Page 10 of Autumn & Woods
“Daddy.”
“She’s grown. Relax.”
I shook my head, half-smiling. “You need a hobby.”
“This is my hobby,” he said. “Island hopping with beautiful women while my grown ass daughter pretends she’s too busy to call me.”
“Don’t start.”
“I’m just saying,” he went on. “Would be nice to hear from you without having to track you down. Especially since I’m out here waiting on grandkids and all.”
“Oh, my God.”
“No rush, but don’t wait too long. You were built to be somebody’s mother. Got too much love in you.”
“Okay, alright. That’s my cue.”
“Call me later,” he laughed. “And Happy Thanksgiving, baby girl.”
“Love you, Daddy.”
“Love you more.”
I hung up and tossed the phone beside me, still smiling when Taj slid into the living room, loud as all hell. "AYYYYYYEEE! Get up, bitch! It’s time!" She yelled. She wore biker shorts, fuzzy slides, and one of those long, oversized tees that said ‘Damn I Make This Look Easy.’
“Why are you so loud?” I muttered, dragging myself to the edge of the couch.
“Because it’s Thanksgivin’!” she sang, dancing across the room. “We got two pans of mac to make. Let’s go!”
By the time I made it to the bathroom, Taj’s twins were already outside, clamoring for juice and cartoons. Soon enough, I was at the kitchen counter, helping the kids pour cereal while Taj rummaged through the fridge. The next hour melted right into mac prep, the two of us working side by side.
She turned up the speaker; the twins finally quieted, and delicious smells began to fill the kitchen. We moved around each other easily, communicating with small gestures like we’d been cooking together forever. As I stirred the roux, my mind kept drifting back to Woods, his memory tugging at my thoughts every few minutes.
His smell, his voice, his weight, the sound I made. Even after twelve hours, I still felt it. I glanced at Taj, layering cheese in her pan, her bonnet lopsided and seasoning smeared on her wrist.
I cleared my throat. “So… I might’ve had a little situation during my layover.”
She paused mid-sprinkle. “Situation?”
I nodded slowly, keeping my eyes on the pan of baked mac I was preparing.. “Airport bar. Vibes. Bathroom.”
Taj gasped loud enough to make her daughter peek around the corner. “Biiitchhh!”
I laughed. “Lower your voice.”
“No. No. You not just gon’ saybathroomlike you was just freshenin’ up. You ain’t slick!” she accused.
I kept stirring. “We didn’t even exchange numbers.”
“Autumn, be fuckin’ for real.”
I shrugged. “It happened so fast. The chemistry was wild, though.”
Taj slid the pan over to me. “Wild enough to risk a public health violation?”
“Wild enough to still be thinking about it now.”
She leaned on the counter, eyes wide. “Okay, so run it. Was he fine?”
