Key To My Heart (Love Conquers All) Read online

  Shaking his head, Langston put his hands in his trouser pockets as he studied his wingtip shoes. Every chance his mother got she made acrid references hurled at Ava. From the moment she laid eyes on Ava, she despised her. Whenever Langston brought her around, the older woman had no qualms letting the younger woman know she wasn’t welcomed.

  Beatrice was a master at degrading people. Her insults were calculating and subtle in nature. She’d compliment Ava, telling her the dress and shoes she wore were beautiful, but when Beatrice’s husband and son would leave the room, she’d taunt, “I guess dating my son allows you such luxuries.”

  Beatrice would never come right out and tell Ava to her face that she believed she was sleeping with her son to get nice things. Surely someone from South Philly couldn’t afford them. The woman was beyond ignorant. She had no idea that the area of South Philly where Ava parents owned their home was prime real estate that had more than tripled in value from when they purchased it in the mid 1970s. The fact that the Peretti family came to the States and started a thriving construction company in the 1930s was of no importance to the snobbish woman. Nor did it occur to her that Ava’s father sent Ava a handsome monthly allowance to buy whatever she wished. The last thing she needed was for Langston or any man to buy her things.

  When Ava would confront Langston about his mother’s behavior, he’d accuse her of being overly sensitive. He’d make excuses on Beatrice’s behalf, explaining away her offenses.

  For more than two years Ava endured his mother’s blatant meanness. Complaining only added to the strain of Ava and Langston’s relationship. Often they’d end up arguing because of something Beatrice said or did to Ava. Because she loved Langston, Ava would bite her tongue and ignore the woman.

  Finally having had enough of Beatrice’s mess, one day Ava heatedly demanded, “What did I ever do to you for you to hate me so much?”

  “I hate all you high yellow bitches!” Beatrice yelled. “You think you can just walk in here and take over my family? Well you can’t! I’ll see to it that my son uses you like the tramp you are, and then throw you away!”

  All those years ago Beatrice hadn’t been aware of Langston’s presence as she deliberately cut Ava with her poisonous tongue. And once again, today she hadn’t been aware of his presence when she was lashing out at Zoe.

  Langston’s stare was empty as he looked at his mother. It was as if he was truly seeing her for the very first time. And he didn’t like what he saw.

  Until this evening he didn’t want to admit that his mother’s harsh treatment of her own grandchild, an innocent seven-year-old, had been because she looked so much like her mother. Although Langston loved his mother, he would not stand by and allow her to further terrorize his daughter, damaging his child’s self-esteem in the process. He never wanted to see that helpless look in Zoe’s eyes, the same look Ava’s eyes held so many years ago.

  “Mother, do not come to my home again unannounced.”

  “How dare you speak to me like this? I am still your mother!” Beatrice shrieked, tears pooling in her aging eyes.

  Fighting to rein in his anger, Langston gritted out between clenched teeth, “And how dare you treat my child so cruelly. Zoe has never done anything to you. The poor child walks around on eggshells trying to please you every time you come around. Yet all you do is punish her because she looks like her mother.”

  Letting out a frustrated sigh, Langston rubbed his hands over his close cropped hair. He knew sooner or later this day would come. He knew deep in his heart that Beatrice never loved Zoe the way a grandmother should love her grandchild, if she loved her at all. The only time she’d ever showed any semblance of grandmotherly affection was in the presence of guests whom she was entertaining at one of her infamous lavish dinner parties.

  She was all smiles when the adults doted on how adorable and well mannered her grandchild behaved. However, the moment Beatrice had a chance to get the child alone, she’d whispered something in her ear that made the child disappear for the rest of the evening.

  Now Beatrice opened her mouth to say something, but no words would come. Her son, the child she’d raised, had the nerve to tell her she was no longer welcomed in his home. Next he’d be telling her she was no longer welcomed in his life. Well fine! If that’s the way he wanted it, then so be it.

  Straightening her spine, she blinked away her tears. He would not have the last word. Beatrice lifted her chin. When she spoke every word was laced with deadly venom. “That child has been nothing but a thorn in my side since you forced her into my life. All this is your fault, and that weak father of yours. I hope he’s burning in hell.”

  Unbelievable, Langston thought. “Mother, show yourself out. You know the way.”

  eee

  Zoe placed her tiny hand over her mouth, stifling another yawn. She was trying her best to keep her heavy lids open as Langston read her a bedtime story.

  Looking down at Zoe nestled in his lap, Langston gently closed the book. “Love Bug, it’s time for you to go to bed.”“OK, Daddy, but first I want to say my prayers,” she said around another yawn.

  Hopping off her daddy’s lap, Zoe stood, taking his large hand in her tiny one, and leading him over to the bed. Langston followed suit and kneeled in the praying position with her.“Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. God bless Daddy, God bless Mr. Charles, and God bless Grandmother. And, God, please bring me a mommy to love me. Amen.”

  “Amen,” Langston whispered. Tucking in Zoe, he gently kissed her forehead before leaving the room. As Langston made his way to his home office his heart sunk to the pit of his stomach. Zoe had never once inquired about a mother, her mother. And now suddenly she was praying to be loved by one. What was he going to do?

  Chapter 3

  Ava maneuvered her SUV into the parking spot on the tiny side street in South Philly. Opening the front door with her key, she smiled to herself. The five o’clock news could be heard on the television in the kitchen, which meant her parents were watching it as they ate dinner.

  “Mom, Dad, it’s me,” she yelled, taking off her jacket and throwing it on the sofa on her way into the kitchen.

  “Hey, stranger.” Dominic Peretti greeted his daughter, mirth in his thick, South Philly Italian accent.

  Playfully Ava fussed, rolling her eyes, “Oh, Dad, stop it. I just talked to you the other day.” Going to her mother first, she kissed her on the cheek. Ava gave her mom a mischievous grin, nodding her head in her dad’s direction. “Has he been treating you all right?”

  Falling in step with the bantering, Janet Peretti cut her husband a seductive glance. Bringing a glass of merlot to her full lips, she hid a smirk before speaking. “He’s been a very good boy.”

  Dominic winked at Janet. “You better know it.”

  Ava laughed, holding up her hands. “Ah, too much information, Okaaay,” she joked as she went to her father.

  Dominic chuckled as he placed his hands on each side of Ava’s face, kissing her on both cheeks.

  Pulling out a chair, Ava took a seat at the table with her parents. Now that she had gauged her parents were in their easy-going, everyday flow, she felt awkward. Her parents’ home always held an atmosphere of peace. This was something Dominic demanded as head of the household. Nobody brought drama through his front door.

  Feeling like she was twelve-years-old again, Ava fiddled with her fingers. She was about to bring a ripple of disturbance into these calm waters. So many years had passed since she and her parents had discussed the mistake she made as a college senior. Ava was still hurt by her parents’ disappointment with her decision. Now, in hindsight, she understood their disappointment. No one was more disappointed in herself than she was.“Baby, are you hungry? You want me to fix you a plate?” Janet asked, studying her daughter. All playful bantering ceased the moment she sat down. It was apparent something was troubling her child.

  “No, Mom,
I’m not hungry.” She couldn’t eat if she wanted to. The way her stomach was churning with nervousness, she dared not try to force anything into it. “I just need to talk to you and Dad about something.”

  Ava watched as her parents exchanged glances. Dominic put down the fork full of pasta he was about to put in his mouth and gave Ava his full attention.“What is it, sweetheart?” he asked, clearly concerned. Since his daughter had been on her own, it wasn’t often she’d come to them to talk about anything serious.

  “I need your help,” Ava whispered.

  Reaching out, Janet took Ava’s hand in hers. “Honey, you know your dad and I are always here for you and your brother.”

  Ava looked from her mother to her father before she spoke. Taking a deep breath, she confessed, “Mom and Dad, I made the biggest mistake by giving away my baby.” Ava swallowed, attempting to gain composure of her shaky voice, but failing miserably. “I’ve been having dreams about her.” Blinking back the tears, she choked out, “I want my baby.”

  Janet’s hand went to her lips. Her fingers trembled as tears fell from her dark eyes. Her baby was hurting. It was all in her eyes as she made her confession. There wasn’t anything she and Dominic would withhold from their children. But what her child was asking, was it possible?

  “Oh, honey, what can we do?”

  Janet shared the same heartache as Ava. Over the years she and Dominic would lay in bed late at night talking about their grandchild, wondering what she was like, who she looked like, wishing they had known Ava was pregnant and had made a decision to give their first grandbaby up for adoption. If they had known, they would’ve brought their daughter home to have her baby and help her raise the child. Instead she was manipulated by a wealthy family of lawyers to give away her child in order to protect the family’s upstanding name.

  Dominic yelled out a string of expletives in Italian. Switching back to English, his tirade didn’t let up. “I tell you what we can do! We’ll get a lawyer and demand our grandchild back! They took advantage of my daughter!” Dominic’s chest heaved from anger as his olive complexion turned crimson.

  Pushing his chair back, he rose and began to pace across the marble tiled floor. He continued to vent his anger, anger that had been suppressed for years. “And if a lawyer can’t get the job done, I still have connections!”

  Janet released a sharp gasp. Was this man, her man, serious? No, he couldn’t be talking about backsliding.

  “Oh, Lord have mercy!” Janet jumped up from her seat at the table to go to her husband. Putting her hand on his chest, she stilled his movement. “Dominic, stop it! Stop it right now! You left that life behind a long time ago!” Janet frantically pleaded, nearly hysterical.

  “And I’ll go right back to it if I have to! I should have done it years ago to those bastards for hurting my baby!”

  Stepping back, Janet wrapped her arms around her slender waist as tears pooled in her eyes. “You promised me, Dominic.”

  Dominic raked his fingers through his salt and pepper hair. Staring at his wife, the love of his life, he didn’t know which way to turn. Sure he had promised his wife he’d become a changed man. And for the most part he had. Although he was no longer in the business, he had plenty of markers he could call in whenever he needed a favor. And as far as he was concerned, it was time to make that call.

  As if reading his mind, Janet began to nervously wring her hands.

  Witnessing her parents about to tumble into a massive meltdown, Ava began to shake her head. No, no, no! She didn’t want this. All she wanted was for her parents to support what she was about to do.

  “Dad, please calm down. You’re getting Mom upset.”

  Her mother had stopped wringing her hands, but was now rummaging through kitchen cabinet drawers, like a raccoon searching a trash can, no doubt looking for the cigarettes she kept hidden for stressful moments like this.

  Ava really didn’t know what her father was into in his younger days. She wasn’t quite sure she wanted to know either. It was bad enough growing up and hearing the murmurs about her father being a legend in the underworld. And how he’d given it all up after he married the pretty black girl from Germantown, settled down, and had a couple of kids.

  Apparently from her mother’s reaction it wouldn’t be difficult at all for her father to ease back into that world.

  Ava went to her mother, closed the drawer she was tearing up, and held her in a tight embrace. The last thing she wanted was to bring strife into her parents’ home. And that was exactly what she had done as she felt her mother’s trembling frame clinging to her.

  “All I want to know is that you both support my decision to find my daughter.” Leaving her mother’s arms, she went to her father. Before she could lean against his chest, his arms enveloped her. “Daddy, please don’t break any promises you made to Mommy. Not even for me.”

  Dominic squeezed his daughter tightly. She hadn’t called him daddy or Janet mommy in years. Oh, how he wished she was a little girl again so he could protect her. But she was a grown woman. All he could do now was stand by her and support her.

  Glancing over at his wife, he held out an arm, inviting her into the embrace. Janet freely went, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. Dominic kissed the top of her head. Letting out a deep breath, Dominic grumbled, “I promise I’ll keep my word, Janet.” Although he wanted nothing more than to handle things the old way.

  Ava slowly let out the deep breath she was holding. Thank you, Jesus.

  Chapter 4

  “Wow. That was intense,” Ava whispered to herself as she sat outside in her vehicle in front of Starr and Kevin’s home. She had no idea her dad’s Sicilian temper would come to an explosive head. Nor did she have any idea her parents had been mourning and continued to mourn not having their only grandchild in their lives. This new revelation magnified Ava’s devastation. Her actions had denied her parents the privilege of being loving grandparents. She had no doubt in her mind that Janet and Dominic would have spoiled her little girl something terrible.

  Leaning over, Ava grabbed her Coach bag from the passenger seat. Unzipping the bag, she reaching in, pulling out the check her dad had given her. Thirty thousand dollars.

  Ava dabbed at her right eye with her left index finger, preventing the tear that gathered there from spilling. When her father left the room to rein in his temper, he soon returned and gently placed the check in her hand. “Sweetheart, use this to get yourself a good lawyer. Let me know if you need more.”

  Wrapping her arms around Dominic’s neck, she whispered, “Thanks, Daddy.”

  Putting the check back in her purse, Ava’s hand searched for the round compact mirror in the bottom of her purse. Flipping the compact open, she studied her eyes. Yup, they were red and watery just as she expected.

  Snapping the compact shut, Ava laid her head against the leather headrest. She had to pull it together before going inside. She had to make sure her hard exterior she paraded around for years remained in check. But how? How could she when little cracks and chips had been slowly eroding its surface for months now? How was she going to go up in there and face her best friends, her sisters? One look at her and they’d know something was wrong. Very wrong.

  She had kept her secret from them for years. And it really hadn’t been all that difficult. After giving birth, Ava had taken the National Council Licensure Examination to become a registered nurse. Her main goal had been to get a job at a large teaching hospital in Center City Philadelphia where she could immerse herself in taking care of the sick. And that was exactly what she had done after receiving notification that she had successfully passed state boards.

  During Ava’s first week on the job, she met Starr Avery. Starr had been a nurse in the hospice unit for two years and was assigned to precept Ava into the role of being a staff nurse. After spending several weeks together, the young women became fast friends. A year later, Summer Jackson was hired as a staff nurse. Ava and Starr immediately reached out to the shy, twen
ty-one-year-old, offering their friendship. Now the three were the best of friends.

  Putting all of her energy into her new job and fostering a friendship with Starr and then Summer, Ava had pushed her heartache to a very dark corner in the back of her mind, only letting it surface when alone. And those occasions were very few.

  Her life was occupied with being young and having a good time. Never giving her past life much thought, she and her best friends lived the lives of fancy-free, foot-loose, and high-spirited young women. When they weren’t hopping on a train to New York for a weekend getaway shopping spree, booking a last minute discount trip to some tropical island, or ditching a pack of strays that came sniffing after them when they ventured out to a club, they were lounging in pajamas chatting, watching old movies, and sipping on Arbor Mist until the wee hours of the morning. With all of this going on, Ava hardly had time to dwell on the past. Her busy life numbed the pain.

  Yeah, it had all been so easy back then. But everything had changed when her friends began having children. Each time she witnessed them holding their babies, her heart twisted into a thousand knots, bringing back a rush of agonizing memories. No mother should be denied the basic right to hold a baby she’d loved and nurtured in her body for nine months.

  So immersed in her thoughts, Ava never saw the man walking toward her SUV. When he knocked on the window, she nearly shattered the windshield with the piercing scream that erupted from her lips.

  Sucking her teeth, she rolled down the window. Somebody was about to get a good cussing out. “What the—” Her words came to an abrupt halt as she saw who was leaning down and peering at her through the window.

  “Kevin! Don’t scare me like that no more!” Ava yelled.

  Kevin grinned. “Sorry. Just wondering why you’re sitting out here. Starr and Summer are waiting for you.”