Page 43 of Rounds
I could see the tears in her eyes, and I was shocked. I had never seen my mother cry. When the tears fell down her cheeks, I found them falling down mine as well. LeAndria grabbed my other hand, and I saw that she was shedding tears also. “I thought I was teaching you to be strong and independent women, not needing a man for shit. I was raising you two from a place of hurt and anger.”
“I wasn’t any better. You’re my daughters. The first time you saw love from a man, it should have been from me. I stayed distant and came around sparingly. I hate what I did to you girls . . . and to your mom.” He paused as he glanced at her. “I sent money all the time, but that didn’t equate to a relationship. We both did you a disservice. It made the two of you loners. I’m just glad you were able to follow your heart, Delaney.”
He turned to LeAndria, and said, “It’s time to live life without conditions, baby.”
She broke, and he pulled her in his arms. When he stood, he pulled her up and said, “Come here, Delaney.”
I practically ran to his arms, and my mama joined us. This moment was so powerful for us. It was almost like we were meeting one another for the first time. I supposed, emotionally, we were.
“Come on, Glover. You too,” my mama said.
He stood and came to us, standing right behind me, wrapping his arms around me. I took a deep breath, grateful for this moment. Once we finally sat, all our faces were wet with tears. I knew they were tears of relief and joy. We were having a new beginning.
“So, ladies, I want to take the two of you to the spa Tuesday evening. Are y’all good with that? I have a standing appointment at six, but it would be great if my babies could join me.”
“Count me in,” LeAndria said. “It’s not like I’ll have anything else to do.”
“Count me in too. How long will you be here, LeeLee?”
“Until Saturday. I plan to look for jobs while I’m here to see if it will be worth moving back.”
“What do you do, LeAndria?” Glover asked, breaking his silence.
“I work in medical billing. St. Ambrose is fully staffed in that department.”
“Are you serious?” he asked.
LeAndria just smiled as Glover continued. “The biller in my office is retiring in a couple of weeks. The position will be open. It’s yours if you want it.”
“It depends on if you can afford me, brother-in-law.”
I smiled big and so did Glover. “Man, I got’chu.”
I chuckled as I rejoiced with LeeLee on her new position at Glover’s private practice. After that, conversation seemed to flow naturally and, for once, we were functioning like a normal, loving family. I realized that my parents had to heal and forgive each other for some things before they could be who we neededas their daughters. That was why they were friends now. It made things easier to be able to enjoy time with them together. They’d been divorced for over twenty-five years. There was no need for them to still be harboring hate for one another.
When it was time to leave, I felt a slight sadness inside. I didn’t want the day to end. I hugged both my parents and LeeLee, and they walked us to the door. “So, what do y’all think about making this an every Sunday afternoon thing?” my mama asked.
“Sounds good to me,” I said as I turned to Glover.
He nodded with a smile. I knew we could make it here first, then to the nursing facility afterward. My dad grabbed my hand, and asked, “Would it be okay if our significant others come too?”
“That’s fine, Daddy, especially since Denver wants to clear the air between him and Glover. That shit was Charleigh’s fault. She can’t come.”
He chuckled, and so did my mama. “Maybe sometimes, I can cook,” I offered.
“Me too,” LeAndria said.
“That would be great, babies,” Mama agreed.
I hugged them all again as we said our goodbyes, then went to Glover’s SUV. Once we were inside, I said, “Thank you, baby. My big sister is a hard worker. I just pray she’s a good fit in your office. Thank you for even offering it to her. I’m so happy she’s coming back.”
“Seeing the joy on your face today was the reason for that. Having them in your life means a lot to you, and them expressing how much it means to them, too, did your heart good.”
“Maybe some Sundays, we can get a wheelchair and get Dad out of the nursing facility for a couple of hours to enjoy time with us too.”
I could tell he was feeling a way about his family. His dad was all he had. His eyebrows lifted. “Really? You wouldn’t mind?”
“Glover, why would I mind? I love your dad. I felt more of a connection to him in a couple of conversations than I have to my own father. I would love for him to be there.”
