February 23, 2021

Sequel to The Replacement Date.

She’s definitely nobody’s replacement.

Donna Madison has been enjoying a whirlwind romance the past nine months with her childhood friend, Maxwell Anderson. Despite her budding relationship, she has fought to reign in her insecurities. Maxwell had a wife and a family before she entered his life again. The occasional tension that arises between Donna and Maxwell’s teenage daughter painfully reminds her of the devastating loss in the Anderson family.

Tensions increase when an unexpected visitor comes to town. The presence of Maxwell’s sister-in-law, a woman who looks hauntingly like his deceased wife throws Donna for a loop. Will Donna trust God or will she make a move that she may regret for the rest of her life? 

Read an Excerpt

I don’t know why I was so nervous. I’d been dating my childhood friend, Maxwell Anderson, for eight months now. Some days it still left me awed that a man I’d grown up with and secretly crushed on for most of my adolescence was now a part of my life.

My love life.

I glanced across the room filled with chattering teens to catch Maxwell’s eyes. He smiled back at me. For those few seconds, I forgot the nerves that tugged at my stomach making me feel queasy. The feeling had started this morning. I awoke with a fright, something that didn’t often happen to me.

Donna Madison, it was just a dream.

They say dreams reflect your unconscious thoughts. Well, this one certainly latched on to my fears and took me on a ride. I’d been married before, for ten years. The only thing that came out of that marriage was a broken heart. Okay, and some regrets. At forty-five years old, I’ve never had children. It wasn’t a battle with my biological clock, endometriosis had been my enemy. My ex-husband and I had occasional conversations about adoption that never came into fruition. The ultimate smack in the face came when someone who could and did carry his child led to my failed marriage.

It’s taken me five long years to overcome that hurt and even begin to consider dating.

That’s when Maxwell stepped in.

Literally.

He just walked up to my table where I’d been impatiently waiting while starting to succumb to the fact that I’d been stood-up. On a first date. It would have been so easy for me to go back to my regular weekend routine that night, binge-watching Netflix or Hulu in my PJs with unhealthy snacks lined up in front of me.

Old folks sing about how God is an on-time God. I fully agreed with that testament.

I smiled again, trying to bring myself back to the present.

It was Ashlee’s birthday.

Ashlee was one of Maxwell’s three children and today she was turning fifteen. On this Saturday afternoon, despite the chill outside, it was warm and energetic inside the Anderson’s family home, probably because of all the teenagers in the room.

Ashlee was such a beautiful girl. Compared to her peers, I could see she was above and beyond mature. The ninth grader looked exactly like her mother. A mother who’d sadly passed away from breast cancer almost three years ago. This young girl, along with her twin brothers, were growing up without the most important role model in their lives.

I had no idea where things were going with Maxwell, but I knew from the beginning he was a package deal. A package with a vibrant past now tinged with grief.

Alex and Adrian, Maxwell’s boys were easy. Both sixteen, they reminded me so much of Maxwell at that age. They were polite and answered my questions, but they were boys. Even Maxwell had a hard time getting them to talk to him, so I didn’t expect much.

From the first time I met Ashlee I knew it wouldn’t be easy for her. Nobody wanted someone replacing their mother. Not that I could. I was definitely nobody’s replacement. But knowing how much I treasured my own mother, my heart went out to her. I felt if I was going to be a part of Maxwell’s life that I needed to be there for his daughter.

How could I? I’ve never been a mother myself.

There were days I didn’t know what to do.

If it wasn’t for my best friend, Fatima Lawrence, going with me yesterday, I wouldn’t have been able to purchase the birthday gift I found. Even with Fatima by my side I agonized over the gift before deciding on a bracelet that I hoped Ashlee would love.

One could only hope.

What seemed to be an acceptance in the first few months of Maxwell’s and my rekindled friendship grew to a subtle resentment. I wasn’t sure when it started or when I noticed. I mentioned it to Maxwell once, but he seemed oblivious, chalking Ashlee’s behavior up to being a teenager. I didn’t doubt her raging hormones could be blamed, but I’d come to the crippling realization that the girl didn’t really like me much. From what I could gather from Maxwell he hadn’t dated at all since his wife’s death.

I’d been the first woman in their household since Alison Anderson passed away.

I believed it was okay when I was introduced as a childhood friend, but to be a girlfriend seemed to be met with a disdain from Ashlee that I couldn’t overcome. So, I prayed. Prayed for patience and the words to say. Even prayed this child would like her birthday gift.

Because I was happy.

Happy for the first time in what felt like a lifetime.

But something was eating away at the joy I’d gained.

I’d been lost in my own thoughts, when I looked up and saw Ashlee talking to her dad. Her arms were waving around, her face contorted in some emotion that I couldn’t read.

Was she angry about something? I hope not me.

Ashlee stalked away from her dad. Seeing the anguish in Maxwell’s face, I walked over.

“Is everything okay?” I inquired.

Maxwell sighed so deeply I could visibly see his shoulders sink. “Ashlee is upset about something.”

I raised an eyebrow, looking back to see Ashlee, despite being surrounded by friends, sulking in a chair in the corner of the living room. “I can see. Not a good look for the birthday girl. Is there anything I can do?”

Maxwell turned his attention away from his daughter. His eyes shone bright, “I wish you could, but this is on somebody else. Alison’s sister told us she would be coming.”

That shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did. While there were photos of Alison all over the house, she never really entered our conversations. In fact, the entire time we dated, I’d not seen signs of any of Alison’s family visiting the children. Maxwell had a whole other life with a wife and children so there should have been in-laws.

“A sister, is she older or younger?”

Maxwell cleared his throat. “Keri is younger. I met her first, before Alison and I got together.”

Another surprise. “Oh. So, Keri introduced you to Alison?”

It didn’t appear that Maxwell heard me, so I started to ask him again, but then I heard Ashlee squeal. I turned around to observe the teenager almost fly across the room towards someone.

I heard Maxwell say, “So she came anyway.” He’d spoken it so softly if I hadn’t been standing beside him, I wouldn’t have heard him.

I peered towards the doorway, where everyone else was looking to see whose arrival catapulted Ashlee from her dark mood.

I did a double take. I’d only met Alison in person once, years ago at Maxwell’s mother’s funeral. I was struck with how perfect she was for Maxwell.

Ashlee shared her mother’s large, brown eyes and massive head of curls. I swallowed and stepped back. The woman, who I assumed was Keri, looked so similar to Maxwell’s deceased wife it was eerie.

Her presence also reminded me of last night’s dream.

I had dreamed about Alison.

Which was crazy!

Why would I dream about a woman who was deceased and who I’d never really known? Now I wondered if my unconscious state of mind was about Alison at all.

It took me a few minutes to find my voice, but I didn’t need to say a word. Keri swept inside the house, turning the high energy up a notch. She was about my height but wore stilettos that I would have toppled over if I tried to wear. Her auburn hair was shiny with streaks of honey blond and it flowed as she walked.

My hair didn’t flow. At least not since I went natural, and today I was rocking a simple afro puff at the top of my head.

Keri made a beeline, with Ashlee hanging on her arm, towards Maxwell.

As I absorbed the woman’s appearance in front of me, I felt some of my shock fade. That’s when I sensed something palpable in Maxwell’s body language. He appeared stiff like he’d enveloped himself in an invisible shield of some sort.

I glanced at his face. Though he smiled, it was awkward. I hadn’t seen him react this way in a long time. When we were younger, I knew when Maxwell was feeling insecure or scared. He closed up. Just like he was doing now.

This made me curious.

As Keri stood in front of us, I could almost understand why he would steel himself around this woman. Up-close there was a resemblance to Alison, but Keri was not as beautiful in the carefree way of her older sister. It could have been because her face was carefully made-up as though a professional make-up artist had taken to her face with precision.

She arched a perfectly sculptured eyebrow. “Maxwell, it’s so good to see you. I was so delighted to hear from Ashlee.” Keri’s voice was deep and throaty. Her smile was awfully seductive to me.

Or maybe I was letting my imagination get the best of me.

I certainly wasn’t jealous. Right?

Without realizing it at first, I’d smoothed my hand over the front of my head. I’ve since embraced the gray hair that could be visibly seen when I pulled my hair back. Now, I was suddenly self-conscious.

Maxwell responded, “I’m glad you could make it, Keri.”

She peered over at the teen. “I realized how much I’ve missed. Ashlee has grown so much since the last time I saw her.”

“I’m so glad you came, Aunt Keri.” She stood almost as tall as her aunt. Her broad smile sharply contrasted the brooding countenance we’d witnessed only moments ago.

Keri smiled down at her niece before settling her attention back on Maxwell.

As if Maxwell remembered I was standing next to him, he reached out and placed his arm around me. “It’s good that you came, I’ve been wanting you to meet Donna. Donna, this is Keri Gavin, Alison’s younger sister.”

Keri faced me. It could have been my rampant imagination again, but the easygoing smile from a few minutes ago now seemed forced. I extended my arm towards her, “It’s good to meet you, Keri.”

Keri’s grin widened as she shook my hand. “You too. I’ve heard so much about you.”

The woman had a pretty good grip. I pulled my hand back.

“Oh.” I replied. Something told me Keri hadn’t heard much about me from Maxwell. I glanced at Ashlee who appeared to look down and everywhere but my face.

That answered my question.

“Come on, Aunt Keri, I want to introduce you to my friends.” The teenager drug her aunt over to the other side of the room.

“They look alike. Alison and Keri.”

Maxwell had been staring, his eyes locked on Ashlee and Keri as they crossed the living room. “Yes, but there are distinct differences. Actually, they were half-sisters.”

I raised an eyebrow, “Oh, maybe that’s why you haven’t mentioned Keri before. Did they keep in touch?”

He looked at me. “They weren’t very close.”

“But Keri introduced you to Alison?” I don’t know why I was so curious. This wasn’t something Maxwell and I did. We didn’t delve into the past. I mentioned my ex-husband maybe two times the entire time we’d been dating. He’s my past. Alison was Maxwell’s past. He was raising their kids and I wanted to be a part of their future.

But I’d been here before.

A woman knew threats when she saw them. Sure, it could be my own insecurity, but I was not a young woman. During the five years after my divorce, I hid from the world of romance, but I’d also found myself. I learned to enjoy my own company and to accept me as God accepted me. Life was too short to be making more mistakes.

So, I waited for Maxwell to answer my questions in the middle of his daughter’s birthday party feeling like a curmudgeon.

He smiled at me as though he sensed my distress. “Yes, Keri introduced us. Can we talk about this later?”

If this was Maxwell’s way of calming me, it wasn’t working.

I swallowed and smiled back at him. “Of course. I’m sorry, you just seemed … surprised to see her.”

Something like a shadow crossed his face, increasing my unease.

“Keri hasn’t been around in a while, so no I wasn’t expecting her. Ashlee has tried reaching out to her before, only to be disappointed. Anyway, I’m glad she made it. I don’t think we could have taken anymore of Ashlee’s moodiness.”

I agreed, “Yes, it’s awesome she made it.”

For the next hour we watched as Ashlee played games. Though Keri was considerably older, she blended in with the teens as if she was one of them. Like Ashlee, most of her friends seemed in awe of Keri. She had a laugh that carried across the room. One would have thought the party was for her instead of her niece.

When the time came, Ashlee blew out all fifteen candles on her birthday cake with rowdy encouragement from her friends. All of her friends including her aunt were armed with phones. After everyone did their respective posting on social media, it was time to open gifts.

My nervousness returned when I saw the small white box with the pink satin ribbon I’d placed on the table a few hours earlier. My chest squeezed with anticipation as Ashlee picked up the box next. She glanced at the name tag and paused. For all the previous gifts she’d stated who’d given her the gift with enthusiasm but now she hesitated.

If I had any doubts about Ashlee’s feelings about me, it was pretty obvious at that moment. My flailing nerves along with embarrassment made my face feel warm. Knowing my face probably reflected my distress, I didn’t even look at Maxwell.

Keri leaned over Ashlee’s shoulder asking loud, “Who’s that from, Ashlee? You got some secret boyfriend we don’t know about?”

Ashlee’s friends snickered and guffawed at her aunt’s comment.

What I knew, though Ashlee was not aware, the young man that stood across from her obviously had eyes for Ashlee. I knew that look. It was the one I used to give Ashlee’s father when we were younger.

Seeming to sense his stare more than any other around her, Ashlee glanced at the boy who peered down at his shoes, shying away. She looked back at her aunt and stuttered. “It’s from Donna.”

Some type of communication passed between them.

I had no doubt it had to do with me.

Clearing my throat, I found myself speaking but not recognizing my own voice, which had grown hoarse. “I hope you like it. Happy Birthday, Ashlee.”

She nodded politely before ripping the ribbon off the box. Inside the white box was a burgundy velvet box. Her friends nudged her as she took her time before finally opening the lid.

I really wanted the gift to come from my heart. When I saw it in the store yesterday, though it was an object, I felt like it spoke to me.

Ashlee pulled the sterling silver bracelet out of the box. From the many times I’d visited her room, I knew Ashlee loved butterflies, so I was delighted to find this bracelet. The sterling silver chain consisted of tiny butterflies with wings adorned with sparkly amethysts. It was fitting that Ashlee’s favorite color was purple, also the color of her birthstone.

“Oooh!” “So pretty!” Ashlee’s friends exclaimed as they moved in closer to view the bracelet.

I finally looked over at Maxwell. His smile warmed my heart and almost made my shaky knees buckle. Papa seemed happy with the gift, but I wasn’t sure how his baby girl felt.

I turned back to Ashlee. She also smiled and said, “Thank you, Donna.”

But then she placed the bracelet back in the box and moved to the next gift.

Did she like it or not?

Realizing she still had plenty of gifts to go through on the table, I took a breath and turned my attention over Ashlee’s shoulder.

Her aunt stared back at me.

There was nothing friendly about the look she gave me.