Page 25 of Summer's Echo
“But Mamanothing!” she interrupted, cutting her eyes at me. “Now…Summer Sierra. And roll your eyes one more time—you’ll be sitting right here with me and your daddy for the rest of the night!”
I groaned under my breath but headed back to my room. Mama wasn’t one to bluff, and I wasn’t about to test her patience tonight. These were the moments when being the baby of the family was both a blessing and a curse. I stomped away like a six-year-old, hating that my mother knew me so well. She was right. The paper was mostly finished, but I still had to add the cover page and reference sheet. Not that I was going to admit that to her.
“Ugh.She gets on my nerves,” I muttered under my breath, making sure my bedroom door was closed. I wasn’t trying to be grounded at homeandto get popped in the mouth.
With a few minutes to spare before Echo showed up, I reached for my sketchbook, hoping it would steady the restlessness humming beneath my skin. I told myself it was just another hangout, just another night of friendly, easy conversation. But the truth was, knowing he was on his way always did something to me—like I was waiting for something I couldn’t name. The moment my pencil touched the page, my thoughts drifted—not to the lines I meant to draw, but tohim. The way his presence carried an ease, a quiet warmth, like I never had to try too hard. Even the first day we met, when I hit him with all the attitude I could muster, I still sensed it—that pull, that undeniable way he filled a space. Making everything warmer, lighter. And I felt it every time. It was comfort. Familiarity. It was safe. Maybetoosafe.
A heavy thud from outside my window yanked me from my thoughts.Echo. Jay-Z’s voice blasted from his car speakers, rattling the air like a personal announcement of his arrival. I groaned, shaking my head because I already knew—without a doubt—he was handing my mother fresh ammunition. As if I wasn’t already tiptoeing out of this house on borrowed grace, here he went, throwing gas on the fire. Right on cue, Mama’s voice rang out from the kitchen.
“Is that Echo playing that loud music in front of my house?” she hollered, still carrying the edge of irritation from our earlier exchange.
“Oh, Lord,” I heard Daddy grumbled from the family room, his tone resigned. “Yeah, that’s him.Knucklehead.” He sighed long and knowing. I could picture him now, peeking out the window, shaking his head in mild amusement, fully aware that Teresa Knight was about to start firing verbal bullets.
I shot up from the bed and bolted toward the front door, determined to intercept Echo before my parents—especially Mama—could get to him. Throwing open the screen door, I stood in the doorway, waving my arms like a maniac, trying to warn him, mouthing for him toturn the music down. He, of course, was completely oblivious, still blasting Jay-Z. My mouthing turned into a sharp, desperate screech. “Turn the damn music down, E!”
Mama missed nothing. “Oh, so you curse in front of your mama now? That’s what we’re doing with yournew friend?” she called, her voice laced with mockery.
Stepping onto the porch, I put my hands on my hips just as Echo stepped out of his carclearly enjoyinghimself, the slight tilt of his head and easy confidence making it clear that he was oblivious to the second of chaos he’d caused.
“What’s up, Sunshine?” he said, flashing that wide, mischievous grin.
“Boy, are you crazy? Now you know my parents do not play that!” I hissed, my irritation bubbling over.
“What?” he asked, his face scrunched in genuine confusion.
“Your music was loud as hell,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Oh, my bad,” he whispered, looking sheepish now.
My tone dropped with a sharp warning. “Now, my daddy likes you, but keep playing, and he’ll quickly label you ali’l thugand threaten to get his gun,” I teased, but I was serious. “And Mama? She’s still on the fence about you.”
“Man, Ms. Teresa loves me. But real talk, I’m sorry, Sun. Let me come in and apologize,” he said, raising his hands in surrender.
Before I could respond, the familiar squeak of the screen door behind me announced that someone had joined us. I turned to see Daddy standing there, his face serious in a way that caught me off guard.
“How’re you doing, Echo?” Daddy asked, his voice calm but firm. “Now, that music was too loud, son.”
“Yes, sir. I’m doing good. Sorry about the music. It won’t happen again—”
Before he could finish, Mama appeared, practically nudging Daddy out of the way with her no-nonsense demeanor.
“Boy, don’t come down my street with that boopidy-bop music that loud anymore. You understand me?” she said, her tone as colorful as her vocabulary.
“Yes, ma’am! I’m really sorry,” Echo replied, and I could see the corners of his mouth twitching as he tried—and failed—to suppress his grin at Mama’s choice of words.
I shot him a warning, but even I had to fight the twitch of my cheeks. Amusement flickered between us in a silent conversation.
“Yo, your mama don’t play,”Echo’s raised brows mutedly communicated.
I arched my brow, with pursed lips, my expression doing all the talking.“You think? Keep testing her, and you’ll find out exactly how much she don’t play,”my face all but said.
Echo chuckled softly, shaking his head then nodded as if to say,“Message received, Sunshine.”
“Where are you all going this time?” Mama asked, and I wanted to roll my eyes because I’d already told her this.
Just hanging out at the mall,” Echo answered, his voice casual but his eyes darting to me for confirmation, like he was hoping he’d nailed the right answer.
I bit back a smirk. The mall was always the safe, parent-approved starting point, but we both knew it was just that—a starting point. From there, the night could lead us anywhere, and I never offered those details to my parents.
