Page 56 of Happy Is On Hiatus
Necole hurriedly shook her head. “I wanted to come over and talk last week, but when we texted, you said you had a lot of running around to do.”
She had. The previous week had been full of meetings, but that wasn’t any different from her schedule any other time. Truthfully, Rita hadn’t wanted to focus on anything other than her new business plan last week. And she decided in that moment that she wasn’t going to feel guilty for taking that time for herself.
“I don’t mind getting a job,” Taryn said, surprising both Rita and Necole. “Daddy was acting so weird when he was talking about money and the effect the divorce was having on him that I just don’t even want to need him like that anymore. I guess it’s expensive taking care of a young girlfriend and an upcoming baby.”
And there was that sound of hurt again. This time it was also tinged with disappointment, and Rita couldn’t resist reaching a hand out to grab Taryn’s and squeeze. “I know this is hard for you, baby. And I really wish we could’ve shielded the two of you from our messiness.” But Rita understood now that it wasn’t possible. Her daughters had been right in telling her that this divorce affected them as much as it did her and Nate. Everybody’s lives would be different now because of the choices Nate had made.
When Taryn looked up at Rita again, it was with a sheen of tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a brat,” she said, and Rita’s heart broke into a million pieces. “I just don’t know how to be without you two together. It’s all I’ve ever known.”
Rita eased from her seat and stood next to where her daughter sat, pulling her in for a tight hug. “I know. And none of this is your fault.Not yours or your sister’s. I’m sorry if I didn’t understand what you were going through before.”
Necole, who’d always been her most affectionate child, came around the island to join in the hug, a deep sob coming the moment Rita dragged a hand down the side of her head. What had they done? How had this wonderful family unit she and Nate had worked so hard to construct come tumbling down, leaving such pain and destruction in its wake?
“We’re going to get through this,” she whispered to them. “The Lord will see us through.”
How many times had her father said that to her while she was growing up? Rita hadn’t always known what was going on, because she was expected to stay in a child’s place. But as a young girl, she’d heard things like when money was tight and her mother had to get a part-time job at the department store. Or after Aunt Justine had died and Sharae wouldn’t eat in the days that followed. Her parents had never talked about what happened with Aunt Justine and Uncle San—Sharae had told her during many of their middle-of-the-night conversations. But every night as she and Sharae had said their prayers that first year, Rita’s father had come into the bedroom to say their prayers with them. And he’d always hugged and kissed them both afterward, saying, “The Lord will see us through.”
And He had, so Rita believed unconditionally that this time would be no different from all the tough times before.
When the tears and hugs were over, Necole declared, “All right, I’m hungry, and my food’s getting cold.”
Taryn chuckled, and Rita grinned as they all went back to their seats. For a few moments they were silent as they each took bites of their food. Taryn spoke first again. “So can we talk about why there was a naked personal trainer in your bathroom now?”
Across the island, Necole moaned and said, “Ooooh, spicy.”
Rita and Taryn stared at her quizzically.
“The sauce,” she said, pointing her fork down at her plate. “The sauce is spicy.”
As Taryn laughed, Rita felt comfortable enough to do the same. Apparently, she and her daughters were going to have a discussion about sexy men and the massage table whether she wanted to or not. And really, Rita wanted to. Sure, Vance had said it was important to set boundaries with her children, and she knew he was right to an extent, but tonight, she wanted to enjoy her daughters. She wanted them to start acting like adults and learn to take care of themselves, so it made sense that she treat them like adults and answer the questions she felt they had a right to know.
“Well, I never had a massage before,” she began. “But I liked it, and I’m going to have another one just as soon as I find the time to schedule it.”
“Oookay,” Taryn said as she chewed. “I see you, Mama. If I found a masseur that fine, I’d be all up in his appointment book too!”
Necole nodded and high-fived her sister across the island. “You ain’t lyin’!”
Rita laughed, enjoying the sound and feeling of this moment. “But no more guns, young lady. At least not until you learn to properly use one.” She was still the parent, after all, and she needed to get that warning in there.
“You’re right,” Taryn said with a nod. “I was scared to death holding that thing.”
Necole shook her head. “Told you we needed to take the classes before we started carrying.”
“So you both have one?” Rita asked after taking a bite of her food.
“Yup. It’s for protection, Mama,” Necole said. “We’re going back and forth on campus at night, and then when we go out, it’s rough out there, and Uncle Tariq said it was a good idea.”
“Well, I want to see the proper permits, and I want you to take those classes right away,” Rita said. What she really wanted was for herdaughters not to feel the need to carry guns in the first place, but she couldn’t change the world.
Instead, she sighed. She should’ve known Tariq had his big mouth all up in this. She’d deal with him later. For now, she settled in to enjoy her meal and her children.
When Hale Henderson woke up before dawn on a Saturday morning and returned hours later with two bushels of live Maryland Blue crabs, the Aunts invited their girls over for a mini crab feast.
It had started to rain just as Rita got out of her car to go into her mother’s house at a little after three in the afternoon on Saturday. It’d been cloudy when her mother had called her a couple of hours ago, so she already knew they’d be setting up inside the house instead of in the backyard where they normally ate crabs.
“Hey, Mama,” Taryn said when she came into the house a few minutes after Rita. “Whatchu need me to do?”
They all knew the drill. The Aunts were moving around Vi’s galley-style kitchen while Rita and Jemel were already in the dining room getting things set up.
