Fall Black In Love 1: When Henry Met Millie (21 page)

  “Yes, and then I’ll have to spank you for touching it when I told you not to.”

Tauri’s eyes locked on the flame. “Is it fire Granny?”

  “Yes, it’s fire Tauri.”

Tauri looked at Millie. “Did it burn you Granny?”

Millie shook her head again at the questions. “No, it didn’t burn me because I know what I’m doing.”

“Okay Granny.” She smiled and went back to her coloring while Millie cooked.

  Tauri looked at the page she was working on that had a little girl and a mother. Frowning, she looked over at Millie.

  “Granny, is my momma coming back?” she asked and Millie paused.

  Moving to sit next to her granddaughter, she looked into eyes like hers. “Tauri Ann, I don’t know baby girl. She may not.” Millie said sadly. “But I do know that me and your Granddaddy will always take care of you. Okay?”

  Tauri glanced at the picture then back at Millie. “Okay Granny. I wanna stay with you and Granddaddy forever.” She threw her arms around Millie and her Granny hugged her in return. The phone rang and Millie went to the other room to answer. When she returned, Millie noticed that Tauri had moved on to another picture in her coloring book.

  A few minutes later, Henry entered the kitchen picking up his granddaughter from her seat and lifting her into the air.

  “There’s my baby girl!” She laughed heartily as he brought her down into his arms.

  “Granddaddy!” She hugged him tightly.

Henry kissed her loudly on her cheek. “You been good today?” he asked and she nodded quickly.

He looked at her. “Did Granny have to get a switch for you?”

Tauri looked at her Granny slyly. “No sir!” she answered imitating Millie.

Both adults laughed at the little girls’ antics. She thoroughly entertained and they couldn’t imagine their lives without her.

Henry glanced at the table. “What are you doing right here?” he asked Tauri.

  “Coloring, but I want to draw now.”

  Sitting her on her feet, he watched her take off to her room to get drawing supplies. Walking over to Millie, Henry took her in his arms and kissed her softly.

  “Hello Millie Patterson. I missed you today.”

Millie returned his kiss. “I missed you too Henry.”

  She hugged him then drew back. “Tauri asked about Victoria. She wanted to know if she was coming back.”

Henry looked concerned. “What brought this on today?”

  Millie walked him over to the coloring book still on the table then flipped to the page. Both their eyes widened when they saw that Tauri had put a big red ’X’ over the mother in the picture.

Millie lifted a hand to her mouth. “Henry…”

Henry put an arm around her. “Let’s talk to her when she comes back down.”

  Both Henry and Millie jumped when they heard Tauri scream. Running towards the stairs, they heard the fire alarm and Tauri calling for her Granddaddy.

  Henry felt his heart nearly burst out of his chest as he ran to the room where she was located. Rushing inside he saw the fire on her bed and quickly scooped up the shocked and crying little girl. Running out of the room, he quickly handed her to Millie.

  “Take her downstairs and both of you get out the house!” he yelled before going back to where the fire was burning.

  Shaking, Millie followed his orders and took Tauri downstairs and out the door. On her way, she grabbed the phone. Outside she dialed the fire department and tried to comfort the distraught child.

  “It’s okay precious. You’re okay,” Millie said, frantically checking the child over. “Did you get burned anywhere?”

Tauri shook her head while tears ran down her face and her chest heaved.

Finishing her inspection, she pulled the baby into her arms. “It’s okay.”

She rocked Tauri in her arms until Henry appeared on the porch and she ran to him. “Are you okay?”

He nodded swiftly. “Is the baby okay?” he asked in a rush.

  “She’s fine. She’s not burned anywhere,” she assured him and he breathed a sigh of relief as the fire department arrived.

Walking out to meet them, Henry explained what had happened.

  “It’s okay. I put the fire out.”

  “What happened?” the fireman asked.

  Henry glanced back at Millie who still held Tauri in her arms. Turning back to the fireman, he answered, “The baby had matches. I found them on the floor.”

Millie gasped then looked at her granddaughter. “Tauri Ann!”

  “I’m sorry!” she cried. “I’m sorry Granny!”

  “Is she going to be okay?” the fireman asked. “Do you need paramedics?

Millie shook her head. “No, I’m a nurse and I’ve checked her over. She’ll be fine.”

  “Okay,” he agreed then turned to Henry. “We’d still like to check out the inside, to be sure nothing’s left smoldering.”

Henry nodded then showed them inside.

Millie stood Tauri on her feet and looked at her. “Where did you get matches from Tauri?”

The little girl looked sad and afraid. “In the kitchen…”

  “When?” Millie demanded.

She sniffed. “When you went to get the phone, I put them in my pocket.”

Millie grabbed her arms. “What did I tell you about fire?”

  “I know Granny. I wanted my bed to smell good like the candle,” she explained quietly. “I’m sorry!”

  Millie looked at the girl as she cried and shook. “Come here precious.” She held her tightly quieting her fears.

  “I was scared Granny…I didn’t mean to make a big fire!” she cried against Millie’s shoulder.

  They both looked up as the firemen pulled the mattress out of the house with a big hole burned in the middle along with some charred bedding.

  “No damage was done to the room. Your husband got to it quick enough and put the fire out,” the fireman told Millie before heading to his truck.

  Henry returned and they waited until the fire departed left before going back inside. Henry turned to Tauri. “You know you’re in big trouble?”

She nodded slowly.

  “She took the matches out the kitchen when I was out of the room,” Millie explained. “She wanted to make her bed smell like the candle.”

Henry looked at Millie then at Tauri. “What did we tell you about matches and fire?” he asked.

Her eyes watered. “That I could get burned and don’t touch them,” she recited.

  “So why did you touch them?” Millie asked.

Tauri pouted. “I was sad and I wanted to smell something good to make me feel better.”

Henry kneeled down to her. “Why were you sad baby girl?”

  “Cause the girl in the book had a momma,” she told them while staring at the floor.

  “Your momma’s not here, but we’re here,” Henry told her.

She lifted sad eyes to Henry. “But are you gonna go away too?”

Millie’s heart broke for this baby and she wanted to wring Victoria’s neck for putting her through this.

Henry wiped her damp cheek. “You see this house?” he asked and she nodded slowly.

  “This is your house for as long as you want to be here. You hear me?”

She nodded again.

  “I’m not going anywhere. Your Granny’s not going anywhere and you’re not going anywhere,” he assured her. “We love you.”

  “I love you too.” Tauri looked at him. “I’m sorry Granddaddy. I won’t be bad no more.”

  Henry hugged her. “It’s okay baby girl.” Pulling back, he looked at her. “You know what we told you happens when you play with matches?”

Tauri looked at her Granny. “Yes, I know…”

Chapter 21

The New Millennium…

  The 2000’s brought many changes for the Pattersons. Eight years into the new millennium, they witnessed world history as the first African-American man was elected President of the United States. This brought a tear to the eyes of many as few thought they would ever live to see that day, especially Henry.

  Even more important to Henry and Millie was watching their granddaughter graduate from college, then law school. Tauri’s love for her grandparents and her city was in direct contrast to her mother, who she had never met.

  Out of concern for Tauri, Henry and Millie had made the decision that Victoria would not be allowed to ‘float’ in and out of Tauri’s life. They’d given the ultimatum that if she couldn’t be a full time part of her child’s world, then there was no other option. It was not fair to Tauri, having to wonder when and if she would see her mother.

  Millie had lost her own mother at the turn of the century and she felt the void of not having her around. Gina had been her rock when Victoria had run away and in raising Tauri. She’d helped Henry and Millie immensely by babysitting Tauri while they worked, before she reached school age.

  A few years ago, Henry and Millie made their last visit to Mississippi to pay their respects to his last living relative in that area. When Victoria was a little girl, the family had traveled there for Millie to see Henry’s hometown and visit his family. They’d made another trip when Tauri was small and his father had died. Mississippi did not hold good memories for Henry and it wasn’t a place that he looked forward to going for any reason.

  Henry and Millie’s concern at the present time was the young man who’d clearly turned their granddaughter’s head. Tauri was a grown woman at twenty-eight, beautiful, brilliant and accomplished, but her grandparents knew the emptiness that still dwelled in her heart.

  This man that she’d brought home was rich, famous and exceedingly handsome. Millie worried that he might just want a beautiful woman on his arm and in his bed. When Tauri had brought him to dinner, Millie had made her concerns known and Henry had also had a ‘chat’ with the young man.

  Orion Shaw was retired major league baseball player who had returned to his home city of Detroit, to become the first black owner of a MLB team. He was a future Hall of Fame candidate and handsome enough to make any regular woman fall at his feet.

  That’s what concerned Millie. Tauri was not a regular woman yet Orion Shaw seemed to have her in a tizzy. Tauri was no nonsense and about her business. She was the top prosecutor for the city and took no prisoners but this Orion Shaw had somehow managed to get past her defenses.

  Millie stood in the kitchen making Tauri’s favorite meal. Her granddaughter was working on a few big cases including one involving Orion Shaw. She planned for her and Henry to drive over to her office later and drop off the food, since she knew that Tauri didn’t eat like she was supposed to when she was engrossed in work.

  The doorbell rang and Millie continued cooking because she knew Henry would get the door from where he was watching TV in the living room. When he showed up in the kitchen with Orion Shaw in tow, she lifted a brow.

  “Look who we got here Millie,” Henry announced.

  “Hello Mrs. Patterson,” Orion greeted her with flowers.

  “Hello Mr. Shaw,” she responded taking the bright arrangement.

He smiled. “Please, call me Rion.”

  “Thank you…Rion,” Millie responded before pulling down a vase for the bouquet. “You’re very thoughtful.”

  Rion continued to smile as he listened to the raspy voice that reminded him so much of the woman who’d stolen his heart basically on sight.

  “I hope you don’t mind me stopping by, but I wanted to speak with you and your husband,” Rion explained.

After filling the vase with water and adding the flowers, Millie turned to both men. “This is a surprise.”

  “I imagine it is, since I was just here a little while ago for dinner,” Rion agreed.

Henry looked at the pair. “Let’s go into the living room and sit down.”

  Both men waited for Millie to head in that direction before they followed. After they all settled on the sofa, Millie turned to Rion.

“What brings you here Rion?” she asked.

  He leaned forward. “I wanted to speak with you outside of Tauri’s presence. I felt it was appropriate to let you both know my intentions with your granddaughter.”

Millie and Henry shared a look at his words.

  “Tauri and I have not known each other long, but I have no doubt that she is the woman that I came home to find,” he continued. “I plan to marry her as soon as she agrees and raise a family together.”

Both Henry and Millie gave him look.

  “With your blessings, of course.” Rion added.

  “Tauri won’t want to leave Detroit,” Millie told him.

  “I don’t want her to. This is my home as well,” Rion explained.

Henry clasped his hands in front of him. “Baby girl won’t be easy to win over.”

Rion smiled. “I think that’s what made me fall in love with her. She’s tenaciously sweet.”

  “Like her grandmother,” Henry said smiling at his wife.

  “I won’t rush her,” Rion promised. “But I also won’t let her run away.”

  Millie smiled at the perception of the young man in regards to Tauri. Their granddaughter was complex and still harbored emotions about the desertion of her mother, although she had adapted amazingly well and accomplished all of her dreams, a part of that little girl still resided inside.

  “Have you told Tauri of your intentions?” Millie asked.

Rion nodded. “Yes, I have. I’ve told her that I intend to marry her and have five children.”

  “Five?” Millie asked incredulously. “What did she say to that?”

He laughed. “Her exact words were, ‘I was smoking’.”

Henry laughed as well. “Yeah, that sounds like my baby girl.”

“Do you really want to have five kids?” Millie asked.

“Yes, at first I was thinking five boys, but I think I could compromise with three boys and two girls,” he told them.

Millie smiled. “I think that’s fine…just fine.”

Rion relaxed a little. “I’m going to give Tauri Patterson everything that she needs.”

Henry nodded listening to the sincerity in his voice.

  “I love everything about her. I love her feistiness, her compassion, and even her snoring,” Rion told them.

Henry frowned. “You’ve heard my granddaughter snoring?”

Rion doubled back. “Uh, we were watching the moon and she fell asleep.”

  “You just make sure those five babies don’t start arriving until my granddaughter’s last name is Shaw,” Millie warned him.

  “Yes, I understand.”

  Millie nodded then stood to her feet. “Come and have dinner with us,” she invited. “I made Tauri’s favorite.”

Rion and Henry both stood as well. “Thank you. What’s her favorite?” Rion asked.

  “Spaghetti and fried chicken.”

He paused. “Really?” Rion had been raised very health conscious due to his Khemetic beliefs.

Millie caught his hesitation and smiled. “Yes sir, so you might as well develop a taste for it now.”

He shrugged. “I guess so.”

Rion followed them into the kitchen and sat down to eat with his future grandparents-in-law.

******

  The next day, Tauri came to return her grandmother’s containers that had been delivered by Rion to her office the previous night. Henry and Millie both had a chance to chat with her during her visit and they realized that their baby girl was definitely in love.

They climbed into bed later that night after Tauri had gone.

  “Do you think she’s going to give him a chance?” Millie asked lying against her husband’s chest.

Henry rubbed her back through her nightgown. “I hope she does. He’s what she needs.”

Millie agreed. “He’s strong and he seems to understand her fears.”

  “He loves this city and is rooting himself here. She has to believe that he’s serious,” Henry commented.

She smiled up at him. “Five children?”

  “I’d love to see all those babies.”

  “The ones we didn’t have,” Millie said quietly.

Henry stroked her face. “I got all that I wanted and needed in you, Millie Patterson.”

Her eyes misted. “Thank you Henry.”

  “It’s the truth pretty woman.”

Millie hugged him close. “I just want her to be happy.”

  “He seemed determined to make that happen. Let’s just see how this plays out.”

She smiled. “He’s her bunny rabbit.”

Henry agreed. “When she realizes that, she’ll be fine.”

  “I know I realized from the start that I wanted to be Mrs. Henry Patterson.”

He laughed. “Even told the police that.”

She joined in. “I was so scared that day.”

  Henry lifted her face to his. “I know, but you took care of business. I knew then that nothing was going to stop me from making you mine.” He kissed her softly.

“Plus, those were the best damn panties I’d ever had,” he teased her.

“Don’t you talk about my panties, Henry Patterson!” she said laughing.

Henry laid her on the mattress. “And I never wanted any others…”

******  

  The city of Detroit was in a frenzy when the news of the marriage between Prosecutor Tauri Patterson and baseball great Orion Shaw was announced. In addition, Orion had obtained the go ahead to purchase the franchise he so desperately wanted.

  He and Tauri had gone through some trials on their road to matrimony, but in the end, Orion had put Tauri’s needs first and kept his promise to take care of her before anything else. Now the couple was settling into their new lives as husband and wife and soon-to-be parents.

  Millie had early morning plans to meet with Orion’s mother, Pam Shaw to discuss baby shower plans in anticipation of the couple’s first child. During the wedding process, the two women had bumped heads on many things, but now with the birth of Pam’s first grandchild and Millie’s first great-grandchild, the two women had made amends…sort of.

Henry was already up reading the paper in the kitchen as she prepared to leave.

“I can make you some breakfast before I leave Henry.”

  He stood and came over to her. “You know very well that I can feed myself. Now you go on and be nice to Orion’s momma.”

Millie frowned. “When am I not nice?”

  “When it comes to Tauri Patterson-Shaw.” He told her.

She conceded. “As long as she’s nice, we’ll be fine.”

Henry shook his head as their doorbell rang. “Who’s here this early?” Millie asked confused.

  “I’ll get it,” Henry said going to the door and Millie followed out of curiosity.

  They opened the door and were transported back in time. The woman who stood on the other side was nearly thirty years older, but they both recognized her just the same.

Millie put a hand to her mouth. “Victoria…” she said on a breath.

  “Momma and Daddy?”

Henry put an arm around his wife to steady her.

Victoria looked at them both. “Can I come in?” she asked quietly. “Please.”

  The couple stepped back and opened the door. Victoria looked around the house that she’d fled all those years ago. Her parents that were young and vibrant when she’d left were now in their senior years. Although they had aged, they still looked healthy and happy.

  Henry closed the door behind her and they all stood in the hall. “Why are you here Victoria?” he asked watching his long lost daughter.

  “I hope you’re not here to cause trouble for Tauri. She’s happy now,” he warned.

Victoria shook her head. “I’m not here for trouble. I wanted to see you…needed to see you.”

Millie who had been speechless to this point asked, “Why?”

  She hung her head like she used to when she was a girl. “I had all these things I’d planned to say to you, but now all I can say is that I’m so sorry.”

  “I know after all these years, that means nothing to you but it’s something that I had to say,” she whispered.

  “I was selfish and misguided. I left everything I loved in search of what I thought was missing and I realized that I could never find it, because it doesn’t exist.”

Henry felt Millie tremble in his arms as she continued.

  “I know that I hurt you and I hurt Tauri. I even hurt myself with my actions but I had to see my parents, even if it’s for the last time,” she said through her tears.

  “I need you to know that it wasn’t your fault, how I turned out. You did everything for me and I was ungrateful.” Victoria looked at them.

  “I saw Tauri on the national news when she got married.”  She smiled sadly wiping her face. “She’s so beautiful. I knew you would raise her to do great things.”

  “She’s married and getting ready to start her own family now. Like your father said, she’s happy. We won’t let you hurt her,” Millie vowed.