Kade #4
The smell alone made me sit up. On the plates were stuffed bell peppers, mini roasted crispy potatoes, a fresh Caesar salad, and two buttery rolls, all of it smelling so good my stomach started growling.
“Thank you,” we said at the same time.
“What y’all want to drink?”
“Apple juice.”
“How about water?” I countered.
“How about both?” She set her laptop aside and picked up her plate.
“And some Sriracha...please.” I dropped my head.
“See. This exactly what I’m talking about.”
“Baby, go get my hot sauce.”
“I’m trying to save our kids.”
“Go get my hot sauce.”
Chef Aretha started laughing. “Leave that girl alone and go get her what she asked for.” Shaking my head, I walked into the kitchen and grabbed our drinks along with her precious bottle of garlic Sriracha before returning to the living room.
Setting everything down on the coffee table in front of us, I handed her the hot sauce and watched her immediately drown the food in it like she didn’t have a single concern in the world.
“You really trying to burn the babies up.”
“They love it.”
“The babies ain’t told you that.”
“They kicked when I thought about it.”
“That’s because they was trying to escape.”
Ysis laughed so hard she nearly snorted, which in turn made my mother and Chef Aretha start laughing too.
Turning on the television, I stretched out beside her while she settled against me.
Between bites of food and her occasionally complaining about being uncomfortable, we watched my favorite movie of all time, American Gangster, while the sounds of oldies music drifted out from the kitchen and filled the house.
Just then a text came through my phone from Yayo:
Let me use your plane to fly to Vegas real quick.
Nigga, Kayla got all the info you need. Just don’t have no crazy shit on my plane.
Never bro, good looking.
Say less. Let me know when you touch down.
Copy.
He replied and I tossed my phone onto the couch cushion beside me.
Across the room, Ysis was still drowning perfectly good food in enough Sriracha to start a small fire while my mother and Chef Aretha laughed and argued over whatever old memory the music had stirred up.
At the same time, the doorbell chimed notifying us of a delivery.
Probably more stuff Ysis had ordered for the twins.
“I’ll get it.” Aretha called from the kitchen. We were still eating when she came back into the living room carrying an enormous bouquet of dark purple flowers.
“Well ain’t these beautiful.”
The arrangement was expensive too. Roses, orchids, lilies, and flowers I couldn’t even name were arranged together in a vase large enough to block half her face. Smiling, she brought them to her nose and inhaled deeply.
“Who did they come from?” I frowned.
“I don’t see a card...ca—”
The words caught in her throat and the smile vanished from her face.
Before we could process the sudden change, the vase slipped from her hands and shattered across the floor.
For a brief moment, nobody moved, confused by what we were seeing.
Then Aretha’s hand flew to her throat. She struggled for air, fighting to breathe as panic flashed across her face.
“Retha?” My mother’s voice cracked. Aretha staggered backward, still clawing at her throat, before collapsing to the floor and began foaming at the mouth.
“Chef!” Ysis shouted, as I shot to my feet. My mother was already moving, rushing across the room before dropping to her knees beside her.
“Retha, baby breathe. Please breathe.” Her voice broke as she grabbed her hand. Cassian came running from the room, down the hallway.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know.” I said, crouching beside them.
“Cassian, call 911.”
“Oh my God.” My mother sobbed. “Retha, stay with me. Stay with me.” But something about the situation wasn’t sitting right with me. The flowers, the timing, and the way she’d gone down had every instinct I possessed screaming that something was wrong.
“Don’t touch those flowers.” The command came out so sharp everybody froze.
“Mama, I know you want to stay with her, but I need you to back up.”
“Kade—” She looked at me in disbelief.
“Back up.”
Something in my voice must’ve registered because she finally moved. I pulled both her and Ysis away while Cassian kicked the bouquet across the room and away from everybody else.
“Operator, I need an ambulance.” Cassian said into the phone. “There’s been a possible poisoning and the female victim is unresponsive.”
The room fell into panic as Ysis cried into my mother’s shoulder praying through her tears, and Cassian struggled to explain what had happened to the emergency operator.
Through all of it, I couldn’t take my eyes off those flowers.
Just a few minutes ago we’d been sitting here laughing, enjoying a rare moment of peace, and now Chef Aretha wasn’t breathing.
The same woman who fed my family, fussed at me whenever I skipped meals, and looked after Ysis like she was one of her own daughters, was gone.
This wasn’t random, and it wasn’t an accident.
Whoever sent those flowers hadn’t just killed a member of my household—they’d sent a message, one loud enough that even I couldn’t ignore it.