they didn't care
The prom was soon over, they smiled at each other and went their separate ways when their parents collected them. The last day came quickly, everyone signing books, crying, laughing and refusing to see the end of school that day, Sam and Mercy stood watching the madness
"When are you going?" he asked her
"We leave for Brooklyn next week" she smiled at him
"I'll miss seeing your face every day" he smiled
"I see someone's started to notice girls" she laughed
"One particular girl" he frowned, grabbing her hand "I hope we see each other again Mercy Jones"
"I look forward to it Sam Evans" she smiled "Have a great life"
"Back at you" they stood looking at each other for a second
"I better go" she grabbed his hand
"Yeah me too" he squeezed it before letting her hand go, watching her walk away "We got this Mercy Jones" he called after her
12 Years old
Mercedes and her family moved to Brooklyn, her Dad had recently qualified as a dentist and was making his start in the profession in the local children's hospital, so he was getting the best of both his worlds, acting his age, and doing what he'd been trained to do all in the same place. Her Mom had secured a job at the hospital too working some random hours, while Mercedes had been enrolled in her new school, ready for the end of summer, and determined to let Mercy dominate her life from now on.
Life was different in Brooklyn, it wasn't like North Virginia there was lots to do, people talked to each other, and in the area they'd moved to everyone seemed to know everyone and their business. She linked up with two feisty girls from two doors down called Tesla and Cherry within weeks, they'd hang out together, go to the local shop or sit in each others bedrooms just talking about life in North Virginia and Brooklyn, friendship was a new thing for her, she loved it. The logic was, she was about to start their school so she figured if she had friends to start off with, it might be easier to settle in.
Summer was soon over, she was keen to start school, but her expectations were soon dashed, there weren't as many opportunities as there were in Virginia, not that Virginia was better, but with fewer black children in the school her classes tended to be smaller, more one to one time and although tatty more resources. There were some mighty disruptive students in the class too, and she knew from experience that meant trouble all year round, but she was new, so she bit her lip and got on with what she was left with. The teachers didn't see her as special, and she missed that, her parents hardly found the time for church anymore let alone to spend time with her, she in turn shifted focus and got closer to Tesla and Cherry
At 16 years old she was drinking, smoking, and now she was going on her first date "Put this on" Tesla threw her choice of top at Mercy's hand
"I have bigger boobs than you, I'd be exposed" she threw it back
"You're gonna let him touch them anyway" she threw it back at her laughing
"That don't mean I have to dress slutty" she threw it back
"Girl shut up, you're, a dick teasing slut"
"I am not"
"You better be Puck likes that" Tesla threw at her
"Why are you having conversations like that with my date?"
"Girl" Tesla rolled her eyes
"What's that supposed to mean?" Mercedes hand hit her hip
"Don't go tripping" Tesla fanned her off "Everybody knows Puck and Puck knows everybody, if you know what I mean"
"Tes" Cherry stood listening "Leave it"
"It's too late now" Mercy looked from one to the other
"Let's say you're his biggest challenge yet" Tesla's head nodding knowingly
"Challenge?" she gasped
"Don't even trip, he's bet more than he did for any of us" Tesla smiled
"Have you...?"
"Yes Mercedes I have" Tesla snapped at her for having to say it
"Why didn't you say?" she asked "You're not my fucking friends, grab your shit and get out my house" she watched them do as told "Now that's Mercy Jones" she smile pleased with herself, later smiling at the picture of Puck stood waiting, she was never going to turn up, he didn't even bitch her out when she saw him again in school
The following years flew by, she'd been used to her own company, so she was fine, she sat in her bedroom reading, singing and drawing, she needed to be multi talented as a Arts Teacher. The next big conversation she had was about her late starting period, she knew it was coming but that flow scared her to death, after the second cycle she got to grips with it. Then suddenly they were busy discussing colleges, Mercedes had no intention of leaving home, she made that clear, she knew many of her counterparts had already mapped their lives out, they were either joining their parents business, hitting the streets or getting the hell out of there
19 Years Old
Mercy
Everything was just so much bigger at Brooklyn College, the classes, canteen, library everything, she couldn't help but smile as she walked through the halls, she had a good 5 years of all this studying to be what she truly wanted to be, and when she was done, she'd have her life mapped out "Don't" she snatched her hand back, irritated that someone from school was trying to grab her hand, she wasn't even familiar like that with any of them, she turned, her lips thinned ready to shut this bitch down, to see a stranger standing smiling at her, she was waiting for his apology
"Mercy yeah?" he smiled "You don't remember me?"
"No" she looked at the guy standing in front of her, her name rolling off his tongue sounding so sexy "Sorry I don't" she looked around the corridor
"It's Sam, Sam Evans, we went to elementary together"
"Oh my god" she giggled "Sam" she hugged him "What are you doing here, how did you recognize me?" she laughed, looking at who was now so handsome she blushed
"You haven't changed... well..." he looked at her "You're representing with that booty, curves hm hm, damn you look good, but the face" he shook his head "Never changed, still beautiful"
"Sam" she laughed "You've come on since junior school too" she looked hi up and down
"I should hope so" he laughed "I remember you saw me back then"
"You saw me" she smiled "How was school?"
"School was a blast hated it as usual, a girl shouted me out, football was my crutch, I started talking to myself again, and I don't go to church anymore I'm afraid, but I still consider myself a nerd"
"Good for you" she giggled "I don't go to church anymore either" she looked up at him "And school was shit for me too, boys are bastards, and I sing as my crutch"
"Sorry pair" he laughed "What are you studying?"
"Archaeology and Art History" he laughed
"You meant it?"
"Sure" he looked at her "You?"
"Teaching, early years" she giggled "God you're so tall"
"Sounds like we both mean what we say" he grabbed her hand again "Feel that?" he looked down at the shock
"Yeah" she laughed
"Stars aligning" he laughed "Wanna grab a drink, hang out or something, I really don't know anybody else here"
"Me neither" she walked off with him
The canteen snack turned into the local coffee shop, soon after a restaurant and within the month they were sat in Sam's apartment listening to music, taking it in turns to cook as they discussed in some depth another theory they were trying to grasp. quickly falling into a relationship one night, after they'd been having a passionate debate about art, Sam had brought a bottle of wine from a senior and they'd decided they could handle it
Before they knew it, they were sat so close to each other the heat from their bodies seemed to slowly fuse them together, their lips met first, they giggled at the unfamiliarity of it before going in again. Suddenly he was pulling on her top, she was undoing his belt buckle, he was messing with her bra and she was letting him do it. Full on sex was something that was new to both of them, loaded with alcoholic courage they were more experimental than they might have been without it, a while later they were asleep, the unfinished bottle of wine unknowingly spilt as they collapsed on the couch together.
The morning light was bright in the room, they stirred at the annoying light, their heads throbbing, while they focused on the debris from the night before "I think we overdid it last night" Sam sat up looking down at himself undressed "Did we..."
"I think maybe we did" Mercy looked down at herself half dressed
"God Mercy, I'm so sor…"
"Don't be I was there" she held her hand up at him, they clumsily treated it like something that would never happen again for just over a week before it happened again, there was no mistaking that next time, there was no drink involved, it was the real thing. Over time they moved through their unnamed relationship, from just fucking through to just sex before they finally admitted they were in a relationship and making meaningful love. College was the best time of their lives they bonded in ways they didn't know possible, friends as well as lovers, they didn't need anyone else, or so they told themselves until it was time to part company again
"It's that time again" Sam smiled, finally dressed after they finished marking the end of their two years together, they'd cried of course, but they knew what this was, he was on his way to Philadelphia to pursue his dream, while she was staying put to carry on up her ladder "It came so fast"
"But it was a blast" she smiled, her head slapping into his chest "I'll miss you, that's for sure"
"I'll miss you too, I don't even want to think about it"
"Just" she pushed him away from her, wiping her eyes "Just..." she didn't get the rest of it out because he slammed into her and took her lips
"You know our stars were meant to align Mercy Jones"
"So you know you're going to see me again Sam Evans"
"I plan on seeing you again" he pulled her to him, kissed her forehead, and let her go "Remember I loved you first" he held her hand
"Remember I loved you the best" she giggled, letting him go "You better not be here when I get back" she walked out the door
"Hey" he called before she shut the door "We got this Mercy Jones" he laughed
22 Years Old
It had been a struggle for Mercedes that first year, just three months after Sam had gone off for four years of his training followed by his first dig and maybe even a job in, he was hoping Africa, she'd found out she was pregnant, of course that little revelation put a hold on her plans for a second. Her parents were past disappointed with her, she hadn't spoken to Tesla and Cherry for the longest time but even they seemed like a healthy option to the noise her parents were making, all they wanted to know what who the Daddy was, and right now she didn't want to give that information.
"So" Tesla sat on the steps at Mercedes house, they'd taken to attacking her one at a time in the hope they'd find something out
"That ain't yours or anybody else's business, so leave it alone" she warned
"Girl you better sit down and stop stressing that baby out"
"So stop stressing me out Tes"
"You sure you don't even want to give me a little clue about the Daddy?"
"No" Mercedes stamped her foot "Jesus, just leave it the fuck alone"
"Okay" Tesla held her hand up calming the situation "It's done"
Mercy hadn't told a soul who the father was, not even the father, there were a few reasons for that, the main one being she didn't want him to give anything up for her, a man who doesn't fulfil his dreams is a lost man, her Dad always said, it was part of the reason they'd moved to Brooklyn, so he could feel like a man. Secondly they loved at 20 but could that love last a lifetime she wasn't sure about that, maybe what they had was that way because they knew it wouldn't last, they'd never even known other people anything could happen. Thirdly, at seven months pregnant she felt she hadn't left him with a choice and maybe that was more cruel than keeping him from doing what he needed to do, he'd never know, and she'd never tell.
She'd already sorted out her college, she was going straight back to it a year after the baby was born, she'd only got exams left to do next year. Right on time two months later, just after her 23rd birthday, to everyone's absolute joy baby Lashawna came into the world, perfect, Mercedes lay holding her watching her parents stunned faces when they realising that their Granddaughter was of mixed heritage "Hi" she smiled at her daughter "It's just us two I'm afraid, but we're going to do this, I got you"
"And we've got you" her Mom touched her arm telling her
They turned out to be worth more than gold, they were up with Lashawna at night when she felt too tired, she was a greedy baby, slept two hours at a time from day one, and while milk was going in it was coming out just as fast the other end, there was no ease. Tesla and Cherry had already disrespectfully aired their disapproval at her having a mixed heritage baby, Mercy couldn't let them go fast enough, they were saved from a battering because she had her baby in her arms when they came off with their shit, they'd had two chances there were no more
On Lashawna 4th birthday Mercedes finally met her Mr Right Now by way of Greg Mason, he was three years older than her, but she desperately needed to get out of her funk, and when he started dropping the chat, treating her like anything but a Mother and making her smile again, she jumped in. Greg was like a breath of fresh air, he'd played ball for five years before he was laid up because of an injury, they'd probably both needed a change when they found each other at the mall.
"Babe" Mercedes walked into the living room, seeing him sitting there "How did you get in, I never knew you were here"
"Hi, your Dad let me in, I heard her crying and thought I'd leave you to sort her out" his head leaned back on the top of the couch taking her kiss
"I was just getting her dressed to go Saturday shopping, I don't suppose you'd want to come with us?"
"You suppose right, you know I hate that stuff"
"I thought I'd ask" she giggled "It's just hard trying on clothes with her in tow"
"Look she's asleep, you've got two hours at least, just hurry up and get back"
"Are you sure?" she'd never let him do that before, but she was looking forward to the free time
"Go on, hurry up before I change my mind" he laughed, watching her come towards him for a kiss "Is that a thank you?"
"Part of one" she giggled
"I know your playing with me girl" he cut his eye at her
She swanned out grabbing her car keys, shopping was one of her favourite things, it helped take her mind off things for a few hours, made even better by the fact that Lashawna wasn't with her. She'd dress up imagining Sam sitting watching like he used to, he loved watching her, the way his eyes worshiped her body never made her feel ashamed about anything, she knew he always wanted in as he'd put it, she could feel it, there was something satisfying about impressing your man
She'd brought four items today, one for Lashawna and a little something for Greg for babysitting and the rest were pure indulgence. Making her way back to the car, she drove quickly trying to get home before her parents got back and saw Greg with Lashawna, giving them something else to talk about. She knew what Greg was talking about earlier, she'd only give him some once in three months, truth, she wasn't feeling him that way, he was more of a jump on man, and she liked to take her time about it, so no matter how long he was riding her, he didn't do it for her, she missed making love
She sneaked in to see how he was doing, she walked around the back, through the kitchen and stood in the arch smiling at Lashawna waking up, rolling her eyes at being just in time "I..." she stopped in her tracks at hearing Greg shout at her child
"Shut the fuck up" he kicked the couch she was laying on
"Greg" she came out screaming, running towards her baby "What the fuck are you doing?"
"The brat woke up, you said you'd be back before she did, the damn noise is getting on my nerves, she wouldn't shut the fuck up"
"So you kick the couch?" she picked her daughter up "What else did you do, did you hit my child"
"No" he shouted "Look none of this is my fault, it ain't even my kid, you shouldn't have left her with me anyway"
"Obviously my bad" she stared at him "So now, get the fuck out our house"
"Mercedes" he stepped towards her
"Greg don't, just go"
"But we..."
"There is no we Greg, please, just go"
"Fuck you Mercedes Jones, you see if anyone else wants you with that white child, you'll come running back"
"Seriously?" she looked at him walking out the house, her mind telling her to tell him about his disgustingly sloppy sex but Lashawna was there to hear it, she slammed on the couch and cried for what she'd allowed her daughter to go through, when he left. Her parent came home not long after that and of course she acted as if it was just another day, it actually was in her life, she hadn't really come to expect anything less from the people she attracted, except for Sam they all treated her like she was disposable, and maybe for what they wanted, she was
After closing that chapter she dived into graduating with hons as an Arts Teacher, leaning heavily on her parents while she completed her placement, she'd already had two interviews before the semester was finished. she ended up taking the job at Brooklyn Arts and Science Elementary School, with the added bonus of them having a kindergarten close by. She moved out of her parents home and into a small two bed apartment nearer to the school with the money her parents had given her for her 25th birthday, it was quiet but she loved it, the independence was liberating, it didn't take her long to make a friend of Quinn another teacher and single Mom in the building, she worked at the nearby College, they got on really well
29 Years Old
Lashawna and Daniel became great friend, their families went from playing in the local park to BBQ's at their parents homes in zero to one hundred, they clicked, both bullied at school, no friends throughout school and taken to choosing the wrong men they could only laugh about themselves. They'd resided themselves to being single having both experienced relationships they didn't want for them or their children to see or be in, life had gotten pretty mundane for them, and pride itself wouldn't let them admit to being lonely, the years went by
It had been the weekend of Lashawna's 7th birthday, they'd been to the local theme park and had a great time, then on this particular morning Lashawna had woken up full of beans and inquisitive asking for maybe the second time in her life, where her Daddy was, telling her Mom that Daniel's Daddy had run off with a slapper and his Mom was better than that "Obviously Aunt Quinn had a different experience to us" she rolled her eyes telling her daughter, she could hear that shit coming out her friends mouth "I told you already, Daddy doesn't know about you because Mommy didn't know about you until he was gone to find the oldest most valuable treasure in the world"
There were so many things aligning she should have guessed it was his last month of his contract in Africa, she knew that much, only because he had social media, which she didn't follow him on, plus she wasn't confident he'd want to see her, 7 years was a long time, a lot could happen for a person
"How long's it going to take to find it?"
"I don't know sweetheart"
"Mommy" she stopped talking to grab her Mom's attention "Promise as soon as he finds it, he'll come and see us"
"I..." she looked into her daughters eyes "I will sweetheart, as soon as he knows about you, he'll fall in love with you" she hugged her "How could anyone resist"
Shawnie had gone to school and spread the story about her Daddy coming home with treasure, everyone was excited for her, it was that convincing, Mercy let her cling to the dream. It couldn't have happened better if she'd have planned it, just ten minutes before the end of day Sam was stood at the classroom door, he waved and smiled at her, he'd got a beard now, his hair longer than she might have liked it, but he looked distinguished with it, and those lips were still as sexy as hell, she waved back before the children drew her attention again
"Aligned" she gasped at him walking into the room as the assistant walked the children out "How did you find me?"
"You're a registered teacher Mercy" he laughed "Plus our stars are aligned" he looked out the window
"You finished your contract?" she giggled
"Yep" he smiled "Just finished and the first thing I wanted to do was celebrate, with you" he looked into her eyes "It's still true"
"What?" she smiled at him grabbing her hand
"You love me the best" he bent and quickly kissed her lips
"Sam" she looked around the room "We need to talk"
"We need to do a lot of things" he wiggled his eyebrows at her making her laugh
"We really need to talk" she smiled "Let's go get a coffee" she grabbed her purse and pulled him out the room with her, making a call to Quinn on the way
"I thought you'd be pleased to see me?" he asked as they stopped at the café next to the college
"I am"
"I mean really pleased" he laughed, watching her open the door "I've been thinking about you every damn day, trying my best to keep away, staying busy, but I just can't anymore"
"What do you want to drink?" she asked, like she hadn't been listening to him
"Mercy" he pulled his hand away "Are you even listening to me?"
"Sam" she turned with tears in her eyes "I've just got something..."
"Are you married?"
"No" she smiled wiping her face "Just let me get this out"
"Two expresso's" he ordered pulling her towards the corner of the café "Mercy what's up?" he sat down pulling her to sit opposite him
"I have a child" flew out of her mouth before she knew what she was going to say next "Lashawna"
"A baby girl" he smiled "Are you still with her Dad, is that it?" "I bet she's beautiful" "I imagine she is"
"She is" she smiled knowing he still didn't get it "Don't let her hear you calling her a baby she's just gone 7 going on 17" she laughed, watching the drinks arrive
"I'd love to meet them"
"I promised her she'd meet you some day"
"Hope you haven't built me up, I don't want to be in competition with her damn Dad"
"She doesn't know her Dad"
"The bastard left you?" he hissed
"It seems she's going to meet him today"
"He turns up today of all day?" he rolled his eyes "So you can't be with me because you'll be introducing him to Lashawna?"
"Sam" she rolled her eyes as her shoulders sank "She's your daughter"
"What?" he shouted, the blood draining from his face "Mercy" he whispered "Why didn't you tell me?" he hissed "You could have called me anytime, you knew where I was" his teeth still touching as he spoke, trying not to make a scene
"We had plans Sam, there was no point in both of us putting those on hold"
"Are you serious right now?" "Mercy, what could be more important than a child, our child"
"At the time I was just thinking of you"
"Clearly, but for 7 years is.." tears burst out before he could talk anymore "I want to see her" he wiped the rolling tears, angrily "I want to know my child"
"She knows you've been away finding the oldest most valuable treasure in the world" she looked nervously at her hands, that softened his heart, that had been his dream as a child and now as a man he'd accomplished it, and she'd kept his dream at the centre of her heart instead of her own
"And all the time she was here" he grabbed her hand, getting her attention "I'm mad as hell Mercy, I can't lie, I've missed time with my daughter, but I love you more for putting your dreams on hold and having her"
"I'm sorry Sam, it just never felt like the right time to tell you, ever, I was just so confused.."
"And alone, you knew I would have been there in a flash"
"I guess that was the problem" she smiled "I didn't want to be the reason you gave up on your dream"
"My dream just changed" he smiled "Can I meet her?"
"Sure" she squeezed his hand "I'm so nervous" she got up and pulled him with her "I'll have to apologise for her before..."
"No need, I know she's going to be unapologetically us, I'm ready" he pulled her to look at him "We got this Mercy Jones" he kissed her cheek, following her to her car, talking about Lashawna all the way. By the time they got back to her apartment, they were both excited and scared about this meeting "Mercy" he grabbed her hand before she touched the door "I'm not going to lie to you, this changes nothing for me, I want to look after my daughter, I want to be here for you, I need to..."
"Sam" she grabbed his face "Let's just do this first, everything else we can talk about afterwards" she smiled "Okay?"
"Okay" he watched her open the door and let him into her apartment
"I'll be back in a second, she's upstairs with Quinn" she threw her purse on the couch and left
Sam sat looking around the room, everything had it's place, except for the desk in the far corner full of books a laptop with a pen on top of it, there was evidence of recent life in the place, it felt like a home. The dark furniture dampened the beauty of the room, pictures of Mercy her parents, their class at junior school and then he saw Lashawna's picture, he got up to get a closer look, her long, light brown hair super curly, clipped back off her face with pink slides, she was stood holding a Teddy by it's arm, in her flowered pink dress, her giggling face was more his than Mercy's but he could see both of them in there.
"Daddy" he heard spinning round overwhelmed at her running towards him, he bent down to scrape her up "You found your treasure" she giggled
"I sure did" he hugged her tighter than he'd ever hugged anyone, instantly in love
"Did you bring it?" she pulled away from him asking "The treasure" her face telling him to keep up
"I couldn't bring it sweet, I had to give it to the owners" he told her "But one day I might be able to take you to see it"
"Please" she turned to Mercy "Can I Mommy?"
"Sure" Mercy stood crying at the scene
The evening was spent answering Shawnie's many questions during dinner, bath time and bedtime, eventually they got back to having their conversation there was much to talk about
"She's amazing" he laughed sitting on the couch next to Mercy "I feel like she's caught me up"
"She's got more" Mercy laughed "Lots more" she handed him his glass
"I need to see her more, a lot, every day"
"I think you forgot you live in Philadelphia and we're in Brooklyn"
"I'll move"
"Sam" she stopped him "I'm fine with you getting to know your daughter, but I don't know how I feel about us being together, I'm used to doing things alone, I don't know if being with you is what I want, what we need"
"I just want to be involved in my daughter's life" he grabbed her hand "And yours in some way"
"I can't promise you anything except I'd never stop you from seeing Shawnie"
"Is this happening" he laughed nervously "You're not going to believe me now, because of all this" he pointed at Lashawna's bedroom door "I literally came back for you, to ask you to marry me I mean, and I find we're tied together even more than I thought" he grabbed her hand "Mercy"
"Sam" she pulled her hand away and stood up "I'm not ready for this" she looked around the room searching for the right words "My baby just got her Daddy back and now this, it's a lot for her, for me"
"Mercy" he got up stretching his hand out "Hold my hand"
She was back in that hall looking into his eyes again, thinking he won't hurt me, she grabbed his hand "Sam" she rolled her eyes "It's not that the loves not there, because it is, it's just.."
"You're not leaving Brooklyn I know" he smiled "But you do know Lashawna has other grandparents"
"I do"
"So please say yes" he smiled letting her hand go, "But before you do" he grabbed his bag "Take a look at this, I couldn't do the thing Bella done for Edward at the end, so I thought this would be just as good" he gave her an album bursting with pictures
She sat down, opening the book with excitement "Where did you get these?" she giggled at pictures of them no more than 2 years old sharing toys in some unfamiliar place
"Mom said that was our first year at the convention" he smiled watching as she turned the pages and eventually started filing in the stories for herself
"When did you take this one?" she asked at a picture of her wiping tears from her eyes "That's a painful memory, that boy, the tall one what was his name?"
"Tony"
"Yeah Tony, he was the worst bully of them all"
"I felt so helpless back then, I walked around so damn mad all the while" he laughed
"Why?"
"They didn't like anything about anybody, and at first I just didn't want them to say nasty things about me, but when my Dad told me I'd be judged by the company I keep, I was duty bound to leave their company, and I got some stick for doing that, cried all the time" he laughed
"Sam" she stroked his face taking the moment, she wasn't a stranger to hiding hurt with laughter "College" she smiled looking at the pictures "Happy times" she looked at him
"I've tried with others, I can't lie, but none of them have even come close to the way you love me" he used his finger to turn her face to him "I love you Mercy Jones, putting that book together just made me realise how long I've known that, we weren't drawn together by accident, we were meant to be, everything aligned when we first touched,I believe that " he kissed her lips "So I'm asking you, will you marry me?"
"Can I just sleep on it, I need to speak to Shawnie?"
"I understand that" he smiled at her ready for bed eyes "And you need to understand that nothing's happening between us again until you're Mrs Evans"
"Sam"
"Every time you say my name you're begging, stop it woman" he laughed
"You know how I get when we debate, this isn't fair"
"You're turning this into a debate?" he laughed "Show me to our bedroom" he got up adjusting himself, if she was going to play so was he
"Sam" she giggled
"You tease I tease"
"Should I wake her up?" she walked towards Shawnie's bedroom
"No" he laughed "We can wait" he grinned holding his hand out for her to grab "It's weird but I love her Mercy, different to how I love you, I just love her" they finally fell asleep wrapped in each others arms
"You woke up" she laughed watching him sit up shocked at his surroundings
"Where are you going?"
"Shawnie needs to get to school and I'm a teacher member" she laughed "Make yourself at home, I'll see you later, we can figure stuff out, I need to have that conversation with Shawnie"
"Okay, have a good day" he lay in bed thinking about his new life
"Daddy" Lashawna burst into the bedroom shocking him "You'll be here when I come back won't you?"
"Yes I will sweetheart" he took her hug and made the easy promise, if he had his way, he was never leaving her again
The day went fast for Sam, he spent the day walking around the house piecing together bits of their lives he'd missed, sitting in his daughter's bedroom looking at the art wall labelled treasures, smiling at seeing a painting of her imaginary Daddy, recognisable only because it had the word Daddy at the bottom of it, intrigued because she'd painted him black, but had made no mention of him being white when she met him.
He was in the kitchen cooking when they got home, a very relieved Lashawna happy to see him "What's up?" he looked at Mercy smiling down at them hugging
"Nothing" she looked at Shawnie, her hand gesture giving her the floor
"We've heard your propose...propose.." she looked up at her Mommy
"Proposal sweetheart" Mercy giggled
"Yeah, we've heard it" she looked at her Daddy "And we have conditions"
"You do" he looked from her to Mercy wondering if he should be worried
"Yes" she huffed "I, I mean we, need you to marry me too" she smiled "And I need it to happen very soon, I don't want to be a bas.."
"Shawnie" Mercy hissed "Sorry she'd influenced by Daniel a lot, his Mom has no filter"
"How about we visit Nanny and Grandpa Jones tonight, you meet your Grandparents Evans the weekend and we get married in a months time?"
"I don't know" Lashawna flipped her hair off her shoulder "I'm still waiting to be asked" Mercy covered her mouth to stop the giggle
"You wanted unapologetically us" she laughed
He knelt looking at his daughter for a few seconds, of course he wanted her deal "Does she have a middle name?"
"Mercedes" she smiled
"Of course" he grinned "Lashawna Mercedes Jones" he grabbed her hand "Will you do me the honor of marrying me?"
"Yes I will Daddy" she smiled "And you can have Mommy too" she whispered in his ear as she hugged him
"You are so the opposite of us, more like our super alter ego" he laughed looking up at Mercy
"What's a super alter ego?" she asked so cutely, he giggled
"It's like who you really want to be" Mercy told her
"She's perfect" he smiled "Always remember Mommy and Daddy love you the most" he hugged her "No time like the present" he grabbed his jacket and Shawnie's hand "Am I to believe that was a yes from you too?"
"I believe it was" she smiled, taking his kiss until Shawnie interrupted them
"Come on let's go" she nudged at his leg
The Jones'
"They're going to be in shock" Mercy grinned nervously as they got closer to the house "Lights are on" she giggled
"Calm down" Sam grabbed her hand "We got this" they both took a breath and got out the car, waiting for Lashawna to join them "Ready?"
"Ready" Mercy started the walk towards the house, shouting "Mom, Dad it's us" as she knocked he door, her Dad answered the door
"Sweetheart"
"Daddy"
"What's happened?"
"I' getting married Gramps" Shawnie laughed walking further into the house
"What?" Mr Jones stood at the door watching them all walk in
"Mom, Dad you guys remember Sam Evans from West Virginia?"
"Andy and Sarah's son?" her Mom asked surprised "How did you find us all the way down here?" she got up walking towards them
"We went to college together Mom" Mercy butted in before he could answer
"You never told us that" her Dad walked towards him, their eyes met Sam knew she was stalling
"Mr and Mrs Jones, I'm Shawnie's Dad" he told them "And before you say anything else, I found out yesterday"
"I can see you in her" Mrs Jones smiled
"I came back to ask for Mercy's hand in marriage, and found I had a daughter, I would never have stayed away all this time, if I'd have known about Shawnie"
They were expecting all the usual shit parents throw at you when they're happy you fucked up enough to prove them right, but they didn't get it, in fact they seemed more pleased for Shawnie than the announcement of their daughter finally finding her happiness. That night Sam called his parents, he was past excited, but this wasn't news to share over the phone, he just asked them to be prepared for a shock on Saturday morning, and closed the call
The next day he met Quinn and Daniel, laughed at most of her jokes at dinner, watched Daniel and Shawnie playing, wondering why back then he'd never been brave enough to do that, just play with a girl. He sat trying to picture a different life for Mercy and he had he been brave enough, but everything kept coming back to them in bed, he missed her that way, he'd tried sex with a girl he thought he was attracted to while he was away, but when he went soft half way through the act he reverted to Samuel again, and just couldn't bring it back, he was so embarrassed he never tried again
"I suppose this means I won't be seeing my girl anymore?" she asked as Sam and her stood washing up
"That's totally up to you guys" he smiled "But there might be some nights I might want to claim her" he laughed "Quite a few actually"
"I'll have her back in time" Quinn giggled
"She's a grown woman, she'll do what she wants"
"I like you" she walked back into the living room to grab Daniel, it was way past bedtime, tonight had been a treat
The Evans'
Friday had rushed in, bags were already packed, they got in, showered and dressed they were out the door, they drove to JFK and grabbed a rental on the other side to make the 40 minute journey to Sam's parents home "This will get messy before they settle down" he told her as the car came to a standstill. She'd never been to his side of town, it was maybe just over three miles away from where she used to live but they lived very different lives, the tree lined street, neatly cut and decorated drives and clean pavements were in stark contrast to her memories of West Virginia.
"Do black people come around here?" she asked when he opened her door
"Step out the car" he laughed, watching Shawnie jump over to the front seat and jump out after her "They do now" he told her grabbing her hand and breathing heavily
"We got this" she told him, feeling more nervous than he looked
"Yep" he grabbed Shawnie's hand and walked towards his house, it was early, he took his key out and opened the door "Living room's through there, bathroom over there, I'll show you upstairs later" he looked around "I guess we'll go to the kitchen first, find some breakfast"
The house was sizable on the outside, inside it was even bigger everything was white or light wood, the place very airy but square, obviously it hadn't had a child in it since Sam had left some 9 years ago "It's beautiful" she gasped, looking at Shawnie "Keep hold of her, I don't want her breaking anything"
"So what if she did" he laughed pushing the kitchen door open, all three stood preparing, cooking, watching and talking, stopped by the door opening "Hi Dad" Sam laughed walking towards the man who looked nothing like Mercy had remembered him
"Samuel" his Dad laughed hugging him
"Mom" he laughed at her crying already "What's wrong?"
"It's been too long" she hugged him and held on "Who are these...is that Mercedes Jones?" she stepped past him asking
"Yeah, Mercy and Lashawna her daughter" he smiled watching them walk over to her for hugs "Actually this is the surprise" he took a deep breath "Meet your Granddaughter" he stood nervously laughing at them stuck in their tracks
"What?" his Dad turned to ask "When did that happen?" his shocked face asked "Adoption?"
"No" his Mom smiled at the little girl "She looks like Samuel" she told her husband "Hello sweetheart" she bent down to her level, it was nearly an hour later before Lashawna took a breath, Sam and Mercy grabbed the opportunity to tell their story and were shocked that his parents were overjoyed with the news about the pending wedding. They even got the chance to leave her performing to them the following morning while they went to do some shopping, a ring needed to be brought, of course they brought one for her too. By the time they were ready to leave, Shawnie had made plans for her return and was looking forward to her new Grandparents being at her wedding
"She's a breath of fresh air" his Mom giggled remembering her acceptance ring speech earlier that day "We'll see you guys soon" she waved them off
Brooklyn
They would have liked to have said it was a lovely big wedding but they were both only children to parents that kept a sheltered life and somehow having a bunch of children and their parents from the hospital as guests wasn't very appealing. Sam's parents came over with a beautiful dress for Shawnie to wear, and the eight of them went to the church page boy, flower girl, chief bridesmaid, and parents, joined the new Mr & Mr Evans for a meal afterwards at a really expensive restaurant and went back to Mercy's parents house, to watch the children play in the garden. Sam and Mercy sat smiling at the scene, remembering the picture of their parents watching them play some 25 years ago.
They had their wedding night alone at Mercy's house while Shawnie had the pleasure of having all her grandparents in one place, Sunday lunch was taken together before they all took Sam's parents to the airport, and life went back to normal. The only real change was that Sam had brought a bigger TV and was looking to use the art history part of his qualification to get himself a local job
34 Years Old
Determined not to leave his family, he'd started as junior nearly four years ago at the Brooklyn Art Gallery and now he was a Curator in charge of a team of five staff and the West Wing, he loved it. He went away periodically to shows or to look at various pieces for the Gallery but that was always just overnight and he'd be back home, the money wasn't great to begin with but now he was seeing a way forward, they'd sold Mercy's apartment and brought themselves a house just over a mile in the opposite direction from the college, Quinn and Daniel were definitely a piece of furniture in their new four bed home
"Great, you're home, hurry up and get dressed" Mercy fanned him to get upstairs
"Where are we going?" he stopped to ask
"Just get dressed, I'll tell you on the way"
"Alright already" he rolled his eyes at her pushing him up the stairs, these things usually turned out to be some benefit thing her Dad was having, boring as hell, and expensive
"Your clothes are on the bed"
"What you're dressing me now?"
"Sam" she moaned
"Are we going out or are you coming up here?" he laughed "Where's Shawnie?"
"She's at Mom's" she replied, his mind went to wonder mode, if Shawnie was at her parents house there they weren't going to benefit
"You know I can't stand clubs Mercy"
"Sam please, just get dressed, we're going to be late" he went and got dressed
"Nice threads" he came down just under half and hour later smiling, the casual smart burgundy shirt with black slacks and matching waistcoat made him feel even more sexy than he looked when he saw the glisten in her eyes "Where are we going?"
"The Cage" she grabbed her purse and his arm "Just for a while, Quinn has a date"
"Quinn?" his head flew up "I thought she was all off dating, her and Daniel against the world and all that, what happened?"
"Someone she likes I guess, we'll pick her up on the way"
"So you didn't want to play gooseberry?" he laughed
"Not just that, apparently he's a singer it's free concert tickets" she sat in the car telling him all about the short history of Quinn and his guy Joe
They picked Quinn up and got to the venue in good time, waited in the cues and even had time to get drinks before they went into the arena for the show "He's not the main act, but he reckons he's good" she told them excitedly "He's the lead singer, plays the guitar, and really good looking"
"Is that all you want in a man?" Sam asked her surprised
"It's all I want in a date, I don't intend on going much further than that" she laughed
"So what if he's the real deal?"
"There are no real deals" she laughed "Sorry, except Mercy and you"
"Excuse me Miss" one of the uniformed staff stood behind then looking at Quinn "My name is Ola, I'm your waiter for the evening, Joe said to bring you to side stage, follow me please" he turned without giving them a choice and walked off, they looked at each other and quickly followed him
"Wow" Quinn smiled at the champagne sat on the table with four chairs around it, they were in a box seat just above the crowds with spectacular views of the stage and crowd "Great seats"
"Best in the house Miss" he stood pouring glasses of bubby "Your snacks are on the way Miss" he turned quickly leaving them to it, just as the snacks arrived the stage lit up taking their attention Quinn stood like an excited child, waiting
"Ladies and Gentlemen, your supporting artist for the night Joe Hart" the commentator waved his hand to side stage and Joe walked out, Quinn was up clapping, maybe a bit tipsy already,
"Thank you" Joe came out smiling waving directly at her "Nice to see my favourite girl up there supporting me tonight" he blew her a kiss, Sam looked at Mercy laughing because for someone who was here for just a date, she seemed pretty taken in already "This one's for you" he told her before he started singing 'Until We Meet Again' by Nick Jonas she stood swaying, they could tell she was really into him
Wish I could reach you through distance, show you my heart and all that I'm feeling
Lord I can't preach, but I know something's missing, no way to fight back to the beginning
Quinn had gone through a lot in her short life, having never known her father she's grown up on the streets of down town New York watching her mother inject poison into her veins every day. It was everyday life to her, she rarely attended Elementary school so when she finally got into learning at the age of 10 she craved it, surprisingly to her it came easy, she caught up quickly and by the time she started her Junior years she'd surpassed most of her peers. Just before her 13th birthday she'd got home to find her Mom laying in a pool of sick and blood, it was a traumatic time, she felt alone, but most of all she felt relieved when she walked into this building and found others like her.
She'd used the system for her benefit, got her scholarship, qualified and got herself a job, but not before meeting Danny a guy three years older than her, he'd offered her the world and at 21 that seemed like everything she'd ever wanted, the way he splashed the cash she had no doubt he could give it her. She was quick to learn there was a horrible side to him just a month after Daniel was born, apparently that wasn't the life he had planned for her she became a prisoner in the house he'd brought for them while he never stopped being the playboy, all sorts of stories were coming back to her.
She finally confronted him about it, was absolutely thrown back when he slapped her so hard across the face she fell to the floor and that was enough for her, while he was out that night she packed Daniel and her up, left a note, took enough money from the safe and left. She stopped being scared about a year after that when he hadn't set out to find her, she knew he had the power to, she was glad he'd called it a day, she sent him pictures of Daniel on birthdays and he sent extravagant presents to her post box five miles away every birthday and Christmas, but for the past 4 years there'd been nothing.
Chorus
So until we meet again, I'm gonna keep smile, smile, smile, smiling
We could be miles apart, but you know I'm never too far, my friend, until we meet again...
Tonight it seemed after 12 years of waiting for this man to magically come back into her life, she'd chosen another path, Joe wasn't having a problem letting her know he was into her, his eyes rarely left hers, and to be fair hers didn't leave his either. He eventually left the stage and joined them in the booth for the rest of the show "Joe" he held his hand out at Sam when he walked in "Well it's Joseph but Joe's my alter ego, you know"
"Samuel alter ego Sam" he shook his hand
"I guess you're the man to live up to"
"Am I?" Sam asked shocked, there was nothing extra ordinary he was doing in his life
"I hope we can be friends" he smiled at Mercy kissing her check before kissing Quinn on the lips "Come on, sit down" he chuckled nervously "Could we get some more drinks and snacks please Ola?" he asked, the night was lively as John Legend played with their emotions for the night, leaving them totally exhausted and a bit tipsy.
Joe's meeting with Daniel didn't go well initially, call it insecurity, but Daniel wasn't at all happy about this man coming to dinner, watching his TV or kissing his Mom. Life was challenging for Joe for a while, it got to the point where Quinn was having second thoughts wanting to appease her son, while fighting with the fact that her feelings were growing fast for this man that had swept her off her feet
"I'm just weary" she told Mercy one day as they drove across town to meet the guys for dinner
"You could go through life feeling that way, get over it, life's too short, what if this one turns out to be your Mr Right"
"But Daniel's not taking to him, I feel like I'm having to justify everything to my son"
"I'm not saying your son's not important Quinn, don't get this wrong, but Daniel ain't giving you all of what you need, I'm talking about Quinn you, not Mommy you"
"I know but weighing that up against.."
"Against nothing, come on, just go with your heart" she stopped the car and smiled at the guys standing waiting outside, Sam and Joe struck up a good relationship over the past three months, apparently they didn't make friends easily
"I just need a sign" Quinn told her grabbing her arm to cross the road in her ridiculously high heels
The meal was delicious, full of conversation and laughter, they always had fun when they went out, but tonight seemed more charged than normal, Quinn was in what looked like a love zone "Everything's aligned" Mercy smiled as they walked out of the restaurant
"What?" Sam asked
"Somethings about to happen" she looked up at the sky
"Hold my hand" Sam and Joe said at the same time, holding their hand out for their partners
"Ouch" all four screeched at the electric passing through their hands
"Aligned" Mercy giggled, grabbing his hand again
"That was the sign wasn't it?" Quinn asked her
"Yep, you got this girl" she smiled at her friend "See you guys tomorrow" she pulled Sam away
"What's up?"
"The stars are aligned" she smiled
"So now you decide to tell me about the baby" he laughed
"How did you know?"
"The stars don't just align for you, we got this" he laughed "Shawnie's got a name already"
"Oh" she giggled "You two are I cahoots?"
"We got this Mercy Evans" he smiled
"I love you Sam"
"I love you too" he squeezed her hand and got in the car, ready for the ride home
The End