Conditions: A Love Story: Reality Series by Tiffany Brown, #2

By Tiffany Brown

Melanie is all grown up now and navigating becoming her own women while trying to live up to the Conditions of her family and friends.  Making her own path is important to Melanie after all she's been through including choosing to have a relationship with the daughter she gave away and the possibility of love.  Melanie knows she's different and is still fighting demons that not only challenge her as a woman but her future.  Will the conditions in her life for better or for worse?  Find out in the 2nd book in the Reality Series!  Catch up with the women in the Reality Series by Tiffany Brown, in the 2nd book in the series, Conditions: A Love Story.  Get ready for a love story you will not only enjoy and can relate to!

 

"I enjoyed reading the 2nd book (Conditions) a lot.  It gave more depth to the characters who were in the first book.  Following them and finding out more of their story was quite exciting.  Tiffany brings a heartfelt & tender touch to sensitive subjects in both books of the series. In Conditions the characters are filled in more & it was wonderful reading how they matured. A must read."- SF, Wake Forest, North Carolina

 

"Didn't think it could get much better but book 2 is amazing! I couldn't put it down! It was so easy to actually imagine yourself right there watching each event unfold, feeling ever emotion that the characters felt. A true extension of book 1 and testimony of an excellent storyteller. Already wanting more!!"- Tisha Hairston, Concord, North Carolina

 

"Author, Tiffany Brown has done it again! If you have read her first book "Reality Check", you already know that her second book, is going to be amazing! "Condition: A Love Story", is a great book to read. It is a page turner. You definitely won't be disappointed with this book. The Author truly put her heart and soul into each character and their story. I enjoyed every bit of the suspense, drama, and romance. I give this book 10 stars."- TT, Hampton, Virginia

 

"I feel that Book 2 is a true inspiration for anyone who has experienced adversity and/or trauma in their life and come overcome it and find happiness with someone who brings out the best in them, as well as accomplish personal goals/professional goals. Looking forward to reading more incredible material from this series."- AB, Matthews, North Carolina

 

"Tiffany keeps you guessing until the very end.  I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, Conditions."- JCP, Denver, Colorado

 

"If you are a survivor, I encourage you to read this book.  I believe it could bring you courage and healing during your own journey."- BB, Concord, North Carolina

• Language: English
• Publisher: Reality Publishing
• Release date: Dec 22, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215038093

Tiffany Brown

Originally from Washington, DC, Tiffany migrated to Charlotte, NC in 2005.  While residing in the Carolinas, Tiffany obtained a Bachelor's degree in Social Work from Kaplan University in 2012.    Tiffany began speaking to audiences while attending Prince George's County Community College, speaking at various student forums about her life experiences and being a survivor of rape.  Tiffany's talks not only helped audiences better cope and learn the importance of self-advocating but  she also realized that sharing her story was helping her on her own journey to healing.   Tiffany Brown published her first book in 2018 titled Reality Check: A Survivor's Story and is now publishing the 2nd book in the series, Conditions: A Love Story.  The books are fictional however, they are based on her own true life experiences.   Tiffany hopes that through her books she will be able to give hope and inspiration to others.

Book preview

Chapter One

Ihad just graduated from NYU College two days ago and was looking forward to seeing Grandmother, Kathryn. Though she was old and suffering from Alzheimer’s, I loved visiting her and talking about her younger days. I hadn’t seen my daughter in over a year. I had given her up for adoption in high school and her adoptive mother Toni had allowed me to remain in her life, but it was too much for me emotionally to see her so beautiful and happy with someone else she called mommy. I had decided to slowly remove myself from their lives but that was my choice. Toni had kept to her promise to keep in touch, so I received birthday announcements and Christmas cards every year. Sometimes I had even received a silly Valentine’s card with my daughter dressed in the girliest outfits I think Toni could find. I was happy that I chose Toni to take care of my daughter. She was a great mother to her!

Pulling up to Grandmothers’ retirement home was like pulling up to a Palm Beach mansion. Grandmother had plenty of money and was taken care of like a Queen in her old age. She had a personal nurse and assistant to care for her needs and Grandmother was always happy. She reminded me of the woman in the book, The Notebook minus the charming doting husband by her side. As I entered Queen City Retirement Home I noticed that there was a large family sitting in the waiting area. I had seen this before and immediately started praying for the families and their loss. I couldn’t imagine the time that would come where I would have to say goodbye forever to Grand.

I walked into Grands room and was greeted by someone I had met a handful of times before. When my parents died, I was put into foster care because the State felt Grand was too old to take care of me and my father’s parents were deceased and so was Grandfather. The only other living relative I had was my mother’s sister, Cheryl, but she was in no shape to be a mother to me. She could barely take care of herself, and I had only met her maybe four times. Well now this would make the handful of five times. She turned to look at me with an absent look in her eyes and I could tell that she was coming down from a high. Her eyes were red, and she looked very uncomfortable. She was very skinny for her height, slightly taller than me, and her long curly hair was unruly and unkept. Such a shame because if she was healthy and taking care of herself she would actually be pretty.

Sitting down in front of Grand was a nice-looking guy dressed in an expensive suit and he was smiling at Grand too affectionately for my comfort. When he noticed me, he let go of Grands hand gently and stood up to introduce himself.

Hello Melanie, my name is Xavier Thomasson. I am your grandmother’s lawyer. I took over for my father, Mr. Dwight Thomasson.

I had recognized his father’s name and had the pleasure of meeting him when my daughter was born. He took care of the adoption for me and helped me get into college for Grand.

I smiled at him. I had really liked his father and I could now see the resemblance in his smile.

Hi, how are you, I said a little curious as to why he was there.

Your Grandmother asked me to come today to meet you and your Aunt.

I didn’t even look at Cheryl. She wasn’t much of an aunt to me.

He noticed my indifference and offered me the seat in front of Grand.

Hi Grand. How are you, I asked as I kissed her on her forehead and took her frail hands in to mine.

I looked up at him. He had to be about six feet four inches. He had an athletic build and very clean cut. I had to stop myself because I realized that I was sizing him up. He was very handsome for a man of color as Grand would describe him.

He smiled. What a perfect smile, it was.

Well, I don’t want to take time from you visiting. Do you mind if I speak with you privately?

That’s not necessary Xavier. You can talk to her in front of me, Grand smiled at him.

Cheryl was still standing looking out the window looking crazy and out of place.

Yes mam, he said grabbing a folder out of his black leather suitcase. He had really nice hands.

Your grandmother wanted me to talk to the two of you, he said looking over at Cheryl, about her estate.

I went over to Cheryl and ushered her to the seat opposite me. She looked so uncomfortable.

Grand smiled at me for the gesture and took one of Cheryl’s hands in the hand she freed from me. I had a feeling that whatever Mister Handsome had to say I wasn’t going to like.

Your grandmother is getting her affairs in order since she has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She felt that it was best to do this now before she was legally unable to.

I squeezed Grands hand as I held back tears.  She was having a good day. She was smiling, alert, and knew who I was for the moment.

She had left both you and Cheryl part of her estate. The first part of the estate is her house she has in Washington DC. Its prime real estate with all the revitalizing going on and she has left the house in your name Melanie. She also has a vacation home in Myrtle Beach which she has left to you as well.

I was shocked! I didn’t know of a vacation home in...Oh wait. I had been to a beach house with my parents when I was little. Was that it, I asked myself.

Your grandmother also has various bonds which she has left for Cheryl and investments which she has left in your name, Melanie.  In addition, your Grand has a sizeable life insurance policy that is valued at more than ten million dollars. She has named both of you as well as a charity on her life insurance divided by three. The charity does not have any conditions but there are conditions for you and Cheryl.

Here comes the catch. I really didn’t care. I didn’t expect anything from Grandmother, but I hope the conditions for my aunt was to get clean or she would go through that money like a fiend and possibly kill herself doing it!

Melanie are you able to meet with me privately for a moment, he asked standing up.

I looked at Grand who for some reason was smiling at me. I couldn’t tell what was behind the smile because I was not too amused at the moment. But obviously this whole process was amusing to her.

Yes of course, I said following him into the sunroom.

He waited for me to sit down. What a gentleman he was.

Once I sat down, he sat down beside me at a respectable distance.

He opened a new purple folder, which happened to be my favorite color, and handed me a few papers.

The papers I have given you are written versions of what I just told you. The first page is an index of the pages to follow. If you look at it, it says that there is the actual Will first and then the Deed, Investments, Conditions, Life Insurance and...

He kept on telling me exactly what was in the papers I was holding. Now I was the one drifting off into never never land not liking the fact that these papers were a subtle warning that Grand would not be with us forever.

Do you have any questions so far, he asked waiting for my reply.

I understand everything, I answered him politely.

He smiled and opened my papers for me to a document that had Conditions in it.

I looked at it and quickly scanned the page.

Okay so I guess this is where I learn the conditions of the life insurance, correct?

We both laughed.

Yes, it is. Would you like to read it, or would you prefer I tell you what’s there?

Let’s save time and let you do what she is paying you to do.

Okay. With the house and the investments, you are now currently valued at thirteen million dollars.

He stopped probably to look at my stare of disbelief.

Can you repeat that and break it down?

Yes, the house in Washington, DC has been appraised for one million five hundred thousand. The beach home in Myrtle Beach is almost the same at one million two hundred and sixty thousand dollars. She has invested wisely and has an investment account of nearly seven million dollars that I would suggest you leave in the account to continue to grow. 

I stood up and went over to the window. I couldn’t believe it. Grand was definitely well off. She had paid for my college education and would not accept scholarships or any other financial help on my behalf. She had paid for my rent at college the whole four years and had already paid for my Masters in advance through a trust account. I found that out when I graduated last month. I had a car, living expenses and she had also set up a nice bank account for my daughter to help in her upbringing until she is twenty-one years old. It had taken a lot of back and forth to get Toni to agree to that, but we had succeeded, and it was a condition of her adoption that Grandmother insisted on and almost threatened would make or break the decision for me to give up my first and only child.

I sat back down waiting for him to continue. He gave me a few minutes for continuing.

You will receive your life insurance in the amount of four million dollars after you meet the conditions she has set forth in her will.

I held my breath.

You must meet the following. You must continue your education and complete it. She does not specify that it has to be a Masters, or that it must be your current degree program, so you have already completed this condition. She also asks that you maintain a relationship with your daughter on an ongoing basis.

I laughed at that. Grand had not wanted me to give up my daughter for adoption but because of the circumstances of my pregnancy I just could not keep her though I did not blame her for being the result of such a horrible time in my life. She was a beautiful child, but I was not in the mental state to care for her at that time and honestly, I was not ready to be a mother despite the offer from Grand to help raise her.

Should I continue, he asked watching me reminiscing.

I nodded that he should continue.

The last condition she stated is that you have to be married.

I looked at him with disbelief and then burst out laughing.

Are you serious, I said jumping up out my seat. Grand knows that I haven’t even had a serious boyfriend!

You haven’t, he asked looking shocked.

No, I haven’t, folding my arms across my breast. No, I haven’t.

Well, I wasn’t interested in getting married or Grand’s money, so these conditions weren’t that bad, I thought to myself. 

After signing some legal documents with Mr. Thomasson, I went back to visiting Grand. I noticed that Cheryl was nowhere to be seen and knew that Mister Handsome would be looking for her soon to discuss her conditions.

Grand looked at me with warm loving grey eyes.

Grand?

Yes, she said gesturing to the seat beside her.

I appreciate what you are doing for us but is it necessary to have done all this right now, I asked concerned for her health.

Yes my love, it is. I am almost ninety years old and time to get my business in order. I have all I need to live out the rest of my life and I want to see you reaping my life’s work while I am still alive.

Grand got up from her seat and slowly walked over to the bay windows overlooking the lake. She had one of the best views at the retirement home and we both loved sitting on her veranda watching the ducks in the lake. It reminded me of the many times we used to just sit on the porch at her District home watching the cars go by. It used to fascinate me how much traffic went by. Grand and mother were always careful to not let me walk on the sidewalk alone. When we moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, Grand had followed, renting out her house in Washington, DC and buying a condo near South Park.

I watched as Grand walked over to some albums sitting on the table where she was sitting, and she picked up one that I don’t recall ever seeing.

I have something else I want to share with you, she said sitting down in the rocking chair I bought her when she moved into the retirement home. I sat down beside her.

She opened the album and there were a lot of old pictures in there. She opened the book to the first page. It had a small greeting card sized paper with elegant writing on it.

Grandmother started this book when she was a teenager, she said touching the delicate piece of paper. I smiled as I watched her face go through a range of emotions.

I want to share some of your history with you, she said looking at me.

You’re a very intelligent girl and I know that you will be interested in what I have to tell you and won’t be offended like your father was.

Offended, I asked confused.

Yes, your father was old school with old school morals. I showed him this book when he asked your mother to marry him.

She took the book and opened it up to the first two pictures. It was a picture of a man and a woman. One of the women looked like Grandmother but younger.

This was my mother, your great-great grandmother, Eloise. This was her father.

I smiled. The man standing beside her was very large in size, not fat, but tall and burly but his smile would make anyone smile in return. My great-great grandmother was tall too with long red hair and shapely.

Grand turned the page.  There was a picture of an African American family and my great-great grandmother and another man holding her hand.

This is the family that serviced the family home and raised my mother. The man’s hand she is holding is her fiancée, Timothy.

I looked at him. He was just barely Eloise’s height and was thin and a little homely looking. They looked awkward together, but he was smiling like a Cheshire cat while my great-great grandmother was looking at one of the African American young men in the picture and smiling. Now if you weren’t paying attention you would think she was smiling at the family, but he was the tallest so to me, she was smiling at him.

Grand was studying my face. The African American family was named the Jamison’s, an extension of our family name.

I looked at her waiting for her to continue.

Do you notice anything odd about the way everyone is posed, she asked me.

I laughed. Yes, Eloise is holding Timothy’s hand but she’s smiling at this young man right here, I said pointing to the light skin black guy.

Ahhh, I knew you would see it, she said looking at me with pause.

That young man’s name was Ezekiel Jamison. He was raised with Eloise by his mother and the two knew each other quite well. His sister, Lorraine, was a younger than Eloise but they were all friends.  Our family didn’t believe in slavery, but they did host a couple of families to help them get established, Grand explained.

That’s nice. I would hate to think my family was slave owners.

Well, we weren’t. But there is more to this story, Grand said.

I’m listening.

Ezekiel and Eloise were in love at the time of this photograph.

I looked at her not sure I heard what she said.

They were?

Yes, they were, she smiled.

She turned the page and showed a picture of Eloise and Timothy holding a baby and a birth certificate. I noticed the baby’s name to be that of Grandmothers!

What happened with Eloise and Ezekiel, I asked completely into this storyline.

Well Eloise’s father, though he claimed not to be prejudiced, would not allow Ezekiel and Eloise to get married. Not only because he was colored but because Timothy was a doctor and he wanted what was best in his eyes for his daughter.

I can only assume that interracial marriage was unheard of then, I concluded. 

Not unheard of but definitely not common for blacks and whites to marry though children were always being born of mixed blood.

I couldn’t believe it.

So, you’re saying that we have African American blood in our bloodline?

Yes, and I am saying that your great-great grandmother never stopped loving Ezekiel. Because of her being forced to marry Timothy, she rebelled, and would not have sex with her husband. He became a doctor and a pretty successful one and began having an affair with another woman. When Eloise found out, she went to Ezekiel and the two began an affair up until her death.

Oh my god, I squealed. How romantic!

Grand laughed. They never told me he was my father because Timothy didn’t want the embarrassment of people knowing I was not his and mulatto.  They raised me White, and they all agreed that I deserved to have all that Timothy could do for me, but I found out all this after my mother died from letters I found. 

What about Ezekiel? Was he still alive when your mother passed?

Yes, he was, she smiled. I had always felt an attachment and strong love for him. When I went to him with their letters, he just cried and hugged me.

That is so wonderful, I cried going to Grand’s side to hug her.

Grand flipped through the pages where there were pictures of Ezekiel’s parents much older, his sister’s wedding, pics of Timothy with my great grandmother at a dance, Grand graduating from college and other photos. It seemed as if she had kept up with both families."

Do we know where Ezekiel’s family is, I asked in full amazement.

We did up until Ezekiel’s youngest sister died.

Wow what an amazing story!

I stood up playfully dancing around wishing I had a wonderful history to add to the book, but I didn’t. My history was filled with loss, trauma and so many horrible things. Grand was the best woman I had ever known to date. She had been such a blessing to me as a child and after I was finally taken out of that awful foster care family. She hadn’t been able to protect me, and I knew it wasn’t her fault that I had suffered the things I had but I couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if my parents had lived.

Are you okay, Grand asked me looking at me intently.

Yes Grand, I’m fine. I’ll be fine and so will you.

Chapter Two

Ihad a lot on my mind as I left Grands, so I drove my Jaguar XK who I affectionately called Grace, to Uptown Charlotte to have lunch with my best friend, Denise. I had known Denise since my foster care years, and we had grown really close after Mariah was born. She had lived with Mariah’s adoptive mother, Toni, for a few months while I was pregnant. She was overly supportive and her dad, Diego, had become like a father figure to me too.

As I pulled up to our favorite spot, Amour Dessert Bar, I saw Denise talking to a beautiful, tall woman and the woman was all smiles.

I cleared my throat as I walked up to Denise and the other woman.

Hello, I said tapping Denise on her shoulder.

Heyyy, she said in a way that I know I caught