Chapter 8 #2
“I have four jars for you. My order just came two days ago and I was going to surprise you on Mother’s Day.”
“Mother’s Day. I’m not waiting a month. Hell, I might need more by then. I don’t know what’s in that stuff but your dad loves it.”
Tyriq does too, I think, then smile. He’s always complementing the softness of my skin and my peach scent. Peach and satsuma are my two signature butters.
“Let me go. I need to steam these lobsters. Text me when you’re leaving,” she says before ending the call.
Since I’ve missed the first few minutes of the episode, I restart it then grab my cup.
As Olivia and her team deal with Quinn’s case after we finally know who the hell she is, I enjoy my coffee and start a pick-up order for The Marketplace.
Since I’m going to Crescent Falls, I might as well.
The store here in Diamond isn’t nearly as big.
Besides, I really like the ready meals in the deli.
They make for quick meals after a long shift.
Besides, knowing my mom, her groceries for me will primarily be toiletries, soap, detergent, and drinks.
I still need my staples and more caramel syrup. My current bottle is running low.
By two, I’m dressed in a cute, fitted camo dress that stops mid-thigh with spaghetti straps and in my Jeep.
My pair of light jade Tory Burch slides and my mom’s bag are in the back seat.
In the bag is a similar camo dress but with sleeves and in a size fourteen along with her four jars of hot chocolate body butter.
My mom is forty-nine going on thirty-five in her mind and she lowkey loves to dress like me.
She’s only one size smaller, so when I saw this dress I knew I had to get her one too.
Since I forgot to text my mom before I left, I use speech to text and send her one before calling Rebel. Rebel doesn’t answer, but about two minutes later, she calls me back.
“Sorry,” she says when I answer. “I was in the shower. What’s up? You in your ride?”
“Yes. Going to my parents. What you about to get into?”
“Actually, I’m ’bout to head over to Crescent Falls too with Ma. With all the store stuff finally out of the living room, she wants to redecorate it. We checked the furniture at the Plaza but she didn’t find anything. We’re going to Goode Furniture to look.”
“She’ll definitely find something there. I got my bedroom set from them and they deliver here for an extra fee. It wasn’t bad either.”
“I love your bedroom. I didn’t know it came from there. Your mirror too?” she asks.
Rebel is obsessed with my mirror. My bedroom is lavender and white with silver and diamond accents.
The mirror is my favorite accent. It’s huge, three feet wide and six feet high, with a crushed diamond frame and beveled glass.
With my five-foot-six-inch frame, I can see my entire body with no problem.
Whenever Rebel is over, she’s in front of my damn mirror.
“Yeah, it came from there. They had to order it though.”
“Then I might be coming home with something for me too. How long you going to be at your moms?”
“A few hours. At least till my dad gets off. I need to see him too.”
“Is she cooking?”
“You know she is.”
“Text me once you get there. I might want a plate.”
“I’m not bringing you no food,” I scoff playfully.
“I’ll just call Miss Diane myself. Your momma loves me; she’ll send me a plate,” she says and she’s absolutely right. My momma and dad love Rebel. We’ve been besties for almost fourteen years; they’re stuck with her ass just like me.
“She’s making her Italian lobster salad.”
“Oh my God. My mouth just watered. Please bring me a small bowl.”
“Bitch, I’ll bring you a damn bowl.”
“Thank you,” she says, then I hear what sounds like a door closing.
“You leaving now?”
“Yeah. Bout to get on this elevator. Where’s Tyriq?” she asks.
“How should I know?”
“Girl, stop. You know,” she snaps.
“I don’t know,” I reiterate. He told me that he had practice at one but I don’t know how long practice lasts. He could still be there. Hell, I truly do not know.
“Mmhm. Well, find him,” she says, then laughs. “The championship game is tomorrow and we need to win. Make sure that man is happy.”
“That sounds like the job of his girlfriend.”
“You and me both know Riq doesn’t have a girlfriend but he could if you would just act right and let that man stay the night,” she says.
As my bestie, she’s privy to all details of my thing with Tyriq and she knows the rules, well, what the rules used to be. Prior to last night, he didn’t spend the night with me and I, for damn sure, didn’t even dare go to his dorm. My grown ass has no business sneaking in and out of a college dorm.
“He did last night,” I reveal in a low tone.
“What?” she squeals.
“You heard me. He did last night. I was just too damn tired to let him out.”
“I thought you weren’t letting him come over.”
“Well, I lied, bitch. Damn. Don’t kill me with the shit. He showed up, looking and smelling good, and I had a long day and week.”
“Girl, I can’t. It’s okay to like him.”
“He’s cool. I do like him but as a friend. That’s what we agreed on and that’s what we are,” I say, and admittedly my words sound a hell of a lot surer than I am. Last night and this morning felt different, but in a good way. His soft ass kisses were everything, so slow and passionate.
“Okay, friends. I’ll rock with that for now, but trust me, there’s more between you two than friends. Riq accomplished something huge in his career and the person he chose to celebrate that with was you. We’ll talk about it tonight.”
“Or we won’t,” I counter and she laughs.
“I’m at Ma’s. Tell your momma and daddy I love them and bring me back a bowl. We’ll talk when you do.”
“I’m keeping my bowl, bitch. I’ve had enough of your unwanted commentary today.”
“Yeah right. Love you,” she sighs.
“Ugh. Unfortunately, I love you too,” I say then end the call by pressing the button on my steering wheel. “She makes me sick,” I utter as I exit the highway.
All morning, I tried my best to get out of my head and stop thinking about Tyriq’s switch up on me. I was doing good too until she brought him up. Now, I need some damn air. Thank God there’s a C-Mart ahead. I turn into it and find a space in the front of the door.
After turning off the engine, I grab my slides from my passenger seat, put them on, then drop my keys into my tote. I snatch it up and get out. The moment my shoes hit the pavement, I take a deep ass breath. Big mistake. The smell of garlicky ass pizza fills my nose and I get nauseous as shit.
“The fuck?” I utter as I hold my stomach.
C-Mart is my favorite gas station. Each of them are typically big as shit and they sell everything.
They are known for their clean bathrooms, friendly staff, and pizzas.
They actually cook fresh pizzas daily, including breakfast and dessert ones.
Clearly, a garlic one just came out of the oven because the scent is strong as hell, so strong that I debate actually going in.
When my stomach rumbles, I give in and go inside. I find a bottle of cranberry ginger ale in the cooler then grab a small bag of Munchos chips. Not only am I starving but I also need something to soothe my stomach. I’ve gotten over the smell but my stomach hasn’t. It just doesn’t feel right.
Once I’m at the counter, I see that the multi-state lottery is up to a billion dollars. Now, I never play the lottery or buy scratch-off tickets, but I would be a fool not to buy at least one five-dollar ticket. It’s a billion damn dollars!
A few minutes later, I walk out of C-Mart with two tickets, my drink, and chips.
I only have half of the chips and none of my soda when I pull up to my parents’ home.
For years, my dad would commute from Diamond Falls to Crescent Falls every work day but once I graduated from high school, they finally moved.
They built this beautiful three bedroom, two bath, ranch-style home in the nice Crescent Pointe neighborhood.
It’s on a corner lot and their front and backyards are huge and beautifully landscaped.
I pull into the driveway in front of the garage and get out.
Since I have a key, I let myself in. The sound of Sol’s soulful voice can be heard the moment I enter.
My mom is obsessed with his music, and if she’s cooking, Sol is singing.
He’s also her Mother’s Day gift. The weekend after Mother’s Day, The Metropolitan Hotel is hosting a Soulful Night with Sol.
It’s an intimate dinner and concert on their famous rooftop.
I have two tickets for her and my dad and she’s going to love it.
When I walk into the kitchen, I find her at the island.
There’s a large pan in front of her and she’s layering lasagna noodles.
She spots me and a smile spreads across the face that mirrors mine.
I have no doubts how I’ll look in twenty-years; looking at her is like my own time machine.
I’m truly her twin: same hazel eyes, round, caramel face, high cheeks, and thick but perfectly arched brows.
“Last layer then I can come get my hug,” she says, beaming.
“Lasagna?” I ask as I step closer to the island.
“Seafood lasagna. I bought too many lobsters and already had shrimp so I said why the hell not. I’ll whip up a salad to go with it, unless you want corn.”
“On the cob with your garlic butter?” I ask, hopeful.
She makes her own garlic butter and it’s better than any restaurant. If my mother wanted to work, she could definitely own a restaurant and put a lot of other people out of business. Cooking is her passion and true love; I swear you can taste that in her dishes too.
“Only because I already have garlic butter made.”
“I love you.”
“You better love me. I’m the only mother you got.
” She smirks then smiles. After pouring the last of the mixture in her bowl over the layered pan, she covers it with white shredded cheese.
Then she pulls green sprigs from her homegrown herb jars on the counter and finely chops it.
After sprinkling it over the lasagna, she covers the pan with foil and places it in the oven.
She washes her hands at the sink next, then steps to me for our hug.
“You smell so good. What is that?” she asks as we hug.
“The peach butter and a body oil called Sensual. There’s a new little popup shop in the mall that sells it. I bought a bottle and love it. I need to go back.”
“And get me a bottle too,” she says. We end our embrace and she pinches the side of my dress. Her eyes scan me up and down then she smiles. “And get me one of these too. This is cute but a little sexy. I can wear this to book club.”
I grab her bag that I placed on the island stool then hand it to her. “Let’s see what’s in here,” I say.
She gladly accepts the bag then places it on the counter. The dress is on top so she pulls it out immediately. Her Kool-Aid smile spreads across her entire face.
“Oh, sweetheart. Thank you but I didn’t need sleeves.”
“Yes, you did. We will not be dressed alike.”
“You look just like me; we might as well dress alike. I’m going to put it on before your daddy gets home,” she says and I playfully roll my eyes.
“They are going to get stuck one day,” she hisses as she looks in the bag. “How much for the butters?”
“Momma,” I huff and this time she rolls her eyes.
“If mine get stuck, so will yours. Is the salad in the fridge? All I had was some chips today and I’m starving.”
“The red bowl is yours.”
After washing my hands at the sink, I walk to the fridge and pull out the bowl. It’s a big bowl, more than enough to share. “Rebel is going to be happy. She asked me to bring her a plate,” I say as I grab a spoon.
“And you can take her some of the lasagna too, enough for all of them. Kassir’s little boy is so cute. I can’t wait until I have a little baby around here.”
“You trying to get pregnant?” I tsk because she already knows I’m not ready for a baby.
“Teaira!” she scoffs. “I’m almost fifty. At least by fifty-two, I should have a little grandbaby. Don’t wait until I’m too old. I still want to be popping and be able to play with mine.”
“Well, if in two years, I’m out of the ER and married to a man like daddy with a fat ass rock on my finger, you might…might get a grandchild. But if not, you will just have to wait. Mkay!” I stress.
Ever since Rebel brought Kassir’s little boy, Kassan, over here, my mom has been on me about me having a baby.
Not a week goes by that I don’t hear this shit.
It’s exhausting because a baby truly isn’t in the cards for me until some major things happen in my life.
I’m just not in a place where I can see myself being the kind of mom I had and that would be the worst part.
“Well, are you at least working on a husband? I don’t know the last time I met one of your friends.”
“Can I just enjoy this salad in peace?”
“Nope. My food comes with questions and I need answers. Grab that wine out of the fridge so we can talk,” she says.