28. Waycross…Now #2
“Good. Now, let me change into my good coveralls.”
Nadine smiled.
After stuffing themselves with fried catfish and shrimp at Captain Joe’s, Nadine took her father back home. Over lunch, she tried her best to explain her arrangement with Eddie, but all her father said was “Well, y’all are grown.” And left it at that.
Paul Dee was disappointed, hoping her visit would be longer.
He tried his best to get her to stay, even promising her that he’d cook his famous salmon croquettes for breakfast. As tempting as that was, Nadine declined, insisting that she wanted to get home before dark to say goodnight to EJ.
Her father understood, but his hug lasted far longer than normal.
Nadine practically melted into his arms, promising to come see him more often.
Paul Dee pulled back, staring into his daughter’s watery eyes.
“You’re the best part of my heart walking around on earth. You know that, don’t you, sugar? Don’t matter who you are. What you do. Who you love. You my child. Don’t ever forget that.”
Nadine nodded, tears brimming in her eyes. “I won’t Daddy. I promise.”
“Tell Alex to call me sometimes and next time, bring my EJ down to see his Pappy. Boy gotta learn how to fish and hunt. Eddie shole ain’t gonna teach him, lest he grow up too citified and spoiled. ”
“Daddy,” Nadine chuckled, “He’s barely four. He can’t barely wipe his butt, let alone hold a fishing pole.”
“Well,” Paul Dee flashed a wide grin, showing his gold crown. “Ain’t never too early to learn, Deanie. Or in your case, too late.”
Nadine made her way onto the highway, blasting the best of Mariah Carey for her nearly four-hour trip back home.
About halfway through MCs catalog and her ride, Nadine needed a break.
She made a detour toward the Buc-ees gas station in Warner Robbins.
Nadine had been obsessed with the chain of massive gas stations ever since a work trip took her through Texas.
It was the perfect place to fill up her tank, stretch her legs, and get some snacks for the rest of her trip home.
Nadine made her way inside, the smell of fudge and savory treats making her mouth water.
After grabbing a much-needed cup of coffee, Nadine decided to wade through the crowd to stand in line to grab the fudge and peanut brittle that she didn’t need but was calling her name.
Just as she was about to grab an extra bag of popcorn for EJ and Zaire, she swore heard someone call her name.
Nadine froze, clearly dismissing the sound as exhaustion until she heard it again.
“Nadine? Nadine Davis?”
Nadine turned and nearly dropped everything in her hands as she stared at the woman standing before her. She was older, curvier, yet it was still unmistakably her. Same deep, dark skin. Same full lips and deep-set brown eyes.
Allison Alston. Ally.
Those big, brown eyes were staring back at Nadine through simple, brown frames, a slight smile on her face as she came closer. Nadine could hear her heart thumping in her ears.
“Ally?” Nadine managed to say, her voice cracking on the last syllable. Had she conjured up this woman after talking to her daddy? She had to have done that. This couldn’t be real.
Allison stepped closer. Dressed in jeans and a simple V-neck sweater, she looked effortlessly chic. “Hey! I would give you a hug but...” She nodded toward Nadine’s full hands “Still got a sweet tooth, huh?”
Nadine smiled bashfully. “Yeah. Some things never change.” She watched as Ally’s eyes took her in. She caught her reflection in the door of the beer cooler. A hand flew up to her hair, up in a messy bun. “Sorry. I look a mess.”
After a breath, the woman replied. “You look as beautiful as always. Like I said, some things never change.”
Nadine felt her cheeks heat at the compliment.
Never in a million years would she have thought she’d see Allison again.
And here she was, in the middle of a Buc-ees in middle Georgia.
A crowd of patrons began to get annoyed because they were blocking the counter near the brisket sammies.
Nadine and Allison maneuvered to get out of the way, moving to the end of a less crowded aisle.
“What are you doing here?” asked Nadine.
“I was stopping for gas. Just dropped my kids off in Savannah to visit their father. I had to wrap up some things in Charleston, so that was good midpoint. ”
Charleston? Did she remember that she lived in Charleston? “Oh, cool.” Nadine nodded, trying her best not to sound affected by that bit of information.
“I don’t live there,” offered Allison with a sigh. “Well, not anymore. Just dropping my youngest off to spend the weekend with their father. We got divorced last year.”
Nadine’s eyes widened. “Wow, I’m sorry to hear that.”
Allison waved her hands with a slight smile. “Girl, I’m not. It was a long time coming. It was years in the making. We just realized we are better as friends.” She paused, staring at Nadine with a smile. “I still can’t believe I ran into you here, of all places.”
Despite Nadine being in boots, they were eye level now. When they were kids, Ally seemed to tower over her. Ally’s eyes hadn’t once stopped staring directly at Nadine. Nadine tried to divert her eyes from such an intense stare, but she couldn’t. It was like looking into the sun.
Nadine finally spoke. “Yeah, I was just stopping here for snacks on the way back to Atlanta. I was coming back from Waycross seeing my Dad.”
“Oh yeah, I hadn’t been back home in years. Me and my folks…long story. Has it changed much?”
Nadine was curious about Ally meant by “long story.” She didn’t want to pry. Instead, she answered her question. “Other than a few more chain stores, the vibe is the same, I guess. Developers are trying to scoop up land, my dad says. I took my dad to Captain Joe’s, and he told me all about it.”
“Wow. That place still standing?” chuckled Allison. “I’m shocked Mr. Davis let you treat him to lunch.”
“He’s getting soft in his old age, I suppose,” mused Nadine. “I’m surprised you remember my Daddy?”
“He’s kind of unforgettable. A Waycross legend. Him and his cars.”
They laughed a bit until they both quieted. The noise of the gas station seems to fade into background noise all around them as if they were in their own world.
“You still friends with Tatum and Alisa? Man, I heard all about that drama with Alisa, the Senate candidate and that football player. It was all over the news.”
Nadine nodded. “Yeah, but those are her husbands now. She has gorgeous twins too.”
“Whoa,” chuckled Allison. “Seriously?”
“Yep. And Tatum, well…she’s happy and doing well.” Nadine didn’t think she needed to blow Allison’s mind any further with her best friends’ love lives. Or her own.
“So, “Allison began. “How are things with you? Last I heard through the grapevine, you were married to some baller, and you were some big time CEO.”
“Ex-baller,” Nadine nodded. “He’s coaching on the collegiate level now. And I was a CEO. I quit last week.”
Allison’s eyes widened. “Really? You gave up a big C-suite job?”
Nadine shrugged. “It was a long time coming.”
“And you have a daughter, right?”
Nadine wondered how she knew any of this. Being married to Eddie, her life was semi-public. Just ripe for gossip, especially in her small hometown. Or maybe she’d be keeping tabs on her too.
“My oldest, Alex, is a freshman in college. And we also have a son, EJ. He’s four and I want to spend more time with him. You’ve got kids too, right?” Nadine knew she had kids. She’d stalked her Facebook page far too many times over the years.
Allison nodded. “Yep, three. My oldest son is 22 and a senior at the Citadel. My middle baby is 18 and a freshman at SC State. Super smart girl. And my baby girl is fourteen. I was a principal for many years, so I could keep a decent schedule. But now that they’re older, I am shifting gears now that I’ve moved to Atlanta. Time to do me.”
Nadine’s breathing nearly stopped. “Oh, you're in Atlanta, now?”
“Technically, in Lawrenceville, but you know how it is. Just started an educational consulting business. So I’m my own boss now.”
“That’s awesome, Ally,” Nadine beamed, truly proud. “I’m happy for you.”