Stolen Love (10 page)

Marley asked grandma, “Can I draw a picture for you?”

Grandma said, “Sure you can, when you finish it I’ll hang it next to your mother’s.”

She took Marley back in her workshop and gave her everything she needed.

Each day they came to the shop Marley went in the back room to work on the picture. At the end of the week, Marley finished her painting.

Marley tells Grandma, “It’s finished, but it’s still wet!”

Grandma went in the back to look at the Marley’s artwork.

She saw a beautiful painting of Ashley and Marley together. Marley painted it from a picture her daddy took of them by the lake.

Grandma hugged her grandchild telling her it was beautiful.

She told Marley, “Your mother started drawing when she was your age. We will let it dry over the weekend and hang it Monday morning.”

Grandma had painted a picture of her twins. Ashley had chosen to paint a picture of her parents. Now, Marley had painted a picture herself and Ashley. All of the paintings were hanging on the wall in Grandma’s shop.

Grandma and Marley went home after a long week of working at the shop. Marley saw the kids next door playing, she asked, “Can I go play with them?”

Grandma said, “Yes, I’m going to make dinner.”

Saturday morning, Grandpa told Marley that they were taking her to see the town where her mother grew up.

“It’s where Tiffany lives. You can go see her, too.” Grandma added.

They drove around town showing Marley where they used to live.

The Richards spent the day with Tiffany’s parents, while Tiffany and Cousin Dru took Marley to the Amusement Park.

She had a lot of fun with Tiffany and Dru.They told her about all the times they went there with her mom and dad.Marley went home with lots of stuffed animals she won or Tiffany and Dru won for her.

It was Marley’s last week with her grandparents.

She spent evenings looking through her mother’s things, gathering what she wanted to take back home with her to
Texas
.

Thursday morning Marley received a phone call from her parents. They called to let her know that they are home from their honeymoon and they would see her in two days.

Marley and Grandma cleaned the house and got ready to go to the shop. When they arrived, they opened the shop and started redecorating it. They also painted pictures for Marley to take home with her.

Grandma told Marley, “It’s getting late. Let’s go start supper.”

When they got home, Granddaddy had already cooked supper! He surprised them with food, music, and flowers.

They ate, sang, and danced to the songs on the radio.

Friday morning grandma took Marley shopping, and then they went to Granddaddy’s office since she wanted to see where he worked.

Granddaddy took them out for lunch, while eating, Granddaddy asked Marley, “Are you ready to go home tomorrow?”

She answered, “Yes, I want to see my mom, dad, and my horse.”

The Richards and Marley finished their lunch and Granddaddy went back to work.

Grandma and Marley went to the shop for a couple of hours more and then went home. Saturday morning Mr. Richards called Ashley to let her know that they were leaving.

A few hours later Marley was back home. Happy to see her parents, she ran to them and they all unloaded the car.

When Marley finished unpacking her things she went to check on her horse while her parents made lunch.

The Roxenburys and the Richards had lunch in the yard by the lake. Later that evening they all went horseback riding.

The Richards stayed until Sunday afternoon. Charles invited them to come back anytime they wanted to visit.

Granddaddy told Marley, “We’ll see you in three weeks for the weekend. You call us anytime!”

They all said their goodbyes.

Marley spent the rest of the day telling her parents about the photo album pictures, working at the shop, visiting Tiffany and Cousin Dru, drawing pictures and hanging them in grandma’s shop, and how she met some friends next door to the Richards.

One year later, Ashley made partner at the Law Firm on the same day that Tiffany gave birth to her first child.

Tiffany and Dru named their first-born Andrew Tyrek Roxenbury, IV.

The Richards visit Promise five times a year for the weekends and they join the rest of the family in
Texas
once a year for summer vacation.

Joyce Lomax-Dukes, of the baby-boomer generation, was born and reared in
Altamonte Springs
,
Florida
. She was the 17th of 18 children of David and Annie Mae Lomax. Her late sister Jean was both a songwriter and poet.

Joyce mothered four adult children, fifteen grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends and writing poems and short stories. She is a hard worker and loves communicating with new people. Joyce has worked in the fields of new construction clean up and retirement home cleaning.