Page 113 of Seasoned
“What about Jackie? You gonna leave her for weeks to hang out with me?”
“She’ll understand that I can’t let my kid go off to New York to start a new life without being there with him if I’m able. I missed so many other milestones, I don’t want to miss this one, too. So what do you say? Me and you in New York for a couple of weeks, while you get settled?”
Kendrick sniffed and rubbed a thumb under his nose. “I guess. I mean, if you have time.” He kept his eyes trained on the floor.
Tyson squeezed his knee. “I got plenty of time. Let me do this, okay?”
A few seconds passed before Kendrick nodded and lifted his watery gaze. “Okay.”
Tyson grabbed him by the back of his head and kissed his forehead. “I love you. I’ma do better, I promise. Just give me a chance?” His own voice was shaking.
“A’ight.”
Tyson patted his shoulder, and Kendrick stood, swiping at his eyes. “I need to use the bathroom.”
“When you come out, let’s go get some dinner.”
Kendrick paused, studying him, as if making sure he hadn’t imagined the entire exchange. “Okay.” He disappeared into the bathroom.
Progress. Finally.
14
“Hey.” Jackie opened her arms and hugged Tyson.
He squeezed her tight and nuzzled her neck. “Mmm, you smell good.”
“Thank you. Come on in.” She stepped back and allowed him into the house.
“Sorry to come by so late, but I had to see you. It’s been too long.”
“I’ve missed you, too, but I know you’ve been busy with Kendrick and your plans to travel to New York. How is he?” They hadn’t seen each other since their brief meeting outside Kendrick’s apartment, but they’d exchanged a few texts and talked on the phone briefly once.
Tyson followed her into the living room where she’d been sitting on the tan sectional sofa. Her open laptop rested on the seat, and he dropped down beside it.
“Canceling my plans with him turned out to be a good thing because it forced us to talk. We’ve never been closer.”
He looked relaxed and happy, like a man who’d cracked the code to a million-dollar riddle and awaited his prize.
“That’s fantastic news. I want to get all the details, but first, I was warming up some chicken for a late night meal. I made some oven fries, too. Want some?”
“You have enough?”
“I do. I kind of overdid it, so you’ll save me from eating too much so late.”
“Then yes.” Tyson stretched his arm along the back of the sofa.
“Anything to drink?” Jackie asked as she went toward the kitchen.
“Whatever you’re having is fine,” he called out.
She removed the fries from the oven and placed an even amount on two paper plates and then added chicken to each plate. Using a tray, she carried the plates and two canned sodas back out to the living room. “All right, here we go.”
“What’s this?” His eyes were focused on her laptop.
Jackie peered at the screen.Damn.
She’d forgotten she’d been on that site. She’d become distracted by a phone call and then went to the kitchen to prepare her meal. Might as well have the conversation with Tyson that she knew she needed to have ever since she found out she’d been approved for the adoption.
