Chapter 19 #2
“I’m just going to miss you,” she sighs. Her leg stretches over mine then she straddles me. Her hands rest on my chest as she looks down at me. “Ignore me. You’re going to kill it in Chicago. Number one in all stats.”
“Hype me up then,” I say while smiling.
“No hype, straight facts.” She plants a kiss on my chest then climbs off me and off the bed. “Now, come shower with me before the caterers come.”
After watching her thick ass walk into the bathroom, I get up and follow.
We once again take advantage of the dual shower.
I get out first, giving her time to get ready.
I’m in the living room when A La Carte arrives.
Their signature Mother’s Day brunch includes food, table set up, and décor.
There’s a formal dining room on this level and they are setting up there.
Before walking to the dining room, the one in charge hands me the menu card.
“One final check. Did we spell the mothers’ names correctly?” she asks.
After reading over the menu: crispy potato casserole, cheese grits, perfect scrambled eggs, baked Virginia ham, red velvet waffles, milk chocolate jumbo nut clusters, and a seasonal fruit salad, I double check the names and approve.
“It’s straight.”
“Good.”
“We’ll be ready for service as scheduled at one.”
When she walks off, Teaira steps into the living room looking sexy as hell in all red. She has her hair pulled up and her beautiful face is glowing.
“Damn, baby. You look real pretty. I like red on you,” I admit and she smiles.
“My mom had you pick this?” she asks and I nod.
“I figured. I’m pretty sure she’s going to have on red too. This is her favorite color. She just called. She’s at the security gate, early of course. Have your mom and sister left yet?” she asks.
“They better have. I’ll see though,” I say, then stand. “You sit. Let me get your vitamins and something to drink. I’ll let your mom in too.”
“Damn,” she sighs. “I left her present but she’ll be fine because of all of this.”
“My bad, baby. You didn’t leave it. It was that red bag in the living room, right? I forgot. I grabbed it. It’s in my ride with my gift for my mom. I’ll get them right now,” I tell her and she beams.
“Oh my God! Thank you.”
She kisses me before sitting down and I rush out of the cabin to grab the bags before her moms pulls up. Since my mom is starting college this summer, I got her a MacBook. Both gift bags are in my trunk. I bring them inside and see Teaira’s got her vitamins and a glass of orange juice.
When I walk back to the door, Miss Diane is pulling into the driveway. I head out and meet her at her ride to open the door. Teaira definitely knows her mom because Miss Diane not only steps out in red but she’s wearing the same shit as her daughter.
“Happy Mother’s Day, Miss Diane. You look pretty today,” I tell her as we hug.
“Thank you but how many times do I have to tell you to just call me Diane?”
“My bad. I’ll try to remember that.”
“This is beautiful,” she gushes as we head toward the house. “Is your mother here already?” she asks as she looks at the two other vehicles parked in the driveway.
“No ma’am. That’s the caterers but they should be on the way. My sister is coming too.”
“Perfect. I can’t wait to meet them.” We step up to the front door. I left it open so she walks in. “Oh honey, this is really beautiful.”
At the sound of her mom’s voice, Teaira looks back then stands, playfully shaking her head. They walk toward each other and hug as soon as they meet. “Happy Mother’s Day, Momma,” she says.
“Same to you, sweetie. No! Happy first Mother’s Day to you.”
“Thank you.” They hug again. “But twins?”
“Absolutely. We look cute.” Miss Diane looks back at me. “I left my bag in the trunk. Can you get it for me?”
“Yes, ma’am. I got you.”
“Take me on a tour of this,” she tells Teaira as I walk out the door.
Miss Diane is early but it’s almost one so I call Quay to see where they are. It rings a few times then goes to voicemail. I start to call her back but my phone rings; it’s my mom.
“Hey, Ma. I called Quay. Where are y’all?”
“Quay’s driving so she cannot talk on the phone but it says we’ll be there in eight minutes. So we should see you soon. Is her mother there already?”
“Yeah. She just got here.”
“Oh,” she sighs.
“Why what’s up?” I ask and I hear Quay answer in the background.
“’Cause she wanted to be there first,” she says, then laughs.
“Watch the road and hush yo’ mouth,” my mom scolds. “What does her momma do?”
“She stays home, doesn’t work.”
“Is she dressed up? Quay and I look nice but we aren’t dressed for church or nothing like that,” she says, sounding different, all nervous and shit for some odd reason.
“Momma, I’m sure you look pretty like you always do. Stop worrying.”
“I’m not worrying,” she insists but I can hear it in her tone.
“Good because it’s your day. I’ll see y’all when you get here.”
“Okay,” she says and ends the call.
I continue on to Miss Diane’s car and grab her large duffle bag from the trunk. I head upstairs and meet them walking out of one of the bedrooms.
“Baby, you can put her bag in that one. She just left her purse inside,” Teaira says.
“Right by the door, please,” her mom adds.
I walk into the room and they head downstairs. When I make it down there, they are in the kitchen and Miss Diane is getting a glass of champagne poured by the other woman from A La Carte.
I’m trying to stay out of the damn kitchen because everything smells too good. I’m hungry as fuck and ready to smash that ham and them waffles. They’re cooking the waffles now and the ham is on the smoker on the deck but the aroma from the smoker has filled this whole cabin.
The sound of Quay’s horn honking causes everyone to turn toward the front door. I quickly trek to it before her annoying ass blows it again. When I open the front door, she’s not all the way onto the driveway. My mom’s window is down.
“We don’t want to block anyone in,” my mom says.
“You won’t. It’s circular. Just pull on up,” I say as I step down.
I also motion my hand for Quay to pull forward and she does, parking behind Miss Diane’s ride. I walk over and open my mom’s door. She hugs me as soon as she’s out.
“Happy Mother’s Day, Ma.”
“Thank you, baby.”
She breaks our embrace then steps to the side to look at the cabin. Quay hops out of her Beetle and closes the door. I meet her on the driver’s side so I can holla at her away from moms.
“She alright?” I ask, whispering.
“He got her thinking this is some bougie shit and she’s not gon’ fit in. That’s why we were almost late. She changed four times and that’s the first thing she had on.”
Quay rolls her eyes and I shake my head to keep from saying anything. This is her day and I’m not fucking it up even though his bitch ass tried to. He can’t let her have Mother’s Day.
“Where’s your gift?” I ask because Quay asked for money to buy one. I gave her two hundred dollars.
“It’s in my purse,” she says and I stare her down for a more detailed answer. “Dang. I got her a card with a gift card inside.”
“How much is the gift card?” I ask but she’s saved by my moms.
“Are we going in or staying out here all day?”
“We’re going in, Momma,” Quay says, practically sprinting from me.
I walk back over to my moms and grab her hand. I don’t want his words to affect her especially because as always, she looks pretty.
“Ma, you look gorgeous today. This blue dress is really pretty on you, especially with your braids up like that,” I tell her and her entire face lights up.
“You think so?”
“Yeah. I know so. Let’s go in so we can eat. My car for the airport will be here at three.”
Quay actually beats us inside the house and we walk in right behind her. The A La Carte server walks over holding two glasses of champagne. My mom takes the one extended to her and when Quay reaches for the second glass and my mom slaps her hand.
“It’s sparkling cider for the young lady,” the server says.
“Oh okay. That’s fine.”
My mom nods and Quay takes the glass. I look around for Teaira but they are not in the living room. Right when I’m about to walk toward the dining room, I see her and her mom coming up the stairs from the game room. They both break out into their identical smiles when they spot us.
“Ma, Quay, this is Teaira,” I start.
“Mrs. Hill, I’m so happy to finally meet you,” Teaira says before wrapping her arms around my mom. “Happy Mother’s Day.”
“No. Call me Latisha. Mrs. Hill makes me sound old,” my mom says, her voice back to normal. “Happy Mother’s Day to you too,” she says.
Quay’s neck practically snaps when she turns to look at me. I hadn’t told her because I assumed my mom did. Clearly, she didn’t and Quay’s little ass is mad. She shoots me a mug then rolls her eyes, hard as hell.
“You have a child?” Quay asks.
“Not yet,” Teaira says, simpering. “But in November I…we will.”
“You’re gonna be an auntie,” I say and she rolls her eyes again.
“But I’m the last one to know?” she snaps. My little sister is really pissed at me.
“My bad, Quay. I wanted to wait until today,” I lie, hoping to smooth this shit out. Her little spoiled ass isn’t having it though.
“Not cool, Tyriq.”
“Don’t be mad at him. We just wanted to wait,” Teaira says, backing me up. This is why I love her. “Can I still get a hug?” Teaira asks with open arms.
Quay hugs her then Teaira introduces her mom. Our mothers hug and Miss Diane grabs my mom’s hand. “Wait until you see our rooms upstairs. I’ll show you before we eat,” she says while they walk off.
“And I’ll show you where you will be. The entire third floor is yours. Wait until you see what’s down there,” Teaira says to Quay. Then she looks at me and winks, letting me know she’s got my sister. “Get their bags while I take her down then we can eat.”