Page 49 of Quiet as Kept
“Fuck that.”
Trinity dissolved into giggles. “They’ve changed, Kept. Gannon spent a lifetime appeasing my mother with jewels, bags, clothing, and shoes. The one thing she wants the most now only you can give it to her. Grandchildren.”
Kept chuckled. “Why is it that these women who didn’t enjoy motherhood are yearning for grandkids?”
“Maybe they want a do-over.” Trinity’s shoulders bounced in a nonchalant shrug. “Anyway, when she found out that I would have the girls with me today, she invited herself along. And when I told her that I was taking them to the zoo you know, to dissuade her, that lady doubled down. She said it should be a girls’ trip and invited Ganniece.”
“Why is Ganniece even available during the middle of the work week to take a trip to the zoo? Doesn’t she work at somehigh-powered financial conglomerate? Don’t they need her at her desk, churning out budget projections or something?”
“You’re so silly. She’s on a leave of absence right now, Kept. Her fiancé recently called off the wedding.” Trinity paused. “Well, actually Ganniece called it off, but she called it off because she caught dude in a compromising situation with another dude.”
“Oh shit.” He reared back as if Trinity had hit him.
“Yeah. It was a big ordeal. Wynston told Ganniece he loved her, and if she went through with the marriage, he would be a good husband to her. He just has his needs.”
“What?”
“Yeah. It’s called a lavender marriage. It’s when the straight wife knows that her husband is gay but marries him anyway.”
“That’s a thing?” By the expression on his face, this was clearly something he’d never heard of.
“That’s a thing, brother. Anyway, Ganniece refused the offer of a lavender marriage and is currently in the process of piecing her life back together.”
“Damn.”
“Oh no,” I said at the same time.
“Yeah. So there will be three sets of adult eyes on Miss Destin.”
“Somebody better keep their eyes on Ganniece and make sure that she doesn’t find her way into the alligator pit or something. She has to be depressed like a motherfucker.”
“She is, but seeing my nieces will cheer her up.”
“Damn, I don’t even know what to say after a story like that,” Kept admitted.
“Just kiss your girls and say goodbye.” Trinity gave both of us a shooing motion with her hands. “Me and the girls have stuff to do. Bye.”
We kissed the girls like Trinity told us to, and we left.
Mama Reese was released from the hospital late Thursday night. The procedure ended up being more intense than they originally thought. A second large fibroid was hidden behind the one they were removing.
“I’m starving, and I need to eat so I can take my pain meds,” she announced the minute her foot crossed the threshold into her own home.
“Well, you already know we ain’t leaving you. We might as well make it a movie night or something,” Nehemiah told her.
She smiled at her son, though it was obvious she was hurting. “Okay.”
“We’re gonna fix you up a comfortable set up on the couch, order food, and hang out with you for as long as you’ll let us,” Yahirah added, giving her mother a light hug. “What do you want to eat?”
Once Mama Reese decided what she had a taste for, Nehemiah placed and paid for the order. In exchange, Kept and I agreed to pick it up. The smell of delicious food wafted into my nose the moment we stepped over the threshold ofSweet Potato Soul.
“Oh, it smells so good in here,” I moaned.
“Like home,” he added.
Home. That word made me cringe, because technically, Londynville was home for me. I was born and raised in the town and had spent the first thirty-two years of my life thinking I would never leave it. But I didn’t really want to be there. The three days that we had been in town, I spent most of my time either at the hospital, at Mama Reese’s house, or at the house Kept rented for us. I hadn’t let my family know I was in town oranything. The truth was, I was hoping that I would make it back to Jackson Island without them ever even knowing.
That hope evaporated when we walked to the front counter to announce our arrival to the cashier, and I spotted the familiar silhouette of my cousin. Of all my cousins, I was happy that if I had to see one of them, it was Nisha.