Page 53 of Sweetest Temptation
“So, the cookie lady, Grandson? Are you strapping up that little wiener with the condoms that I gave you? Or you trying to make little baby cakes?”
“G-Ma, you are tripping for real. And those condoms you left in my room were three years expired!” I laughed.
“Mama, what are you doing with condoms?” my mother asked with raised brows.
“Clarissa, I may be old, but my lady parts still work.”
I choked on my orange juice. “Yeah, that’s my cue to get the hell outta here,” I said, placing my glass in the sink and kissing them both on the cheek. “I got to meet with Ryan, anyway. But first, I gotta stop by Jamila’s to drop off Joya’s new tablet.”
“You got that baby spoiled rotten.” Grandma paused. “Oh, that reminds me… Did you ask your littleboo thangabout making Joya’s birthday cake?”
“Nah, I forgot. I’ll ask her tonight when I pick her up for our date.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “A date? Oh, she must be special. You ain’t taken nobody out since that heffa… Oh, excuse me. SincePaige.” She smacked her lips while rolling her eyes.
I laughed, shaking my head. My grandma never liked Paige from the start. I remembered when I first brought her around the family. My grandma pulled me to the side and whispered,“Grandson, that girl is a heathen. Don’t let that pretty face fool you.”I should’ve listened. Love had me blind back then.
“Now, that Zanova girl?” Grandma said, leaning back with a knowing smirk. “She’s a good woman.”
“How do you know that?” I asked, glancing over at her.
“I can feel her spirit. I can tell she’s a little guarded, but a good girl.”
“She does seem like a nice girl. What’s her story?” Mama probed.
“She’s recently divorced. And she is guarded, but I’m working on that. I’m feeling, baby girl, tho’.”
“Let’s hope Paige doesn’t try and run her away when she gets wind that you are getting serious with someone.”
“Ma, I’m not worried about Paige. I’m out. I’ll call y’all later.”
I went to shower and change clothes for the day. As I drove to my sister's house, what my mother said about Paige had me thinking. Zanova and I may not have known each other for long,but I knew she wasn’t the type to deal with drama. I had a feeling that if my ex-wife came and started shit up, I would definitely lose any chance of making Zanova my woman.
After going home to shower and change into my own clothes, I headed to see my parents. The gate to their home swung open, and I eased up the circular driveway. Their current home was a world away from the one I grew up in. There were no broken elevators, no loud-ass neighbors, and no constant shootouts, echoing through the halls.
When I was twelve, my father moved us out of the hood and into this mini palace in Melville Harbor, an upscale neighborhood where lawns were perfectly manicured, luxury cars gleamed in every driveway, and the air itself felt cleaner, quieter, and richer. Thanks to my dad being one of the top lawyers in the city and some good investments, we were able to live a comfortable life.
Back then, it felt like a dream come true. My parents had worked hard for everything we had, and they made sure I never forgot where we came from. Even with our upgraded life, the marble floors, and the chandeliers, pieces of that old life werestill tucked inside us. My mother’s laugh still bounced through rooms, my father’s discipline was still sharp, and Sunday dinners never changed, no matter how fancy the table got.
I cut the engine and sat there for a moment, letting the quiet of the neighborhood soak in. When I stepped out, the soft click of my heels on the driveway echoed off the polished stone. The front door opened before I even reached it.
“Sweetheart!” my mom called out to me. Her arms wide, with a bright smile lighting up her face, she waited for me in the doorway.
I rushed into her embrace, inhaling the familiar mix of her perfume and home-cooked comfort.
“About time you came by to visit us. Hmm,” she said, giving me a side-eye. She stepped back to allow me to enter.
“Mom, don’t start. Where’s Daddy?”
“In the kitchen, making his famous sandwich. I don’t know why he calls it ‘famous’ when it’s just some regular turkey sub.” She laughed, and I did as well.
She stepped back to look at me like she could still see the little kid who used to beg for just one more story before bedtime. I kicked off my shoes at the door before following her into the kitchen, where my dad was putting mayonnaise on some sweet rolls. He looked up and smiled when he noticed me, and it was contagious.
I giggled when he pulled me in for a hug and kissed me on the forehead. “Hey, Pumpkin. You want a sub?”
“Hey, Dad! And yes, please!”
I set my purse on the kitchen counter and sat down on the stool next to my mother. She smiled softly—the kind of smile that always made me feel like I was home, no matter how old I got.
