Page 22 of Sweet Love From Saturn

Since my mother was in the kitchen and out of earshot, I decided to tell my sister what the problem was.

“Why did you tell Momma I was seeing somebody? Like, I haven’t even had a chance to tell my own damn business.”

“I only told her because she said Miss Kathy told her he saw you at the coffee shop with someone. All I told her was it was a guy you were dating. That’s it. I didn’t say anything else.”

My shoulders relaxed at her explanation. I should’ve asked questions before catching an attitude with her, but the scenario fit Tiffany to the T.

“Why would she mention it to you and not me?”

“Saturn, I don’t know. That’s a question you gotta ask Momma. All I know is I didn’t tell her anything more than that. I know you and Mccoy are getting serious, but like you said, that’s your business to tell,” she stated before taking the last sip of her wine.

“Okay, Tiffany.”

“Okay, Saturn. It’s crazy you’re irritated with me over nothing, but whatever.”

Standing from the chair, Tiffany poured herself another glass of wine and took a seat at the opposite end of the table. Asthe evening progressed, I drank more wine and walked Sparky around the block. During the walk, I called Mccoy to check in on him. He informed me that they were less than an hour away from their destination and were doing okay. I wasn’t sure if it was the liquor or not, but I was really missing my man right now. Seeing his handsome face on my screen didn’t make things any better. I felt clingy and couldn’t wait for him to make it back to me.

When I made it back to my parents’ house, a black Tahoe parked in the driveway caught my attention. As far as I knew, no one else was joining us for dinner tonight. Pushing the front door open, my steps faltered and tears welled up at the sight of my brother. From the way he hugged my mother, I knew he had to have just gotten here. We hadn’t laid eyes on him since he came for my grandmother’s funeral. It felt like an eternity went by before my mother let Aaron go. She was crying much harder than me, but that was to be expected. Aaron’s relationship with my parents was complicated. Certain things hadn’t come to light until he left for the Navy and I was sure those situations had begun long before then.

“Son, why didn’t you tell us you were coming to town? How long are you here?” my dad questioned as he pulled Aaron in for a hug.

“I didn’t tell anyone. I just wanted to come home and go from there.”

“Does that mean you’re staying? Like for good?”

“Yeah, Dad. I’m home for good. I’m still in the midst of finding a place, but I figured between staying here and with my sisters, I’ll be okay.”

“Uhhh, what gave you that idea? You’re not about to put a dent in my couch.”

At my voice, Aaron turned around and rushed me. When my body was lifted into the air, I couldn’t help but laugh and squeal.

“I didn’t hear you come in. It’s good to see you, Saturn.”

“It’s good to see you too. A heads up would’ve been nice though,” I countered.

“Listen, I just wanted to get home. I’ve been driving for hours. What were y’all in here doing before I got here?”

“We were about to have dinner. Your sisters act like we don’t exist these days, so tonight was supposed to be family night. Looks like the Good Lord heard my prayer.”

“Momma, stop crying. Come on, tell me what you cooked.”

Aaron grabbed my mother’s hand and led her to the kitchen. Following them, it wasn’t long before the spread of food came into view. Laid out across the kitchen counter was a pan of baked macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes, and cornbread. The pot roast was still in the crockpot and there was a pot of cabbage resting on the stove.

“You sure it’s just family night? It’s Friday night and you cooked this meal like we were celebrating somebody’s homegoing,” Aaron joked, making us all laugh.

“Boy, hush. I just felt like doing something nice for my family. Everyone’s been so busy and I wanted to make sure we had a nice dinner while we caught up. Your dad suggested a taco bar, but I wanted soul food.”

“Had we known you were coming, I would’ve had your mom make you a pan of dressing instead of plain cornbread. You and Saturn are the only two that eat it, but your sister made some not long ago,” my dad added.

He was right. Since we were children, Aaron and I would be the only two with dressing on our plates whenever it was made. When I was old enough to start cooking, I always made sure I was in the kitchen when my mom and grandmother cooked. Eating out was kept to a minimum and I followed that even as an adult. Once everyone settled down from Aaron being home, my dad helped him bring his bags in and he got set up in his oldbedroom. By the time he returned, my mother was preparing to pray over the food.

The rest of the night went smoothly. Aaron didn’t go into detail about why he’d come home, but we were happy to have him back either way. For the first time in a while, I felt like my family was complete. Things weren’t perfect, but it felt like everything in my life was slowly starting to fall into place. A sense of relief washed over me when Mccoy texted me, letting me know he was on his way back home. The countdown was real and I couldn’t wait to be in my man’s arms again.

TEN

Mccoy

“Baby wake up,” I said as I gently tapped Saturn’s thigh.

---