Chapter 1 Giselle #2
so sorry to hear about your mother passing away, and now your father isn’t doing well.” Giving her hand a little squeeze,
she added, “Even more reason for you not to be a stranger.”
Taylor hugged her once more. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”
“I want you to meet my daughter-in-law, Giselle. She and Shawn have been married . . . how long has it been now?”
“Three years,” Giselle answered. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you too, and congratulations. I see I missed a lot. Hey, Shawn.”
“Hey, girl,” he said affectionately. “What’ve you been up to?”
“Working mostly. Finished my doctorate in physical therapy last year, and that pay bump from the assistant level was worth
every night I stayed up studying. I just started a new job working with kids in an outpatient clinic last month, and I love
it.”
Giselle listened to Taylor talk about her job with such enthusiasm and wondered if she’d ever find a job that would make her
feel that way.
Maybe I should’ve stayed in college.
She’d definitely have a degree in something by now instead of answering phones, getting coffee, and filing papers all day.
Pushing the disturbing thought aside, she tuned back in to the lively conversation.
“What’s up, family?”
They all turned at the sound of Tariq’s voice. He and Austin shared the same height and muscular build, and they looked alike
enough to be mistaken for twins, despite their three-year age difference. Next to him stood a gorgeous woman about Giselle’s
color, who had to be at least five-eight or five-nine. She seemed to breeze into the room as if she were a model on a runway.
With her locs flowing around her shoulders and bright smile, she seemed to have everyone in the room mesmerized.
Including my own husband, Giselle thought with irritation.
Tariq pulled the woman close to his side, and the two shared a smile. “Everyone, I’d like for you to meet Kamryn Brooks. Kam,
this is the family.” He pointed out each one as he named them.
“I’m so happy to meet you all,” Kamryn said. “Tariq has told me a lot of good things about you.”
Placing an arm around his wife’s shoulders, Papa Aaron said, “We’re glad to meet you, Kamryn.”
“I brought a dessert to add to your table, Mrs. Bradley.” She handed the cake box to Mama Yvonne.
“Oh, honey, you didn’t have to bring anything. You’re our guest.”
“I told her the same thing, Mom, but she didn’t listen.”
Kamryn playfully elbowed Tariq. “You know you don’t show up to somebody’s house empty-handed.” She giggled when he pulled
her closer, whispered something in her ear, and then placed a kiss on her temple.
Giselle viewed the exchange with curiosity. Tariq had never behaved this way with the women she’d seen him with previously.
Today, however, he seemed almost possessive.
“Is that a pound cake?” Vincent asked, grinning and rubbing his hands together.
“Yes. It’s a recipe that’s been passed down for generations in my family. I usually make it for special occasions.”
“Baby, you’ve never made me one,” Tariq said with mock offense. “We’ve been dating for four months, and I thought I was special.”
She laughed and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. “You are special, and you can have the first piece . . . after your parents.”
“I guess.” Tariq’s playful pouting made everyone laugh.
Mama Yvonne shook her head, then said, “Now that the meat is done, let me put everything on the table so we can eat.”
“If you show me where I can wash up, I’ll help,” Kamryn said.
Taylor moved over to the sink. “Me too, Mama Yvonne.”
“That would be wonderful. Thank you. Kamryn, you can just wash your hands in the sink here since Taylor has the water on already.”
“Oops, my bad. Sorry, Mama Yvonne. I’ve been over here so much that I forgot about going to the bathroom to wash up,” Taylor
said.
Austin handed paper towels to Taylor and Kamryn. “It’s the same water.”
Giselle watched as the two women jumped in to help. She’d offered her help over the years, but Mama Yvonne always said she
didn’t need it. Yet today her mother-in-law stood gushing over the two newcomers and praising them for their help. Forcing
down a surge of jealousy, she washed her hands and grabbed a dish.
After everyone had settled around the large table and Papa Aaron had blessed the food, the conversation turned to Austin and
how long he’d be on leave.
“I’ll be home for another week,” Austin said after taking a sip of his drink. He held up a rib. “And if I keep eating like this, I’m going to need a new uniform when I go back.”
“This food is so good, I may need a new outfit when I leave too,” Kamryn said with a laugh.
Mama Yvonne beamed. “Aw, thank you, honey. What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a social worker for a nonprofit organization and work with families who have children with disabilities.”
“That’s wonderful. Lord knows these babies need someone to advocate for them. Taylor works with children too.”
“Really? What field?” Kamryn asked.
“Outpatient physical therapy.” Taylor repeated the same information she’d shared earlier about earning her doctorate.
“That’s cool. I was thinking about going back for my doctorate, but I need a few minutes to recover from that Master of Social
Work program.”
Taylor laughed. “I hear you. That PT curriculum had me about to pull my hair out.”
“I may have to give you a call when I decide to do it so you can give me some pointers. A friend of mine is planning to open
a center that focuses on students aging out of foster care, as well as single mothers, in the next year or two. She wants
me to come on as a director, so I want to be prepared.”
Taylor nodded. “Of course. We’ll have to exchange numbers.” She smiled at Giselle. “You wouldn’t happen to work with children
too?”
“Unfortunately, no,” Giselle answered, pasting on a smile. “I work in an office all day.” She had no intention of volunteering
that she worked as a receptionist, especially after hearing all about their many degrees.
Mama Yvonne chuckled. “Giselle, what you do as a receptionist is just as important. It takes someone special to keep an office running.”
Every eye turned her way, and she wanted to slide beneath the table.
“Mama Yvonne is right. The rehab center would be in so much trouble without our front office staff,” Taylor said.
Kamryn raised a hand. “Girl, for real.”
The two women launched into a discussion about the office staff and how organized they kept things, holding the attention
of everyone at the table.
“I order lunch for them at least once a month,” Kamryn added.
Tariq nodded. “That’s a good idea, baby.”
“Oooh, I think I’ll ask the other therapists about doing something like that,” Taylor said. “I’ll have to call you to see
what you did.”
Giselle tried to join the conversation but didn’t know what to say. She opened her mouth to comment but was interrupted by
Mama Yvonne’s praise for the idea. Everyone continued discussing aspects of their jobs, then the conversation shifted to hobbies.
The guys all mentioned playing basketball.
“Oh, I used to get out there on the court with Austin back in the day,” Taylor said.
Kamryn laughed. “I ran track for one year, and that was it. I decided it was way too much work for a thirty-second run or
less.”
“Our—”
That was the only word Giselle got out before Shawn and Vincent jumped in. She sighed. Finally, there was a lull in the conversation
and she asked, “Tariq, how did you and Kamryn meet?”
He smiled at Kamryn, then picked her hand up and kissed it. “Our company donated computers to her agency. She took my breath away the moment I saw her.”
“You were pretty charming yourself,” Kamryn replied. “Tariq asked me out to lunch. I said yes, and I’ve been saying yes ever
since.”
“Y’all are so cute,” Vincent said.
“They are,” Mama Yvonne said. “So when are you going to bring a nice girl home?”
“Wait. What? How did this become about me? I’m only twenty-six, and you know I’m thinking about either going to med school
to become a radiologist or doing some advanced certifications.” He shrugged. “I mean, there’s this one woman who just started
working at the imaging center who’s cute. We’ve said hello in passing, but that’s it. I’ll be so busy studying, I won’t have
time for a relationship.”
“Shawn didn’t have any problem doing both when he was getting his engineering degree,” she countered.
Vincent hung his head as everyone around the table erupted in laughter.
Throughout the remainder of the meal, Giselle couldn’t help but notice the looks and subtle touches shared between Tariq and
Kamryn. Austin may have only been friends with Taylor, but Giselle caught him more than once staring at the woman with a longing
that had nothing to do with friendship. If Taylor’s responsive smiles were any indication, she was probably feeling the same
way. Giselle reached under the table and laid her hand on Shawn’s thigh.
“Why are you acting all touchy-feely?” Shawn asked quietly.
“I can’t touch my husband if I want?”
“Yes, but it’s not something you usually do, especially in public. Your words, not mine. Maybe you should save all that for home.” He went back to eating.
She sighed and removed her hand. She brought a forkful of baked beans to her mouth. The ease with which Taylor and Kamryn
seemed to bond made Giselle feel almost unseen. She’d felt the same way growing up, watching her sisters laugh and bond while
leaving her out. Giselle wondered if this would end up being more of the same.