Chapter 13
Six years later
“Welcome to the show, award-winning chef, mother, and friend, Honey Hix!” LeAnn introduced me to the audience.
LeAnn had a popular daytime television show that aired all over the world. The studio was in Los Angeles, California, and always had millions of viewers tuned in every week.
I stepped out onto the set with my natural hair in loose curls down my back. I wore a brown and white sundress with white heels and jewelry to complete the look. The crowd cheered as I gave her a tight hug and claimed my seat on the couch beside her chair.
“Thank you for having me, LeAnn. I’ve been trying to get a spot on the best show on television for years, y’all.”
The crowd laughed.
“Girl, please. With your booked and busy schedule, it took us forever to fit on that press tour.” LeAnn showed her perfect white teeth.
LeAnn was a country bumpkin who had gained her fame from viral YouTube videos. The executives in Hollywood said she was the type of personality to give to middle-aged people who watched daytime television, and they were right. She was on the third season of her show and had won three Emmys.
“I’m here now, and the love is incredible. Hey, Granny. Hey, the rest of the family,” I said into the television.
Every time I appeared on television, I made it a goal to shout out my favorite lady and the family. The family would always tune in, no matter what they were doing.
The last few years of my life had been hectic. The night Marquise got arrested, I took the engagement ring off and cut all ties with him. I was not built to hold down a man in jail. I had to put myself and my child first.
I took up Courtney’s offer to go to LA with her. It was the best decision I’d ever made. Now, I worked at a high-end restaurant when I wasn’t traveling the globe to promote my cookbooks. I stamped my passport with trips to Japan, Australia, England, and France. Not to mention I’d been to almost every state in the US.
I made a lot of money and made sure my baby was by my side through it all. My heart in human form was my biggest motivation. Quis. Quis Hix, my smart and spunky six-year-old. He was the spitting image of his father. From the low-cut fade to the thick eyebrows and freckles across his nose and cheeks.
“We have a few questions. You know when folks come to LeAnn’s house, we got to get the tea, chile.”
“Of course. Hit me with whatever you’ve got.”
She flipped through her notecards and smirked before she read the question. “How important is family to you?”
“Easy. Family fuels everything I do. I solidified my village at a young age. If it wasn’t for my grandmother’s amazing gifts in the kitchen, I wouldn’t be here today. She taught me everything I know. I was helping with family dinners since I could hold a spoon in my hand.”
“I love that so much. Did you pass down the love of cooking to your son?”
I smiled. “Quis loves to eat, but he is not a fan of cooking with mommy. He’s more into coloring dinosaurs than making my famous roux.”
“Y’all, listen to me good when I say Honey’s roux is to die for. I followed the recipe in her cookbook and had my husband begging me to make the dish again.” LeAnn’s smile was contagious.
“That roux has been in the family for a while. I modernized it for the cookbook, but the one I serve at my restaurant is the authentic family recipe. It’s always a favorite amongst my regulars.”
“I am a regular. The seafood gumbo will have you calling an Uber home so you can sleep on the ride.”
“The itis is real.”
“Another question a lot of viewers want to know is if you have a special somebody in your life who gets to taste your meals at home.”
I shrugged. “Not yet. I’m really just focused on being the best mother to my son. He deserves all my love. If someone comes along who can love him unconditionally, then I’d be open to dating. However, I’m really content with my life right now. Dating can get messy.”
“You are absolutely right. There are always so many debates on social media about what the current dos and don’ts on dating are. It’s such a headache.”
“And is! All I want is to do the things I love with the people I love.”
“Period! Speaking of doing the things you love, we have a kitchen set up to watch you in your element. We want to see the Honey Hix in action with one of your favorite recipes in the new cookbook.”
“Let’s do it!”
“We’ll be right back with an exclusive Honey Hix demonstration.”
The camera turned off, and we transitioned to the kitchen set. It was fun to put on the apron and chef’s hat to create the smothered pork chops and mashed potatoes for the audience. Once I was in front of the camera, I was in my element.
To support my family by doing the thing I loved most was a blessing. I never felt resentment or frustration when I got a gig, because this was what my heart desired. Being in the kitchen, sharing food with my fans, and traveling the world was an amazing experience. After I finished the demonstration, everyone in the audience got a free copy of my cookbook. I thanked LeAnn for having me and joined my favorite guy in the green room.
When he saw me, his light brown eyes lit up.
“You did good, Mommy.” He ran into my arms, and I picked him up and kissed his cheek.
“Thank you. Are you ready to go?”
“Yup!”
“Do you know what you want for dinner? I can stop by the store and get the ingredients.”
“I want lobster and the white pasta, please.”
“Will you help me make the dish?”
“Yes.”
“Then that’s what we will have.”
I placed him back on his feet, and we walked hand in hand to the car where my driver awaited us.
“To the market, please, Moe.”
Moe was in his mid-thirties and always wore a black suit. He was ex-military and played both the bodyguard and driver role, depending on where we were. He was dark skinned with waves and was very muscular. He opened the door for us and looked at me to confirm Quis’s request. I nodded.
“Yup. My boy wants lobster Alfredo for dinner.”
Moe chuckled. “I’ll need a plate too.”
“You know we’ll always have enough for you to get a plate too.”
“This is why I’m three hundred pounds now.” He waited until I was in my seat before he closed the door and got into the driver’s seat.
“The weight looks good on you.”
“Thank you, Miss Hix.”
* * *
“Stir the Alfredo sauce while I finish up the tails in the garlic butter sauce,” I instructed my cute, sous chef.
He used the whisk to stir the white sauce in the pot. I prided myself on my son’s diverse pallet. Most six-year-olds were stuck on chicken nuggets and French fries. Quis loved a good nugget, but he would also eat a ribeye steak and asparagus.
After dinner, we watched an episode of the cartoon we’d started together in the theater room. Then we did our bedtime routine. We brushed our teeth, he had a bath, and I tucked him in and read him a book of his choice.
My home in Los Angeles was breathtaking. For it to be just the two of us, I had five bedrooms, a restaurant style kitchen, a dining room with a chandelier, an indoor and outdoor pool, and several themed rooms. There was a theater room with three rows of reclining seats, a game room, a spa room, and an indoor gym.
“Ready to call Granny and Pawpaw?” I asked as I picked up my phone.
“Yes,” Quis replied softly. He had hung in there during the book, but I didn’t think he’d make it through the call.
I tapped the family group chat, and within a few moments, my parents and Chamille were on the line. Granny was usually the first to answer, but her square had disappeared after a few moments.
“Do we need to wait for Granny?” I asked.
Silence greeted me. Something was wrong.
Daddy finally spoke. “We can do bedtime without her. Q looks like he can barely keep his eyes open.”
I nodded. “Okay. Say hey, Quis.”
“Hi, Pawpaw. Hi, Gwanny. Hi, Te Te.”
They all spoke to him with enthusiasm and pure joy. It was weird being so far from my family, but we traveled often to see them. I may not have wanted to be around Marquise’s folks, but I made it my mission to keep Quis in touch with my family. We visited around his schooling. Whenever he was on break, we were catching a flight almost every week.
They talked for a few minutes before Quis lost his battle with sleep. I tucked him in and kissed his forehead. Once his nightlight was on, I exited the room and went to the kitchen.
“What’s going on?” I asked as I propped the phone up and started cleaning up the mess from dinner.
“I’ll talk to y’all later,” Chamille rushed out before she left the call.
“I’m going to let your mother talk to you. I love you, Sweet Tea.”
My nerves were bad. I stopped cleaning and gave my parents my full attention. “I love you too, Daddy. Mama, what’s going on? Please, just tell me.”
Mama hesitated. She took a few deep breaths and cleared her throat. “You should sit down.”
“Please don’t do this. Just tell me.”
“Your grandmother passed away last night.”
My ears rang. No. That couldn’t be right. We’d talked briefly on the phone. She’d told me she had Perry Mason on the television and couldn’t wait to see my segment on LeAnn’s show. She couldn’t be gone. There was no way.
“What?”
“Your Aunt Judith went to go check on her this morning. The coroner said she’d passed in her sleep peacefully.”
Tears burned the rims of my eyes as I covered my mouth and fell to my knees. No. This had to be a sick joke. Not my favorite lady. Not the woman who influenced who I am today. This couldn’t be true. This couldn’t be happening.
“No.” The sob escaped my lips in a deep tone. My heart shook and my lungs screamed for air as I clutched my chest and felt the pain of losing my first best friend.
“I’m sorry, Honey. We knew you had your interview, so we didn’t want to tell you before you had to do your thing. We didn’t want to upset Quis, so we wanted to wait until he’d gone to bed. I’m sorry, baby girl.”
I wiped at my face and composed myself enough to grab my phone and sit back on the floor. “I’m coming home. I have to be there for y’all right now.”
“You’re on tour?—”
“Excuse my language, but fuck that tour, Mama. Y’all need me more. I need to be there to make sure everyone treats my favorite lady right. I know you’re staying strong for the family, and you need me there.”
“Thank you, Honey.”
I wanted to ask her how she was doing. I wanted to see where her mental was. Instead, I told her I loved her and ended the call after promising to keep her updated on the travel plans.
My mind raced. My heart ached. My spirit was heavy. How would I live without the woman who had been there throughout my entire life? How would I live without the woman who’d taught me everything I knew? How would I accept the fact her physical form would no longer be a plane ride away?
Tears continued to pour from my eyes. How would I tell my son his great grandmother was gone? My boy was very intelligent, but his concept of death was very childish. In moments like this, I would call my granny, but she was no longer here.
Instead, I called Jenifer. It was nearly midnight back home, but she would answer. She always answered.
As expected, the call connected.
“Hello?”
“Jen…”
“Shh. I know, boo. I’m here.”
My eyes shut while my lungs struggled to inflate. I clutched my chest. “She’s really gone.”
“She’ll always be in your heart, though. You know she wouldn’t leave you without making sure you were straight.”
“I feel so broken.”
“It’s going to hurt for a while, maybe even years. Grief is a bitch, but you’ll be all right.”
It took a while for me to calm down. When I did, I stood up from the floor and grabbed a bottle of water. I went up to my room and sat cross-legged on the swivel chair at my vanity. My face was red and puffy from crying.
“Are you better?” Jenifer’s voice brought my attention away from my reflection in the mirror.
“For the time being. Do you work tomorrow? I would love it if you picked us up from the airport. I want to take my time getting back to that side of town.”
“I got you, boo.”
“Thank you, best friend.”
“Always. I know it might be hard, but try to get some rest, okay?”
“I’ll try.”
“Good night, Honey.”
“Night.”
The call ended, which left me alone with my thoughts. I sipped my water and built up the courage to stand on my feet and wash away the stress of the day in a hot shower.
Granny Janie, you really fucked me up with this one.