Page 185 of Curvy Girl Summer

She sighed loudly. “Fine!” She snatched a paper towel and dried her hands. “But will you answer one question for me?”

“One question.”

There was a flicker of sadness that moved through her eyes. It was brief, but I saw it. “Why didn’t you tell me the truth? Did I make you feel like you couldn’t tell me?”

“I did tell you the truth. When I had that talk with you and Dad, I had no idea Ahmad was going to show up at the party. Up until this weekend, we were just… friends.”

“So yesterday morning, you didn’t know he was going to be there?”

“I didn’t know he was going to be there until he showed up. He wasn’t even invited. It was a whole thing.”

I saw the relief smooth the wrinkles from her face. “Oh, thank God.” She grabbed her cross necklace and kissed it. “I was thinking we’d alienated you and that you didn’t feel like you could be honest with us.” Her eyes watered. “I prayed about it last night and again this morning at church after getting the picture. I don’t everwant to make you feel like you can’t share your life with me. And the fact that I thought that means that I have to do better. So, I’m sorry, Aaliyah. I’m so sorry.”

“Mom.” I embraced her, squeezing her tight. “Thank you for saying that.”

The oven timer went off, and we broke up our hug. She pulled twelve delicious-looking cinnamon rolls out, and I washed my hands to help her glaze them.

She plopped one on a plate for herself and then put the others on a serving tray. “Will you take these to the den for me, please? There are plates already down there.”

“Not a problem.”

I grabbed a bottle of water and went downstairs to the den. My father, uncle, and grandmother were relaxing and watching preseason football.

“Aaliyah!” Dad greeted me when he saw me. “Cinnamon rolls!”

The cheer for the cinnamon rolls was a bit louder than the one for me. I set the plate down on the coffee table with the rest of the food items, and I decided to not be offended by his excitement. As I took a bite of the gooey goodness on the plate, I understood where he was coming from.

He gave me a big bear hug and then stepped around me so he could see the instant replay of the interception he’d missed.

I said hello to my uncle and grandma as I finished chewing my bite.

“I heard I owe you an apology and you actually did have a man with you at your party,” Uncle Al said. “There’s no guarantee he isn’t someone you hired to play the part, but if I’m wrong, I stand corrected.”

I opened my mouth to say something petty, but my grandma spoke first.

“Don’t pay him any mind,” she intervened, rising to her feet. “But come outside on the porch with me for a minute.”

I took my bottle of water and cinnamon roll with me.

“How are you feeling, Nana?” I asked her as she took a seat in the rocking chair.

“I feel good.”

“Was it like a twenty-four-hour bug or something?” I wondered, sitting in the chair next to her.

She shook her head. “No. I wasn’t sick. I wanted to be at your birthday party, but I didn’t think Al deserved to be. Not the way he’s been acting. I didn’t do enough to protect your mom from his ways when they were coming up. I didn’t know the type of things he was saying to her or the reason why she was so obsessed with her weight. I didn’t know. And by the time I found out, they were grown. But seeing how he acted at Aniyah’s party, I wasn’t going to let him ruin yours.”

“Thank you, Nana.” I gave her another hug. “I wish you were there, but I appreciate you taking one for the team. I had already uninvited him, but I’m glad you were there with the reinforcement.”

“For you, my beautiful granddaughter, anytime.”

“So, you’re really not sick? Because Mom’s making beef stew so you’ll have something hearty on your stomach.”

“I’m fine. I’m better than fine. I feel great. But I wasn’t going to turn down homemade beef stew.”

I tipped my head back and laughed. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She leaned forward. “So, tell me about this man that gave you your Cinderella moment.”

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