Page 102 of Ella Gets the D
That gets me a glare. “Now is not the time. I’m going to bleach my eyes.” He shakes his head and reaches for his keys. “See you tomorrow for tacos?”
Our Taco Tuesdays are my favorite day of the week, outside of my me time on Fridays. It’s tough for me to cook after shuffling from Bright Spot to pick up Jackson, and the kids love the mini feast he brings.
“Sounds good.” He pulls me in for a deep kiss and pins me to my car. My fingers tease his scalp as I moan into his mouth.
His forehead dips to touch mine. “I love you.”
“Love you too, Julie.”
Chapter 38
Ella
If it wasn’t for my current sugar high, someone would find my body curled up in a deep sleep. The thought crossed my mind to sneak up to my room and toss the week’s worth of laundry I’ve yet to tackle over me for a nap. It’d be musty but worth it.
Jackson speed walks by with a half grin and quick glance. I told him three times not to treat this house like a running track, and I won’t repeat myself again. He and his friends sound like the herd that stomped Mufasa to death inThe Lion King, assuming the fall didn’t take him out.
Textured brown curls bounce under his blue party hat as he and two buddies head to the basement. Between the arcade games, air hockey table, and gaming consoles, they have more than enough to keep them entertained.
“Thank you again for the invite. Javen was more than happy to attend.” Phaedra, his mom, takes a sip of fruit punch through a silly straw. Her three-year-old daughter, Divine, attends Bright Spot and is the cutest little girl. She and Haile are hosting a formal tea party in the dining room, complete with tiaras and boas, far away from their brothers.
I pull out two cupcake stands to load up the baked goods next to the cake. “Jackson hasn’t stopped talking about Javen or Tyrell since they met. We should set up a playdate soon.”
“I’ll run it by Keisha, but it sounds good. You sure I can’t help with anything?”
“Nope.” I shake my head. “Make yourself comfortable.”
Phaedra and Keisha are cousins. They grew up together in DC and watch each other’s kids when they have to work. Phaedra is on double duty while Keisha works at the navy hospital.
The front door opens, and a wave of guests enters, with Duke in the lead. “Did I miss it?” He frantically scans for the party underway.
“They’re downstairs playing games,” I say through a smile.
The exhale he releases is too grown for a seven-year-old. “It took too long to get here.” He directs his pinched expression at Morgan, who lifts a brow. Duke quickly averts his attention to Noah, who’s standing behind his mom. He’s a quiet one, but he peeks his head out. “You play Pokémon?”
Brown doe eyes widen. He nods.
Duke lifts two card carriers from his jacket. “Let’s go. I’m Duke, by the way.”
The kids, including Elijah and Xavier, who shuffled in behind Duke, toss off their coats and shoes and race to the basement in an assortment of melanated hues and fresh barber cuts. “Walk Duke!” His socks skid on the wood floor at his mother’s command.
Haile and Divine hear the commotion and take off after them but slow their pace at Haile’s hand. “We run after no man,” she says. Off they walk with their tiaras held high.
Jackson isn’t open to big gatherings, so I expected his request for an at-home birthday party. What I didn’t anticipate was that Duke was the only invite from his school. Everyone else is one of the new friends he made over winter break at Bright Spot. Theyall go to DC schools, sparking a campaign for him to change his. A few parents have raved about a charter school not too far from my job with small-group instruction and after-school STEM programming. Two of the kids play intramural sports, which was the final push for me to download an application. I still need to talk to Charles, but I support our children in spaces where they feel seen.
“Hey, lady. Where’s my party hat?”
I pass Morgan, Ashley, and Leah paper cones and introduce them to Phaedra. Within five minutes, we’re laughing around the kitchen island with hot cocoa.
“Girl, this place isnice,” Leah says, her eyes fixed on the garlands twinkling with white lights from the kitchen to the living room. I always wanted a winter wonderland during the colder months. Now, I have it. There wasn’t a holly wreath spared. Tiny circles of festive cheer hang on each of the interior doors, because why not?
“I lucked out. The owner heard about my separation and did me a solid.” I take another sip from my snowflake mug. “There’s no way I could afford to dream here, let alone pay the taxes on a place like this.”
“No lies told,” Phaedra says over her own mug.
“Is your ex coming today?” The slight frown Ashley casts reminds me of Noah. They’re both anxious, and they hate drama.
“Yeah, where is he?” All eyes shift to Julian and the maroon Henley hugged to his frame. In jeans and white socks, he strides to the refrigerator to pull out a reusable water bottle like he’s right at home.
