Read Online The Someday List by Stacy Hawkins Adams - Free Book Online Page A

and Irene's crew by default.
    Aunt Melba set her grocery bags on the granite countertop,
next to Irene, who was arranging deviled eggs on a serving tray.
She kissed her sister's cheek, then turned toward Rachelle.
    "Well, look what the cat drug in. When did you get here, Rachelle?"
    Rachelle grinned and trotted over for a hug. "It's great to see
you, Aunt Melba. I made a surprise visit this morning. Gabe is
away on business and the kids are with Mom and Dad for the
month, so I thought I'd drive down:"
    Melba raised an eyebrow and grabbed a deviled egg. "Gabe's
away, so you can play?" She popped the appetizer into her mouth
and waited.
    Rachelle smiled but didn't respond. Aunt Melba had always
been able to illuminate the heart of matters. Maybe that's why
her hair salon remained the busiest in town. It wasn't unusual for
clients who had moved away to drive several hours to jubilant for
a special occasion appointment with Melba.
    Rachelle couldn't blame them. Melba was indeed a fabulous
hairstylist, but her unparalleled energy, doses of encouragement,
and the tell-it-like-it-is advice she doled out were the true magnets. Melba didn't play favorites-whoever sat in her chair had
her full attention.

    Rachelle turned to the woman who had accompanied her aunt.
"Hi, I'm Rachelle."
    "Hello, Rachelle." The woman smiled and extended her hand.
"I'm Cynthia, one of Melba's clients and also a friend. Nice to
meet you:'
    Rachelle wondered how Cynthia had been roped into attending the barbecue. Either she was new to town, in a crisis, or had
struck Melba's fancy as someone the family would appreciate
knowing.
    "Good people need to know other good people" was a Melba
catchphrase.
    "This is Doctor Cynthia Bridgeforth, pediatrician extraordinaire," Melba said, satisfying Rachelle's curiosity. "Could be living
the cushy life of a private practice doctor caring for Jubilant's
well-to-do kids and instead spends her days in the toughest part
of town, helping the children most folks gave up on before they
even got here. This Cynthia, she's something else:"
    Rachelle was intrigued. Before she could ask questions, though,
the birthday girl made her entrance with an entourage of lip-glosssmothered, giggling friends. The various perfumes and scented
lotions they wore overshadowed the baked beans Aunt Irene had
retrieved from the oven.
    While today's gathering was a celebration of Indigo's fifteenth
birthday, it also was enough reason for the family and their extensive
circle of friends to fellowship. Most teenagers shied away from social
functions that included embarrassing adults, but Indigo seemed to
be dodging that pattern. Aunt Irene and Uncle Charles had made it a
practice to surround all three children with loved ones at every turn.
They might never know the meaning of the term nuclear family.
    Indigo parted the crowd and ran to embrace Rachelle. "You
came to my party but you didn't bring my little cousins?"

    She rested her skinny arms on Rachelle's shoulders and locked
eyes with her. Rachelle laughed.
    "When did you get so tall? And why weren't you at church
today?"
    "I slept over at my friend Sabrina's house last night" Indigo
pointed to the girl. "But if I had known the new director of music
was going to show up today and sing, I might have popped in.
`Shawty' is fine!"
    Indigo and her giggling girlfriends moved as one force toward
the back door and tumbled outside. Rachelle couldn't help but
smile, despite hearing Indigo refer to Troy in that fashion. She was
just an infant when everything transpired between Rachelle and
Troy during their college days and didn't know that this "Shawty"
was her former cousin by marriage.
    Aunt Melba winked at Rachelle and grabbed the baked beans.
Cynthia picked up the tray of deviled eggs and the two women
followed the girls outside.
    The mention of her ex-husband reminded Rachelle of a pertinent concern. "Is ... Troy ... coming to the barbecue, Aunt
Irene? Did