Page 5 of Lily In The Valley
I stood on the porch for a second, trying not to feel guilty, and then I went inside.
My mom was in the kitchen with a glass of wine and a silk head wrap that matched her lipstick. She looked up as I walked in, flashing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Did your father say something slick on the way out?”
“When does he not?” I tossed my bag on the stool and went straight to the fridge. “He gave me the usual guilt trip. Said I’ve been favoring you.”
She snorted. “Because you come here and I feed you? That man still thinks the world revolves around him.”
I popped open a sparkling water and leaned against the counter. “Y’all need to just divorce already. Aren’t you tired of this back-and-forth bullshit?”
“Kelly Reid, watch that damn mouth of yours. You may be taller than me, but I’ll drag you down to my level before washing your mouth out with soap myself. I’m not one of your little friends.”
“Weren’t we throwing back mimosas just last weekend,” I questioned, shrugging my shoulders.
“Watch it.” Her mouth tightened, giving me the look. You know the one. Eyes tight, mouth pursed. The one Black mothers gave right before they popped you with a slipper. “It’s not that simple, Lily girl.”
“It is. File the papers, celebrate your freedom, and then let me show what it means to be outside. We can take a girls’ trip.”
She laughed, but it was laced with something tired. “I don’t know if my idea of fun still looks like yours.”
“You don’t have to match me shot for shot, Mama. Just come have fun. You’ve earned it.”
She studied me for a long second. “Why are you so pressed about me getting a divorce?”
“I’m pressed about you being happy. And I’m tired of being the emotional referee between you and Daddy.”
That made her quiet. She ran a hand along my jawline, her palm cradling my face for a second. She took a sip of wine, eyes settling on some far-off place in her head.
“I’ll think about it,” she said finally.
I nodded, even though I knew what she meant.
You didn’t rush a woman like Charisse Reid. You just planted the seed and hoped it grew.
Chapter 2
Kelly
I stayedat my mom’s long enough to eat two servings of her shrimp and grits, refill her wine, and threaten to hide her phone if she answered another call from my father. The usual. By the time I got home, the sky had deepened into a soft violet-blue hue that always made me feel a little nostalgic. Like I was supposed to be sitting on my grandma’s porch in cutoff shorts, eating a red cold cup, and talking trash with her and her friends, mastering my spades game. Instead, I was in my house, pulling off my earrings and mentally switching gears from “daughter suck in the middle” back to “future pediatric oncologist baddie with goals.”
I dropped onto my couch; my laptop balanced on my thigh and my phone in one hand. The group FaceTime rang before I could even text them to say I was home.
The screen split into four familiar faces: Nyah, with her oversized bonnet, wine glass, and bowl of popcorn, was waiting for the drama to unfold; Lynn, already halfway through a glass of wine, had the ring light on like she was about to film a YouTube tutorial; and Vanessa, all fresh-faced, with her babyhair slicked and that mysterious smile she got when she was up to something.
“Hey y’all,” I cheered, comforted by their voices.
“I haven’t heard from y’all all day! I was about to send out a search party!” Vanessa pouted from the chaos of her cluttered studio.
Nyah’s laughter rang out from her chic, minimalist kitchen. “As if you’d ever leave your sanctuary, Nessa. How were your rounds today, Kelly?”
“Yes, spill the tea, including whatever happened with that sexy Dr. Blackwood,” Lynn chimed in from amidst a backdrop of law books, her braids swinging slightly.
I chuckled, the warmth of my friends washing over me. “You know, just the usual chaos. But, hey, nothing a little wine can’t fix, right?” I held up my glass, filled with sparkling rosé, prompting virtual clinks against the camera from my friends.
Our conversation flowed effortlessly, shifting from recaps of the engagement party to Nyah’s current grievances with her husband. I laughed more deeply than I had in weeks, letting my usually guarded demeanor melt away under the safety of our sisterhood.
“So, Kelly, you’re finally ready to admit you’re in a relationship,” Nessa teased. “Or are you still claiming ‘busy saving lives’ as an excuse?”
