A BBW Romance

By Leila Lacey

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, corporations, institutions, organizations, events, and locales in this novel are either a product of the author’s imagination, or, if real, used fictitiously. The resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced without consent from the author.

Editor: Leanore Elliott

The Christmas Switch

Copyright ©Leila Lacey 2015

It felt good to be home. Justice Pope thought to herself riding in the back seat of her chauffer driven Tahoe.

It was the day before Thanksgiving and she was on her way to her parents’ home in Silverdale, Texas. Where her and her twin sister, Liberty had been born and raised.

Justice’s career didn’t allow for her to be at home with her family often. But she cherished the time when she did. She was one of the most popular singers in the world today. Her career had started in her mother’s church, in the choir when she was five years old. She’d always loved singing and when the opportunity came to be just as big as or bigger than Beyoncé, she’d jumped at the chance.

Lately, she’d been tiring of the rat race of a successful career in the music industry. One of the things that had bothered her for years was all the fake people she was surrounded by.

Unfortunately, for her, the people she did trust were her family, in order for them to live in peace she tried all that she could to keep them out of the spotlight.

As her driver turned onto Havershire lane, Justice stared out the window taking in the beauty of small town’s atmosphere. Unlike LA and New York, there wasn’t miles and miles of overcrowded freeways and roads. In Silverdale, the roads were almost like dirt roads. The hard packed dirt undisturbed by idle bikers or speeding cars was narrow and weaved in between the large trees. A slight breeze caused the red and orange leaves to lazily skip along the quiet road hardly making a sound.

Cracks covered some of the more worn looking areas making it look much older than it was as all the loose pebbles hung onto the edge as if holding on for dear life. The breeze picked up, making the tall grass and flowers that aligned the road move as if waving to some invisible viewer. A car flew by over on the nearby highway, tires squealing as it took a corner too fast. But no cars flew down this road.

The many potholes scattered down the entire way were filled with brown puddles just asking for a child with bright new shiny rain boots to splash in. Trees that started to grow too close, stretched out their roots, creating dips and bumps on what otherwise would be smooth areas. A warm fog was beginning to descend, hiding what no one ever saw anyways. But it was there, never ending and quiet, lazily stretching from one end to another just waiting for a traveler to make his mark, even if it's just a footprint.

As the truck pulled into the driveway of her parents’ house, she instantly felt a sense of peace and tranquility, of being at a place where she knew she was loved for who she was inside.

The Pope home was the biggest house in Silverdale. But with the population of fifteen hundred that wasn’t hard to do. It was a classic colonial style home. A Dramatic two-story entry with a curved staircase and checkered marble floor. Professional landscaping and a pool, for the family to enjoy BBQ’s with family and friends.

The chauffer opened the door and Justice stepped out of the car, looking at all the beautiful decorations that adorned the house.

“Well look what the cat drug in,” her father said, waiting for her in the doorway. Colonel Majesty Pope was a retired Marine who had given the military twenty-five years of his life. If there was one thing that Justice was always sure of…it was the love her father had for her.

“Daddy!” she said running into his arms for a bear hug. She took in her father’s scent, instantly going back to being a little girl in his arms when she had a nightmare. He’d always smelled like tobacco and peppermint. To this day, those scents made her feel safe.

“I am so glad you were able to come and be with us this Thanksgiving baby girl. It’s been too long,” her father said not wanting to let her go yet.

“I missed you so much daddy,” she replied smiling.

“Come in, your momma is chomping at the bit to see you.”

“Okay.” She turned to her driver. “You can sit my luggage inside the house Pierre. Then get yourself back to that airstrip, get on the jet and go be with your family for the holidays. I will see you in five days.”

“Thank You Ms. Pope. You have a good one.”

As Justice walked through the house toward the kitchen, she was tucked firmly under her father’s arm. She thought of all the happy loving years she’d spent in this house. Every thought she had of her past was of a wonderful life.

Even with those two years of bullying that she suffered in high school. Justice was five nine, and she wore a size eighteen. Her dark brown complexion had hadn’t really helped matters with her tormentors who were white and black. Top that off with having a father for a Marine and a mother that was the pastor of her own church, Justice had a lot of expectations on her.

Luckily, she’d been blessed to have a twin sister who she was very close to. They had never really needed friends, because they had each other.

She thought of the irony of being called Thelma thick thighs and forest fire in high school. To having paparazzi trying to catch a photo of her butt, hips and thighs…praising them now.

“Mommy!” she said when they rounded the corner and she saw her mother.

“My Baby!” Her mom replied quickly wrapping Justice in her arms.

Reverend Dr. Hope Pope was a well-known pastor and an amazing wife and mother. She loved her girls and taught them to have pride in themselves as women, and in their heritage. As much as she had wanted Justice to stay away from secular music, she’d loved and supported her daughter in the choice that she’d made in becoming a super star.

“Did you get my scripture today?” Her mother asked her. Hope had sent a scripture each morning for her daughters to read for many years now. She’d told her and Liberty, “If you start your day with the Lord, everything else will fall into place.”

Many times, Justice had been struggling with one thing or another and out of nowhere, she would get a scripture text from her mom and it would be just what she needed to read. “Yes momma and I read it a few times on the plane.”

“That’s my girl,” her mother said going back to her slicing.

“Where’s Liberty? Is she here yet?” she asked looking around for her sister.

“Your sister is upstairs in her room taking a shower, before she brings her behind down here and starts helping me with this dinner. We are hosting thirty people tomorrow,” Hope said.

“THIRTY! Momma I thought you said this year was going to be low key?”

“For your momma that is low key,” Majesty chimed in.

On the few occasions that Justice was able to break away and come home. She would spend her entire visit giving free concerts in her parent’s backyard.

“I know sweetie, but we just have so much to be thankful for. I can’t help but want to share that,” Hope said. “Besides, I have told everyone that has RSVP’d there will be no impromptu concerts this year.”

“Like they’re gonna listen,” Majesty interjected. “I been telling half the people that are coming tomorrow to walk on my path and not my grass. The path not the grass. What do this iggnit son of a—”

“MAJESTY!” Hope cut him off. “Okay, we get your point they walk in the grass. There is no reason to have a foul mouth.”

“Oh Shit Hopey, you are about to be real disappointed in me then. ‘Cause I don’t care the occasion, your sister always manages to act a damn fool and causes me to call her a mother-fucka, so I am warning your sensibilities now. Tell that bitch to sit down somewhere tomorrow.” Majesty was a hard charging military man that didn’t bite his tongue.

Justice was sure whoever had made up the term mouth like a sailor, must have met her father.

Amazingly, through, all these years of marriage there had been only two things Hope and Majesty had disagreed on: cussing and Hope’s sister.

Which if you asked Majesty, were not mutually exclusive.

“My God, I missed you people,” Justice said hugging her dad.

“Then you need to quit letting your adoring fans dictate when I get to see my daughter and come for the holidays more often,” Majesty told her.

“I know daddy. I’m sorry, things are so busy for me lately,” she said somberly.

“Justice…what’s the matter honey?” her mother asked. She stopped chopping and gave her daughter her undivided attention.

That was the type of parents Majesty and Hope had always been for their two daughters. There was nothing more important to them than God’s gift to them.

Majesty had taken his time with the Marines very seriously, but when it came to his girls it was them, first.

“Nothing Momma, what do you mean?” Justice tried to play off her dissatisfaction with her life. Who really complains about being world renowned for something they love to do and running in the circles that opened doors. She couldn’t vocalize her dissatisfaction with her life. She thanked God every day for the blessings he’d given her.

“Now Justice, you know God don’t like ugly—”

Majesty cut her off, “Then your sister must be Lucifer’s firstborn sent to walk unsuspecting God fearing men into the pits of hell with her Goode snacks!” he made another dig at Hope’s sister.

“DADDY!” Justice said folding over in laughter. This was what she needed, her family surrounding her with something real.

“MAJESTY POPE! You make one more remark about my sister today and we are going to have a difference of opinion!” Hope yelled, but it was taking all she had to keep from laughing herself. “As I was saying…I know when something is bothering you honey and something is wrong.”

Justice was still laughing at her father’s joke. “Momma I feel better just being here with the two of you and knowing Liberty is upstairs. I’m gonna go up and freshen up too, so I can help out with all the cooking,” she said hugging her mom and kissing her on the cheek again.

“Okay, well you know, I’m here if you need to talk,” her mother replied.

“Yes Momma, I know. I love you so much for all you and daddy have done for us.”

“It has been our pleasure baby girl,” Majesty said as she left the kitchen.