Unexpected Interruptions by Trice Hickman Page A

with broad shoulders and a slim build. His thick black hair was closely cropped, and his café au lait complexion still showed evidence of minor scarring from adolescent acne. But it was his big hazel brown eyes and sincere smile that made you notice only the goodness in his face and the brightness of his spirit. Tyler was charming, drawing people to him like a magnet, and his sense of humor rivaled Richard Pryor’s. He was educated and polished, yet possessed a bad boy quality that gave him edge , compliments of his Brooklyn born accent and homeboy swagger, which balanced out his suburban upbringing. And women loved him! “Victoria, who’s that cute brother who comes to visit you?” one of her graduate school classmates once asked. “Can you hook a sistah up? He’s adorable.”
    Tyler was blessed with his mother’s maiden name as his birthright. His father had been a prominent pediatrician, and his mother, a professor at NYU. Like Victoria, he was an only child. His parents were what many in their social circle called “bohemian” and “eclectic.” They were socially conscious, and were raising their son with the same values. They were Tyler’s heroes.
    He was thirteen years old when they were killed in a car accident, on their way to Morehouse College for his father’s alumni reunion. They’d decided to drive instead of fly so they could enjoy the lush greenness of the south’s landscape. On their way down the Interstate they were hit by a car of teenagers who’d skipped school in favor of drinking and joy riding. After the funeral, Tyler moved to Virginia to live with his mother’s older sister, who had never married or had any children of her own. His aunt Beatrice was an accomplished businesswoman, and she took Tyler in, raising him with the same humanitarian values she knew his parents would have approved of.
    Tyler had surprised everyone when he asked Allison to marry him. She was the opposite of everything he stood for. She was elitist, status seeking, and pretentious. She didn’t fit him. But his background, on the other hand, did fit into the fairy tale life that Allison wanted. And the fact that Tyler had a nice inheritance that had matured when he’d turned twenty-one sealed the deal. The trust his parents had the foresight to set up for him would sustain him comfortably for many years to come. Allison believed that over time, and with her influence, she could convince Tyler to give up his “down with the people” mentality, forgo his silly non-profit venture, and settle into a respectable corporate job.
    Victoria returned from the kitchen with two cups of coffee. “Colombian blend with lots of sugar and a dash of cream, just the way you like it,” she smiled, handing the cup to Tyler. She sat on the opposite end of the couch, sipping the hot brew. “Tyler, you know I never cared for Allison, but honestly, I’m sorry that you’re hurting right now.”
    â€œActually, I feel relieved that we’re getting a divorce.”
    Victoria looked startled. “You’re really serious this time, aren’t you?” She knew that Tyler had threatened to end his marriage once before. A month after his wedding, he’d confided to her that he was thinking about separating from his new wife.
    â€œI think that Allison and I need to reevaluate things,” he’d said. “We moved too fast, and made a big mistake. So many things change once you say ‘I do.’”
    But after he talked with Allison, she managed to connive her way back into his good graces with sweet lies and sugar-coated promises to work on the problems of their marriage; mainly her overbearing attitude and meddling parents.
    Tyler took a sip of his coffee. “I know I’m doin’ the right thing. I told her I wanted a divorce six months ago, but she talked me into giving it another try.”
    â€œI knew you two