Chapter 7 #3
As the definition appeared on their phones, their startled expressions made her smile. “Any questions?”
“Nope,” Preston said. “I don’t want you on me like a lammergeier either.”
“Good.” She surveyed the room again. Seeing Rocky standing next to her husband, Jack, she asked, “Where’s Randy?”
“Kitchen.”
“Can you ask him to join us, please.”
Rocky appeared confused at first, then as if she’d figured it out, smiled, and hurried away. She returned with the Dog’s chef in tow. He looked confused too. “Is something wrong? Food okay?”
“Would you come stand by me?”
His confusion turned to outright wariness. “Am I in trouble?”
Soft chuckles sounded.
“No.”
“Okay. Good. Last thing I want is to be on your bad side, Tamar. I like it here. I don’t want to have to find another job.”
“And we like having you here. Hand Rocky your apron.”
He did as she asked and entered the Circle.
“Randy Emerson. I hear Rocky and your staff in the kitchen call you Big Texas . . .”
He grinned. “Yes ma’am.”
“When our beloved Chef Siz moved to Miami, we didn’t think we’d find anyone who could fill his shoes or our hearts the way he did.
But guess what? You showed up with your tat sleeves of meat and vegetables and filled those shoes as if they were made for you.
We thank you for feeding us and caring enough to make sure we eat well—”
“And often,” Bing called out.
Laughter.
Tamar cut Bing an amused look. “You have become family.”
Like the others being celebrated, there were tears in his eyes.
Anna Ruiz added, “And I thank you for adding the food my family and I grew up with to the menu, because you do it with such homegrown style. I can taste the love.”
“My stepmom is Tejano and can trace her roots back to Spain. She married my daddy when I was six, and I’ve been eating her food ever since. She’s the one who taught me to cook. Being able to cook and eat the food I grew up with while I’m here helps me not miss her and home so much.”
Luis said sincerely, “Tell her you’re representing her well.”
“I will.” He wiped his eyes. “Damn. Big Texas isn’t supposed to cry. I have a reputation to maintain. Not fair, Tamar.”
“All’s fair with family. Give me a hug.”
He stepped into the embrace, and applause rained down. When they parted, Lily handed him a tissue, and Tamar directed him to stand with the others.
She looked around. “As we welcome the people beside me, we’ll be saying goodbye to others. Crystal, Preston, and Leah. Join me.”
Preston said, “Aw, Tamar. I don’t want to cry. My pops will make me do push-ups, and I’m too dressed up for that.” He and the other boys were wearing suits and ties.
Everyone laughed, including Barrett, but Preston stepped forward and joined Leah and Crystal.
Zoey’s eyes went wide. “Crystal, where are you going?”
“I’m moving to Denver.”
“No!” she cried. “You can’t leave.”
Her mom Roni rubbed Zoey’s back and said softly, “Zoey.”
“No! Crystal can’t move away. Ms. Bernadine, make her stay!”
Tamar hadn’t anticipated this.
Bernadine’s heart broke.
Crystal walked over to Zoey and knelt down. “Zoey. This was a really hard decision. You think I want to leave you? My future’s not here, just like yours won’t be when you get older.”
Tears ran down Zoey’s cheeks. “Please, don’t go. Please!”
Crystal pulled her into her arms and held her tight. “Aw, sissy. Don’t cry.” Crystal was crying now as well. She looked up to Roni for help.
Roni, moved by her daughter’s distress, said, “Zoey, like Crys said, her future’s not here.”
“I don’t care! Make her stay!”
“Oh, stop being such a baby!” Devon called out derisively.
The room went silent.
Zoey screamed with outrage, ran to where he stood, and socked him in the face so hard he wound up on the floor. Sobbing, she ran for the exit. Roni, Reg, and Paula went after her.
The laid-out Devon held a hand over his rapidly swelling eye and moaned in pain.
Tamar said harshly, “Get up. Someone get some ice, and take him home.” She hadn’t anticipated this, either, and was not pleased. How dare he spoil this.
Jaws tight with anger, Lily went with Rocky to the kitchen for ice. Equally angry, Trent helped Devon sit up, and Crystal snapped, “Why are you always such a dumbass, Devon!” She hurried to the exit to see about Zoey.
Amari ran his hands down his face in disbelief and turned to Preston, who cracked, “Good thing she wasn’t armed, otherwise this would be a crime scene.”
After Devon was taken out, Tamar apologized to Leah and Preston. “I’m so sorry this went sideways. We’ll celebrate you two at another time.”
“It’s okay,” Leah said. “You don’t have to.”
Tamar eyed her. “Young woman, I need you to learn to let your community celebrate how incredibly brilliant you are and to accept the love you deserve to be showered with.”
“Hear! Hear!” her dad Gary shouted. Loud applause followed.
Leah looked down at the floor, and when she raised her eyes again, they were shiny with tears. “Yes ma’am,” she whispered.
Preston hugged Leah close, and she smiled.
Tamar then announced, “This ceremony is over. I’m too angry, so I’m going home. Don’t let this food go to waste. Stay and eat, or fix a plate to take with you.” And she walked out.
AT THE JULY house, after his parents finally finished yelling at him, Devon sat on his bed in his room with an ice pack over his now swollen-closed, black eye.
Doc Reg instructed his parents to give him over-the-counter pain pills like Tylenol, but they didn’t seem to be helping.
His eye throbbed like a bass drum with each breath he took.
A soft knock on his door made him look up, and with the movement the pain worsened.
He hoped it wasn’t his parents coming to yell at him again, but it was Amari.
“Did you come to yell at me too?” he asked sullenly.
“No. I figure Mom and Dad were better at it than I’d ever be. Just came to check on you. How’s the eye?”
“Hurts. Really bad.”
“Should I tell you to stop being a baby?”
“I thought you weren’t going to yell?”
“I’m not yelling. Just asking a question.”
“What do you want?”
“To ask what made you think it was okay to say that to Zoey? You know how Zoey feels about Crystal. She’s always been Crystal’s mini-me.
When we first came to live here, Crystal was the one who let the adults know Zoey was afraid of the dark.
When Crys ran away that time, the only person she told was Zoey.
Back when you lost your mind and stole money because you wanted to go down south, nobody told you to stop being a baby.
Ms. Bernadine put you and Mom and Dad on the jet and flew you down there. Or did you forget about that?”
Devon didn’t respond.
Amari wasn’t done. “And when your auditions didn’t go the way you wanted, and you were sad, did Mom tell you to stop being a baby?”
Silence.
“What you said to Zoey was cruel, Devon. Real cruel.”
Angry and feeling defensive, Devon snapped, “Mom and Dad made me go to her house and apologize, but she told me to get the eff out of her face and that she was never talking to me again.” His eye started throbbing big-time. “I don’t want to talk anymore. My eye hurts.”
“Sure.” He left.
Alone, Devon stretched out on his bed, but the pain in his eye increased, so he sat up again. He wanted to cry. If he could go to sleep, maybe the throbbing would stop long enough for him to forget about what happened and that nobody in town liked him because of what he’d said to Zoey.
Heaven
Lucretia said, “As the young people say on the internet: Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”
“And Devon just hit the Lotto,” Rachel replied.
Daisy shook her head. “Amari was correct. That was just plain cruel of him to say to Zoey. Everyone knows how much she loves Crystal, and my heart broke with her reaction when she realized Crys was moving.”
“Mine broke too,” Rachel echoed.
“How in the world is he going to redeem himself after this?”
No one had an answer.