Read Online Admission of Love by Niobia Bryant - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Niobia Bryant
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younger and slimmer Adell, holding her as a baby, with both of her grandparents looking on lovingly.
Lil had been saddened by hearing the news of Adell’s passing from Chloe, and the picture had instantly popped into her memory. She knew Chloe would love it and she did. It was the only picture of both her mother and her grandparents that she’d seen. Moved beyond words, she could only whisper a heartfelt, “Thank you.”
Lil patted the younger woman’s hand to comfort her. “You will stay for dinner, Chloe?”
It was more of a statement than a question, but Chloe still attempted to decline. “No thank you. I wouldn’t want to intr—”
Lil waved a thin hand, prominent with large veins. “Child please, you need a good home-cooked meal. If you don’t get some meat on dem bones you’ll snap in half like a dried twig.”
Chloe smiled at the way Nana Lil sucked her teeth. She watched as she closed the photo album and moved back to the kitchen. The woman had more energy than the little pink bunny on those Energizer battery commercials. When Chloe followed her back into the kitchen, she found Lil mashing a pot of boiled and peeled potatoes with butter and milk. Her stomach betrayed her and growled in hunger . . . loudly.
“See there,” Lil waved her spoon in Chloe’s direction. “You hungry, girl.”
“Are you sure Deshawn ... or Devon won’t mind?”
The older woman threw a “say what?” expression over her shoulder. “This may be their house but since I moved back in here, I’ve been running this show. If Lil invites someone to this table, then they’re invited.”
Chloe looked down at her slim, gold Movado watch. It was three P.M. and her ride back to Charleston would take a half hour. She preferred to make the trip during daylight. Figuring that she still had plenty of time, and reluctant to leave, she accepted.
She offered her services to Nana Lil, but the elderly woman refused profusely with a hearty laugh. “Baby please, and have you break one of those nails in my gravy? No thank you, just drink your lemonade and relax.”
Chloe hid a smile behind her manicured hand. It was obvious that Lil thought she was inept in the kitchen. She didn’t bother to correct her. Suddenly the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and Chloe knew, before turning around, that it was Devon who had walked up behind her. She looked over her right shoulder and their eyes met briefly before they both looked away.
He walked past where she sat to enter the kitchen. “Ms. Bolton, as soon as my brother comes downstairs we can all walk over to the office.” His tone was so professional and he was all business in his red polo T-shirt and baggy stonewashed jeans.
“Devon, Chloe accepted my invitation to dinner, which is ready. You’ll have to have your meeting after the eating is done.” Lil said this in a no-nonsense tone, as she sat heaping bowls of food on the table.
He whirled in shock to look at his grandmother and then whirled back, almost comically, to look at Chloe. She sat innocently sipping lemonade. Finally he turned back to Lil. “I’m sure Ms. Bolton has other plans that we don’t want to keep her from.”
She handed Chloe four warmed dinner plates to set out. “I’m sure she wouldn’t have accepted if she had other plans, Vonnie.”
“Devon,” he corrected, almost off-hand. “We don’t want to force Ms. Bolton to eat here.”
Each time Chloe opened her mouth to speak up for herself, one of them spoke first, acting as if she was not present. “I—”
“This girl needs a good home-cooked meal and she’ll get one today . . . right now . . . right here.”
Devon started to continue his unwarranted protests, but his grandmother shot him “the look” that let him know he was doing something she didn’t approve of. When Devon was a child “the look” would immediately cease all wrongdoing. Although it didn’t hold the same power now, he let his beliefs slide, knowing his
Lil had been saddened by hearing the news of Adell’s passing from Chloe, and the picture had instantly popped into her memory. She knew Chloe would love it and she did. It was the only picture of both her mother and her grandparents that she’d seen. Moved beyond words, she could only whisper a heartfelt, “Thank you.”
Lil patted the younger woman’s hand to comfort her. “You will stay for dinner, Chloe?”
It was more of a statement than a question, but Chloe still attempted to decline. “No thank you. I wouldn’t want to intr—”
Lil waved a thin hand, prominent with large veins. “Child please, you need a good home-cooked meal. If you don’t get some meat on dem bones you’ll snap in half like a dried twig.”
Chloe smiled at the way Nana Lil sucked her teeth. She watched as she closed the photo album and moved back to the kitchen. The woman had more energy than the little pink bunny on those Energizer battery commercials. When Chloe followed her back into the kitchen, she found Lil mashing a pot of boiled and peeled potatoes with butter and milk. Her stomach betrayed her and growled in hunger . . . loudly.
“See there,” Lil waved her spoon in Chloe’s direction. “You hungry, girl.”
“Are you sure Deshawn ... or Devon won’t mind?”
The older woman threw a “say what?” expression over her shoulder. “This may be their house but since I moved back in here, I’ve been running this show. If Lil invites someone to this table, then they’re invited.”
Chloe looked down at her slim, gold Movado watch. It was three P.M. and her ride back to Charleston would take a half hour. She preferred to make the trip during daylight. Figuring that she still had plenty of time, and reluctant to leave, she accepted.
She offered her services to Nana Lil, but the elderly woman refused profusely with a hearty laugh. “Baby please, and have you break one of those nails in my gravy? No thank you, just drink your lemonade and relax.”
Chloe hid a smile behind her manicured hand. It was obvious that Lil thought she was inept in the kitchen. She didn’t bother to correct her. Suddenly the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and Chloe knew, before turning around, that it was Devon who had walked up behind her. She looked over her right shoulder and their eyes met briefly before they both looked away.
He walked past where she sat to enter the kitchen. “Ms. Bolton, as soon as my brother comes downstairs we can all walk over to the office.” His tone was so professional and he was all business in his red polo T-shirt and baggy stonewashed jeans.
“Devon, Chloe accepted my invitation to dinner, which is ready. You’ll have to have your meeting after the eating is done.” Lil said this in a no-nonsense tone, as she sat heaping bowls of food on the table.
He whirled in shock to look at his grandmother and then whirled back, almost comically, to look at Chloe. She sat innocently sipping lemonade. Finally he turned back to Lil. “I’m sure Ms. Bolton has other plans that we don’t want to keep her from.”
She handed Chloe four warmed dinner plates to set out. “I’m sure she wouldn’t have accepted if she had other plans, Vonnie.”
“Devon,” he corrected, almost off-hand. “We don’t want to force Ms. Bolton to eat here.”
Each time Chloe opened her mouth to speak up for herself, one of them spoke first, acting as if she was not present. “I—”
“This girl needs a good home-cooked meal and she’ll get one today . . . right now . . . right here.”
Devon started to continue his unwarranted protests, but his grandmother shot him “the look” that let him know he was doing something she didn’t approve of. When Devon was a child “the look” would immediately cease all wrongdoing. Although it didn’t hold the same power now, he let his beliefs slide, knowing his
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