Read Online The Right Time by Delaney Diamond - Free Book Online Page A

tell them he’d cheated. All they knew was that they’d fought, and for now that was all she wanted anyone to know.
    “So, what happened?” Her mother, ever the romantic, looked expectantly at Sophie.
    She shrugged. “We talked for a long time. He’s on probation and we’ll see what happens.”
    “Your mother did the right thing, then,” her father said.
    “Of course you’d side with Mom,” Sophie said dryly.
    Their relationship was a model Sophie had admired for years, and one she hoped to replicate in her own life. Their affection and support of each other came from years of togetherness forged when their families initially disapproved of them falling in love. Her maternal grandparents were a conservative bunch who had expected their daughter to marry someone they’d already picked out for her. On her paternal side, they were a couple of intellectuals who expected her father to marry a woman with significantly more melanin.
    Instead, her parents had fallen for each other after becoming lab partners in a class at university. They kept their relationship a secret for years until they finally came clean to their families, who initially didn’t approve. Sophie never saw any of the disagreements, though. Apparently, her birth bridged the rift in the families, and she’d never felt unwanted by either side. If anything, she was showered with love and spoiled by affection on both sides of the family.
    When he wasn’t busy, her father came down to the shop to spend time with her mother, and he never took a meeting that lasted so late he couldn’t walk her home after she closed up. On any given evening, they could be seen walking along the street, her father with the bike rolling beside him, and her mother hanging on to his arm. They were so cute.
    “What are you working on?” Sophie asked, moving on from the conversation about her love life. She sniffed the green contents of the blender.
    “Two possibilities today. The green one is a detox drink. I already have a name for the red one. It’s called Watermelon Sunshine.”
    “Mmm, sounds delicious.”
    “I told your mother watermelon anything is a no-go,” Walter said.
    “Why, Dad?” Sophie picked up a watermelon slice and bit into it. Sweet and juicy.
    “He thinks none of my black customers will buy it because of the whole watermelon thing.” Her mother waved a hand dismissively.
    “They won’t,” Walter insisted. “We’ve been married thirty-five years. I shouldn’t have to explain that to you.”
    Dora sighed.
    “Trust me, give the smoothie another name,” Walter said. “Punch of Sunshine or something like that.” He glanced at his watch. “Better get out of here. I have a dentist appointment. Sophie, will you be around later? I need a ride to pick up my car at the shop.”
    Her mother pursed her lips and shook her head as she went back to chopping ingredients.
    “Seriously, Dad, you need to get rid of that car. Ronnie is going to ban you from the shop.” Her father owned a blue eighties Volvo he refused to let go.
    “Ronnie is going to do no such thing. That car is a classic, and as long as it still runs, I’m going to keep it on the road.”
    “It has over two hundred thousand miles on it,” Sophie said.
    “And your point is…?”
    “He’ll never listen,” Dora said.
    “She knows me so well.” Walter pulled his wife in for a quick kiss and dropped one on Sophie’s cheek. “I’ll see you guys later. Sophie, don’t forget me and my car,” he said on the way out.
    “Yeah, yeah.”
    Her mother wrinkled her nose. “Do you think he’s right about the watermelon name?”
    “Do you want to risk it?” Sophie asked.
    “Punch of Sunshine it is,” her mother said. She poured the mixture into a glass and handed it to Sophie.
    She took a sip. “Mmm. Good. Sweet. Flavorful.” She took another sip. “The ginger is a little strong, though. Hits me in the back of my throat on the way down.”
    “Noticed it, too.” Her mother wrote