Page 20 of Her Sweetest Desires
“We have to get ready soon.” Her eyes scanned my face as she used her thumbs to smooth out my eyebrows.
“I know, but let’s lay like this for a minute. I just want uninterrupted skin to skin.” She laughed. “You know if we tried to do this at home, TJ’s ass would find a way to get in the middle of us.”
“Leave my baby alone. Him just loves his mommy. Don’t be jealous.”
For the next hour, we lay around, ate room service, and packed up our room.
This weekend had been something slight, but it was what my woman needed. Since we got on the plane days ago, a smile graced Billie’s face. My mission had been accomplished long before we touched down in Rushindale. As we drove through the streets of our old stomping grounds toward the airport, Billie stayed tucked under my arm with her head resting on me. It didn’t take long for us to get through security and to our gate.
I said a small prayer that we made it home safely and that we made it through this holiday unscathed.
Thanksgiving Day
“Son, how are you this morning?”
I kissed my mother’s cheek and gave her a hug.
“I’m good. Missed my wife next to me last night though. Did y’all get any sleep?”
She laughed. “I don’t think so. Billie did all the work, but we stayed up with her. She’s a bit cranky this morning. Your wife has been holding her breath since she started cooking. I pray once dinner is served, she releases the stress that has held her captive the last couple of days.”
I followed my mother to the kitchen and frowned.
Billie’s body was rigid, her hair was all over the place, and the frown on her face had the potential to leave a permanent expression. There was a lot happening in our house this morning, but Billie didn’t seem to be present. Since family started arriving, the boys had been preoccupied, so she hadn’t had to hover. Without saying anything, I walked up to my wife and pressed my body against hers.
The smile and happiness from last weekend was long gone.
Immediately, Billie pushed me back and huffed.
“Truce, go find something else to do than come in here bothering me! Dinner is in four hours, and I still have too much to do. I can’t?—”
“Aye,” I said louder than intended. “Look, my bad. I didn’t mean to come at you like that, but if cooking everything yourself got you out yo’ body like this to the point of you raising your voice at me, then what is made is what we eatin’. We don’t talk to each other like that, and we ain’t starting that shit today, Sweets. You tell me what’s up, but right now, what I’m seeing is saying I need to shut all this down.” I folded my arms across my chest and waited for my wife to let me know what was up.
She dropped her head, and I used my finger to lift it.
“I just want everything to be right. Nothing tastes the way Nannie’s food tasted. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.”
I pulled her to me and pressed my forehead to hers.
“Mama, you gotta chill. It’s just food. I’ve been eating by your hand for seven years, and we only had that one misstep.” She laughed and hit me. “Even if it doesn’t taste the way Nannie’s food tastes, it will still be good. Doubting yourself is what will make it taste bad. Take a deep breath and finish cooking. I’m hungry.”
Billie smiled and pushed me away.
I grabbed the back of her neck, pulled her back to me, and kissed her lips. Billie and I stared at one another until TJ raninto the kitchen. My mother yelled at him for running, and she and I jumped apart like we were in trouble. Our son backed out of the kitchen, and I followed behind him.
Billie’s laughter followed us out of the kitchen.
“I knew you’d be the one to get my baby girl’s head on straight. She had been snapping at everyone, and I figured it was because she hadn’t run into you yet today.”
I laughed at my father-in-law and nodded.
“She probably been hiding all morning to make sure I didn’t catch her acting out.”
“Sounds like it.” He paused then tapped me on the shoulder. “Since you calmed her down, you think I could sneak in there for something to snack on?”
I tossed my head back and laughed.
It was clear that Senior had a death wish. Billie had to spend the rest of her life with me, so we moved differently, but her father would be in danger if he went into that kitchen. I threw up my hands and shook my head. He was on his own. We would be better off running to the store and grabbing something.
