A McClendon Thanksgiving Read online

  Michael rounded the door and saw his mother sitting in front of her sewing machine. A sight he’d seen many times in his life. At that moment, his heart overflowed with gratitude for having a mother like Margaret. Strong, courageous and a perfect role model, she’d made sure that he and his sister were provided for, especially when their father passed away suddenly.

  Margaret consistently gave him and his sister, Rebecca, the chance to have a voice whenever they got into trouble at school. Having that opportunity gave them both a sense of importance—no one person’s opinion was more valuable than the other. On every occasion that he’d sought her advice, she told him the truth whether he liked it or not. Michael couldn’t have asked for a better person to be his mother.

  Margaret’s face lit up when she saw Michael standing in the doorway. She got up and rushed over to wrap him in a loving embrace. “This is a pleasant surprise,” she said, releasing him, then placing a kiss on his cheek.

  “I just came from the McClendons’,” Michael said, moving farther into the room.

  Margaret walked back over to the sewing table and sat down. “You and Faith been out today? I thought she was busy sewing.”

  “She is. I went to see Russell and Myra,” Michael said, taking the empty chair by the end of the workstation.

  With a puzzled expression, Margaret looked at him over the magnifying glasses she used for sewing. “Why did you need to see them? Did something happen to Faith?”

  “No, I asked them if they would give me their blessing to ask her to marry me.”

  Margaret nodded her head swiftly then smiled. She moved closer to him. “I had a feeling this day would come.” She grasped his hands, which were lying in his lap.

  “When are you going to ask her?”—Margaret wanted to know.

  “After Thanksgiving dinner,” he said, staring his mother in the face.

  Michael wondered if his mother was truly happy for him. She had to know after all these years how much Faith meant to him. He needed to know what she was thinking.

  He squeezed Margaret’s hand. “Mom,” he said, gazing into her eyes.

  “Yes, baby,” Margaret replied.

  “Aren’t you happy for me?”

  Margaret sat back in her chair. “Why wouldn’t I be happy for you, baby?”

  Michael stood. “You didn’t really react to the announcement I just made.”

  “Well, what do you want me to say? I’m glad you thought enough of her parents to ask for their blessing, but you haven’t asked her, nor gotten an answer.”

  Michael moved quickly back to his mother’s chair. “Why? Do you think she’s not going to say yes?”

  Margaret extended her hand to the empty seat next to her. “Come over here and sit down.”

  Michael wanted to hear what his mother had to say because it was important that he give her the same courtesy that he’d given Faith’s parents. He sat down on the edge of the seat so that his knees touched hers.

  Margaret leaned in close. “Son, all I’ve ever wanted for you was for you to be happy. You’ve been infatuated with Faith since you were thirteen years old. Really, I think it was before then, but she’s always been the one you wanted.”

  Michael reached over to stop her, but she patted his hand and continued on, “Wait now, I know you’ve never told me that, but I’ve watched you over the years. Most of your early photographs are of Faith in her cheerleading uniform, you guys at the football and basketball games, etc. So you didn’t have to tell me.”

  There was a slight pause because Michael was trying to find the words to respond to her. He should have realized that his mother knew he loved Faith.

  “I love her, Mom,” Michael said finally.

  A wide smile grew on Margaret’s face. “I know you do, son. I know. She’s a wonderful girl. I hope that she says yes.”

  Michael’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?” There was something his mother wasn’t saying and he desperately needed to know.

  Margaret stood and opened her arms.

  He walked into them.

  “Don’t get your feelings hurt if she isn’t ready to get married. You’ve got to remember she just came out of a relationship a year ago.”

  Reality finally set in and Michael understood exactly what his mother meant. He could only hope she was ready to make him her husband.

  “I think I understand what you’re saying, Mom.” Michael kissed his mother on the cheek.

  “Everything will work out fine. Remember, all things work together.” She smiled, giving him a generous hug.

  Michael left his mother’s house and made up his mind that he was going shopping.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Michael had gone to several jewelry stores searching for the perfect ring. With everything he’d seen, he still couldn’t find what he was looking for. Michael started to wonder if he should have Faith pick out her own ring, but he wanted to surprise her.

  He decided to check one last store. When he walked inside, a young lady wearing a white top and blue- and white-striped shirt was cleaning the display cabinets with glass cleaner. He took notice of the various fixtures filled with high-end watches like Rolex and Movado, for men and women, as well as a wide selection of wedding rings mountings. He came up on a showcase that held gemstone rings, earrings and necklaces. After a few more minutes, he finally found what he was looking for.

  An older gentleman approached him, wearing polished black dress shoes, black slacks and a crisp white shirt. A very distinguished-looking fellow, with his wire-framed glasses and neat attire.

  “Can I help you find something?” The gray-haired man flashed a pleasant smile.

  “I need the perfect ring for my girlfriend,” Michael said, peering through the glass at the glistening jewelry.

  The man pointed down to the ring display trays he stood in front of. “In this section you’ll find some of our regular pieces, like the solitaires and wrap rings.”

  “I think I want something unique,” Michael commented.

  “Does she wear a lot of jewelry? Earrings, bracelets?” he asked, taking a small key, unlocking the case.

  “Yes, she does,” Michael responded, remembering that Faith wore all kinds of jewelry that accentuated her outfits.

  “Gold or silver?” The gentleman pulled several rings out of the cushioned velvet before pushing them back down.

  “Gold, I think,” Michael said quickly because honestly he couldn’t remember. She always wore something different.

  The man pointed to the glass display to his left. “Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll show you some of our more unique pieces,” the salesman said, locking the case.

  Michael eased onto one of the plush chairs in front of the bridal cabinet and his eyes widened as he looked over the ring selection.

  The salesman retrieved the key from his pocket, unlocked another display and pulled out a blue-velvet tray with several different styles. He retrieved a ring from the cushion and handed it to Michael. “Why don’t we try something in a platinum setting? Maybe with a large round center stone. You could then put a beautiful platinum band with it once you’re married.”

  Michael turned the ring around then flicked it back and forth between his thumb and forefinger to see how much it would sparkle. He wasn’t impressed, so Michael handed it back.

  The salesman then pulled out a two-and-a-half-carat pear-shaped diamond with a wrap that had a series of baguettes to surround the center stone.

  “This is a beautiful piece and all the stones have no inclusions.” He took a cloth and rubbed the ring with it before handing it to Michael.

  “I really like this one,” Michael said, turning the ring around, watching it glisten under the overhead light in the room.

  “Do you know her ring size?”

  “Six, I think.” Michael really had no idea, so h
e guessed. “If it’s too big or small we can bring it in to be sized?”

  “Sure you can and we won’t charge you extra,” the sales clerk said as he scribbled on the sales slip.

  “Let’s get this all cleaned, polished and wrapped for you.”

  Finally, Michael had the perfect ring for the perfect girl.

  Once he stepped outside, Michael retrieved his cell phone and dialed Faith’s number. She answered on the second ring.

  “Hey, babe,” Michael said.

  “Hey, yourself.”

  “Where are you?” He wanted to make sure she was still at home.

  “I told you I was going to work from home today so I can finish up some things.”

  “Can I come over? I’d like to talk to you.” He looked down at the ring, proud of his purchase.

  “Of course you can. I’ll be here.”

  After Michael ended the call, he jumped into his car and sped off. He was optimistic that she would open up to him this time. Leaving the past behind didn’t always make the hurt go away, but if he could help her heal that place in her heart, they could truly move on with their lives. Together.

  Faith straightened from the basket filled with clean, unfolded clothes and closed the dryer with her hip. She had been doing laundry all morning long—she couldn’t stand another day of the pile on the floor next to the overflowed clothes hamper.

  She carried the basket of clean clothes out to the sunroom off the kitchen and sat down on the small sofa. The room had to be only about ten-by-fourteen at most, so there wasn’t a lot of space, but it was cozy enough for her. She hadn’t had the opportunity to truly decorate it yet, but she’d had a sofa and two swivel chairs, along with a smaller cocktail table, in storage. After she added a throw rug, she was satisfied with the space.

  Sitting on the edge of the sofa, with her feet tucked underneath her, Faith folded the warm, fresh-scented towels that rested in the basket. Even though it was work, she was glad to get some housework done and listen to Will Downing’s rich baritone vocals on “Stop, Look, Listen to Your Heart”. Today, she decided not to worry about anything—no deadlines, no missed deliveries and no wrong orders. She would worry about that tomorrow, but today it would be all about doing laundry and, later, finishing her dresses.

  Picking up her cell phone, she pressed the button to check the time and wondered what was taking Michael so long. For the past couple of months, he’d call her from around the corner to tell her he was coming over, but this time it had been over twenty minutes. Maybe he was farther away than she thought.

  Suddenly, she heard the buzzer, causing her to jump and go to the door. Michael came up the stairs, and once he stepped over the threshold of the door, she threw her arms around him and greeted him with a kiss. Within seconds, she was in his arms and they were engaged in a deep kiss until they had to come up for air.

  “Hey, babe,” she said, reveling in the kiss they’d just shared. Because Michael was a hands-on kind of man, she was getting used to him touching her body, specifically her behind.

  She stepped back and looked him in the eye before giving him another kiss. “Hmm, that was good.” She had been looking forward to his touch, his kiss since he phoned her earlier.

  “And how is my baby today?” Michael asked, shrugging out of his jacket, opening the coat-closet door.

  Faith took the lightweight coat from him and put it on a hanger. “I’m feeling so much better, now that I’ve washed some of my clothes. As a matter of fact, that’s what I was doing when you called me earlier.”

  “I really need to talk to you,” Michael said, closing the closet door.

  At first Faith didn’t think anything of it, but the tone of his voice sounded serious. He wasn’t his usually chipper self, trying to make her laugh.

  “Oh, okay,” she said, ushering him through the kitchen into the sunroom.

  She turned around to face him. “What happened?”

  Michael sat down on the couch and patted the empty spot next to him. “Come over here, babe.”

  Faith sat down next to him, pulling his hand into her lap. She studied his face and saw his brows furrow. “Tell me,” she said, searching his eyes. His dark eyes connected with hers and she could see the worry in them.

  “Do you love me?” he asked.

  Faith didn’t know where the question came from. Why would he be asking that question, as close as they’d become in the last couple of months? “Of course I do.”

  Michael encouraged her to look him in the eye. “Do you want to spend the rest of your life with me?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Will you marry me?”

  Faith froze. She couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. All she knew was that if she answered him right now, he would be devastated. Yet, if she didn’t, he would read it negatively. Despite her feelings for him, she wasn’t ready to deal with this kind of commitment. Their life together was great and she was enjoying where their relationship was headed. She hadn’t thought about marriage, not now, because she was still getting to know herself, doing the things she wanted to do.

  She hesitated so long she looked away, causing Michael to vacate the seat next to her. But rather than say anything, he began to pace.

  “I do love you, Michael, but…” Faith stopped, not knowing how to go on without hurting him. That was the last thing she wanted to do.

  “Well, is that a yes?”

  Faith shook her head. “No, it isn’t, but it’s not a no either.” Faith stood to face him. “What brought this marriage proposal on?”

  “I was going to wait until Thanksgiving, but I wanted to talk to you about some things.”

  Faith was glad Michael had asked her now, with just the two of them present, so he wouldn’t be embarrassed in front of his mother and her family.

  “Well, if you’re not saying no, then what are you saying?”

  “Michael,” Faith grasped his hand and led him back to the sofa. They sat together. “What do you want to know?”

  “Why you won’t open up to me.”

  “Open up to you? I’ve shared everything I have with you. My body, my thoughts. What else is there for me to give you?”

  “Your heart,” Michael said adamantly.

  “But you have that.”

  “No I don’t. I believe you’ve given me ninety percent of it, but there’s that ten percent that Kevin still has a hold on.”

  Faith jerked her head back. “Kevin? What does he have to do with this?”

  “He has everything to do with this. As a matter of fact, it’s all his fault…for doing whatever it was he did to you.”

  Faith remained silent.

  “See, that’s what I’m talking about. Each and every time I mention him, you go silent. It’s like you check out or something. What did this man do to you that makes you act this way?”

  “Michael, I told you before that I’m leaving Kevin in my past. I think you should too.”

  “How can I do that when he’s jeopardizing our future?”

  “Kevin doesn’t even know about us. I haven’t spoken to him in well over a year.”

  “Kevin has everything to do with us. I want your whole heart, not ninety percent.”

  Faith couldn’t say anything else because she honestly didn’t know how to handle the situation. She had never experienced love like Michael gave her, but she couldn’t allow Michael to control the situation or her. She’d made a promise to herself not to allow anyone to do that ever again.

  “Look, I said that I don’t want to talk about Kevin and I meant that. I don’t see why we just can’t move on with our lives.”

  “We can move on if you trust me enough to open up about him.”

  Faith stared at Michael. “I’ve told you and I’ll say it one more time. I don’t want to talk about Kevin Harrington, point-blank, period.�
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  Michael jumped up and started pacing the floor again, then stopped to face her. “Faith, I have tried everything I know to get you to open up to me. I even had a talk with your parents and my mother to see—” Michael couldn’t even get the words out before Faith moved off the couch.

  “You what?”

  Before she could pull away, he closed his fingers over hers, gripping her right hand in his. “I spoke to your parents,” he repeated.

  She recoiled in anger at his revelation. “How dare you speak to my parents about my relationship with Kevin? I am a grown-ass woman or have you forgotten that bit of information? It’s not like what happened when we ended up going to the prom together.”

  Michael raised his eyebrows before moving his hand back and forth. “I only went to them because I was worried about you.”

  Faith frowned and shook her head as she listened to him. “Oh hell, you weren’t worried about me. You were trying to find out what happened between me and Kevin since I wouldn’t tell you,” Faith said, her eyes dancing. She walked out of the sunroom, into the kitchen.

  Opening the cabinet, she pulled out a coffee cup to make a cup of tea. She sighed as she watched water fill the kettle, needing to calm down, and fast, before she said something to Michael she would regret.

  She could feel Michael walking up behind her. She swung around and they stood staring at each other.

  “Michael, my parents don’t know what actually happened between my ex-husband and me because I didn’t tell them. I knew some girls at work who had marital problems and chose to drag their families into their situations. Sometimes the husband and wife would reconcile, leaving the family members with grudges.”

  “Well, your father doesn’t seem to be in the dark. Could one of your sisters have told him?”

  She continued even though she just wanted to drop it. “My sisters don’t know all of it either. And I’m sorry, neither will you, no matter how many times you ask. So please drop it.”

  “You still didn’t answer my question. Are you going to marry me or not?”

  Standing with the refrigerator door open, the cool air brought Faith out of her private thoughts. “We need to let that rest because it’s not the time. I’m trying to get my business up and running. I haven’t even thought about marriage since I just got out of one. What made you think I wanted to jump right into another?”