To Thine Own Self: A Christopher Family Novel

By W. D. Foster-Graham

The time is 2012; the place is Minneapolis.

Darrell Edwards, first grandchild of Elijah Edwards, Sr., bears the legacy of the wealthy and powerful Edwards branch of the Christopher family, a family that sets standards rather than follows them. In keeping with the legacy, he answers the call of the ministry, in spite of the attitude of peers viewing him as a spoiled, entitled trust fund kid, which was far from the truth. Recently widowed after 18 years of marriage to his beloved wife, he faces the challenges of raising three children and the ongoing responsibilities as a straight associate pastor of a predominantly LGBT church. But is he as straight as he thinks he is?

Cesare Morelli-Montgomery is the product of a modern family, deeply loved by his sister and his two fathers. His extended family is loving but sometimes overbearing. Taking over his grandmother’s successful practice as an adoption attorney, it is a labor of love for him to help create forever families in the LGBT community. His cat, Shazam, always keeps him on point. But why does he keep getting involved with men who don’t share his own dream of love, marriage, and most importantly, children?

Will Darrell be able to find room in his heart for a second chance at love with Cesare? Will Cesare accept the adage, “Be careful what you wish for—you may get it” and go for a man who not only belongs to his kids, but a congregation?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Feb 6, 2024
• ISBN: 9798823021449

W. D. Foster-Graham

W.D. Foster-Graham is a native son of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He received a B.A. in psychology from Luther College, with a minor in Black studies. He is an original member of the 3-time Grammy Award-winning ensemble, Sounds of Blackness. He has also been recognized by the International Society of Poets as one of its “Best New Poets of 2003,” and is a guest writer for Wyatt O’Brian Evans (The Huffington Post, the Washington Post, the Advocate). He is the book review editor for Insight News, a Black community newspaper in the Twin Cities. His passion for writing was inspired by his father, who read voraciously. His tastes in writing run to historical fiction, family sagas, and romance, seasoned with his own brand of African American flavor—at the end of the day, it’s all about the love. He shamelessly admits to a love of romance novels, whodunits, and classic movies of old Hollywood. He also received inspiration from the late novelists E. Lynn Harris and Toni Morrison. In Toni’s words, “If there is a story you wish to read, and it hasn’t been written yet, then you must be the one to write it.” Retired from the field of teaching, he loves travel on the open road and time with his husband and son when not in writer’s mode. This is the 7th novel in his Christopher Family Novel series.

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© 2024 W. D. Foster-Graham. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

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

Published by AuthorHouse  02/05/2024

ISBN: 979-8-8230-2143-2 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-8230-2144-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2024901959

Adobe Stock images depicting people are used with their permission and for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Adobe Stock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

The Edwards Family Tree

The Montgomery Family Tree

The Morelli Family Tree

Prologue: July 24, 2011

Chapter 1   July 2012

Chapter 2   July 2012

Chapter 3   August 2012

Chapter 4   October 2012

Chapter 5   October 2012

Chapter 6   November 2012

Chapter 7   December 2012

Chapter 8   February 2013

Chapter 9   April 2013

Chapter 10   May 2013

Chapter 11   September 2013

Chapter 12   September 2013

Chapter 13   October 2013

Chapter 14   November 2013

Chapter 15   August 16, 2014

Epilogue: June 26, 2015

About The Author

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to acknowledge the following: Dr. DeWayne Davis; Jon Buchholz; my fellow Sounds of Blackness alumni; my Central High classmates; my Luther College Black Alumni; Patricia Knight; Kevin Moore; All God’s Children MCC; my St. Peter’s AME family; Rhonda Byrne, Lisa Nichols; LaTonia Williams; Frederick Smith; Bryan Sparkman; Cheryl Barton; Jayce Ellis; Georgina (Gigi) Kiersten; Wyatt O’Brian Evans; Rayceen Pendarvis; James Earl Hardy; Queer in Color; VSS365 writer community; Chase Connor; Mario Dell’Olio; Jacki Renee; Nhojj; Evie Drae; R.L. Norman; Kevin E. Taylor.

This book is dedicated to Walter and to Edward Lee, and in

memory of Dad, who encouraged me to be a storyteller.

THE EDWARDS FAMILY TREE

Melvin Edwards (Lillian Christopher)(married 1924)

Elijah Edwards Sr. (Donna Gray)(married 1949)

John Edwards (Helen Powell)(married 1981)

Louis Edwards (Angelea VanArsdale)(married 2011)

Danielle

Justin Edwards (Alisha VanArsdale)(married 2011)

Rafael

Elijah Edwards Jr. (Sandra Harrison)(married 1970)

Darrell Edwards (Kenisha Williams)(married 1993)

Adam

Micah

Naomi

Veronica Edwards (Nigel Moriarty)(married 1995)

Vanessa

Denzel

Vivian

Lucius Bradley Edwards (Rico McDonald)(married 2009)

Saleisha

Jermaine

Melvin Edwards II (Fontelle Mills)(married 1979)(Linda Berry)(m. 2008)

Jerome Edwards (Ariel Franklin)(married 2004)

Jennifer

Linda

Julian Edwards (Carter Berry)(married 1983)

Donna Joycelyn Berry-Edwards

Lillian Berry-Edwards

Jeremiah Edwards (Xenobia Dobbs)(married 1957)

Douglass Edwards (Preston Welch)(married 2008)

Matthias

Harley

Darius Edwards (Mara Saunders)(married 1989)

Demetria Edwards

Deleon Edwards

Diana Edwards

Deborah Edwards (Woodrow Hendricks)(married 1951)

Wayne Hendricks (Theophous Bell)(married 1978)

Ronnell Hendricks-Bell (Lamar King)(married 2010)

Erika

Jermaine Hendricks-Bell (Marcellus Green)(m. 2011)

Kevin Hendricks (Willona Loomis)(married 1982)

Keith Hendricks (Kira Varnell)(married 2012)

Kandra Hendricks

Kendra Hendricks

Doris Hendricks (Eugene Kennedy)(married 1980)

Stephanie Kennedy (Mari Logan)(married 2006)

Laurence

Yolanda

Jayden

Dorian Kennedy (Lauren Harper)(married 2009)

Mahalia

Woodrow Kennedy

THE MONTGOMERY FAMILY TREE

Lonnie Montgomery Sr. (Pearl Jackson)(married 1943)

Topaz Montgomery (Shechem Levine)(married 1967)

Tiffany Levine

Opal Levine

Diamante Montgomery (Claudia Harris)(married 1972)

Sardonyx Montgomery

Emerald Montgomery (Taurian Bryant)(married 2009)

Turquoise Montgomery

Amethyst Montgomery (William Burrell)(married 1974)

Winston Burrell

Sapphire Burrell

Cartier Montgomery (Trazana Lester)(married 1976)

Jade Montgomery

Shemar Montgomery

Aquamarine Montgomery

Lonnie Montgomery Jr. (Jacob Morelli)(married 1979)

Khadijah Morelli-Montgomery (Suleiman Burton)(married 2003)

Omar

Gabriel

Cesare Morelli-Montgomery

THE MORELLI FAMILY TREE

Carlo Morelli (Francesca Valentino)(married 1936)

Jacob Morelli (Lonnie Montgomery Jr.)(married 1979)

Khadijah Morelli-Montgomery (Suleiman Burton)(married 2003)

Omar

Gabriel

Cesare Morelli-Montgomery

Sofia Morelli (Giancarlo D’Amato)(married 1962)

Gina D’Amato (Mario Russo)(married 1991)

Angelo D’Amato (Curtis Green)(married 2005)

Roberto D’Amato (Shayna Webster)(married 2000)

Gabriella Morelli (Joseph DiBartolo)(married 1964)

Salvatore DiBartolo (Carla Santorini)(married 1992)

Lucia DiBartolo (Matteo Ricci)(married 2001)

Valeria DiBartolo (Bryan Benedict)(married 2002)

Vincenzo Morelli (Bianca Marone)(married 1977)

Giovanna Morelli (Dariel Hickson)(married 2011)

Antonio Morelli

PROLOGUE

July 24, 2011

By the power vested in me by God and the state of New York, I now pronounce you married. Allan, Ramsey, Michael, Roslyn, you may kiss your spouses.

It was truly one of the events of the season, and Reverend Darrell Edwards was pleased with the results. Officiating the double wedding of his twin cousins, Michael Davis, Jr. and Allan Arrington-Davis, was a great honor, as 700 VIP guests witnessed their union with their twin spouses, Roslyn Arrington Davis and Ramsey Arrington-Davis at the Plaza Hotel in New York. The day was already a cause for celebration in the state, marking the first day of marriage equality. With the Davis twins being the sons of music royalty, their wedding was a media sensation.

Darrell had no doubt about the numbers of weddings taking place around the city, each of them bolstered by the sheer joy and gratitude that this day, once only a dream, had finally come to pass here. When Allan and Ramsey exchanged their vows, it filled him with an extra boost of positivity. Allan had already made a showstopping entrance when he processed down the aisle with his father, Michael Sr., composer and arranger for Sunrise. Decked out in an exquisite, blinged-out, white tux accessorized with an African print kufi adorning his waist-length dreadlocks and a matching cummerbund followed by a flowing white mantle with a train and more bling, he commanded attention, as did Roslyn on the arm of her father in a fabulous Pnina Tornai princess wedding gown.

Standing at the altar, Ramsey and Mickey made a most handsome and striking presence; no one could miss their lovestruck expressions while their respective spouses processed down the aisle. Photography and videography were limited to a select few, who respectfully remained as unobtrusive as possible during the ceremony; the same went for the security team.

As the associate pastor at Light of the World Tabernacle, Darrell had performed many wedding ceremonies for its predominately LGBT congregation of color, as well as some for his relatives. This one, however, was well beyond the scope of anything he had done previously, certainly his most high-profile wedding. The press had played up the angle of twins marrying twins, but all he saw were two couples deeply in love. When Cousin Wayne sang a song written by Allan just for Ramsey, they simply couldn’t keep their eyes off each other. Being a supportive brother, Allan had also written one for Mickey to Roslyn, declaring emphatically that she was his queen.

Dressed in his ministerial robes, Darrell’s brawny, 6’7" build made for a commanding yet loving presence. His 39 years tweaked his charismatic Edwards looks and healthy brown skin in the best possible way, and though the focus of the wedding was the couples, the camera loved him. Small wonder—love was in abundance in the ballroom.

With the marriage of the twins, the Sunrise ensemble had a place of honor in the seating arrangements. Sol Harvey, Medford Gladstone, their wives, and Ronnell and Jalani Austin-Hayes cheered them on as the couples kissed and later jumped the broom. Darrell couldn’t help noticing with amusement the way his oldest son, Adam, checked them out, particularly Ronnell and Jalani and Allan and Ramsey. That came as no surprise; at 15, Adam and his male friends at church were prone to dish about this boy and that boy, and where they rated on the cuteness/hotness register.

While the wedding party retired to another area of the hotel for the formal photographs, the guests headed for the dining area, mixing and mingling.

Beautiful, beautiful wedding, his wife Kenisha gushed, locking arms with his. You made us proud, Darrell.

Darrell bent down to give her an affectionate kiss. Thanks. They deserved the best.

And they got it. Now, we need to get in there for the photos before the newlyweds send out a search party.

They wouldn’t.

Kenisha shot him an incredulous look. Oh, really? Have you forgotten that Madear and your mother are in there?

On second thought, let’s move it on, he replied with a grin while they strolled out of the ballroom. Besides, I have to sign the marriage certificates.

During the lavish reception, Darrell and Kenisha took time out to dance to the slow ballads, bowing out of the line dances and contemporary music the newlyweds wholeheartedly enjoyed. The easy familiarity of their years of marriage lent itself to the effortless grace of their dance. The older couples on the floor nodded their approval. Auntie Aurelia, of course, could always be counted upon for commentary: It’s about time you got on the dance floor and kept up with everybody else. At 91, she wasn’t as over-the-top dramatic as when she was a young woman, but the mischievous, feisty glint in her eye prevailed. Even today, it amazed him how different she and Madear were and yet still sisters. One common thread, however, was in their love for their husbands; Grandpa Eli and Uncle Rufus considered themselves the lucky ones.

Having grown up in the Edwards family, schmoozing with celebrities was familiar territory, given the number of them he’d met through the fall parties hosted by his great-grandmother, Lillian Christopher Edwards, and later Madear. Now, the torch had been passed on to his mother, Sandra Harrison Edwards. As the new society queen of the Twin Cities, she had her heart set on having Aretha Franklin as her special guest for the upcoming party in September. Having observed her predecessors, Darrell had no doubt that Mom would get her wish, with plenty of urging from his cousin Ronnell King, ever since he learned that he and Aretha shared the same birthday.

Naomi’s getting tired, Kenisha said, indicating their eight-year-old daughter. I’m going to take her upstairs.

All right. You coming back down?

I’ll be back. Micah can babysit.

Darrell sipped sparkling water while he watched his wife making her way through the crowd with a mildly protesting Naomi in tow, followed by 11-year-old Micah. Though they would protest, his children knew when parents meant business. Now he could take a moment for himself before he continued to socialize.

If only she could do it all for me, Darrell thought as he checked out a Blair Underwood lookalike and his boyfriend seemingly dancing together in stardust. But she can’t…

Chapter 1

July 2012

The 102-degree temperature left Darrell heat-zapped as he entered his two-story stucco home at 4720 Park Avenue, craving the air-conditioned oasis after his afternoon meeting with Pastor Marie Wylie at Light of the World Tabernacle. Toeing off his size-15 shoes inside the entrance, he headed through the house to the kitchen, where he hoped his kids had left some soda, iced tea, or lemonade in the refrigerator. Even ice water would suffice.

He lifted his eyes to the ceiling in a brief prayer of thanks when he opened the door and a half-full pitcher of lemonade sat on the top shelf. A minute later, his parched throat thanked him for the summer beverage he drank with relish. With the generous portion of leftovers from the 4th of July Edwards family barbecue, he could enjoy a good meal and some alone time, since Adam, Micah, and Naomi were spending quality time with his parents.

Kenisha was good about coordinating things like that. On nearly countless occasions over the last six months, he’d found himself thinking of things he’d say to her. He’d turn to compliment her love for art, mention some school event involving the kids, discuss the time they spent fellowshipping with their congregation. But he could no longer say them now, except in prayer. The car crash which claimed the life of Kenisha Williams Edwards early in January ended those opportunities.

The framed photograph of her on the bedroom dresser captured his attention as he lay quietly on the king-size bed they had shared for 18 years. People in his parents’ generation often said she reminded them of Debbie Allen from