Page 71 of Waiting for Friday Night

“I’m just saying. Focus on my grandbaby and not the momma.”

They reached the front door before Quinton could say anything else. His mom rushed toward the kitchen.

“Where is my grandbaby?”

Quinton hurried behind her, and his dad and sister came up the rear. They entered the kitchen in a rush. Halle froze at the stove and turned to face them. Shania looked up from where she was cutting tomatoes at the island. Her eyes were wide as she looked at his family.

“Um...here?” she said, raising a hand.

His mom threw up her hands. “Oh my God, you look just like Quinton.” She hurried to Shania’s side and reached for her. Shania thankfully had time to put down the knife before his mom impaled herself on it as she pulled her into a huge bear hug. His mom squeezed Shania before pulling back and cupping her face. “Oh, look at you. You’re so beautiful. I knew you would be. And so tall. Oh my goodness, Willie, do you see how tall my grandbaby is?”

“I see,” his dad said, coming around to stand next to his wife. “She definitely got the height from our side.”

“Isn’t she pretty? And smart,” his mom continued. “Your dad told me you were smart, too. I knew you would be. Oh my goodness. Just look at her.”

Shania’s eyes remained wide as she watched them. A wobbly smile on her face as she looked at his mom and then his dad. “You think I’m pretty?”

“Of course you are,” his mom exclaimed. “Oh, listen to her. Doesn’t she sound smart?”

His dad nodded. “Sure does. But of course, she would be. We ain’t no dummies.”

Halle slid forward and gently pulled Shania back. “Hello, I’m Halle. It’s nice to meet you.”

His mom frowned at having Shania taken out of her reach. But thankfully she didn’t jerk her back. “You’re the mother?”

“I am. And I’m guessing you’re the grandparents.” She looked at Quinton and his sister. “And you’re the aunt?”

His sister beamed. “I am. Dawn Evans. It’s nice to meet you, too. Sorry for my parents. They’re Willie and Laura. They’ve wanted a grandkid for a long time. They’ll calm down soon enough.”

He met Halle’s eyes and suppressed a smile, because he could read her thoughts on her face. His parents calming down couldn’t come soon enough.

Quinton sat on his back porch with his sister. His backyard butted against a wooded area. He’d also purchased the lot behind him so that in a few years he wouldn’t have to worry about anyone moving in and ruining his view. His sister loved herbal tea and always brought her favorites with her, so he’d made a pot and brought it out back to drink with her. Even though he wasn’t a big tea drinker, he always enjoyed drinking tea with his sister. Their parents were upstairs getting the room ready.

“Do you think Mom is rewashing the sheets on the guest bed?” he asked.

His sister laughed. “Only if she didn’t pack her own sheets.”

He shook his head. “I don’t remember her being like this when we were younger.”

“That’s because we didn’t travel when we were younger. Plus, remember that stint she worked at the motel on the outskirts of town? Mom is convinced all hotels are dirty.”

“But my house isn’t a hotel.”

Dawn laughed. “She’s also convinced you’re a man who doesn’t know to change the sheets in the guest bedroom. She probably thinks they’ve been there since her last visit.”

“Give me some credit. I know to change the sheets.” He’d made a point of putting new sheets on the bed for her and his dad before they’d arrived. “She’s going to drive Halle crazy.”

“Probably so.” Dawn looked at him. “Does that bother you?”

“A little. I’m trying to convince Halle that I’m not trying to intrude on her life. I want this to be a smooth transition.”

Dawn grunted and took a sip of her tea. “Nothing about this is smooth. This entire situation is straight out of the headlines. I don’t know how you can blend your families without any bumps. Is she giving you a hard time? Have you found out if she’s a gold digger?”

He glared at his sister, but thankfully, the smile on her face let him know she wasn’t serious. “She isn’t a gold digger. She doesn’t want anything from me.”

“You sound like that bothers you.” His sister gasped and pointed. “You like her!”

He shook his head and poured more tea into his cup. “Stop.”

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