Page 56 of Honey's Special Roux

“She’s right. Our grandbaby won’t grow up without us in his or her life. You can move if you want to, but you need to let your job know you not gon’ be there for a couple of months,” Daddy added.

“Let’s not gang up on my sister now. This is a lot to deal with. Her baby daddy’s in jail for who knows how long, and she’s about to be a single mother. All she needs in this moment is reassurance that we’ve got her back, no matter what.”

I smiled softly. “Thanks, sis.”

“Always.”

We’d found a schedule that worked for us. The first six months of Quis’s life, the grandparents and Granny Janie coddled and spoiled us. Jenifer and Chamille were there as much as their schedules allowed. Even when Quis and I were back in Los Angeles, we called them every night.

As Jenifer pulled into the familiar neighborhood, a bittersweet feeling engulfed me in the tightest chokehold. Houses looked the same. The residents of the neighborhood kept their lawns tidy, with expensive cars shining in the driveways. The closer we got to my parents’ home, the harder it became to breathe.

We passed the Kent home, and I damn near had a panic attack, as I did every time I came back home. The fear of Marquise stepping out to greet me was irrational but ever present in the back of my mind.

“Nana’s house!” Quis had unbuckled his seat belt and waited with bouncing feet for me to let him out of the back seat.

“Is that my grandbaby?” Mama emerged from the house with her hands propped on her hips.

“Nana!” Quis bolted from the car and ran to my mother. She scooped him up, and he hugged her tight.

“I missed you, baby.”

“I missed you, too, Nana! Where’s Pawpaw?”

Quis wiggled out of her grasp and ran into the house. I shook my head as I closed the doors and went to the trunk to grab our bags. As I pulled the bags out of the trunk, an eerie feeling washed over me, like someone was spying on me. I brushed the feeling away and continued to the house with the suitcases in tow. I had more important matters to focus on than a paranoid idea of someone watching me.

“My beautiful daughter.”

“My beautiful mama.”

When I finally closed the distance between my mama and me, I felt the tears build in the corners of my eyes. She was her mother’s daughter, and the resemblance got to me.

“Shh.”

She wrapped me in her arms and swayed from side to side. I was home. I was in the care of my mother. We would get through the loss of our favorite lady together.

“The rest of the family will be here tomorrow to discuss funeral arrangements. You can get settled into the guest room. I’m not sure you want to cook right now, so I can?—”

“I’ll cook. What do you have in there?” I wiped my eyes and focused on possibilities for dinner.

“Not much. You know, with it just being me and your father most of the time, I don’t have to cook like I’m feeding a village. Even with Sunday dinners, we kept it small.”

I giggled. “Understood, Mama. I’ll shower and take a short nap. Then I’ll head to the store to stock your cabinets up with groceries.”

“Thank you, darling.”

“Thank Jenifer too. She’ll be helping me.”

Jenifer shook her head. “Of course I am. I won’t be missing a famous Honey meal either. It’s a part of my best friend’s tax.”

“Right.” I giggled as I tugged the suitcases up the four steps onto the porch.

Mama opened the door, and I stepped inside the threshold. Every time I walked into my parents’ home, memories flooded my mind: memories of my childhood and cooking with my grandmother, memories of my first kiss, my first date, and my first heartbreak.

The next few weeks would be a trying time for me, especially surrounded by grieving family members.Lord, give me the strength to make it through this.

“Thankyou for starting right away. We appreciate your willingness to get back on your feet after being in prison. All we ask is that you limit your interactions with customers. We know about your anger issues and do not want that to interfere with your job. Let’s face it; these customers can bring out the worst in people.”

I nodded as I listened to the manager of the local grocery store. The job with my uncle didn’t pan out how I wanted it to, so I allowed my PO to set me up with someone she thought could help me establish a good foundation. I would make eighteen an hour, which wasn’t bad, considering the minimum wage hadn’t changed since I was a kid.

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