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Authors: Kimberla Lawson Roby
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anything?”
“Because things are getting worse instead of better. Sometimes it’s best to let things cool down. Then figure out another way to tackle the problem. Matt’s going to be here through the weekend and will be spending all his time with Racquel and the baby, anyway.”
“What does that have to do with me?” she asked.
“Everything,” Curtis said, resting his arm across the back of the sofa. “If you let them have their time together, then you can focus on something else for a few days. I’m really worried about you, baby.”
Charlotte was livid. “If I allow too many days to pass without seeing little MJ, not only will he not know me when he sees me again, but Vanessa will think this is the way things are going to be. Matt will go back to school on Sunday, and she’ll think they can keep the baby away from us until he’s home again.”
“Maybe you, Vanessa, Neil, and I need to sit down and have a talk. Just the four of us.”
“Well, I’m not sure what good that’ll do, since Vanessa has already made her feelings very clear: she doesn’t want me at her house under any circumstances.”
“Something’s gotta give. This whole mess is uncalled for, and it’s unfair to Matt and Racquel.”
“Well, I’m going on record right now,” she said, crossing her legs. “I won’t be treated this way and not do anything about it.”
“That kind of talk isn’t going to help anything. What you need to do is pray. Let go and let God.”
Hmmph. Charlotte wished it were that easy, and the reason she’d never been good about letting go and letting God the way Curtis did was because sometimes God took a little too long to fix things. Sometimes she saw no other choice except to handle situations herself.
Curtis’s office phone rang, so he got up to answer it. “Yes.”
Charlotte could tell it was Lana, and she hoped he didn’t have to end their visit because she really needed him right now.
“Oh, that’s right,” he said. My time got away from me. I’ll leave now.”
Curtis laid the phone on its base. “Baby, I’m really sorry, but we’re gonna have to cut this short. I have a lunch meeting with Elder Jamison and Elder Dixon, and then I have to rush back here to do a counseling session. I didn’t realize how late it was.”
Charlotte stood up, already heading toward the door. “I guess I’ll see you at home, then.”
“Baby, wait,” he said, coming after her. “What’s wrong?”
“Everything. And now you’ve gotta run off to some meeting.”
“But you know I can’t help that. Elder Jamison and Elder Dixon do a lot for me and for the church, and a month ago I asked Lana to schedule lunch with them. I wanted to take them out. I told you about it yesterday.”
“Like I said, I’ll see you at home.”
“No kiss good-bye or anything?”
Charlotte wasn’t in the mood, but she turned and kissed Curtis anyway.
“I’ll call you this afternoon,” he said, grabbing his blazer and walking out with her.
When they made it to the parking lot, Charlotte got in her car, pulled out her cell phone, and called Matthew. She’d debated whether or not she should, but since Matthew had spent the night in Racquel’s room and she was going home today, Charlotte wanted to see how the baby was doing.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Hey, son, how are you?”
“Good.”
“And little MJ?”
“Great. He’s going home tomorrow or Friday.”
“That’s wonderful, Matt. I’m so thankful and glad to hear that. Can I come see him?”
“That’s fine, but I wanna make sure Racquel’s mom isn’t here when you do. So, I’ll call you back to let you know what time.”
Charlotte was outraged all over again, but all she said was, “Okay, I’ll just wait to hear from you.” When she hung up, she immediately dialed Curtis.
“Hey, baby. Everything okay?”
“Do you wanna know what your son just said to me?”
“What?”
“That he’ll have to call me back to let me know when it’s okay
“Because things are getting worse instead of better. Sometimes it’s best to let things cool down. Then figure out another way to tackle the problem. Matt’s going to be here through the weekend and will be spending all his time with Racquel and the baby, anyway.”
“What does that have to do with me?” she asked.
“Everything,” Curtis said, resting his arm across the back of the sofa. “If you let them have their time together, then you can focus on something else for a few days. I’m really worried about you, baby.”
Charlotte was livid. “If I allow too many days to pass without seeing little MJ, not only will he not know me when he sees me again, but Vanessa will think this is the way things are going to be. Matt will go back to school on Sunday, and she’ll think they can keep the baby away from us until he’s home again.”
“Maybe you, Vanessa, Neil, and I need to sit down and have a talk. Just the four of us.”
“Well, I’m not sure what good that’ll do, since Vanessa has already made her feelings very clear: she doesn’t want me at her house under any circumstances.”
“Something’s gotta give. This whole mess is uncalled for, and it’s unfair to Matt and Racquel.”
“Well, I’m going on record right now,” she said, crossing her legs. “I won’t be treated this way and not do anything about it.”
“That kind of talk isn’t going to help anything. What you need to do is pray. Let go and let God.”
Hmmph. Charlotte wished it were that easy, and the reason she’d never been good about letting go and letting God the way Curtis did was because sometimes God took a little too long to fix things. Sometimes she saw no other choice except to handle situations herself.
Curtis’s office phone rang, so he got up to answer it. “Yes.”
Charlotte could tell it was Lana, and she hoped he didn’t have to end their visit because she really needed him right now.
“Oh, that’s right,” he said. My time got away from me. I’ll leave now.”
Curtis laid the phone on its base. “Baby, I’m really sorry, but we’re gonna have to cut this short. I have a lunch meeting with Elder Jamison and Elder Dixon, and then I have to rush back here to do a counseling session. I didn’t realize how late it was.”
Charlotte stood up, already heading toward the door. “I guess I’ll see you at home, then.”
“Baby, wait,” he said, coming after her. “What’s wrong?”
“Everything. And now you’ve gotta run off to some meeting.”
“But you know I can’t help that. Elder Jamison and Elder Dixon do a lot for me and for the church, and a month ago I asked Lana to schedule lunch with them. I wanted to take them out. I told you about it yesterday.”
“Like I said, I’ll see you at home.”
“No kiss good-bye or anything?”
Charlotte wasn’t in the mood, but she turned and kissed Curtis anyway.
“I’ll call you this afternoon,” he said, grabbing his blazer and walking out with her.
When they made it to the parking lot, Charlotte got in her car, pulled out her cell phone, and called Matthew. She’d debated whether or not she should, but since Matthew had spent the night in Racquel’s room and she was going home today, Charlotte wanted to see how the baby was doing.
“Hey, Mom.”
“Hey, son, how are you?”
“Good.”
“And little MJ?”
“Great. He’s going home tomorrow or Friday.”
“That’s wonderful, Matt. I’m so thankful and glad to hear that. Can I come see him?”
“That’s fine, but I wanna make sure Racquel’s mom isn’t here when you do. So, I’ll call you back to let you know what time.”
Charlotte was outraged all over again, but all she said was, “Okay, I’ll just wait to hear from you.” When she hung up, she immediately dialed Curtis.
“Hey, baby. Everything okay?”
“Do you wanna know what your son just said to me?”
“What?”
“That he’ll have to call me back to let me know when it’s okay
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