Twenty-Six
TWENTY-SIX
I walk into the kitchen at seven a.m. with a smile on my face and a full heart. Last night with Hendrix was more than I could have hoped for. Knowing that he feels like I do and that he wants to continue what we’ve started makes me happier than I’ve ever been.
“Good morning,” I sing, seeing Mom rummaging through the refrigerator for breakfast ingredients.
She pops up and spins around, arms full of eggs and bacon. “Good morning, sweetheart. You’re chipper this morning.”
Taking the ingredients from her, I kiss her cheek and say, “Just happy to be home. Let me help with breakfast this morning. I’m sure Sloane is giving Dad a hard time about getting ready for school, and we both know you have the magic touch.”
“Yeah, he’s not too happy about school this morning,” she chuckles and squeezes her arms around my neck. “Mmm. New body wash?”
“Oh, yeah. Just something I picked up.” I quickly turn away so she doesn’t see the lie written across my face that it’s actually Hendrix’s body wash from last night. “What’s the excuse this morning?” I place everything down on the large kitchen island and start sorting through everything. “Breakfast pizza?” I ask.
She nods and digs back in to retrieve tortillas, cheese and salsa. “Apparently Sloane says he is the smartest one in class and doesn’t need to go to school anymore. He said he can skip straight through to helping on the ranch.”
“To be fair, he did school me on cost principle, does he really need to know much more than that?”
Mom shakes her head. “I’m assuming that little accounting fact was courtesy of Aunt Cat.”
“If he doesn’t want to work on the ranch, I’m sure Malik could really use some help in the financial aspect of our company.” Hendrix comes swaggering in and I think to myself who needs breakfast when he looks like a whole meal .
“Good morning, Hendrix. I hope you slept well.” Mom walks over to him and gives him a hug, which is pretty typical for her.
She pulls back slightly and scrunches up her brows, taking a whiff of him.
He tenses, but relaxes enough to pat her back gently. “Very well, ma’a–Camille. Thank you for having me.”
“I’m going to get breakfast going while Mom gets the rugrats moving. Would you like juice or coffee? We don’t have that black tar stuff that could pass for crude oil, but there are some others you may like.” I reach up and open the mug cabinet, grabbing one for him and setting up the coffee machine. “Or there’s an espresso machine. That probably has enough caffeine to get you through the morning.”
He smiles at me and I see Mom’s eyes volleying between us. When he walks over to where I stand and touches my side ever so quickly, I hear Mom say, “Dagen. Can I speak with you for just a moment?”
We both freeze and I hear Hendrix whisper, almost indecipherable, “Shit.”
“Um sure. Give me just a minute to pop the bacon in the oven. Hendrix, help yourself.” I work quickly, lining the baking sheet with foil and laying out strips of bacon.
I stick the bacon in the oven, only for Mom to remind me, “You need to start the oven first.” She presses the buttons and gives me a side eye.
Setting the sheet pan on the counter, I follow mom into the mudroom.
“What in the hell, Dagen Rayne?” Her voice is hushed and stern.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about?”
“You and Hendrix seem to be wearing the same scent this morning.” She crosses her arms and pops out on hip.
“It just probably seems that way because the body wash I bought is a bit more musky than usual. But the store di–”
“Cut the bullshit. I’m not a dumb woman.” I chew on my lip, my eyes filling with tears and my body with nerves. “Oh, honey.”
She quickly pulls me into her arms and smooths my hair.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper and wrap my arms around her.
With a sigh she tells me, “It’s okay. I just wish, lord help me, you could have held yourself back while your Dad and I were here. Now I have images in my head that I really don’t want there.”
Pushing back I explain. “I thought it would be the last time I saw him.”
“What do you mean thought , Dagen?”
I swipe at my running nose and stare at my feet. “We decided that we want to have a relationship beyond…you know–”
“I know.” She holds up her hand and closes her eyes. “You understand you’re going to have to speak with your father, and that he is going to have a lot to say about you dating a man.”
“Mom, I’m pretty sure anyone I was to date over the age of twenty is a man.”
“No, Dagen. I mean, that man is a man . Not a young one figuring out life, but one who has years of experience on you.” She exhales, waiting for me to say something. “Just..don’t let this get out of hand. And please b–”
“Hello. Are y’all going to stay locked up in there, or are you going to come out and greet us?” Mom groans and drops her head and I do the same.
The crew has ascended. Aunt Viv’s voice is very loud and clear as are the giggles of little girls.
Blowing out a frustrated breath I say, “Let’s get this shit show over with.”
Mom nods and we open the door to find a mass of people in our kitchen, and Hendrix being bombarded with looks and questions.
“Bacon’s in the oven, eggs are being scrambled, and dads are on school drop off duty.” Aunt Viv stands with little Sutton in her arms while Uncle Phoenix grabs the other two, Cassie and Genie, as they run around the kitchen.
“We’re so happy you’re home, Day.” Aunt CeCe walks over, an apron over her sleek black skirt and plum colored blouse, and kisses my forehead. “You really had us worried.”
“I know. I’m really sorry about it all.” She gives me a small, warm smile and touches my cheek.
“Piccola bellezza.” Zio Luca approaches me with wide arms and I step into them. “You are okay, yes?”
“Yes, Zio. I’m fine.”
They may be crazy and loud and an absolute mess, but I wouldn’t want my family any other way.
I look over at Hendrix whose eyes beg me to rescue him and I wiggle out of Zio Luca’s arms.
“Alright. Y’all are scaring the poor guy. Give him some room to breathe.” I push on Dad’s and Uncle Bishop’s chest, standing between them and guarding Hendrix. “I would introduce you, but it appears you have already scared our guest.”
“Girl, you better not ever pull a stunt like that again.” Uncle Bishop pats my head with his giant paw, then kisses it.
“I know. I won’t. Sorry.” I pass him a half, apologetic grin and leave it at that.
“Welp. We better get the kids off to school. Get that food done so they can fill their bellies. Hendrix,” Dad says, turning to look at Hendrix. “You think about what I said. You’re more than welcome to stay and we’ll get you home whenever you’re ready. Sloane, Naveen, Cassie, Genie! Eat up,” he shouts, calling all the kids like he’s corralling cattle.
Mom quickly places scrambled cheesy eggs and toast on a plate and apologize to Sloane that the bacon isn’t ready. The other kids grab toast, having already eaten at home.
“Time to go,” Uncle Bishop calls, his hands cupped around his mouth.
“We’re just missing Mav and Burton,” Uncle Phoenix points out just as a bustle flies through the back door.
“They’re here. Sorry. Maverick insisted on wearing his boots with shorts today.” Aunt Cat walks in holding the hand of one boy dressed in shorts, sneakers and a t-shirt, and the other sporting basketball shorts, a collared polo and brown boots.
I snort at the vast difference between my twin cousins. It’s quite a riot to see them. Mav is definitely Uncle Hayes to a T. In looks and behavior. And speaking of Uncle Hayes.
“C’mon kids. The school train is ready to leave the station.” Uncle Hayes pulls off his cowboy hat that has an almost permanent place on his head. “Hey darlin’. We missed you.”
“Oh my god, you guys. I was literally gone for eleven days. Y’all are acting like I flew to the moon.” My hands raise high then drop back down to my sides, landing with a smack.
The kitchen grows silent with more than a dozen eyes staring at me. Everyone passes looks before erupting again.
“How are we getting all these monsters to school?”
“Hayes said he’ll hook up the horse trailer to his truck and throw them all in there.”
“We better take two vehicles. Vaughan and Luca, you two are with me. Nix and Hayes, you take the truck.” Uncle Bishop starts grabbing hands of kids.
The women kiss their kids and husbands goodbye, and the men hustle all the kids out the back door, backpacks on and lunch kits in hand. When the door clicks shut, the moms all breathe.
I look over at Hendrix, standing at the counter with a coffee mug in hand and looking shell shocked.
“Do you see what y’all did? You scared the shit out of Hendrix.” I glare at each one of them before walking over to him and asking if he’s okay.
“Yeah. I’m fine. That was just…a lot.” He scratches his forehead, probably trying to ward off a massive headache.
“We’re so sorry, Hendrix. I’d like to tell you this is a rare occasion, but this is our life. Day in and day out.” Just then, we hear the cries of a little girl followed by another. “Oh boy. And there is round two. I’ll go grab them.”
Mom scurries off to the upstairs playroom where AJ and little Farah are playing.
Anais works to get on her feet and Aunt CeCe tells her, “Ana. Please sit. You’re not going anywhere with that big ole belly of yours. Let Cami handle it.”
She lowers herself back down with a puff of air.
“So,” Aunt Viv interjects, still holding Sutton on her hip. “Tell us about yourself, Hendrix. How old are you? What do you do for a living? What’s your credit score? Any kids? Criminal record?”
“Lord, will y’all stop.” I place my hand on Hendrix’s arm and tell him, “You do not have to answer any of that.”
The oven dings and Aunt CeCe grabs a potholder, pulling open the door and removing the cooked bacon. “Why don’t we finish breakfast before the men get back and leave poor Hendrix to catch his breath.”
Aunt Viv sets Sutton in a chair at the table by Anais, and Mom walks in carrying two little girls with tears in their eyes, one in each arm. She places them next to Sutton and Anais, then walks to the fridge and reappears with an applesauce pack for each girl.
“I’m sorry,” I apologize to Hendrix, my voice low so that the rest of the chickens won’t hear me. “Let’s go sit out on the back porch while they finish.”
“Don’t you need to help them?” he asks, bringing the mug to his mouth and wrapping his pink lips around the edge.
“I think they can manage.” We both look over at the three ladies buzzing about the kitchen to finish breakfast, while Anais talks to the girls to cheer them up.
I push on his shoulder, urging him towards the sliding doors, and follow him out. We take a seat on the couch and I cross my legs facing him.
“That’s quite the family you have.” He chuckles then takes another sip of his coffee.
“And this is my life. For the last ten years. It’s a circus, for sure, but I love it.” He nods with a solemn smile. “What was my Dad talking about? Oh, and my Mom knows we were together last night.”
“What the fuck, Dagen. You can’t just add that in like you’re telling me it’s going to rain today. How does she know?”
“I think the fact that you and I smelled of the same body wash and me knowing how you take your morning coffee clued her in.”
He hangs his head and I touch his hand. “It’s okay. She basically just said to be careful, because you're a man man, and to tell my Dad sooner than later.”
“What’s a man man?”
“Apparently you’re old enough to know things.” He snorts and practically chokes on his coffee. “Don’t worry. I didn’t tell her you gagged me with my nightgown last night.”
This time he does choke and I pat his back. Soon my pats turn into rubbing his back and I move in closer. Hendrix watches me and slowly leans in. Our lips are inches apart, but our bubble is burst in the worst way.
“Breakfast is ready.” Aunt Viv stands at the edge of the door and patio with a knowing smirk on her face.
“C’mon,” I tell him. “Let’s just get this over with.”
I grab his hand and pull him back inside and say a prayer that these women don’t have him running for Mississippi without ever looking back.