Chapter 13
Cassie and Molly had barely crossed the threshold of Mama Jeffries’ house when Cassie heard her call out from across the room. “Eeewww, give Mama a hug.”
Cassie’s heart warmed being in Janay’s mom’s home again, a place that had provided so much comfort and sense of family to her over the years.
Mama J closed the distance between them, her flowing dress of bold and vibrant colors adding to the light and love she always exuded.
As her solid, expansive embrace enveloped Cassie, Cassie’s soul felt centered.
Mama J’s hugs were legendary, and when Cassie was struggling or missing her own mom, just the thought of them often gave her the comfort she needed to keep going.
“You too, sugar.” Mama J reached out to bring Molly into the hug and held them together. When she had gotten her fill, she stood back and took them in. “I almost forgot what you two looked like, it’s been so long.”
Cassie ducked her head out of guilt. “I’m sorry. It’s been really busy at work.”
“Don’t you worry about it. You’re here now. That’s what matters.”
Cassie shrugged out of her black wool winter coat just as Janay came in the front door with her duffel bag.
“How was the parade?” Mama J asked, as she took Cassie and Molly’s coats.
“Incredible!” Cassie spoke before anyone else could.
She and Molly had spent the last hour and a half in the bitter cold, and she was only starting to feel her toes again.
The weather in New Orleans was usually still warm around Thanksgiving, but a series of cold snaps had it feeling like the dead of winter already.
But it was all worth it to see Janay’s girls nail their routine.
She wrapped her arm around Janay’s shoulders. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Aw, thanks, girl.” Janay dropped her duffel by the door and smoothed her hair back into her ponytail, the wind having done a number on it during the parade.
“Oh good, honey. Looks like all my girls are boss ladies.” The sincere grin on Mama J’s face reminded Cassie how much love and support this woman had brought to her life.
For all the loss she and Molly had been through in their lives, Janay and her family had been the biggest blessing they could ever have asked for. “Now I hope you’re hungry.”
Cassie and Molly exchanged a glance as Mama J headed to the kitchen. It hadn’t even been two full days since they gorged themselves at the office Thanksgiving dinner and Cassie had only started feeling like herself again, just in time for round two.
Though Thanksgiving dinner at the Jeffries’ was its own being.
Collard greens, corn bread, and the best mac and cheese Cassie had ever tasted, along with fried turkey and stuffing.
It was a Southern take on the holiday that Cassie enjoyed even more than the dishes she had grown up with in Boston.
The smells filling the house from the stuffing and cornbread were only rivaled by the sweet smell of Cassie’s favorite, sweet potato pie.
When Janay and Cassie met in college, Janay had invited her for Thanksgiving dinner, and when Mama J learned about their family, she extended the invitation to Molly and Eva as well.
They had spent every Thanksgiving together since, and as Janay and Cassie’s friendship grew, so did the sense of family.
Cassie and Molly helped carry side dishes to the table.
Renee, Janay’s twin, and her boyfriend sat at one side of the table while Grandma Jeffries positioned herself near a couple of friends of the family.
Cassie had never attended a holiday at Mama J’s house that didn’t include a few community members who were treated as family.
Mama J valued community, and she had instilled that value in Janay and Renee as well.
When Janay and Mama J carried the last of the plates in, they all took a seat and Mama J led them in a blessing.
Multiple conversations ebbed and flowed in and out of each other, a lively rhythm that made Cassie grateful.
Even when Cassie, Molly, and Eva had their own Thanksgiving dinners before the Jeffries family came into their lives, it had been low-key and quiet.
But this family was always buzzing, and the energy made Cassie feel alive.
Throughout the different conversations, Cassie caught Mama J keeping an eye on Molly.
No one mentioned Eva, but they were all aware of her absence, and though she hadn’t said anything, Mama J seemed to be concerned about the change in Molly—the sadness in her eyes and silence where laughter used to live.
It had been eating away at Cassie since the day Molly moved in, but nothing she had done, no matter how hard she tried, seemed to make it better for more than a few fleeting moments.
“Reggie, when are you going to propose to my sister?” Janay’s question ripped Cassie from her thoughts.
“Psh, come on, Janay. We’re taking our time,” Reggie said.
“We are or you are?” She cocked an eyebrow at him.
He shook his head at her as a bashful and slightly intimidated expression crossed his features.
She held up her left hand and tapped her ring finger. “Put a ring on it, boy.”
Renee laughed. “All right, J, message received.”
“We’ll see, won’t we,” Janay pushed, but her tone was playful.
It was one thing Cassie had always marveled at.
Even disagreements were full of love in Janay’s family.
It had been new territory to Cassie when she spent her first Thanksgiving with the family, and she became nervous when the conversation turned challenging.
She had been shocked when it turned into laughter in a matter of seconds.
It took her a while to let that part of her past go, but Janay and her family taught her that communication didn’t have to result in fights and that a family could be based on love rather than anger.
After everyone had eaten their fill and could barely move, they gathered in the living room. Soft jazz music rang out from the street. There was always music playing in the Tremé neighborhood the Jeffries called home.
Grandma Jeffries turned on the TV and changed the channel until she came to It’s a Wonderful Life.
“Grandma, not again,” Renee said. “How many times do we have to watch this movie?”
The tiny gray-haired woman sank deeper into the recliner engulfing her and waved her hand at Renee. “Shush, now.”
Renee rolled her eyes and cuddled against Reggie on the sofa. They all sat in silence, either from boredom or tryptophan, and watched the movie. When the final credits rolled along the screen, Mama J got up. “Molly, honey, will you help me get the pie ready?”
“Of course,” Molly said and followed her to the kitchen.
Cassie glanced at Janay beside her and Janay ruffled her hair with a wink.
After a few minutes, curiosity got the best of her, and she walked over by the kitchen doorway, staying out of sight.
“You’ll be okay again,” Mama J said. “I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but one day, it won’t hurt so much.”
She heard a sniffle.
“You have been through so much in your life, Molly, and I’m so sorry you’re going through this too. But you’ll make it through this, honey. I promise you will. Come here.”
After a few moments of quiet, Cassie turned the corner and walked in. “Can I help y’all with the plates?”
Molly let go of the hug and wiped her eyes with a chuckle. Mama J gave her shoulder a squeeze as Cassie met Molly’s eyes and gave her an encouraging smile.
Mama J turned to Cassie. “Yes you may.” She handed two plates to her. “Here you go, honey. Then, come back for more.” She pointed to a plate with a huge slice of sweet potato pie on it and Cassie’s mouth watered. “This big slice here is yours.”
With her hands full, Cassie leaned her head against Mama J’s shoulder in thanks.
As they all sat together in the living room enjoying their pie, she thought about the twists and turns that had brought Molly and her to this city and to a family that had accepted and loved them more than any they had ever known. A tear welled in her eye at the beauty amid all the pain.
“Don’t you turn that channel, boy.” Grandma Jeffries voice cut through the silence in the room from a lull in the conversations.
Reggie grimaced and handed the remote back to Grandma Jeffries as the others laughed and teased him.
The tear ran down Cassie’s cheek and she brushed it away as she laughed.
Family had always been a hard topic for her, even more so after her parents passed.
But being here with Janay’s family and seeing what a family could be, well, it made her hope something similar might be possible for her too.
Music from three different directions drifted through the air as Cassie took in the assemblage of white tents, costumes, and paint before her. “What is this place?”
“It’s Art and Soul,” Drea said. “One of my friends from art school started it a few years ago to bring together art and music. It’s interactive. I thought it might be a fun way to unwind a bit before tomorrow.”
Cassie felt a bit guilty that Drea had mistaken her reaction to Drea flirting with Molly as her being stressed about the wedding.
She was stressed about the wedding, though, so it wasn’t a total lie, and she could use a fun adventure after the grind of the past few months.
Between launching the marketing firm and helping with the wedding planning, this was the first week in months that she felt as if she had had any sort of a break.
The fact that Drea cared enough to show her this place was both comforting and confusing.
She still didn’t understand why Drea had chosen to continue helping her and even hanging out with her.
But something about it gave Cassie the sense that Drea was lonely and needed a friend. And maybe she did too.
“It sounds awesome, but why is it in late November and not the spring or summer?”