DEP Poetry
Forgiveness and Family
Overcoming Past Mistakes
“Do you remember that December night before you left?” Seth said, pacing in a dressing room next to hers. Butterflies had their way with his stomach, knocking his self-confidence to crack before his feet like a vase crashing before he could catch it.
Mia laughed. “How could I forget? The snowstorm knocked out the power.”
“And the evergreen candles on the nightstand rekindled our passion.”
“We woke up tangled in bedsheets,” Seth said.
Mia blushed, and she bit her bottom lip. “Of all that went wrong between us, making up is what I missed the most.” Lust lingered in her gaze.
“And that morning,” Seth said.
“We’ve gone over this,” she said.
“But let’s get over this,” Seth said.
“Go on,” her voice lowered.
“I woke up to a letter on the kitchen table,” Seth said, motioning as though she could see him.
“I had to,” she said. “I just had to.”
“It’d have been easier if you’d said it to my face.”
“I couldn’t stand to break your heart,” she said. “To see the tears in her eyes. God. I couldn’t do that.”
“You know what they say about God, right?” Seth said.
“No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”
“He works in — ”
“ — mysterious — ”
“ — ways, right?” Seth said.
“Six years later, and we’re back together,” Mia said. “I guess that’s saying something.”
“Together in a large cathedral with stained-glass windows,” Seth said.
He dressed for the occasion in one room,
and Mia’s friends helped her dress next door.
They talked through their faults before they fell into a life together.
“That’s not fair,” Mia said. She shook her head, and her long, red ponytail moved in either direction.
“Neither is life,” he said, “yet here we are.” Seth shoved his feet into tan pants.
“I did what I felt I had to!” Mia said, modeling her fit in the white dress in the mirror. “That was six years ago.”
“You had choices,” Seth said, throwing a t-shirt over his shoulders and buttoning a white dress shirt.
She started a cigarette. She waved her finger. “So,” Mia said, placing her hand on her chest, “this is all my fault?” She tilted her head and arched a brow.
“It’s life,” Seth said. “And life happens.”
“I’m thankful you agreed to marry me,” Mia said.
“About your parents…”
“Don’t,” Mia said. “Just don’t.”
“I’m sorry they won’t be here.”
“They don’t like Black people, what can I say?”
“Seth,” Mia’s friend said politely. “Chill, she’s going to start spilling tears.”
Fear pulled the wool over Seth’s eyes
because nothing had passed by his lies.
The dystopian failure started bruising
the shallow part of Seth before he caught wind
of the man she saw in him.
The makeup artist did her thing, and Mia glowed redemption.
“It’s you, staring back like a reflection of my attention,” Mia said, moving a tissue across her damp eyes.
“It’s not that I think you don’t want me;
It’s just that I’ve been trailing off in thoughts of
what would have happened to us had you stayed in Seattle.”
“It’s not like my bed was cold on your side,” Mia said in a tone that not even she believed.
“I prayed those years,” Seth said, “those years that you left for North Carolina that you’d return in one piece without a side piece.”
Mia laughed hard. “No side piece for me.”
“I left the light on for your safe return to grace my presence with your damp eyes and an apology.” Seth said. “An apology would have been nice.”
“That’s far from me,” Mia said, her voice cracking.
“Lovemaking was the language of our forgiveness.”
“Want a quickie?” Mia said, nibbling on her fingernail.
“After we sign our death certificate,” Seth said.
Emma threw her hands in the air. “Wow.” Mia laughed. “Really?”
“I was kidding.”
“I’ve missed your sense of humor almost as much as everything about you.”
Seth grinned. “I’m nothing special.”
“But you’re everything to me.”
“Listen,” Seth said.
“Don’t,” Mia said. “What I did was wrong.”
“I didn’t say it was wrong,” he said. “I just wanted to know.”
“We grew up together,” Mia said. “We both know how you’d react.”
“Neither of us were ready for parenthood.”
“Did you ever regret it?” Seth said.
“Regret what?”
“The abortion.”
Mia screwed up her face. “Who said anything about an abortion?”
“I just thought…” Seth scratched the back of his neck.
“I had the child and gave her to a foster agency.”
“So,” Seth said through glassy eyes, “she’s out there?”
“Yes, I named her Violet.”
Seth mouthed the name before he said it out loud. “Violet.”
“Pretty name, huh?” Mia said, with tears in her voice.
The two exited their dressing rooms.
Mia’s fair skin blended with his dark tone.
“You look,” Seth gave her a once-over, “amazing.”
“My husband,” Mia said, biting her bottom lip.
“The guests are waiting,” Mia said.
“Shall we?” Seth said.
Mia straightened his tie
and kissed him.
“I have one person, that wants to meet you,” Mia said, “hold on.”
She moved through the packed church, turned her head, moved her eyes around, and motioned to a person sitting in a pew. Mia guided a little girl in a dress his way. “Violet?” Seth said before he could think she’d be someone else.
“Her foster parents wanted to vacation instead of take care of foster children,” Mia said.
“And they asked if you wanted her back?”
“It was God’s perfect timing.”
“Mommy, he looks like the guy in the pictures you showed me.”
“You’re a smart girl.”
“You always say that, Mommy.”
“I love you, Violet,” Seth said.
“I know,” Violet said. “Mommy tells me all the time.”
Seth and Mia kissed.
Violet blushed.
“Aren’t you supposed to get married so that we can be a family?” Violet said.
“Let’s become a family,” Violet said.
“Wait,” Seth said.
“What?” Mia said with panic in her eyes. “Surprises aren’t like you.”
“I brought someone,” Seth said.
Mia sighed. “Your brother?” She said loud through a whisper.
Seth laughed. “Not hardly.”
“Then what?” Mia said.
Seth held up a finger, opened a classroom door, and motioned her parents through.
“Mama,” Mia said, holding her hands to her eyes. “Daddy.”
“We’ve been wrong,” her dad said. She looked at her mom. “Your mom isn’t innocent, but I’m guilty.” He dipped his gaze. “Please, forgive me, Mia.”
“If you accept — ”
“We already accept you,” he said, “all of you.”
“Then all is forgiven,” Mia said.
“I got to know Seth at the Carson’s Diner. He’d go there after work for coffee and pancakes. We started talking, and I learned about him and you. He wasn’t the person society had led me to believe.”
“We’d go watch games together and then I’d invite over for Sunday dinner,” he said. “I came to know why you loved him.”
“You finished college, have a good man, and a daughter,” her mother said.
“And we’re proud of you,” he said.
Her father gripped Seth’s shoulder. “Let’s go and become a family.” He grabbed Mia’s hand to move forever into the present.
(© 2024 AC)
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