Page 10 of No Right To Love You
“Where did you go, Jan? We have things to do.”
“Dad, I can’t come in right now. Have one of the junior lawyers take care of the case and I will prepare myself at home for today.”
“You really should be working here. Less distractions and it makes it easier that one of us can pop into your office to get things done faster.” Dad says.
“Dad, Zoe cried today.”
He pauses for a moment because while he drills me until the end of all days, he always takes pause when it comes to his grandkids. It’s a complete contradiction considering they need their mother around more.
“What happened?” he asks, putting on his grandfather hat.
“I promised I would chaperone a trip but then when they called me, apparently you told my secretary to hold all my calls. I was only in the office early because I told you that I was going to leave for an hour tops.”
“Why did you come in if you knew this would happen?”
I sigh and take a deep breath while I place Jeremy’s things away and I walk back into the kitchen. I place my phone on speaker while dad rants on and on about work etiquette and how being at home has made me soft. That I’m no longer cutthroat where it’s important.
Jeremy comes back down with a smile on his face and sweats along with a tee. He smiles and his dimples shine bright. He has his maternal grandmother’s smile but everything else is Ocean. From the green eyes, bushy brows, nose, dark loose curls, and he’s getting his height pretty soon too. At 13, Jeremy was close to 5 feet and 6 inches. Jasmine wasn’t that much shorter either, she was nearing 5 feet and 5 inches at 13.
Both Jeremy and Jasmine favored their father in looks but they differed in skin tone; they were a terracotta skin tone.
Little miss Zoe carried a head full of curls that shaped around her face like a halo when we let it loose or when she came back from school. Zoe came out with blondish-brown hair, paler than her siblings with the tiniest drop of olive tone to her. She was a spitting image of me just in a different font like my mom would always jokingly say plus a hint of her father.
“Hi grandpa!” Jeremy interrupts my dad while he begins decorating some of the cupcakes that are done.
“Oh!” Dad stops. “Jer? Is that you, my boy?”
“Yes, it is, pop-pop. How are you?”
“I’m good.”
I tune them out as I continue finishing up what I need to. My mind goes back to Ocean and his two week stretch that he’s given me before we head to the club. I’m not upset about his decisionbecause I trust everything he’s doing; I’m upset that it had to lead to this.
The door opens and I know it’s Jasmine by the way she’s shuffling her feet through the house. She drags her feet. She’s on her phone talking to who I assume is Ocean since she’s asking about after school snacks and dinner. Once she steps into the kitchen, she stops and just stands there.
“Mom?”
“Hey baby.”
“You’re home?”
“Yes. How was school?”
“It’s …” she doesn’t answer, instead she just stares at me as if she’s confused about telling me.
“Did something happen at school?” I ask her.
“I just… I didn’t realize you’d really be here like dad said you would. I figured he was just saying, and you wouldn’t show up like you’ve been doing lately.”
“Well. I’m here today.”
“What a miracle.” She says with so much attitude, my mood switches.
“What?” I ask because I feel like maybe I’ve missed this side of her before. I just know Jasmine isn’t this type of girl. She isn’t rude or anything even if she was always honest with us.
“You’re going to miss other stuff too and cupcakes don’t make it any bett—.” She stops talking and I can assume it’s because Ocean is stepping in.
“Okay, I’m sorry, dad.” Jasmine sighs and she rolls her eyes heavenward then she looks at me. “I’m sorry, mom.”
