December 1, 2020

What happens when you reach out to help your worst enemy?

Vanessa Reed had been at odds for years with Evelyn Underwood. Despite the woman’s affair with her husband, Vanessa had moved on and forgiven Justice Reed. She’s even accepted Jax Reed, the son born of the affair as if he were one of her own children.  As Vanessa prepares to bring her family together for the holidays, she contemplates one of her greatest tests of faith and the consequences.

Read an Excerpt

Thanksgiving Day

Vanessa Reed placed the chopped collard greens inside the large pot, her cell phone interrupted the hum of her meal-making activities. She’d started early before the sun rose to tackle the large turkey, her least favorite task of the day. Quickly placing the lid over the greens which were piled high, she checked the stove range. Satisfied with the simmer setting, she moved to the counter to grab her phone on the third ring.

She didn’t know how she knew, but when she peered down at the phone display, her assumptions were confirmed. Jackson Reed, better known as Jax, appeared on the screen. She’d heard from all her children this morning after calling to remind them what time she planned to start dinner. She was worried when she hadn’t been able to reach Jax. When his mother was alive, Jax missed out on a lot of family gatherings. Determined to keep a promise, Vanessa always made an extra effort to reach out to him.

She picked up the phone and answered, “Good to hear from you, Jax. Are you here in Charlotte yet?”

“Hey, Vanessa. Sorry I didn’t return your call sooner. I arrived last night. I’m at my mother’s house.” He sighed, “I’m ashamed to say, I haven’t been here in a while. The place has been neglected. I’ve been calling some folks to see who’s available to take care of the yard before I leave town next week.”

“Well, that’s understandable. Writing and the book tour is taking up your time. Last time we talked you were still leaning towards selling the place. I hope you changed your mind.”

Please change your mind about that house. Don’t sell it!

“I was, but I kind of like having a place here in Charlotte to stay. Hotels get really old and …” Jax’s voice faded.

“It’s home.” Vanessa silently breathed a sigh of relief.

“Yeah.” Jax’s voice sounded strained as if the breath had been knocked out of his chest.

Vanessa nudged him. “Are you all right, Jax?” Jax may not have been her son by birth but she’d known him since he was four years old. “It’s okay to want to be close to your mother. It’s the home where you grew up.”

“Yeah, but I don’t have very happy memories. In fact, right now I have a lot of guilt. For a while, I purposely avoided my own mother. Even when she really needed me, I didn’t know how to be there for her.”

Vanessa knew that too well. Evelyn Underwood had left her mark. “Your mother wasn’t the easiest person.”

“But in the end, she seemed to change,” he inquired.

In the end.

Vanessa paused as unexpected emotions rose up within her. She swallowed the lump that started in her throat, “I believe your mother found peace. She fought against it for so long. You know if I can tell you that, it’s true. Take your time. I won’t start dinner until you get here.”

Jax laughed. “I bet the others will not be pleased about waiting. I know everyone has been salivating all week for your good cooking.”

Vanessa wished Jax could see the grin on her face, “They will be fine. Besides, no one has arrived yet and I still have a lot to do.”

“I will try not to be long, though I will probably stop by the gravesite before coming.”

“I expected that you would.”

Jax paused, “Vanessa, if I’ve been remiss in telling you, I’m really grateful to have you in my life.”

“I always tell you I consider you one of my own. See you soon, son.”

After hanging up Vanessa stood staring down at her phone. She meant what she said but God had done a lot of work in her. She wasn’t sure when she started calling Jax, son, but it felt natural for her to do now.

A memory stirred in her mind. Vanessa stared at nothing at all for a moment. Not willing to go there, she snapped out of the distractive thoughts.

Not today.

She sauntered over to the stove to check on the collards. As she lifted the lid, the aroma from the turkey necks rose up from the pot. She’d become better at adapting her cooking to a healthier lifestyle. She believed her grandma would still approve despite the family’s traditional lean toward ham hocks in the greens.

Thankfully, in the kitchen renovations a few years ago, she had the stove of her dreams installed. Every time she saw one of those double ovens on the Food Network, she pictured one in her kitchen. She opened up the bottom oven to check on the turkey’s progress. Satisfied, she closed the oven door and then filled a pot with water for the macaroni noodles. With the water set to boil, she pulled eggs, butter, and milk out of the refrigerator to begin making the creamy sauce, a signature part of her traditionally baked macaroni and cheese.

Despite her best efforts, Vanessa still found negative thoughts lingering as she stirred the sauce in a small pot. She tried humming a tune, something she heard her grandma doing while cooking. Maybe it was because she just talked to Jax and the subject of his mother had arisen. Vanessa could vividly see the woman in her mind. Evelyn had been gone two years now, but for some reason today she couldn’t get the woman out of her mind.

It wasn’t like she hadn’t thought about her from time to time.

After she’d drained and rinsed the noodles, she started to assemble the ingredients in the glass dish. Once the mac and cheese was placed in the oven, she turned her attention to the dining room adjacent to the kitchen. When her daughters arrived, she would have them pull out the china she’d inherited from her Aunt Sally and set the table. Already expecting Asia or Toni would tease her for only bringing out the china for the holidays, she smiled. As she got older, the Sunday cooking she used to do wasn’t as much fun, so the holidays had become even more special.

After attending the early Sunday service at Victory Gospel Church, she found that she enjoyed the quiet time with Justice, especially now that he was retired from being Chief of Police. The years Justice served at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department were hard and she’d become a prayer warrior, even serving as leader of the prayer team at church for several years now.

Things were good between she and Justice now.

Thank you, Lord.

It hadn’t always been good. Her prayers had gone beyond pleading for protection while her husband worked patrol to pleas to God to keep her from completely losing her faith.

Today of all days, Vanessa’s mind insisted on returning to that time.