Azaireyah
“So, you made it okay?” Santos asks me for the hundredth time.
“I told you I did,” I giggle.
“I just want to make sure.”
“Boy, you’ve asked me that a couple of times and I keep giving you the same answer,” I furrow my brow.
“I just wanna make sure now. Come on, I worry,” I can hear the smile in his voice.
“You worry about little old me?”
“Yes, I do. I mean I know you’re grown and everything, but I really do like you a lot.”
I sit on the edge of my bed, “You do?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Azaireyah, are you ready for dinner?” Kincade yells from downstairs.
I cover the receiver, “I’ll be ready in a minute.”
“You gotta go?” Santos asks.
“Not yet.”
“Well, I wanted to talk to you about something when you get back. If you don’t mind.”
“Is it important?”
“I…I guess it kind of is to me, at least.”
“What’s it about?”
“It’s a surprise,” he answers quickly.
“Oh, I like surprises.”
“I figured,” he chuckles. “You go on with your pops. I will talk to you later.”
“Wait,” I yell. “Can you give me a hint?”
“Nope. I will talk to you later.”
“Wait,” I yell again and giggle. “Can’t you tell me when I come back from dinner?”
“It’s more of a face to face thing, but I can do that. If that’s what you prefer?”
“I do.”
“Alright. I will talk to you later,” he laughs.
“Okay. Bye-bye.” We hang up the phone and I pull my sandals from under the bed. Slipping my feet into them, I check myself before heading down the stairs.
“You women really do take hours to get ready, huh?” Kincade jokes.
“I was on the phone.” I stick my tongue out at him.
“With your boyfriend?”
“I…I’m not. I don’t know. I would like for him to be,” I feel the heat rise to my cheeks.
“Oh,” he chuckles, “love interest. We’ll talk more about that.”
I follow him to his car and we get in.
“I’m glad you came down to see me. You mother has been very protective of you over the years.”
“From you?”
“I guess. I think she thought I was going to treat you the same way Leo treated you. But, I kept trying to tell her that was not the case. She wouldn’t listen.”
I nod, “she has been through a lot.”
“I know. I tried to get her to marry me once,” he frowns.
“Really? Wasn’t she already married?”
“Yes. I don’t know what I was thinking. I guess I was thinking that I could do better for her than Leo could ever have. But, at that time, I wasn’t really bringing in enough money to take care of her and you. Just myself. I think that’s why she turned me down and married him. He gave her things I couldn’t.”
“Yeah, along with black eyes and hospital trips.”
His frown deepens so much you can see the creases in his cheeks, “Yeah, I know all about those.”
“It was scary. But, she is doing so much better now. So, maybe you have a chance,” I grin hoping to make an impact.
“I have thought about it from time to time, but I don’t think she’d want to move to Atlanta, leaving her family.”
“I can try and talk to her, for you. Only if you’re serious about this,” I say.
“You’d do that for me?”
“I mean you have tried and she hasn’t taken. Maybe if I try, she’ll take.”
“That would be so great, Azaireyah. I would be forever in debt to you.”
This is weirder than weird for me. Trying to help me parents get back together. The middle ground. I truly wasn’t ready for this when I came up here. I honestly didn’t think I would be accepted with open arms by Kincade.722Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKiAFGhgwI
