Chapter 7 Kamryn
Kamryn
Saturday morning, Kamryn sat listening to her friend discuss her business plan for housing and assisting teens aging out of
foster care. Theresa Sinclair was not only a social worker but also a co-CEO of a business management services company with
her husband. How she found the time to do all this left Kamryn baffled. However, with Theresa’s razor-sharp mind and compassionate
heart, Kamryn had no doubt her friend would be able to make this new venture a success. The more she heard, the more excited
Kamryn became, and she couldn’t wait to serve some of the city’s most vulnerable population. So many of the teens faced homelessness,
joblessness, and a host of other barriers in their transition to adulthood. If they could help some of them, she’d consider
it a success. In her current position, she hadn’t been able to do much to help, and it always broke her heart to see teens
being left to fend for themselves without any resources. Two former clients on her caseload had died out in those streets
because there hadn’t been help. It was the most important reason she wanted to do this with her friend.
“Do you have any questions?”
“Just one. How fast can we get this open?” Both burst out in laughter.
“Girl, if I could open it today, I would. My goal is a year. I’d really like to have you on board from the start.” Theresa
waved a hand. “And yes, you’ll get a full-time salary.”
“A year?” A million things went through her mind—leaving her old job, planning a wedding, maybe applying for a doctoral program,
being newly married, and starting a business. “Exactly when are you suggesting I start?”
“Most likely it won’t be until late fall, so relax, sis. I know you’re planning your wedding. How’s that going, by the way?”
“Fast. I didn’t tell you, but Tariq and I decided we didn’t want a long engagement. We’re getting married the second weekend
in August.”
Theresa’s mouth fell open. “Girl, that’s barely four months away.”
“I know.” She shared the planning details, then added, “As soon as we’re done here, I’m going dress shopping. My future mother-in-law
is beyond excited and wanted to make it a whole day. She invited her daughter-in-law and another woman who’s been like a daughter.
I’m a little worried about how things will go because I don’t get the warm and fuzzy feelings from my sister-in-law-to-be.”
“Maybe she feels a little threatened because she’s been the only one, and now she’ll have to share your in-laws.”
Kamryn mulled over Theresa’s statement. “I hadn’t thought about that, but I have no idea. Every time I try to engage her in
a conversation, she gives these one- or two-word answers, then shifts her attention to someone else.” Like Tariq. She told Theresa about the dress-off-the-rack comment but decided not to mention the flirting.
Theresa chuckled. “I’m glad it’s you and not me. I only have the one brother-in-law, and he’s amazing.”
“Oh, hush.” They shared a smile. “Keep talking, and I’m going to find someone else to be my matron of honor.”
“Wait. What? I don’t think so. You can’t be out here reneging on a promise. Don’t make me go and cut you out of all my wedding
photos.”
The two had made a vow to be each other’s maid of honor back in high school. They’d bonded over both being only children,
and now they were as close as sisters.
Kamryn stood and hugged her. “You’re lucky I love you.”
“Ha! Love you too, sis. Let me know how the shopping turns out, and I hope everything goes well with your new sister-in-law.”
“Girl, same.” She gathered her iPad and purse. They walked out to the lot and went their separate ways. In the car, she took
a moment to check her phone and saw that she’d missed a call from Tariq. She hit his number and connected it to the Bluetooth.
“Hey, baby. How did the meeting go?”
“Hey. It went well. She wants to accelerate the timeline to open within the next twelve months.” Kamryn pulled out onto the
road.
“Whoa. She’s not wasting time.”
“And she wants me to come on board full-time soon. My head is still spinning.”
“How’re you feeling about it?”
Being able to talk things out together was one of the things she loved most about him. “Excited, nervous, worried that we
might still fail.”
Tariq chuckled. “I can see that. But I also know your heart, baby. I only met Theresa once, but I believe in you two. And I’ll be right there to support you.”
“Have I told you how much I love you?”
“You might have mentioned it a time or two,” he said. “I love you too, and I love that we can be each other’s sounding board.”
“I was just thinking the same thing.” Despite the short time they’d been together, she had no doubt that he was her perfect
mate.
“That said, you need to pace yourself. I get this is important, but I don’t want you to get burned out before you get started.
You have a tendency to go a little overboard with these kinds of things.”
“How is it going overboard to want to help vulnerable teens? How would you feel if that were you? Wouldn’t you want someone
to help you?” She could feel herself becoming angry.
His heavy sigh came through the line. “Look, Kam, I didn’t mean it that way. Relax, baby. All I’m saying is to pace yourself.
You’re still going to be doing your other job, and we’ll be planning a wedding. There are only so many hours in the day.”
Realizing that she might have overreacted and that he was only concerned about her well-being, Kamryn mumbled, “Sorry. I get
a little carried away when it comes to this. I just hate losing these kids to the streets.”
“I know. That’s why you’re so good at what you do. I don’t want to fight with you.”
“I don’t want to fight either. I’m trying to work on the whole overreacting thing.” This was probably the only blip in their
relationship, and she had to remind herself to do better.
Tariq chuckled. “I know.”
“I’ll make it up to you.”
“Can’t wait for that. You on the way to Mom’s?”
“Yep. I hope it goes well.”
“It’ll be fine. I can’t wait to see you coming down the aisle to me in whatever dress you choose.”
“I’ll make sure it’s something sexy.”
“I like the sound of that, but don’t get something that’ll get you thrown over my shoulder and carried into the nearest hotel
room. It would be a shame to start the honeymoon before we say our vows.”
Kamryn laughed so hard she had tears. “You can’t be saying this kind of stuff while I’m driving.”
“Hey, you started it.”
“Whatever. I just got to your parents’ house, so I’ll call you later.”
“You do that. Love you.”
“Love you too.” She ended the call and was still chuckling when she got out of the car. Taylor pulled up behind her on the
street, and Kamryn waited for her.
“Hey, Kamryn. That smile says you were talking to your boo.”
“Yes, I was.” She shared what he’d said about the dress.
Taylor smiled as they headed up the driveway. “Tariq has always been the outgoing one and the jokester in the family. He always
had me cracking up whenever I visited.”
“He does keep a smile on my face.”
“Aw. Y’all are too cute.”
“Mmm-hmm. I’m not the only one. Tariq said you and Austin were best friends, but there’s a little more going on than you two
are saying. The way he was looking at you when he didn’t think anyone was watching . . . Girl, I needed a fan!”
Taylor ducked her head and turned away.
“Go ahead. Spill it. I have a feeling there’s going to be two weddings.”
“I don’t think that’s where we are, but we did decide to see where things lead.” She told Kamryn about their friendship, how it always seemed to be the wrong time to start dating in the past, but they felt now might be their time. Taylor rang the doorbell.
“I agree. The great thing is that you’re already best friends. That makes things a lot easier.”
“It does. I’m going to visit him next month, but I don’t want to say anything just yet.”
“Then they won’t hear it from me. But I want all the details when you get back,” she whispered when Mama Yvonne opened the door. “Hi, Mama Yvonne.”
“Come on in, you two. We’re just waiting for Giselle, then we’ll be ready,” Mama Yvonne said, hugging first Kamryn, then Taylor.
They followed her into the house and to the family room, where Papa Aaron was sitting and channel surfing on the television.
He stood and embraced them. “You doing okay?”
“Yes,” Kamryn and Taylor chorused as they took seats on the sofa.
“I’m just so excited,” Mama Yvonne said. “Have you thought about colors, Kamryn?”
“Some. Since it’s going to be summertime and near the water, I’m leaning toward colors like sea blue, sage, dusty rose, oatmeal.
Then again, I like the bolder colors too.”
Taylor laughed. “Sooo . . . basically, you have no idea right now.”
“Exactly, but ain’t nobody asked you.” Kamryn had seen so many colors combinations she liked that she was having a hard time
deciding. “Maybe you can help me narrow it down.” The three women launched into a discussion about color schemes, types of
centerpieces, and invitations. Fifteen minutes later, Giselle still hadn’t arrived.
“Is Giselle coming? My appointment is in forty-five minutes, and I don’t want to be late.”
It would take twenty minutes to get to the bridal shop, barring traffic, but she couldn’t recall the last time LA had no traffic on a Saturday afternoon.
Mama Yvonne stood. “Let me go call this girl. I told her to be here by one. She was such a stickler for time when planning
hers.”
Kamryn had to wonder whether Giselle’s lateness was on purpose. Mama Yvonne had just returned with her phone when the doorbell
rang. She hopped up. “We can just meet her at the door and get going.”
“I was just getting ready to call you,” Mama Yvonne said to Giselle after greeting her at the door. “We need to get moving
just in case there’s some traffic.”
“Are we taking your car, Mama Yvonne?” Giselle asked. “I parked in the driveway, but I can move my car.”
“Hey, Giselle,” Kamryn said. “We’re taking my car, so you don’t have to move.”
“Oh. Hey.”
She waited for the woman to offer some type of apology for being late, or at the very least an excuse, but Giselle said nothing
else.
Taylor raised a brow, then shook her head.