9. Alisha “Kitty” Quinn
ALISHA “KITTY” QUINN
As I laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling, my mind brought me back to arriving at the house.
As we’d pulled off the main road and onto a gravelled side-road, I could feel the excitement in the vehicle. Yang was sitting forward in the front seat beside Yin, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the dashboard.
He reminded me of a kid going on his first road trip before asking his mother: are we there yet?
He was out of the car before Yin had the engine off and I laughed.
“He’s excited.” I motioned toward his muscular back.
“Yeah.” Yin replied. “He was in China for a while—hasn’t seen Mama for all that time. Eh! Come back for your bag!”
Yang stopped and darted back to take the bag his brother had been handing to him.
Sam had been silent, but he watched the twins go back and forth as if this was normal for them. As Squirrel merely smirked, shook his head and turned to pull his bag from the back.
Walking into Mama Tan’s house felt like love.
It was warm and smelled like she’d been cooking up a storm, By the scents alone, I could tell it was going to be good eats.
I mused at their interaction with their mother, the warm way she greeted her boys with hugs and kisses and more hugs.
She loved on them the same even though two didn’t look like her and one wasn’t related to them at all—not even by adoption. He was a man her sons had brought into the fold and told her he was good people.
As big as they were, Squirrel included, they stood there and allowed her to love on them. Sam pretended not to like it, but the smile in his eyes told me differently.
I hungered for that.
Long before the world even thought of waking up, movement outside my door drew me out of bed. I packed the assignments I’d fallen asleep grading, fixed up myself and called in sick from work.
Once I was sure my breath wouldn’t kill a man, I smoothed my hands down my sides and wandered down to find everyone, including Mama Tan, hovered around the dining table.
Bambam was on the big screen, concentrating on one of the many things she had to have been doing while the smell of wonton soup permeated the air.
I figured Sam was already on the road toward his job and that was why he was missing.
Squirrel was the first to see me.
“Good morning, Kitty.” He greeted me, waving his fork. “Slept well?”
I blushed.
The others looked up to greet me and immediately Mama Tan had a bowl in my hand with a spoon.
She said something to me in Mandarin, smiling the entire time and patting my shoulder with a frail hand.
“Māmā, she doesn’t speak Mandarin.” Yin reminded her.
“I know that.” Mama Tan sucked her teeth. “She’ll learn.”
“She said, here’s something warm to wake up the soul.” Yang explained, reaching for a dumpling with his chopsticks. “More or less.”
Grinning, I bowed my head to her, thanked her and sat at a spot at the table they’d cleared out for me.
“So, Tha’lab is going to meet you guys there.” Bambam was saying after she waved at me. “You probably won’t see her, but she’s got your backs. Squirrel will go in with you?—”
“Wait, why not Yang?” I wanted to know. “It’s not like I don’t trust you, you see.”
Squirrel frowned.
“But Yang is Exodus’ brother.” I tried explaining myself. “And—no offence—I mean.”
Squirrel took offence, I could tell.
“None taken,” he said, dryly.
It was obvious, I’d offended him.
I sighed.
“I’m happy for your confidence in me, Kitty.” Yang spoke up. “But I was just called for an emergency surgery on a ten-year-old boy. You don’t know it yet, but I’m already out the door. Pretend I’m not even here.”
I sighed and hung my head”
“Drink up.” Mama Tan must have sensed the heaviness in the air. “Yin told me your car is at the mechanic’s. You can borrow mine for work.”
“No need, Mama Tan.” I shook my spoon at her. “I called in sick.”
Mama frowned at me.
“I suppose it would look weird you calling in un-sick now.” She sighed.
“I’ve been working at that school for five years.” I shrugged. “Never called in sick. I’m due.”
Once our plans were set, it all boiled down to me staying with Mama Tan’s while the boys played.
While I had nothing against Mama Tan, and she was the sweetest human on the planet, it bothered me that Yin was just strutting into danger.
I didn’t care that Squirrel and Tha’lab would be with him.
I didn’t care that they loved him and would protect him with their lives.
I didn’t care that Kirby was a so-called friendly.
I didn’t trust anyone with Yin’s life—not even myself.
“Don’t worry,” Yang said. “Bambam has her ways of keeping track of her people.”
“Why do I feel like half the things Bambam does is illegal?” I asked.
“That’s because half the things Bambam does is illegal.” Yin didn’t look up from the map he’d been studying intently.
“Very—highly illegal.” Squirrel added.
“It’s only illegal if you get caught.” Yang laughed.
I facepalmed.
“What does Tha’lab think about all of this?” I wanted to know. “She’s a cop, after all. She can’t just look the other way…can she?”
“Um—” Mama Tan paused in thought. “Maybe her thoughts are—no speaka zee English?”
The others moaned their agreement while nodding.
“Oi.” I groaned, massaging my temple, trying to stop the tension headache I could feel creeping up on me. “My blood pressure—I’m too old for this.”
Soon, Yang was running out the door to one of the vehicles we’d arrived in. It took another hour before the others were ready to leave. I took Yin’s hand and led him into the downstairs office and out of view of the others.
“Can I go on record and say I don’t like this?” I sat in one of the chairs.
He leant his ass on the desk, crossing his arms and ankles.
“Noted.”
“That’s it?” I demanded.
Exodus tilted his head to the side.
“What?” He asked.
“Would it kill you to say more than one word to me right now?” I wanted to scream.
“What do you want me to say?” Exodus asked.
Sighing, I stood, swore under my breath and headed for the door.
Yin caught my arm and brought me backwards into his chest. For a moment, all he did was hold me as if he thought I’d disappear if he let me go.
“I know you’re worried.” Exodus told me. “But there isn’t anything I can really do about that, right? What’s the use talking about it and making us both anxious? I’m just going to talk to Kirby.”
“Like you were just going to talk to Mouse?” I turned in his arms. “I’m starting to think Mouse was right. Trouble follows you! It finds you.”
“I’ll be fine. I have Squirrel?—”
“And Tha’lab.” I interrupted. “Whatever. I know. Just be careful.”
“Why do you get this attitude every time Tha’lab’s name come up? What are you not telling me?”
Clearing my throat, I lifted my chin.
“Nothing.” I pulled from his arms. “Is this like going on stage where I don’t say good luck?”
“You know?” He rolled his eyes thoughtfully to the ceiling. “I don’t know. But I’ll settle for a kiss.”
“Ex—”
“Quick. Time’s a wastin’.”
Dramatically, I sighed and kissed him.
This time when his large palms framed my cheeks, I leaned into his body and allowed him to take my mouth as wildly and as deeply as he wanted.
“I’ll see you later.” His voice cracked around another kiss. “It’ll be safe here with Mama Tan.”
“I’m not worried about that.”
“Why don’t you trust Squirrel?” He asked, his voice soft.
Sighing, I eased from his arms to lean against the arm of the sofa.
“It’s not that I don’t trust him personally.” I wrapped my arms around myself. “I don’t trust anyone with your life. I know—it’s fine. Just—hurry back and be careful.”
I knew he wanted to say more but instead, he winked at me and left.
The sound of engines was soon gone and I was left standing in the open door, watching the empty yard, my heart cracked to breaking.
“Bǎo bǎo.” Mama Tan took my shoulders. “The boys will be fine.”
“You’re not worried?” I asked as I allowed her to lead me back into the country house style kitchen.
“Of course, I’m worried.” She chuckled, setting a cup of juice in front of me.
“But you have to remember, I raised three boys. Primarily by myself. Two of those three are black. I spend my days when they’re away from me in constant panic.
I had to learn really fast to trust them, or I wouldn’t have made it. ”
“And you trust Squirrel?—”
“Shì de!”
“What does that mean?”
“It means yes.” Mama Tan grinned. “I have a feeling I should start teaching you Mandarin.”
I tilted my head.
She sighed as if I was the slowest human being on the planet.
“You are interested in one of my boys.” Mama Tan pointed out. “I think I know which one—but I’m going to ask.”
“Exodus.” I blushed.
She laughed haughtily.
“Good choice.” She nodded and turned to peer into a cupboard before pulling out a large mixing bowl. “But I have to warn you. You’re going to have to learn how to read minds. That one is way too quiet for his own good.”
I laughed.
I knew precisely what she meant.
“Yeah. I know. Mama Tan, I just—he scares me.”
“You think he’d hurt you?” She set a large bag of flour beside the bowl. “I’d break his legs.”
“No.” I answered shaking both palms and my head. “That’s not it. It’s just the things I’m feeling for him crashed down on me all at once and they are so new. I’ve tried dating before and none of those men made me feel like this. He has that power. That’s what scares me.”
“Aww, Wǒ de háizǐ.” Mama Tan dragged her palms against her thighs then walked around the counter to take both my hands. “That’s how I felt about their father. And yes, it’s scary. But take it slow. You have that option these days. There’s no rush for marriage.”
“Slow—I’m afraid he might choose a braver woman.”
Mama Tan tilted her head.
“Braver woman?”
I nodded.
“Don’t you want that for him?” I wanted to know.
“What do you mean?” Mama Tan wanted to know, her pale brown eyes shimmering with worry and confusion.
“Tha’lab—”
She laughed.
“She’s been a friend to my boys for a few years now.” Mama Tan explained. “Honestly, she loves Yin because he’s been good to her. She respects him but they’ve never been like that. The one I think she has her eyes on is Yang—poor fool. So clueless.”
I hid my happiness.