Chapter 1 - Ready or Not

A thunderclap twitched the steering wheel of a black woman's car as she shrieked in surprise. When she started driving, it was sunnier than a day at the beach, but now a storm with the force of a gale threatened to throw them off the road. She strained through the raindrops on the window, trying to keep in her lane. Next to her, in the front passenger seat, an adult man with orange hair and green eyes only looked up in concern.

"You know, Kemi," he offered, "if it's too much for you, I can drive."

"I'm fine," the dark-skinned woman declared. The passenger furrowed his brow, unconvinced.

"Are you sure? Your hands are shaking and..."

"I said, I'm fine, Justin."

The man shrugged his shoulders and sighed. He had been dating her for almost 4 years now. He could tell when she was agitated.

"Alright, lead the way then."

Kemi bit her lip as she hung a turn. Her knuckles were almost white from how tightly she was gripping the wheel. Was it from stubbornness or determination? Justin could not figure out which. All he knew was that when Kemi set her mind to something, there was little anyone could do to change it. Of course, that was not to say she had some doubts when doing it.

"Don't know how the hell you talked me into this," she muttered, somewhat resentful.

"Hey, we should give Patrick some support. You moved on, and now he is too."

"Maybe, but don't you think it's weird at all that he would reach out to me at all?" Justin shrugged.

"I guess he just had a lot going on up to now. At least he quit drinking, right?"

"Correction," Kemi glanced at him. "Patrick quit drinking after I ran away from him. And then, years later, he mails us a dinner invitation. How did he even know our address?"

"He must've asked your old friends. That's the only explanation."

The Irish man looked towards his girlfriend, who looked over the dash as she steered the wheel. Judging from what she had told Justin, Patrick and she had been through a rough patch during their years of togetherness. A shared loss changed their lives, and not for the better.

"I think you should give him a chance. It's worth a shot."

"You're so kind, babe," Kemi sighed. "Almost too kind. If only you knew half of what I've been through..."

"I can't imagine. Hell, I'd beat the piss out of Patrick, had I known him longer than you have. But that's the thing; I don't know him. And I think this dinner party he got planned is the first step."

A red light glared their way and Kemi stopped the car near the cross walk.

Kemi chuckled ruefully. Justin had a way of being understanding and trying to see things "from the other side," as he liked to put it. But he didn't know what suffering from domestic abuse was like. He didn't know what a broken family was like.

Kemi felt a large hand on top of hers as they waited for the green light.

"If you feel uncomfortable, we can always go back home. It's your call, honey."

"It's just…I don't know what to say to him once we get there."

A heavy sigh escaped her lips, one that she had kept in for a while.

"I'll know when we get to that point, though. So, I'm going. For your sake and mine. And not only that..." Kemi leaned her face closer towards the Irishman's. Her whisper hot near his ear.

"The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can go back to our bedroom..."

Her boyfriend grinned cheekily, brushing some dark brown hair off Kemi's face. He couldn't help but laugh at the woman's remark.

"Wow, you're thinking of that even now. You really are a naughty girl."

The couple leaned in for a kiss when a loud car horn beeped them from behind, making them both almost jump out of their seats. Kemi looked up and saw that the light had turned green. She blushed and pushed on through the rain.

The silver Subaru rode through the rain, Kemi's thoughts couldn't help but return to that fateful day, when she finally took a stand and fled. When she carved a new path and life for herself, away from the negative influences. Back then, she and Patrick were at their lowest points in their union. There wasn't an escape in sight. So, why was she going back to that dark pit again, when she vowed to leave it behind? Why was she invited? Why…?

"Kemi, look out!" Justin shouted, surprising his lover. There was something standing in the middle of a road, on all fours. Eyes of crimson glaring at the female driver. With a shriek, Kemi stomped on the brakes, forcing the car to a screeching halt.

The animal in question didn't flinch or back away. Instead, it stared right back at the couple in the car. What was going on? Was it going to attack them? Was it injured?

After a few daunting moments, the four-legged creature got off the concrete. It calmly walked towards the woods, not to be seen again. Kemi sighed in massive relief.

"Shit…!"

"Jesus" Justin managed. "what the hell was that?!"

"Who cares?" Kemi responded. "It's gone now, thank goodness. God damn coyote…"

"Or a deer. Anyway, let's get going. The rain is starting to let up."

"Let's switch seats, Justin. I'd feel much safer if you drove."

"I could have taken the wheel earlier, you know. All you had to do was say so."

"Well, I'm saying it now. Shut up and drive."

Another hour later, Justin and Kemi finally made it to their destination. The rain had long since disappeared, making it easier for man to drive. His passenger took a hard look at the map. There was no mistaking it. The fancy villa that in front of their line of vision was their desired destination.

"So this is the place?" Justin asked, impressed.

"Pretty much…" said the brown-haired woman as she folded the map. "We're finally here, huh…?"

The Irishman left the silver Subaru first, admiring the villa. Kemi slowly opened the car door and shut it behind her. At long last, she was back. Back to the house that held so many memories, good and bad. She swallowed a knot in her throat. One of her hands were trembling.

Justin gently took her hand to keep it steady. Her brown eyes glanced at his green orbs, entreating her to depend on him.

"You're going to be alright, baby."

"How can you be so sure?" Kemi asked.

"One of us has to," Justin replied.

With a light chuckle, she held on to her lover's hand, confidence returned. The couple walked up the stone steps and towards the door to the villa.

One knock at the door, and the person to answer it was a woman of 34. The woman in question had long, unkempt golden hair tied in a half braid. She adorned a purple top with a black vest, black trousers and black boots. In addition, a wedding ring was placed on her left hand. Her blue eyes widened in surprise at Kemi. The other woman was just as taken aback.

"Effie?!"

"Oh my god! Kemi!"

Both childhood friends exchanged hugs and greetings.

"What are you doing here?" Kemi asked. Effie laughed.

"Well, what do you think? My wife and I received an invitation to Patrick's dinner party. Duh!"

"That's a pleasant surprise," Justin added. "Kemi was feeling scared. She was thinking we were the only two people going to this thing."

"Shut up," Kemi denied, mildly embarrassed. "I wasn't scared at all."

"Oh, I'm sure you were, Mimi," Effie quipped, "Anyways, come in!"

Effie happily ushered Kemi and Justin inside the villa and straight towards the living room, where their other friends sat down on the couch and the carpet floor. Effie announced Kemi and Justin's presence to the group, much to her embarrassment.

"Hey guys, the lovebirds have finally arrived!"

Each of them turned their heads and quickly got up. Feeling more at ease than before, Kemi offered each old friend a hug.

"Kemi, long time, no see!" said Greg.

"We missed you terribly," Wanda smiled warmly.

"Got yourself a new catch, eh?" Ronald snickered.

"Hi, everyone…" Kemi simply said, amazed and reassured to see more familiar people in her former home. Justin stood next to his woman as she introduced him to the others.

"You've all heard about Justin, right? I mentioned him time and again through the letters. So, here he is, in the flesh!"

"Wait, boyfriend?" Wanda asked, bewildered. "But…aren't you still technically—"

Effie rushed to her wife's side and covered her mouth before she could finish the sentence.

"D-don't mind her, Kemi. She's still slow on the uptake."

"Am not!" Wanda made a muffled protest.

"Say, where's Takuya?" Kemi asked. "He said he was coming, right?"

"I texted him three times, but the messages aren't coming through." Ronald frowned. "You can blame shitty internet connection for that."

The dark-skinned woman also noticed someone else missing. The man who mailed them the invites and her former flame was nowhere in sight.

"What about the man of the hour?" Justin asked, glancing around. "Is he here?"

"Yeah," Kemi added, somewhat suspicious. "Haven't seen him since we walked in here."

"Right behind you," said an eerily soothing voice, warm breath tickling Kemi's ear. Her head whipped around, and her light brown eyes met a pair of small black orbs behind oval glasses. A tall man with a lean build and short black hair. He sported a white, long sleeved shirt and black pants. If Kemi didn't know better, he fit right in as a butler. Almost.

His arms snaked around his former lover, carefully embracing her.

"Kemi! It's been so long."

Chuckling nervously, Kemi placed her arms on the man's elbows. The only contact he would receive from her.

"Hey there, Patrick…"

Much to her relief, the embrace finally broke and Patrick stepped back to look at her. He grinned sheepishly, as if aware of how long he held on to the woman.

"You've changed so much. I barely recognized you."

"Well, it has been 4 years, you know," Kemi gently reminded him. "Things change."

"Indeed."

Patrick focused his attention towards the Irishman patiently waiting behind Kemi. He offered a welcoming smile as he grabbed Justin's shoulders and embraced him tightly. Although taken aback by such a gesture, the orange haired man returned the hug in kind. Kemi couldn't help but stare in astonishment. Was this the same man she fled from years ago?

"And you must be Justin," Patrick said, after finally breaking away. "The others told me all about you."

"Thanks for having me," Justin politely replied.

"Oh, of course. Ingrid and I are honored to have invited you to our home."

"Ingrid…?" Kemi echoed.

Just then, a young woman wearing a yellow dress and white apron appeared from the kitchen. She had piercing ice blue eyes and flowing curly caramel brown hair. She bore the same complexion as Kemi's. What struck her as odd though was the noticeable youthful appearance. She had to have been 15 or even 20 years younger than Kemi and Patrick. She could pass up for a niece at best or a baby sister at worst.

Patrick smiled at the woman fondly and introduced her to the group of adults.

"Everyone, this is my wife, Ingrid."

"Hello!" Everyone, sans Kemi, said in unison. Ingrid smiled from ear to ear.

"Salutations, everyone! Please, make yourselves at home. It's nice to have visitors for a change."

Greg whispered in his friend's ear with suspicion,

"How old do you think she is? She barely looks legal."

"Shit if I knew..." Kemi hissed back, glaring at the new woman in her ex-husband's life. Even though she left him long ago, the green-eyed monster lurked within Kemi. Who the hell was she? And how did she come to meet Patrick? Why was she introduced now? There was a pit in her stomach just then. She seen the longing glances he gave to this new woman and it was starting to drive her crazy on the inside. How dare he?

A pair of ice blue orbs aimed at Kemi's direction and she quickly approached her with a nearly bone crushing hug.

"You must be Kemi! Patrick has told me so much about you."

Kemi slipped away from her embrace, recoiling from the younger woman.

"Really? Because he hasn't told me much about you."

"Well, it's been 4 years, after all, Kemi," Patrick reminded her. "Things change."

"But finding someone else seems like something you would tell other people," Kemi countered, crossing her arms as she glared daggers at Patrick.

"I'm sure this is a shock to you as well," Ingrid chimed in. "But, hopefully, we can get properly acquainted once dinner is ready."

"Speaking of food, when the hell do we eat?" Ronald asked, "I was promised some top-notch culinary magic!"

"It should be ready in another hour, Ron," Patrick answered with a laugh. "Til then, get comfortable."

"Music to my ears," Greg said, stretching his body on top of a large beanbag.

"Can I trouble you with some classic drinks from our winery?" Patrick asked Justin and Kemi, "You both must be thirsty after the long drive over here."

"I'm fine, thanks," Kemi curtly answered.

"Yeah, I'd rather not drink if it's all the same to you," Justin politely declined. "Gotta drive back home, y'know?"

Kemi gave her boyfriend a soft sideward look of annoyance.

"I can drive home just fine, too..."

"Who's the one that got spooked by that animal during the ride over here? Oh right, it was you."

"Piss off…"

"Alright everyone," Patrick said, with a glass of red wine in hand. "May I have your attention please?"

Everyone in the living room took their seats and turned their gazes to the smartly dressed man. With a clearing of his throat, he spoke,

"First of all, thank you so much for coming. It means a lot to me and Ingrid. This party is both a reunion and a celebration. A reunion of familiar faces and a celebration of new beginnings."

The other adults nodded and smiled in response as they listened. Patrick glanced towards his new wife, who took her turn in the speech.

"You are all very special to Patrick. And those who are special to him are special to me. We hope you enjoy your stay for as long as possible. Although we have just met, I can feel a connection towards you and me already. And I hope to be a part of your circle of friends soon enough. We are entering a new year and a new age of enlightenment. Although we have struggled, the rewards will be waiting for us in due time."

As Kemi covered her mouth to suppress a yawn, her brown eyes noticed something. From one of the rooms, there was a shadowy figure in the distance. She was half naked, clad in an oversized shirt. Two purple alluring eyes stared back at brown. A crooked smirk twitched. Bewildered, Kemi blinked twice and just like that, the woman was gone.

"…so with that said…" Ingrid concluded. "A toast to a fresh start!"

"Cheers!"

As those with wine glasses started to drink their share, Wanda accidently spilt hers on the wooden floor. Before Effie could wipe up the mess with a napkin on her pocket, someone else spoke up.

"Excuse me. Let me get that for you."

Much to Kemi's bewilderment, the woman from she saw showed up, with a different look. She had turquoise hair in a ponytail, and she wore a long maid outfit to indicate her role. She went straight to work with wiping off the spilt wine. Greg, Ronald, and Effie were also surprised by this random housekeeper.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Effie asked.

"My name is Zinnia," she introduced herself, "I serve as a housekeeper for sir Patrick and lady Ingrid."

"Zinnia and I met a couple of years ago," Patrick spoke. "She was in a pretty bad situation. So, my wife and I decided to take her in and give her honest work as our maid."

"Wow, you're living the life of a fucking king, aren't you?" Greg chuckled. "I'm jealous."

"It wasn't easy, believe me."

"Since then, I've been grateful to them," Zinnia added. "I'd do anything for Sir Patrick and Lady Ingrid."

"Nice story," Kemi grumbled.

Just then, the black woman felt her stomach rumble a little bit. It had been a while since she had lunch. Perhaps a glass of water could ease her?

"I'm going to fetch myself some water, if that's alright."

"Go ahead, no need to ask," Patrick nodded.

"Thanks…"

The Burnette pecked Justin on the cheek and walked to the kitchen. As she downed a glass, the memories began to leak through the cracks of Kemi's mind. After losing what they had, things took a turn. A much darker turn. The time when she wanted to move on from their marriage and Patrick wouldn't let her. How he kept her locked up like a prisoner when she demanded divorce. How Patrick would…

"Kemi…"

The woman jumped in surprise and looked back to see her former lover standing behind her, again. She grasped at her chest to slow her racing heartbeat.

"Jesus, Patrick…! That's two times today!"

"Pardon me," Patrick chuckled. "Just thought this was the time to do a little catch up."

"Oh, really?" Kemi asked, eyebrow raised in surprise.

"Of course. And I must say, you look very lovely tonight. Justin is lucky."

Patrick walked towards one of the cabinets to find glasses. Suddenly, Kemi grabbed on to his hand, eyeing a fancy watch on his wrist.

"Nice watch you have there, by the way," Kemi noted.

"It was a custom in England."

"Is that where you've been for the last 4 years?"

"Something like that. Why? Have you thought about me? Perhaps you missed me…"

"I suppose so," Kemi admitted. "I wasn't sure where you were since…"

Patrick lowered his eyes towards the stove for a moment before flashing a smile.

"Well, I'm brilliant, honestly. The best I have ever felt. So, there's no need to worry, Kemi."

"And you don't find it hard to be in this house again?"

"Not at all. It doesn't have to be hard and that's the great thing about it."

Kemi crossed her arms as she watched the man collect his glasses. "You look different, Pat."

"You're right," Patrick confirmed, "I am different. In fact, I am free. Free from the pain and the hardship. All of that has faded away."

"Meaning…?" Kemi eyes widened slightly, bewildered.

"I have ascended to a new path in life, Kemi and I think you'll understand soon enough."

Glasses in hand, the tall man proceeded to leave the kitchen to deliver them.

"Now, if you'll excuse me…"

The woman watched Patrick leave. She was left with more questions than answers. It was as if her former flame was evading her. But for what? Before she could pursue him, Ingrid showed up at last. Kemi almost forgot that she did most of the cooking in the kitchen.

"Kemi, since you're still here, this is perfect timing. Would you mind helping me in the kitchen for a moment?"

"What do you need?"

"Nothing too strenuous, promise. I just need help putting some things inside the oven.

As she assisted the younger woman, yet Kemi kept on looking over her shoulder. Perhaps Patrick would come by again, and they could walk through what went so wrong. However, he was already content with his new life now. A new life that didn't involve her. Kemi could not decide whether it was worth celebrating or despairing. Yes, she was free of the stress and hardship. Yes, she was free of heartache and disappointments. But...a part of her longed for another chance. Perhaps, a new start to their fractured relationship. But that wasn't happening anytime soon. This woman, Ingrid, seemed to have turned his whole life around, but there was something off about her. Patrick seemed different with her. Not "good" different either.

"Hand me the paprika, please," Ingrid asked politely.

Kemi picked a canister of paprika off the spice rack and handed it to her thoughtlessly.

"How did you come to know Patrick, if you don't mind me asking?" she asked. "You must be a special lady if Patrick decided to announce you as his wife tonight."

"Well, I actually come from England. That's where I met Patrick. We were at group therapy together. Both of us had been through a lot in our lives. We were sort of like kindred spirits in that regard. We meet in…Bristol, I believe."

"I see. You know, Patrick only showed me Bristol once before he moved to the States with me. He promised me one day he'd take me back...and then we split."

"How unfortunate," Ingrid frowned sympathetically. "The both of you must have been like two peas in a pod, huh?"

Kemi scoffed, rue heavy on her breath.

"Yeah, we sure were. When he was sober. So, what were you in therapy for?

Ingrid's eye twitched before she gave an answer.

"Suicidal depression. I lost someone I loved dearly. He...died of prostate cancer. It spread to his bones and he was paralyzed..."

Kemi's eyes widened in surprise. She lowered her eyes in regret, feeling smaller than a mouse. Despite her suspicion and jealously, she had no reason to dampen the host's spirits.

"Jesus...I'm so sorry, Ingrid."

Ingrid's eyes were trained to the kitchen sink.

"He said...he always wanted to have children and grandchildren. But, eventually, he gave up fighting for his life. What was the point of doing so if you could no longer move your legs or arms?"

The younger woman placed a pot of ham inside the oven before closing it. She flashed the older woman light smile.

"That was 3 years ago, though. I am much happier than I ever was now."

Kemi paused. Hearing this woman speak so earnestly took her back. Granted, she came out of the blue, and Patrick neglected to say word one about her before now, but that meant nothing compared to the horrors she endured. If this woman truly did pull Patrick out of that dark place...then maybe she was worth a chance.

"I can tell Patrick is happy too. He can be a stiff at times, but I can tell a difference."

"Of course. I think we helped each other though. Had it not been for him, I'd be miserable or dead. None of those options are fun."

"No kidding."

"And not only that...Patrick and I learned better ways to deal with our troubling emotions. Pain is optional, not permanent."

And just as quickly, the sense of unease returned. Ingrid's pseudo-spiritual soliloquy struck her strange, to say the least. It was not unheard of for people to turn to religion in times of need, and for some, it provided comfort and guidance. But Ingrid's beliefs sounded...unorthodox.

"Yeah, about that..." Ingrid tilted her head, somewhat confused. "This is gonna sound weird, but are you religious?"

Oh, how did you know, Kemi?" the other woman giggled and grinned. "Yes, Patrick too."

"Well what you were saying earlier about your faith...it wasn't hard to gather. And Patrick wasn't always super religious before now. So hearing him talk about it is a little...odd."

Ingrid placed a hand her chin and thought about it. To many people, religion was represented it different forms. So, it was to be expected that one looked at the philosophy differently.

"I suppose it depends on how you look at it. It's natural to not be familiar with it. That's why I'm excited to teach you about it later in the living room."

"Sounds...interesting," Kemi spoke, chuckling nervously. In her childhood, she remembered how her Christian parents always lectured her on being a good Samaritan. It was as if she was in two schools during her pre-teen years. She could hear her late mother now, telling her to give it a chance and have an open mind.

"Say, Ingrid, am I allowed to tell you how hot you look right now?"

An adult man with sideburns appeared into the kitchen approaching the party host. Kemi couldn't help but roll her eyes at her friend's lady killer antics.

Ingrid giggled at Greg's forwardness as she hugged the man back.

"Oh, you!"

"Seriously, it's good to have you with us," Greg spoke honestly. "And I'm glad to see that Patrick is moving on."

"Thank you, Greg."

"Anyway, I'm just here for the entrees. Mind if I…?"

"Help yourself."

Greg grabbed a tray of finger foods and took one into this mouth.

"Anything interesting going on here?"

"I was just telling Kemi that pain is optional."

Greg raised an eyebrow.

"Really? That's news to me."

"As it turns out, negative emotions are chemical reactions," Ingrid explained. "Despair, sorrow, guilt, anger, depression, are poisonous influences in our psyche. So, if we pray and atone for our sins, we will be exonerated and fulfilled with many rewards."

"What lady Ingrid means," Zinnia added showing up to bring dirty glasses into the sink, "Is that people are capable of feeling everlasting happiness, once we get rid of the bad emotions we were born with."

"So, we are draining out our grief and misery?"

"Indeed…" Ingrid nodded. "It may sound strange to you but—"

Greg and Kemi exchanged puzzled expressions.

"I'm sorry but it's more than just strange, lady," Greg commented honestly. "It sounds batshit crazy."

Suddenly, the shorter adult woman kicked Greg's stomach. He was sent flying towards the fridge. Kemi's mouth dropped, stunned. Effie heard the commotion and called out from across the room.

"Hey, what the fuck was that?"

"Oh, don't worry," Ingrid lied, feigning a cutesy smile all the while. "Greg just slipped on the floor and fell is all. I think he had a little too much to drink."

Effie groaned in annoyance.

"Greg, you klutz! Are you drunk already? Quit being so loud."

Once she was out of sight and earshot, Ingrid's smile faded like an ice cube at a desert as she glared maliciously at the man doubling over on the kitchen floor.

"Ingrid, what the fuck?!" Greg managed, through his panting.

"I don't expect a hormonal ape like you to understand anything. But, please, keep your mouth shut if you don't have anything nice to say."

Despite how alluring and hypnotizing they could be, Ingrid's icy orbs were quite intimidating to stare back into. Greg felt a chill down his spine and a cold sweat coated his brow as he nodded quickly.

"Alright, I get it…s-sorry."

"Lady Ingrid," Zinnia politely addressed her employer, slightly timid. Like the stormy clouds of early afternoon, Ingrid's cold glare evaporated. She turned to her trusty maid and smiled.

"Ah, yes, let us proceed."

As the maid and mistress brought the food upstairs, Kemi helped her friend up from the floor. Greg rubbed his chubby belly, still in pain. Kemi took out an ice pack from the freezer. She placed it on the back of his head, which had a knot in it for when he slammed against the fridge. They both left the kitchen and went retired to the bar area with the high stools.

Kemi was quite surprised. From the moment she met Patrick's new lover, she pegged her as a fragile woman a little too young to be wife material. If she could hand a grown man his ass, what else was she capable of?

"Fuck, that was out of nowhere…" Greg said, rubbing

"No shit. Have those two been acting like this all night?"

"Yeah, including Patrick. Look, I believe in doing what you gotta do to make it through today. Especially you and Patrick, with what you went through. But, here's the thing; you didn't lose your goddamn marbles."

"Oh, I didn't?"

"Well, not like that!"

Kemi scoffed. Perhaps Greg had a point. During the time of loss and grief, Patrick and Kemi indulged in unhealthy pleasures. One resorted to alcohol and the other sought comfort in carnal pleasures. But one of them managed to prevail. One of them was able to come to their senses, trying to find a new angle to cope and adjust to a broken life. It was no easy feat, but Kemi found her footing again.

"Aside from that, how have you been lately?" Greg asked her. Kemi simply shrugged her shoulders.

"Okay, I guess. Until I got invited to this shit. Had it not been for Justin, I'd be in bed right now." Greg chuckled in kind.

"Same."

"Vicki didn't want to come?"

"She's with the kids. Our youngest daughter caught a bad cold."

"And…?" Kemi pressed. Greg sighed tiredly, applying more of the ice pack on his head.

"And…I think Vicki is cheating on me."

The dark-skinned woman furrowed her brows. She knew that feeling all too well.

"That's not good, Greg. Did you try talking to her?"

"I've given her an ultimatum. I've decided to give her a week to get it together. Otherwise, my kids and I are leaving."

"You're sure about that? It'll be a tough adjustment."

"Well, when I heard your story, it gave me hope. I don't need to keep relying on someone to sustain me. If my kids are educated and fed, I'm happy, with or without Vicki."

Her spirits lifted a little, Kemi patted her longtime friend in the back.

"Well said, Gregory. I'm proud of you. Don't hesitate to ask for help though, got it?"

"I know. Thank you."