Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

Family Dinner

“I understand what you’re saying. And obviously, when he’s a grown adult, he can do what he wants, but right now, it’s about respect,” I said to Darius.

“He can respect you, and me, by keeping his room clean. By doing his chores. By getting his homework done without us havin’ to ride his ass. By helpin’ with dinner and cleanup after. Him not saying shit and fuck is bowing to the bullshit, baby,” Darius said to me.

“Yeah, what Dad said,” Liam said, also to me.

We were in Darius’s truck on the way to Miss Dorothea’s. Even though my son’s legs were longer than mine, like when we went to Carmine’s, Darius wouldn’t hear of me giving Liam the front seat. He was in the back.

And we were again on the subject of cursing.

“Also by offering up no grumbling or backtalk,” Darius added pointedly.

Liam didn’t pipe up to that.

Even though Darius had scored one for me with that last bit, I crossed my arms and groused, “I’m obviously not going to win, but whatever. Let’s see how Miss Dorothea feels about Liam dropping the F-bomb and the S-bomb and the D-bomb and the H-bomb all over her doilies.”

And yes, that was Darius’s mom. Sweet. Quiet. Loving. Made great cookies. And she collected antique doilies.

“It isn’t about winning, sweetheart. I can tell this is important to you, and I’d roll over for you in just about anything, if it wasn’t important to me too. Who said the woman’s place was in the home? The establishment. Who said a Black man couldn’t fall in love with a white woman, or vice versa? The establishment. Who said gay people were unnatural? The establishment. Who said dealing drugs was worse than rape so the sentences for those offenses are longer? The establishment. Fuck that. And fuck them for telling me, or my son, or you, or anyone they can’t say fuck.”

That was a great speech.

And the best part about it?

“You’d roll over for me in just about anything?” I asked.

Darius was silent for a beat, then he busted out laughing.

I enjoyed it then I turned to look at my boy in the back. “Just temper it, okay? And please, be careful with your mouth around both your grandmothers.” I shot him a jaunty smile. “They’re not as cool as your mom.”

I saw the white flash of his teeth in his handsome face before he said, “’Kay, Mom.”

Darius reached out a hand to me.

I took it.

And the rest of the way to his mom’s, we held hands.

I was surprised to find she didn’t live in the same house, at the same time unsurprised.

Mister Morris was all over their old house. He’d put in the landscaping. He’d sacrificed his garage by making it into a rec room for his kids. He’d built the back deck.

There were some who would find those constant reminders of a lost loved one a balm.

And some would find them torture.

I was glad she’d moved, because I’d loved Mister Morris, and I would find them torture.

Obviously, Miss Dorothea did too.

There were two spiffy cars parked at the curb in front of her house when we pulled into the drive, and I reckoned Danni and Gabby’s interior design business was going well. They had talent, that was clear.

I’d also learned, after we’d moved our carloads of stuff to Darius’s that day, and Liam was relaxing with a video game, and Darius and I were upstairs, cuddling after an afternoon quickie, that he’d put them through school and put up the money for them to start their business.

I also wondered if he’d given them the money for those spiffy cars.

For sure he bought Dorothea her house (something else he told me), which was a tidy bungalow in Washington Park, one of the most coveted neighborhoods in Denver, so it had to cost a fortune.

The front door opened before we were fully out of the truck, and Miss Dorothea was standing in it.

While her sister, Shirleen, was a tall, curvy, proud Black woman with a gorgeous, full Afro, tawny eyes and mocha skin, Dorothea was a less tall, but still curvy, bundle of femininity with a becoming hairstyle of flips and curls and subdued makeup. And I didn’t think I’d ever seen her in anything but a stylish dress and heels, flats or classy sandals. Some were more casual than others, but she always turned herself out in subtle, impeccable ways.

And now was no exception.

Liam forged ahead swiftly, and I knew why when her arms opened up before he got there. They closed around him, and she swung him side to side, saying, “My boy. My boy.”

“Hey, Grams,” he greeted.

She let him go and he stepped inside. Darius pushed me forward, and I, too, walked into her open arms.

“Malia, the first time of many to have you back home,” she whispered in my ear. “A celebration.”

I relaxed into her even as I hugged her back.

We let go and she gave the same treatment to Darius, her eyes closing, love washing through her face, and I wondered if she noticed in him the things Mister Morris had left behind like I did.

Then again, she couldn’t miss them.

She shuffled us in and there they were. I couldn’t help but smile. Pinned precisely, framed and artfully arranged on a gallery wall, somehow looking cool rather than old-fashioned and dated, were Miss Dorothea’s doilies.

Yes, it felt like I came home.

Danni and Gabby wandered in from the kitchen.

“Get over here, kid,” Danni said to Liam.

He loped over.

She gave him a hug.

Gabby stared blazes at me.

Uh-oh.

Liam moved for a hug from Gabby, and she wiped her face clean when he did.

But then Danni stared blazes at me.

One could hope Darius had fallen into a perusal of the doilies, but he was Darius. Not only had he seen them before, and probably didn’t give a damn about them, he was Darius.

And I was me.

“Wipe that shit off your face,” he growled to Danni.

Yep.

He wasn’t in perusal of the doilies.

Dorothea came abreast of us, asking, “What?”

“Nothing, Ma,” he said, scowling at Danni.

“Yeah, nothing,” Danni said then cried a fake happy, “Malia! So good to see you!”

I endured two fake-happy hugs from Darius’s sisters, with Gabby adding, “What can I get you to drink? Wine? Beer? Sweet tea?”

“Wine, if you have it,” I replied.

“I live to serve,” she said, whirling and making no bones about escaping my presence by going to the kitchen.

“I’ll help!” Danni called and followed her sister.

“Sit down, darlin’,” Dorothea ordered. “But first, let me get a good look at you.” She took my hands and held them out to the sides. “You always were such a pretty thing, with such great style.”

Considering I’d had some nerves about this dinner, like most women when something important was going down, I’d worried about what to wear.

I was glad I got it right.

I’dworn a midi-dress in tiny yellow, purple and green flowers, sleeveless with a ruffled shoulder and a v-ruffle on the full shirt. The mock turtleneck was smocked, as was the waist. I was wearing a cropped jeans jacket over it and fawn-suede, peep-toe, sandal-back, stack-heeled booties. And I’d smoothed my hair into a fluffy-bunched topknot.

Darius, by the way, was in one of his new shirts.

Which was what Dorothea commented on next. “Son, that shirt looks fine on you.” Her gaze coasted between us. “Such a handsome couple.”

Darius draped an arm along my shoulders.

“Family,” Liam corrected, sliding up next to us and popping his collar. “Handsome family. What do you say Grams? Are the girls gonna fall at my feet in this new button-down Mom got me?”

Okay, so Toni and I got a bit carried away at the mall. We were in the men’s department at Nordstrom.

Sue us.

“Liam Edward, I hope you’re more worried about your studies than girls,” she chided.

“Get on this planet, Grams, and get ready, ’cause Dad bought me new wheels, so it’s date night every Friday and Saturday night for Liam Edward Clark Tucker.”

Yes, we had the conversation with Liam that morning over breakfast.

And yes, he was all the way down with taking his father’s name.

And yes, when Dorothea’s gaze raced to her son’s after her grandson’s announcement, a nanosecond later, her eyes filled with tears.

Darius pulled her in his arms and said over her head to his boy, “Smooth, son.”

Liam grinned unrepentantly. “Surprises are the best.”

“What’s going on?” Danni asked.

She was carrying two glasses of wine.

It looked like Gabby had a glass of Coke, which I frowned at. My son didn’t drink pop. There weren’t a lot of things I refused him, but a beverage that could break down a nail over time was one of them.

“I’m taking Dad’s name as soon as he gets it sorted to go before a judge,” Liam announced.

The real Gabby came out when she exclaimed, “Oh my God! That’s amazing, honey!” as she handed him the Coke and gave him another hug.

Danni didn’t even look at me when she passed off the glass of white wine, and I didn’t think it was just because she was all about Liam as she added, “Totally! That’s great.”

She definitely looked at Darius when she handed him his glass of red.

I actually preferred red, but she didn’t ask, and I didn’t say anything.

“Liam,” I said softly, dipping my head to his Coke.

He didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, Aunt Gabs. I don’t drink Coke.”

“It’s a special occasion,” she replied.

“Mom doesn’t like it. And I don’t really like it either.” He looked to his grandmother. “I’m sorry to waste, Grams.”

“That’s fine, love,” she said, sending a side eye to Gabby, telling me that Liam had told them this already, including the part that I didn’t like it. “I got you cranberry juice and some of those sports drinks you like. The blue ones. Your favorite.”

“Thanks,” he mumbled, then hustled to the kitchen.

“Okay, now, let’s sit,” Miss Dorothea said.

Darius led me to the couch, and I sat, but he didn’t. He stood at my side, arms crossed on his chest, eyes tracking every move his sisters made.

Oh boy.

He hadn’t missed the Coke thing either.

Dorothea sat on the opposite side of the couch to me.

I shrugged off the strap of my purse, placed it by my feet and settled in.

Because it was time to thaw the iced-over ramparts.

“So, Liam tells me you two designed Darius’s house. It’s gorgeous,” I said to his sisters who were sitting opposite us in armchairs.

“It’s not like he gave us free reign. He picked everything. We just gave him choices. He’s got good taste. A real eye,” Danni replied.

“Well, of course. Obviously, he’d have the final decision,” I muttered. I drew in a breath and glanced at the doilies before saying to Dorothea. “You know, all through the years, every time I saw a pretty doily, I thought of you.”

“Too bad her thinking of Mom didn’t get her ass with her kid over to Mom’s house,” Danni said to Gabby in a loud whisper just as Liam came in with a bottle of Gatorade in his hand.

Gabby pulled an oh shit face.

Dorothea’s head jerked Danni’s way.

Liam’s brows shot together, so I knew he heard.

But I had other things to worry about.

Principal of which being the burning wall of fury that moved through the room from my left.

Everyone felt it, including Danni and Gabby, who looked right to their brother.

Gabby had the good sense to quail.

Danni lifted her chin.

Darius’s voice was deceptively quiet when he asked, “Is my woman’s business your business?”

“He’s our nephew and Mom’s grandchild,” Danni snapped. “And we didn’t meet him until he was eight, and even then, barely saw him at all.”

“I’ll repeat,” Darius said slowly. “Is my woman’s business your business?”

“It’s family business,” Danni retorted. “And I’m sorry. I’m not down with this whole pretending everything is okay crap. We can’t sit on this. We need to have it out.”

“You don’t know what the fuck you’re talkin’ about,” Darius clipped.

“I know she took your money and kept her son from his family,” Danni returned then looked at me and commented snidely, “Nice dress, Malia.”

“Eyes to me,” Darius ordered.

Danni sneered at me.

“Eyes to me!” Darius roared.

Danni jumped.

Oh boy!

I stood and turned into him, putting a hand light on his stomach. “Darius, let’s talk outside, baby. Okay?”

He didn’t take his attention from his sister.

And so, when he spoke, it was right to her. “You have the fuckin’ balls to sit there wearin’ the dress that the money I made off my back and sellin’ my soul got you the education and set you up in the business you can buy it, and you talk shit to my woman about the money I gave her to keep her in a good house and nice clothes while she’s raising my son?”

“Darius—” she tried.

“No, girl,” he bit. “You started this, answer me. You got those big a’ balls?”

Danni squared her shoulders but said nothing.

“I’d like to hear the answer to that question too,” Dorothea chimed in. It was quiet, but it was firm.

Danni looked to her and there was a slight whine in her, “Mom.”

“You disrespect the mother of my grandchild, the love of my son’s life to her face in my house?” she asked. “Who raised a child to do that?” She shook her head. “Not me.”

“Darius was lying in a hospital bed,” she slashed a finger at me, “and she gutted him like he was the bad guy in this scenario.”

“Drop your hand, girl,” Darius warned on a terrifying purr that gave even me a shiver, and it wasn’t directed at me. “Do not ever point at Malia like that.”

She was smart enough to drop her hand, but she threw both up. “I’m just saying, Gabs and I don’t think we should all pretend like everything is happy and awesome, when for sixteen years, it was not.”

“And who do you think felt that the most? You?” Dorothea asked.

“I’m just saying—” Danni repeated.

“I heard what you were saying,” Dorothea cut her off. “And I cannot believe in all the heartache we’ve all endured you’d want to keep that going for another second.” Her hair shook on her last word. “Not another second.” More hair shaking. “I did not cook for the last three hours to have my family all around me for the first time and have my girls act like harridans.”

Gabby threw Danni right under the bus with her, “It wasn’t me!”

Then again, Danni had already tossed herself there.

Still, Danni shot angry eyes to her sister.

“Maybe we should all just take a breath,” I suggested.

“Naw,” Liam said, putting down his drink. “I think we should go home. This is bullshit.”

Dorothea’s face froze.

As did Gabby’s and Danni’s.

“Honey—” I started.

“When they apologize, we’ll come back. But not before, Mom.” He’d come to me, and he swung an arm to the door. “Get in the truck.”

I looked up at his father.

“You heard your son,” he said. “In the truck.”

Totally ganging up on me.

“Darius, your mom has cooked for hours.”

He looked down on her, his face blank, eyes cold. “Sorry, Ma. But you know the statement has to be made.”

God!

I whirled.

“I’m not leaving. I’m eating your food.” I said to Dorothea. Then to Gabby and Danni. “Be mad at me. I don’t care. Darius is right. You don’t know what you’re talking about, and our business isn’t yours. I appreciate your loyalty to your brother, but really, you should have thought this through. If you had something to say to me, you should have found some other time to say it. I would have listened. I might not agree with you, but I love your brother enough to listen. But you didn’t do it like that. You did it like this. That’s not on me. It’s on you.”

I switched the wineglass from hand to hand as I took my jacket off. I swung it on the arm of the couch, then I sat back down, took a sip, thanking the good Lord it wasn’t sweet, because sweet wine was from Satan, and I went on.

“I’ve got a great job. But yes, this dress is not Walmart and it’s highly likely some of Darius’s money bought it for me, and I’m proud of that. My man takes care of the ones he loves that are under his protection. As you both know very well.”

Gabby had the good grace to look ashamed.

Danni couldn’t meet my eyes, so I figured she felt the same.

I turned to Dorothea and finished with, “What’s for dinner?”

“Chicken and dressing, pureed carrots and turnips, sauteed green beans, mashed potatoes and rolls. Carrot cake for dessert.”

Damn.

I shouldn’t have eaten lunch.

“That sounds great,” I replied.

She stood. “I think it’s time to sauté the beans and finish sorting the table. I was going to ask my girls to help me, but would you do it, Malia?”

I stood too. “My pleasure.”

She started to the kitchen with me following, and she didn’t look at anybody when she ordered, “Sort it out before your behinds sit at my table.”

I turned and gave Darius a work it out! look then transferred it to my son before I lost sight of them when I turned the corner into the kitchen.

That said, before I lost sight, I didn’t miss their identical stances (feet planted, arms crossed on chests) nor their identical scowls.

Both of themaimed at me.

Eek!

* * * *

My family and I trooped through the back door and laundry room into the kitchen.

The ride home had been silent.

The night had been great…for Dorothea and me.

We caught up and her food was just as I remembered it, stick to your ribs, soul food delicious.

Danni and Gabby tried to make up for blowing it, but Darius and Liam were having none of it. They were warm and respectful to Miss Dorothea and me, but it was like their sisters/aunts weren’t in the room.

And I knew I was in trouble for defying the men in my life on the ride home. They made that perfectly clear the entire silent ride in the heavy atmosphere of the cab of Darius’s truck.

The instant Darius switched on the light, he turned to Liam.

“Downstairs, son,” he ordered.

“With respect, Dad, I got things to say too.”

A muscle in Darius’s jaw jumped.

Then he jerked up his chin.

I put my purse and the tin of cookies Dorothea sent home with us on the island and rounded on them.

“You two can’t be mad at me,” I stated.

Two sets of beautiful brown eyes turned to me.

Beautiful angry brown eyes.

Yes.

They were mad at me.

“Before we got there, we were talking about respect. That was not respect. And you took it then ate dinner with it,” Darius bit off.

“I didn’t take it,” I slapped back. “But I wasn’t going to walk out of a house where your mom had spent hours cooking and totally ruin the night for her.”

“Someone disrespects you, you make it so they don’t do it again,” Darius retorted.

“Your sisters didn’t buy that food and cook it,” I returned.

“Right, then, you made me and Liam take it and eat dinner with it,” Darius shot back.

Well, hmm.

I did do that.

“It was the right thing to do,” I stated.

“So, Aunt Lena talked trash about Dad, you’d sit down to dinner with her after?” Liam asked me.

Uh-oh.

I caught my lip between my teeth.

Because…no. I would not.

“Yeah,” Liam grunted.

“Ma would have got it,” Darius declared.

She probably would have.

Aw, hell.

I lifted my hands and pressed down. “Okay, okay. I get it. You’re right. And I’m sorry I put you through that. Though, I was really happy to have some time to catch up with Miss Dorothea. But yes, I’ll have other opportunities and we should have come home.”

The doorbell rang.

“Fuck,” Darius clipped, then prowled out of the kitchen.

“It’s gonna be Aunt Danni or Aunt Gabby,” Liam said, staring at the wall between kitchen and living room like he could burn holes through it with his laser beam eyes.

“Fuck,” I snapped and followed in Darius’s footsteps, noting he’d switched on a lamp by the couch on his way to the door.

I was getting close to the front door when I heard him say, “You need to back off and let me cool down.”

“I’m here to apologize,” Danni said.

“I hear you. You still need to back off and let me cool down.”

I stopped in the archway to the entry and Danni, who Darius was barring at the door so she was still outside, looked to me.

“Malia, get him to let me in,” she demanded.

I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Danni. I intervened for your mom, but you have to work this out with your brother.”

I turned to move out of eyesight and nearly ran into Liam.

“Liam, honey, I’m so sorry,” Danni said pleadingly.

“Not me you should apologize to,” Liam replied.

“Malia, seriously. I’m sorry,” she called, and I stopped and turned back. “You were right. I should have connected with you so we could talk things out. That was fucked up.”

“It’s not me you should apologize to either,” I told her.

Her eyes went up to her brother.

“Darius—”

“What would Dad say to that shit?” he asked.

Ouch.

Low blow but deserved.

She suffered it, her face crumbling.

“Yeah, that’s what he’d say,” Darius whispered.

“We lost her when he died,” she cried.

I froze.

Darius froze.

Liam froze.

She looked to me. “I was mad at you then. Even before we knew about Liam. He needed you. I needed you.”

“Oh, Danni,” I said softly.

Yes, Darius’s sisters had liked me.

She dashed the back of her hand under her eye and pulled breath into her nose. “You were dealing with a lot. I know you called. I talked to you. I know you were trying to get to him. But all I was feeling got twisted up in all that happened, and I acted like a bitch. I’m sorry.” She looked again to her brother. “I amreally sorry, Darius. It just all came back when you got hurt, and suddenly Malia was back, and everything was out with Liam, and I got wound up in being pissed instead of being scared because you got shot and smashed in the head. And I was scared.”

Her face crumbled again, and Darius swore, “For fuck’s sake,” hooked her behind the head and pulled it into his chest.

“Get her in out of the cold, honey,” I urged.

Darius pulled her inside, shut the door and led her to the couch where he sat her down, going down with her, his sister still held close in his arms.

I switched on another couple of lamps before I asked, “You want wine? Or something stiffer?”

“How can you be nice to me?” she wailed into Darius’s shirt, “I’m such a bitch!”

“Danni,” Darius said to the top of her head. “This is why you do what Malia said and talk shit through instead of being a bitch. Yeah?”

“I think I learned that real good,” she snuffled into his shirt.

“Kleenex, son,” Darius murmured to Liam.

Liam took off toward the bathroom.

“Now Gabs is pissed at me,” she mumbled.

“Can’t help you with that. She was tryin’ to contain it and you swung her ass right out there. You gotta work that out with her,” Darius told her.

“Huh,” she told his shirt. She blubbered some more, then muttered, “Work is gonna be interesting tomorrow.”

“Bed you gotta lie in,” Darius muttered in return, but did it rubbing her back.

“Babe, wine, or something else? I make a mean martini,” I pushed.

She sniffled and then Liam was there shoving a wad of about fifty tissues (the same amount he’d stuffed into my purse before we went to Carmine’s) in her face. She took them and about ten of them drifted to her lap because she couldn’t handle them all, but she pulled away from Darius and blew her nose with some, dabbed her face and under her eyes with others.

She glanced at Darius.

He nodded.

She looked to me.

“I’d murder a martini.”

I smiled at her then turned to Darius because I hadn’t yet discovered the full lay of the land at his house.

“Vodka, freezer. Vermouth and olives, Liam’s gonna have to get those from the cellar,” he answered my unspoken question.

Liam took off.

So did I.

“Grab the shaker too, boy!” Darius called.

“Got it!” he shouted back.

I wasn’t real big on them shouting at each other all the time.

But whatever.

We’d just surmounted another obstacle, and we were still standing, and together, and we understood each other better, which meant we’d come out of it stronger.

So I could deal with a little shouting.