“Oh, good grief,” Delilah huffed. “I don’t want to hear anything out of his mouth. And yes, I’m committed to this. Yes, I’m scared. I feel like nothing in the world makes sense anymore. I have to have control. Some sort of control over my life, my future. The world is falling apart. Goodiva is missing, and now this? You know that bastard Jaxon Price is behind all of this.”
“Yeah, oh, he is. Don’t you worry? I’m going to expose the bastard,” Queen said.
“What do we do until then?” Delilah asked.
“We beat the scumbag at his own game. Trust me, I’m working on a few things,” Queen mumbled.
“Well, until you figure it out, I have to deal with Noah’s father. Wow,” she sighed. “That feels strange saying it out loud. Whatever. I can’t change any of it. No matter what decisions I make, he’s always going to be Noah’s father.”
“True,” Queen said. “How are the Montgomery’s dealing with their new reality? Tyson had to resign his seat in the Senate over this. How old is he now?”
“Sixty-two,” Delilah said.
“Yeah, old enough to know better. I know Mother Abigail is pissed. And they hired ex-FBI agents as security for their ranch. He’s hold up there with his wife and her kids.”
“People want to talk about me and my past, but what about the great Senator Tyson marrying a twenty-two-year-old ex-stripper who was already pregnant with triplets from another man, but they pretend the kids are his?” Delilah chuckled.
Queen snickered. “You should spill that tea!”
Delilah laughed. “I wish I could.” She then shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe I’ll leak it to TMZ.”
Queen roared with laughter. They shared a smile and watched Noah play in silence.
“Mother Abigail is on the television almost every day trying to compete with one scandal after the next,” said Queen.
“Yeah, and throw me under the bus,” Delilah mumbled. “Mother Abigail has effectively removed me from the Women’s League, The Ladies of Cove Charitable Foundation. I lost my seat on the Montgomery Board. If I don’t fight against their lies in the press about Charles and I working for that Monster of Mayfair, they’ve agreed to not contest Charles’ will. And they will let me keep the ranch and my law firm. Though they can’t do a damn thing about it.”
“What about those fancy friends of yours? Are they supportive?” Queen asked.
“All of those ladies who used to seek my professional advice and friendship are gone with the wind, honey. Now they won’t even look at me in the grocery store. I have a big scarlet letter on my chest. Charles crimes are mine as far as their concerned.”
“To hell with them all,” Queen said.
“Queen! The last thing I need is for Noah to pick your dirty mouth.”
“Sorry,” Queen said. “Sorry, Noah!”
Noah banged on his toys with a toy mallet and then put one of his blocks in his mouth. Queen saluted him with her beer, “He’s fine.”
“You never understood my life. You always made fun of it,” Delilah mumbled.
“Not this again,” Queen sighed.
“Goodiva understood. She, at least, showed me some respect. I would have some of the state’s biggest parties in here, all kinds of celebrities, and you wouldn’t come. Why? Go on, tell me why? Because you always thought I was living above my means?”
“You’re wrong. I thought the Montgomery’s and those fake socialites were beneath you.”
“That’s not the reason,” Delilah huffed.
“Oh, yea? Okay. I’ll take the bait because you’re itching for a fight.”
“No, I’m not,” Delilah protested.
Queen spoke right over her. “I thought they were beneath you because it’s obvious they are. You got a brain on you that should be studied in a science lab. You were practicing law before you were twenty-one. And we both know Charles needed you to save his law firm. Mother Abigail needed you to save their reputation. This town still needs you. Not the other way around. That entire family was hated behind closed doors in this town for decades until you married into it. Not a single Montgomery would know they were black if you stood them in front of twenty mirrors. But as soon as you and Charles become a couple, they played both sides of the fence again. Tyson got re-elected into the Senate. Mother Abigail was invited to Oprah’s 100 Influential black women dinner. You gave that family a solid connection of respect with our community. Made them more than landowners and bullies. They used you and made you feel like you weren’t worthy because they knew you were.”
“This town never hated them. Black, White, Hispanic, Native American, it didn’t matter. They all needed the Montgomery’s and the Mayfair’s. I did some good things, that’s true, but I’m not special. I never was,” Delilah reasoned. “And yes, I know Mother Abigail never liked me, and neither did his brothers. But my marriage to Charles felt real. It was the only true love I’ve ever had. And now it’s in ashes.”
“Real or not, Charles destroyed it all. And instead of blaming him, they blame you, and you sit back and let them!” Queen huffed. “You always want to protect others; you always want to hold tight to everyone. Control the outcome. Even if it’s something you can’t control. They hurt you. They hurt Noah. It’s time to fight back. You’re the one that taught Goodiva and me how to defend ourselves.”
Delilah looked over to her friend. They never spoke of the past; still, it was always there. The three of them were fighters, and it was Queen’s bravery that saved them all.
“Not me. It was you, Queen. You taught us kung-fu.”
Queen laughed. She swallowed the last of her beer. Deep in thought, Queen stared at the empty green bottle before she spoke again. “I don’t know what happened to her, but I know she isn’t dead, Dee. I’m going to find her. Get to the bottom of it. Now make me a promise.”
“What?” Delilah asked.
“Promise me to fight back. Promise me you will stand your ground no matter what they throw at you. For you. For Noah. Promise you are done with the Montgomerys.”
“I’m done,” Delilah reassured her.
Queen smiled. She set her empty bottle down and got up from her chair. She walked over and hugged her. “I want to meet him. When he comes. He’s a bad cop, right? I eat those suckers for dinner.” Delilah laughed. She stood and hugged her friend. They held on to each other for a long moment. So long went the moment that Noah walked over and hugged their legs. Queen’s smile spread wider and wider. She bent down and picked up the toddler but held him out in front of her. She roared like a tiger at him and then threw him up in the air and caught him. Noah howled with tickled laughter and then tried to roar like a tiger to get her to do it again. Queen blew on his neck and poked him until Noah was screaming with joy. He hugged her neck. He held on tight.
“Don’t you worry, Noah. Auntie got you. Nobody is taking our baby away,” Queen assured him.
Delilah held back her own tears. She took Noah from Queen. She kissed her friend on the cheek, and they bumped foreheads like they used to do as kids.
“Call me. If you need anything. Will you promise?” Queen asked. Delilah nodded and hugged her once more. Queen let her go first. Delilah walked her out while carrying her son on her hip. Her mother came down the stairs when she closed the door.