You and I. Jacquelin Thomas

      His cell phone rang, the custom ring tone letting him know that it was his favorite aunt—his other mom—who was calling.

      Steven grinned as he clicked on the speakerphone. “Aunt Eula Mae, how’s life in Ghana?” She and her husband had been living there for the past ten years because of his work.

      “It’s still beautiful here,” she responded. “But I’m ready to come back to the States. I miss y’all so much.”

      “Mama and I were just talking about you yesterday,” he said. “We miss you too. I thought Uncle Jerome was planning to retire this year.”

      She released a long sigh. “I thought so too, but I guess we both were wrong. Jerome wants to stay here for another year. That man is tapping on my last nerve with this job of his. I’ve told him that I’m leaving him.”

      Steven laughed. “Aunt Eula Mae, you’re not going anywhere.”

      “I’m ready to come back to the States. Hey, you haven’t gotten married on me yet, have you?”

      He laughed. “You know I haven’t. I can’t get married until you meet her. I don’t know what it is about you and Mom, but you can definitely spot toxic women.” They had both warned him about all the ones he dated and, as it turned out, they’d been right on the money. Steven trusted his aunt and mom because they had been wonderful role models for him, and he respected their opinions.

      Steven chatted with his aunt for most of the drive home.

      “I’m here at the church, Aunt Eula Mae. I’ll give you a call back before I leave for Barcelona tonight. I’m flying there a few days early so that I can spend some time in Spain before the cruise.”

      “Have fun, hon.”

      He smiled. “I intend to do just that.”

      Steven disconnected the call and shut off the car.

      Humming softly, he got out of the car and headed inside the church. Once the presentation was over, Steven planned to stop home long enough to change into something comfortable and grab his luggage and passport, then drive to the airport. He was looking forward to this cruise.

      “Well, look at you, Cherise,” Elle said when they were in Bloomingdale’s at the Beverly Center. “And you were worried about wearing a swimsuit. Girl, you look good.”

      “Elle, are you sure?” Cherise peered into the mirror, staring critically at her curvy size fourteen torso, and even she had to admit the black one-piece swimsuit with ruching and well-placed ruffles flattered her full figure. “I guess it doesn’t look bad.”

      She smiled over the fact that she looked younger than her twenty-five years. “No, not bad at all. So, are you ready to wow everyone on the cruise ship and the Mediterranean, cousin?”

      Elle picked up a neon-green swimsuit and responded, “Not quite. I like this one, but it’s a little too bright for me.”

      Cherise stole one last glimpse at the mirror. “Okay, I’m getting this one.”

      When she walked out of the dressing room, Cherise and Elle strolled up to the counter and paid for the items Cherise had selected for the cruise. They left the boutique and walked down the street to a nearby restaurant for lunch.

      “I don’t know why I waited until the last minute to shop for the cruise. When did I decide to go?”

      “At Ransom and Coco’s reception,” Elle responded with a smile. “That was almost a month ago, but you have always been a procrastinator when it comes to stuff like this.”

      “Now, two days before the cruise, I’m running around like I’m crazy,” Cherise said with a chuckle. “I’m really looking forward to this vacation. I don’t know why, but I have a feeling that something good is going to happen.”

      Early on the tenth of July, the large Ransom family boarded a plane to Barcelona, Spain. The clan was broken into smaller groups for the flight over. Laine and Ray and their families had left the night before. Garrett and his family wanted to spend some time in Barcelona, so they’d traveled to Spain a week earlier.

      Ivy and Cherise and her brother were on the same flight, while Elle, Jillian and some of the others were on another one with a different airline. They would be arriving within an hour of each other.

      Cherise could’ve kissed the ground when she walked off the plane. It had taken nineteen hours, which included two layovers, but they were finally in Barcelona.

      “I’m so glad to get off that plane,” Ivy said, stretching. She glanced down at her daughters, who were yawning and stretching too. “My babies did so well during the flight. I’m so proud of them.”

      “Me, too,” Cherise responded. “I like flying, but I’m discovering that I’m not crazy about long flights.”

      “I’ma walk down here to see if Sherrie made it in yet,” her brother said.

      “Julian, why didn’t she fly with us?” Cherise asked.

      “She works for U.S. Air,” he responded. “I had already made my reservations before I met Sherrie.”

      Ivy and Cherise sat down with Ivy’s daughters to grab a bite to eat while they waited for the plane carrying Elle, Jillian and the others to come in.

      “We’re going to have a great time on the cruise,” Cherise told Ivy, who suddenly looked sad.

      “The last time we went on one, Charles was with me.”

      Cherise reached over and gave Ivy’s hand a light squeeze. “It’s his loss.”

      She smiled and nodded.

      The girls were getting restless and fretful, so Cherise and Ivy attempted to keep them busy until the others arrived. They both sighed with relief when the other plane arrived on time.

      After everyone had arrived and were gathered together, they made their way through customs and baggage claim. Outside the terminal, two stretch limos were waiting to whisk them off to the hotel where they would meet up with the rest of the family.

      It was around four when they finally reached the hotel. Some family members wanted to do some sightseeing, but Cherise opted to go straight to her room and sleep until it was time for dinner. She didn’t like sleeping on planes, so she could barely keep her eyes open.

      Cherise was asleep by the time her head touched the pillow.

      She didn’t get up until shortly after seven, when she showered, slipped on a sundress, then rushed off to meet her relatives downstairs.

      Laine had prearranged for them to eat in one of the private dining rooms at El Gran Café, since there were almost forty people in their group. They were once again transported by stretch limousines.

      The large dining room had lovely hardwood floors and enormous windows adorned with rich, red velvet curtains. Laine and his wife, Regis, had preselected the menu of seafood croquettes and prawns with garlic for starters, followed by a choice of roasted lamb, monkfish or a veal fillet with foie gras and mushroom sauce, and for dessert, caramelized crema catalana, a specialty of the restaurant.

      Afterward, everyone retired to their hotel rooms to settle in for the evening.

      Cherise and Ivy weren’t tired and decided to watch a movie together in Ivy’s room.

      While her daughters slept, Ivy said, “I’m not sure I can do this.”

      “Do what?”

      “Raise them by myself,” she responded. “Cherise, it’s hard, and I’m so tired all the time. I’m taking on more shifts now at the hospital, since I can’t depend on Charles to do what he’s supposed to do.”

      Ivy was a registered nurse, and until her separation and divorce had worked two days a week.

      “You are going to go after him for child support,