A Kiss From an Angel Read online

  Copyright © 2019 by Sherron Elise

  Visit the author’s website: www.sherronelise.com

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any means including electronic, mechanical or photocopying or stored in a retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages to be included in the review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living, or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Author’s Note

  Excerpt: The Baby on the Doorstep

  Chapter One

  Giana Covington lay in bed on a Sunday morning, staring off into space. Her mind was in overdrive as she tried to make sense of her husband of twenty years having moved out the day after Thanksgiving. It was definitely a Black Friday for Giana when Nigel revealed to her that he had fallen in love with another woman; a paralegal at his law firm. But Giana couldn’t pretend she was totally blindsided. No matter how much she was in denial about the late nights and the distance, both she and Nigel put up a front of still being happily married when their daughter Noelle, a college freshman, returned home from LSU for Thanksgiving break. Nigel was aware that news of her parents split would devastate their only child, which is why he’d waited until Noelle returned to campus to break the news to Giana. Noelle was an LSU Tiger Cheerleader and she’d had to return to school that Friday in order to cheer in a game against the University of Alabama. Giana had actually planned to surprise Noelle and fly in to Alabama for the big game. She also wanted a chance to see Alabama’s infamous head coach, Nick Saban, up close and in person. But her plans were dashed when Nigel came to her breaking his news, and her heart; afterwhich he’d packed and left their beautiful home without another word.

  The ringing of her cellphone snapped Giana out of her somber thoughts. Seeing her daughter’s name and photo flashing on the screen brought a smile to her face, which had been a rarity in the past week.

  “You’re going to live a long time.” Giana said by way of hello.

  “So I take it you were just thinking about me?” Noelle laughed at her mother’s words; a familiar saying she heard from both her mother and her Grandma Debra when they saw or received a phone call from a person who was just on their minds.

  “I’m always thinking about you. You’re my baby. How are you doing this morning?”

  “I’m good, Mom. I’m on my way to church. I met a new guy and he’s going to attend service with me.”

  “Well, that’s a good sign.” Giana said. Although Noelle’s last boyfriend had been a regular church attendee as well and turned out to be nothing but a hellion. “Tell me about him.”

  “His name is Justin. He’s a sophomore and a pre-med major. He’s originally from Atlanta.” Noelle gushed. “I really like him. I’m looking forward to spending more time with him. We crossed paths in the dining hall at the beginning of the semester but we didn’t really get to know each other until Homecoming week. Besides, I was still sort of with Lionel at the time so I never pursued things further until now.”

  “I’m glad that Lionel is a thing of the past. And if this Justin will totally erase him from your life then I’m all for this new relationship. Just remember to take things one day at a time. Keep in mind that guys get turned off if they sense desperation.”

  “And so do women! Lionel is starting to drive me crazy. He texts and calls me almost every day since I broke up with him.”

  “You need to just block his number altogether. Block him on social media too.”

  “I’ve already blocked him on all of my pages. Courtney told me he’s been calling all of our friends, telling them to send him screenshots of my posts and my Instagram pics. That’s why I never post anything about me and Justin.”

  “You shouldn’t regardless. Social media is one surefire way to wreck a relationship. Remember I told you to always keep your business offline.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know, Mom. Hey, it’s supposed to snow here this week. I’m so excited! It’s a great way to jumpstart my birthday month.”

  “Actually forecasters here in Houston have predicted a snowy Christmas but I won’t hold my breath.”

  “I sure hope so. I can’t think of a greater way to turn nineteen. A real white Christmas. I’d love it! And it would be the perfect backdrop for the Miss Kwanzaa pageant.”

  “Well, I can’t wait for my reigning Holiday Angel to come home again.”

  During her senior year of high school, Noelle had beat out 125 other teenagers of various ethnicities to be chosen as one of twenty finalists for Houston’s annual Holiday Angel pageant. Through eyes clouded by tears of joy, Giana watched her daughter make history as Houston’s first African-American Holiday Angel. In the weeks following the pageant, the family had received ugly anonymous hate mail. Apparently not everyone was happy about a black girl being awarded such a coveted and prestigious title. Giana asked Noelle if she wanted to step down but her daughter wasn’t deterred in the least. Noelle boldly confessed that she was relying on her faith in God to help her take a stand against hatred. She was determined to fulfill the duties of her title, which consisted of a variety of community service projects and public appearances. Noelle also received scholarship money towards her tuition at LSU.

  “Now it’s time to take on the title of Miss Kwanzaa. Are you excited?”

  “Yes, but I won’t be heartbroken if I’m not crowned. I’m honestly rooting for Courtney to win. She and I are planning to practice our runway walks as soon as we return home to Houston.”

  The Miss Kwanzaa pageant was a smaller competition that was hosted by the Black is Beautiful Coalition of Houston. The grand prize was a full paid scholarship to the college of the winner’s choice. Celina Douglas, Giana’s best friend and Courtney’s mother, revealed that she was really hoping Courtney would take home the title. The scholarship money would be a blessing, as she was under a lot of stress regarding Courtney’s tuition payments.

  “Final exams are next week correct?”

  “Yes, I’ll be driving home right after my last final. I can’t wait to see you and Daddy again. Hey, is he awake?”

  “Uhm..no. So, you said this Justin is a pre-med student? Well look at that. A pre-med and a pre-law major. If you guys get married you’ll be like Clair and Cliff Huxtable 2.0”

  Noelle laughed, which sounded like tinkling wind chimes. A sound that warmed Giana’s heart every time she heard it.

  “Okay, Mom, I’m about to go so Justin and I won’t be late for church. I love you.”

  “I love you more.”

  When Giana hung up she released a sigh of relief that her joke had diverted any further questioning about Nigel. She hated lying to Noelle but she convinced herself it was in her best interest for the time being. She did look forward to Noelle returning home for Christmas break but she didn’t relish the thought of having to tell her about the separation and possible divorce. It was not a discussion she wanted to have and was hoping and praying Nigel would have come to his senses by then and returned home.

  Giana’s thoughts turned to Noelle’s ex-boyfriend, Lionel Jenkins. He and Noelle had begu
n dating their freshman year of high school. Lionel was a bit rough around the edges, but since his mother and most of his family were active members of the same church Giana, Nigel and Noelle attended, they relented and allowed Noelle to see him. He was always respectful and well-mannered towards Giana and Nigel, but his family lived in a rather rough area of southeast Houston and he and Noelle attended rival high schools. Lionel was a football standout who seemed destined for the NFL. He’d received several football scholarship offers and Noelle was ecstatic when she’d proudly announced to her parents that she and Lionel would attend LSU together. Neither shared their daughter’s enthusiasm, as they were hoping Noelle would go off to college and forget all about Lionel, meeting someone more polished.

  Their fears about Lionel’s character were finally confirmed when he’d been involved in a highly publicized brawl at a summer party with a group of white boys. The brawl started when one of the boys confronted Lionel about sleeping with his girlfriend, an allegation that turned out to be true. Yet Lionel and his group of friends had beaten the boy severely and the entire melee had been captured on several cellphone videos. It went viral and aired on local as well as national news stations. As a result, all of Lionel’s scholarship offers had been rescinded.

  Noelle, who had been away at cheerleading camp at the time of the brawl, had dumped Lionel after learning of his unfaithfulness. But Giana wasn’t surprised in the least that he was sleeping around on her daughter, given the fact that Noelle was a virgin and adamant about remaining abstinent until marriage. Noelle insisted that Lionel was onboard with her stance and was willing to wait but Giana and Nigel knew better. Nigel had always suspected that Lionel had been sexually active before he’d started dating Noelle, and he wasn’t foolish enough to believe that the popular cornerback wasn’t getting his needs fulfilled elsewhere. The sigh of relief they’d released at the demise of the relationship was short-lived, as Noelle had ended up taking Lionel back out of pity. His name was dragged through the mud and no college or university wanted anything to do with him. Giana found it noble of Noelle to remain by his side, especially considering that the controversy affected her image as the Holiday Angel. Noelle’s character was ripped to shreds on various local media outlets for being associated with the likes of someone like Lionel.

  But all of Noelle’s sympathy seemed to wane once she arrived at LSU. Initially, she’d kept in contact with Lionel but as she adjusted to college life she realized he didn’t fit into her new world any longer. He wanted Noelle to come home to Houston at least every other weekend which was impossible given her cheerleading schedule. Noelle soon grew tired of him and the relationship. Once receiving word through the grapevine that he was still creeping around with other girls, Noelle finally kicked him to the curb for good. Dejected, Lionel had desperately reached out to Giana and she’d told him, as nicely as possible, that people often grew apart. She encouraged him to give Noelle her space and warned him that relentlessly pursuing her would only drive her further away.

  Now she found herself trying to take this same advice when it came to her marriage. As much as she wanted to beg and plead with Nigel to fight for their marriage, she recalled something her mother had always said: if you love someone set them free and if they come back then it’s meant to be. Something that’s chased will forever be elusive.

  Chapter Two

  The one thing that could lift Giana’s somberness and get her into the Christmas spirit was closing on the sale of a home. Shortly after Noelle was born, Giana left her position as press secretary for the mayor’s office of Houston to become a stay-at-home mom. When Noelle was four years old Giana decided she wanted a career that was flexible for her motherhood duties. She studied to become a licensed real estate agent. Fortunately, Nigel’s career as a civil attorney afforded Giana the opportunity to establish a new career path and still allow them to live comfortably. It took Giana another four years to build up a client base but her hard work paid off and over a decade later she was one of the top high-end real estate agents for Keller Williams.

  Giana shook hands with her current client. “You should be all set to move in right after the first of the year,” she assured. Her client was a white man who had initially scoffed at doing business with a black real estate agent. His wife was much more welcoming and friendly and she was the one who actually convinced him that Giana Covington came highly recommended. Unfortunately, she couldn’t be present for the closing of the deal. Giana had prayed before meeting with him this afternoon and so far he’d acted civilly. It appeared as if Giana had garnered a modicum of respect from him for her professionalism. The home located in the Cinco Ranch subdivision of Katy, Texas was listed for half a million dollars. By Giana’s calculations her commission was somewhere in the ballpark of thirty thousand dollars.

  Giana shook hands with him and they exited the home together, him walking ahead to his car and driving away while Giana locked up the house that had just made her holiday season a lot brighter. She walked to her sleek black Audi A6 and speed-dialed her assistant.

  “Hey, Daniel, I just closed the deal. Just a friendly reminder not to schedule any more showings after next week. I’ll be taking my holiday vacation. Once I return to the office at the beginning of the new year we can sit down and coordinate new showings and open houses.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Daniel, a black male in his mid-twenties, agreed. Daniel had worked with Giana for five years. She much preferred having a male assistant, as the female assistants she’d had in the past were always offering up back-talk and attitude when she asked them to do the slightest thing. Daniel was very professional and competent. She had to remember to buy him a nice Christmas gift before leaving for vacation.

  ***

  “Here’s to the most phenomenal realtor in the state of Texas!” Celina said as she raised her drink in salute to Giana. The two were having an afternoon lunch at Pappadeaux’s. Celina insisted on treating her best friend in celebration of the close of the deal. “Let’s consider this a pre-divorce party as well. Just when do you plan on telling Noelle? You can’t hide the separation forever.”

  Giana groaned and took another sip of her Swamp Thing. “Celina, don’t go blowing my buzz.”

  “I know, girl, trust me; I dealt with these same emotions when Byron passed away. I tell people all the time that divorce is similar to death. You need to go through the stages of grief just as you would if Nigel had passed.”

  “I wish,” Giana mumbled.

  Celina playfully slapped her friend on the wrist. “Stop that.”

  Giana was immediately contrite. Not that she had remorse for wishing her husband dead but she felt her remark was insensitive to Celina. Both ladies had been neighbors since their children were five years old, right as Nigel’s legal career really started to take off and he was winning six-figure civil cases. Celina and Byron were very welcoming when Giana and Nigel had first moved in next door, as only one other African-American family had resided within their subdivision. Pretty soon Giana and Celina’s relationship developed into a true friendship and not just a mere wave from their front porches and driveways. Giana cried on Celina’s shoulder when the doctors had to perform an emergency hysterectomy, which dashed any hopes of making Noelle a big sister. And it was Giana who was a strong arm of support for both Celina and Courtney after Byron’s fatal car crash almost ten years ago.

  Celina put her hand up to signal for their waiter to bring the check, running her tongue across her lips. “Girl, isn’t he just the finest thing you’ve ever laid eyes on?”

  Giana threw her head back in laughter. “Since when did you become a cougar? He looks like he is fresh out of college. I know you’ve been in somewhat of a dating drought since Byron’s passing but trust me, friend, you can do a lot better than a Pappadeaux’s waiter.”

  Giana’s cellphone rang. Glancing at it, she pushed ‘ignore’, rolling her eyes.

  “What’s going on?” Celina asked.

  “Girl, I’ve b
een getting a lot of calls from unfamiliar numbers and the person never says anything. I can hear them breathing though. I have a feeling it’s Victoria.” Giana said, referring to Nigel’s mistress. “It’s frustrating because I can’t keep ignoring calls from numbers I don’t recognize. What if it’s potential clients? I don’t want this hussy and her games to cause me to miss out on money.”

  Celina shook her head. “As much as I loved Byron, you know I’ve dealt with my share of side pieces during our marriage. Byron was good-looking and wealthy, which made him a chick magnet.”

  Giana nodded in understanding, as she recalled the many times Celina had come over to rant and rave about Byron’s indiscretions. Byron was an architect who founded his own construction design company. His charismatic personality, along with his money, endeared him to the female species. But chasing women and money had dire consequences. After his untimely demise, Celina discovered that her husband’s once thriving company was in bankruptcy. She was forced to file Chapter 7 and by the grace of God an exemption allowed her to keep their home. Celina had no choice but to return to the workforce; which was a huge adjustment after being a housewife for the duration of her marriage. She found a job as a secretary with a large healthcare organization and managed to work her way up to human resources assistant. Her company couldn’t promote her any further due to her not having a college degree. Celina desired to return to school but she was focused on trying to help Courtney, a freshman at North Carolina A&T, through college first.

  Giana’s phone rang once again. It was the same number. Celina held out her hand. “Let me talk to that skank.”

  “Nah, girl, I got this.” Giana said. She answered the phone with plenty of attitude in her voice but was surprised to hear Noelle’s roommate and fellow cheerleader, Amanda, on the other end of the line.

  “Mrs. Covington? Hi, uhm…I was calling…well, I was wondering if you’ve heard from Noelle?” she stammered.