We Didn’t See it Coming (28 page)

T
essa didn't part her lips to say a word as she turned over her purse for prison security to check for contraband. She went on and followed what she was told to do for the rest of the check-in procedures to obtain visitation.

Afterward, she was led into a room where all visitors were asked to be seated.

Lightly tapping her feet on the floor, Tessa waited for her niece to come out.

Aniyah, dressed in an orange uniform, strutted into the room. Her once high-fashion hairstyle was pulled back in a rubber band. Her face was as dull as an unsharpened knife from the lack of makeup. Right away she spotted her aunt. She had assumed her aunt was a public defender assigned to her case, in hopes of getting her released. “Aunt Tessa, I'm happy you came to your senses,” she said. She wanted to give her aunt a big hug but the handcuffs held her hands hostage. “You've come to get me out of this mess you put me in.”

Tessa no longer tapped her foot, nor was there a smile on her face. “How can you say it's my fault that you're behind bars?”

Aniyah yelled, “You didn't keep your damn mouth shut!”

“Lower your voice, Sanchez,” a tall, medium-built female correctional officer said.

“Calm down,” Tessa said.

“We could have had the world,” Aniyah said as she lowered her voice.

“Rosie, none of it belonged to us.”

Aniyah raised her voice again. “Damn, when something is so easily placed in your lap, Aunt Tessa, you take it.”

“Sanchez, you're too loud,” the female correctional officer bellowed.

Aniyah looked back at the officer and rolled her eyes. She stared back at her aunt. “Look, just leave. I've had enough of you.” She stood up.

“Stay in your seat, Sanchez, that's your last warning,” the female correctional officer bellowed.

Aniyah eased back down in the chair.

“You're so bitter. Is that why you want to cause harm to others?” Tessa asked, and then she went on to a touchy subject: “It's just like your man friend who, today, tried to hurt the Houston girls at their home.”

Aniyah laughed, as she was quite aware of who her aunt meant. “Danny went after them snobby Houstons? He's good for something.”

“I'm so ashamed of you. You think it's funny to celebrate other people's misery. Your friend is in the hospital with two broken legs.”

Aniyah laughed hysterically. “Good for him, too. I hate all of them.”

“I think you hate yourself more. You're not the little, sweet girl I used to know. It's going to hurt your mama if I ever decide to tell her.”

Aniyah squinted. “Leave my mama out of this. Just keep your mouth closed on my business. You're just like Danny—so controlling.”

Tessa listened as Aniyah revealed the name of the man in the hospital. “He's the one that got you to leave Mexico. Isn't he?”

“Yes. I left with him because I wanted to get away from the poor life.”

“Your mama and I worked long hours to give you a good home.”

“Long hours to still be poor. You blew our chance to have all the money in the world!” Aniyah yelled.

“It's not money for us to
take
. Why can't you understand that?”

“You blew it!” Aniyah yelled as she stood up and turned to the officer. “Take me back to my cell.”

“Don't go, Rosie. I have more to say,” Tessa pleaded.

“My name is Aniyah and you're nothing to me. You're nothing but a Houston whore. I hate you!” Aniyah yelled as the officer took her away.

Tessa laid her head down and cried. She wanted to share the news with Aniyah that she would drop the kidnapping charges but her niece had become someone else—someone that she no longer recognized. Tessa mumbled as she hurried out, “God, my niece's soul is with the devil.”

• • •

Walking out onto the patio of the Houston Villa, Tessa saw the Houstons and Baron chatting around a black cast-iron table for eight.

Baron noticed the redness in her eyes as she entered. He could tell she had been crying and went to her. “How did it go?”

Tessa shook her head. “Not good at all. My niece is in her own body, but her soul is destroyed.”

“With time, everything will come to a peaceful resolution,” he said.

Tessa walked over to the table and grabbed Milandra by the hand. “Please forgive the Sanchez family. We are really good people. I didn't drop the charges on Rosie. I know now that she must take the punishment for her wrongdoings.”

“I'm glad you came to your senses,” Milandra said.

“Let's start thinking of Mother and how beautiful she was. Let's start rejoicing the good soul she had. She was a charitable woman,” Noelle said as she smiled.

Milandra knew what her sister said was true. Her mother would give to a stranger on the street. Alana never walked by anyone without saying “Good day.”

Milandra looked over at Nolan, who was staring at her. Just looking into his eyes, she saw the compassion she always saw in her mother's eyes.

Everyone watched as Milandra stood up and gave Tessa a hug. “Forgive me. Forgive my father. I know Father didn't show you the good and nurturing side of him, but believe me, it was within him.” Milandra let go of Tessa and grabbed her hand. She reached and took Baron by the hand. She locked his hand with Tessa's. “Be happy. Catch up on the love you've always had for each other.”

Baron gave Milandra a hug. “Thanks, Miss Houston,” he said.

“It's a new day. You're welcome to call me and my sisters by our first names.”

“Thanks, Milandra.” He smiled.

Nolan rushed over to Milandra and hugged her. Sid ran over and hugged Noelle.

Kenley watched as they hugged each other. “What's this? Everyone has someone to hug, but me.” Kenley laughed.

Pete came out of the kitchen to the patio to check on their needs. Kenley ran over and threw her left arm around his neck. He kept his hands up in the air. He yelled, “I didn't do anything.”

“No, you didn't. I'm not going to use you like that fake Aniyah.” Kenley laughed as she let go of him. Everyone on the patio was silent.

Milandra was curious. “Pete, how did she use you?”

“In her bed. I had to or I would lose my job at the estate. To protect me, Elsa sent me on many errands,” Pete admitted.

Tessa went over to him. “I'm sorry for whatever my niece did to you. You're such a nice young man.”

Kenley went back over to him. She gave him a hug all over again. “You definitely need lots of hugs.”

“Thanks,” Pete said, smiling, enjoying all the hugs from Kenley.

Everyone else went back to hugging their significant other.

A
niyah was convicted of all the charges against her and so was Danny, who was wanted for other crimes throughout the state of Georgia.

It was packing time for the Houstons. Milandra hurried to pack her clothes in boxes with the help of a servant. Kenley packed with the aid of Pete. He became her private servant, even though Milandra insisted she have a female servant.

“Remember, he's just help. So don't get any ideas,” Milandra warned her.

In her room, Noelle let her clothes stay put. She wondered how she would tell her sisters that she wanted to stay where she was.

Milandra came into her sister's bedroom. “I know you're the first to be packed,” she said, but she was startled to see the bedroom was neat and tidy—not like her bedroom, which had clothes laying everywhere to be boxed. “You haven't even started to pack. Nolan will have his movers here early this afternoon.”

“I'm not moving,” Noelle softly said.

“You can't mean that,” Milandra said in disbelief.

Noelle stared out of the opened window, viewing the calm waves of the lake. “I've fallen in love with the Houston Villa.”

“How can you? This is where Father kept his lovers. This is where that man attacked us.”

“Yes, but it's here that I feel so much peace. I guess you wouldn't understand. You're so much like Father.”

“I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or not,” Milandra said as she walked over to her sister. She looked out the window to admire the view, too.

“I didn't mean anything negative by it. I know you love the prestigious life more than Kenley and I, so the estate fits you in every way.”

“And you don't love money?”

“I do, but I don't want it to control me. I want to be free to be me. Every time I do something, I don't want to have to remember that I have to live up to being a Houston.”

“You can't escape that, Noelle. That's who you are.”

“Yes, it's my name, but I want to live it in the way that I want to—not by any
Houston
rule book.”

“You really mean what you say?” Milandra asked. “You want to let go of all the ways a Houston should be?”

Noelle walked past her sister. She sat in front of a vanity table and brushed her hair.

“I just want to be myself as a Houston.”

Milandra could see her sister wasn't budging. “Okay, if you want to stay here, fine. Kenley and I are definitely leaving here ASAP.”

Noelle couldn't believe Milandra wasn't going to give her a good verbal fight.

“Thank you, Milandra, for respecting my wishes.”

“Can you do one thing for me?”

“What is it?”

“Can we Houston girls still go to lunch every Friday, as Mother always had us do?”

“Of course!”

Noelle laid the brush on the vanity and stood up. As she embraced her older sister, her baby sister entered the bedroom.

“Do you need me to call Sid to help you pack?” Kenley teased since she saw her sister hadn't begun to pack.

“No. I've decided to stay here—at least for now,” Noelle said.

“Wow! Is Sid moving in with you?” Kenley asked.

Milandra echoed, astonished, “Sid is moving in here with you?”

“Of course not. Those were Kenley's words, not mine. Now
that
part of a Houston, I'll keep. No man will move in here until he makes me an honest woman.”

“You scared me for a moment,” Milandra said, relieved.

They laughed as they embraced in a group hug.

The day went as planned. Noelle helped them with their clothing. Nolan's movers packed their bags and boxes into the truck.

Noelle walked her sisters out to the limo. A tear rolled down her face. “I'll come to visit soon.”

“Tomorrow,” Milandra ordered.

They gave one another pecks on the cheeks. Noelle waved until she could no longer see the limo. The first item on the agenda in her new life would be to call Elsa to arrange for a servant for her. That part of a Houston's life she wouldn't give up. Pete had already left to go back to the estate, thanks to Kenley, who pouted until Milandra gave in and allowed him to continue working at the estate.

Before the end of the day, the doorbell chimed and Noelle made her way to the front door. When she opened it, her eyes lit up. Who better to be her first guest than Sid. She smiled. “Welcome to my home.”

Sid gave her a peck on the cheek and entered. “I went to the estate. Kenley told me you decided to stay here. I'm surprised.”

“I think it's time I stand on my own two feet. I always stood in
the shoes of my family. I'm kind of nervous, but I think I can do it.”

“I'll help you any way I can.”

“Come in the kitchen; there's a freshly baked sweet potato pie ready to be eaten.”

“Sounds delicious.” Sid followed her into the kitchen.

Noelle handled the pie carefully as she carried it from the oven to the table. She directed Sid to find a knife in one of the drawers.

After slicing the pie in sections, Sid placed a slice on each of their plates. Noelle got ice cream out of the freezer and put two scoops on his plate and one scoop on her plate. Together, they began to feast on the dessert.

“Yummy…delicious,” he said.

“I love vanilla ice cream and pie together. My mother always had the cook prepare this dessert at least once a week.”

“Did you bake this pie?” Sid asked, knowing she didn't.

“No way! The help baked it. You would never want to see me again after eating a pie I baked. It would be a disaster.”

“One day you and I will make one together,” he promised.

Noelle's voice was as squeaky as a mouse when she asked him, “You can bake a pie?”

“Oh yeah. I wasn't blessed with a silver spoon. I've watched my mother bake up a storm. It rubbed off on me.”

“I guess sometimes letting others do for you can make a person like me lose out on doing simple things that may just be fun. I look forward to making pies with you.” She smiled.

Sid jumped up out of his seat. He took the remainder of the pie off the table and tossed it in the trashcan.

Noelle watched him with her mouth wide open. He took their plates and dumped them in the sink.

“I can't believe you threw the pie in the trash.”

“Oh, yeah. We're going to bake our own pie.”

“Right now.”

Sid ran around the kitchen and took out all the ingredients to make a sweet potato pie. Noelle stood back and watched him move around the kitchen like a professional chef.

“Come over here. I'll give the instructions and you'll do as I say.”

“I think you're going to regret throwing the other pie in the garbage.”

“My recipe is better. And your touch is going to make it taste even better.”

Noelle did as he said every step of the way. “This is fun,” she admitted as she stirred the sweet potato mixture.

She finished his last instruction. She placed the pie in the oven.

“There, the pie is cooking. Wait until Milandra hears that I baked a pie. She's going to think I've truly gone against being a Houston.”