Page 30 of Quiet as Kept
“Okay,” I agreed. “So, these are my . . . parents.”
I didn’t know why that was so weird for me to say outside of the fact that I had never said it in life. I couldn’t remember a time that I’d ever introduced them to anybody together. To be honest, I couldn’t really remember a time when I introduced Vivienne to anybody.
“You’ve met my dad before.”
“Yeah, at Mama Reese’s house. I’m Yahirah’s friend, Xarielle.”
My dad studied her for a few seconds. “I remember you. You lived with Reese for a little while, right?”
“For all intents and purposes. She’s like a mom to me.” Xarielle grinned.
“And now you’re doing this? Watching my grandbabies?”
“Um, Yahirah told me that Kept needed a nanny, and I have a degree?—"
“Oh, no need to explain yourself to me. It seems like my son is probably lucky to have you.”
Xarielle blushed. “I’m the lucky one. I get to nanny the two sweetest girls ever and live in this beautiful home.” She gestured around her. Her gaze met mine. “I’m gonna clean up then get the girls ready for their swimming lesson.”
“Oh, June, let me and your dad get the girls ready for their swimming lesson. I want to bond with them,” Vivienne pleaded.
Xarielle gave a genuine smile. “I won’t worry about the girls. I’ll just concentrate on cleaning up this shaving cream.”
My father and I lounged in deck chairs watching the girls have their swim lesson.
“Xarielle sure grew up to be a pretty little thing,” my father commented.
“Facts.”
“You having any trouble keeping things professional with her?”
“I wasn’t. At least not until I insisted that she take swim lessons. She’s scared of the water, and I told her that we live too close to the ocean for her not to know how to swim. I hire this dude,” I gestured toward the pool, “and he’s fucking ogling her. Not to mention that he offered to take her out andshow her around the island. I know he’s just trying to fuck.”
“Fire that negro.”
I had to chuckle because he was so cut and dry with it.
“Ain’t nobody laughing but you, June. And is your monkey ass gonna be laughing when this dude walks off with my future daughter-in-law?”
I choked on my bottled water. “Your future daughter-in-law? What are you talking about, old man?”
“I got yourold man.If there’s one thing I know, it’s dudes. Been an athlete all of my life and been around other men all my life. I know ’em. I saw you seeing your nanny, Son. You look at her and see more than somebody who watches your girls. You like the way she handles them. Cares for them. You like the way she handles you. Me and you . . . we’re naturally attracted to beautiful, confident women. For whatever reason, we’re also attracted to deeply flawed women.”
“For whatever reason?” I screwed up my face into a frown. “It’s not a mystery. I was attracted to a deadbeat woman because that’s what I saw growing up. Jayla looked like home. She looked exactly like what a woman should look like to me. And that’s because the women I saw the most were Vivienne and Priscilla.”
“You’re right. I did set a piss-poor example. I had children by two women who never wanted motherhood. Well, Vivienne wanted it at one time, but the abortion they made her get, it changed her.”
“What?”
He waved me off. “Nothing. Anyway, Xarielle is more like Reese. She’s pretty, smart, nurturing, maternal and probably a homebody.”
“Yeah.” I snickered. “Your baby sister is the exact opposite of you.”
“Even as a young adult, Reese didn’t have any use for the streets. She hated clubs, bars, and lounges. Couldn’t stand loud music. Got sick from the smell of cigarettes. It’s no wonder she met Nehemiah and Yahirah’s daddy at work. All she did was go to work and go home. And it was also no wonder thatwhile he had a good woman by his side making his house into a comfortable home, he was out in the same streets she hated fucking everything that moved.”
Xarielle walked out of the house and onto the deck. Both my dad and I watched as Sanders’s gaze left my girls and followed Xarielle.
“Fire that negro.”