A Love Like This (Book 1) (48 page)

“
It
’
s nice to finally meet you.
”

“
What do you mean finally,
”
 
Pookie
 
says.
 
His expression is icy.
 
He
’
s exhausted and he
’
s had enough of the whole ordeal.
 

Nickie
 
interrupts.
 
 
“
Chris is Valery Callaway
’
s son,
”
 
She says.

“
That
’
s nice,
”
 
Pookie
 
says flatly.
 

Nickie
 
continues with a serious expression,
 
“
Chris also believes he
’
s your younger brother.
”

Chapter 25

 
 
 
 
 
Dana steps out of the shower
 
slides her arms into a bath robe and
 
stands in front of her
 
mirror.
 
She wipes the mist from the glass.
 
She fixes her eyes on her reflection.
 
Her eyes are not as bright as they use to be.
 
She looks and feels every bit of her forty-four years.
 
 
“
Look at your face,
”
 
She says leaning forward and touching the crinkles on the corners of her eyes.
 

“
It
’
s a beautiful face,
”
 
Xavier says from the door way.
 
She hadn
’
t noticed him standing there but his presence doesn
’
t surprise her.
 
He walks over and wraps his arms around her waist.
 
Dana leans back against his chest.
 
He kisses the top of her head and rocks gently from side to side.
 
From the first time he held her in his arms she knew there was no place else she
’
d rather be.
 
She closes her eyes and thinks about their lives together.
 
They
’
ve been nearly inseparable since she agreed to go to his family
’
s house for dinner all those years ago.
 

Xavier met Dana at the bus stop near his house.
 
He
 
wanted to
 
pick her up but she knew her father would have a fit if he saw her get in the car with Xavier.
 
Dana thought his skin was beautiful.
 
In fact it was
 
one of
 
the first things
 
that caught her attention.
 
However, her father thought that anyone darker than a brown paper bag could not be trusted.
 

“
Girl you
’
d
 
better stay away from them dark coons,
”
 
he would say.
 
 
“
They
’
re going to
 
take your
 
money and break your
 
heart.
”
 

“
Yes sir, Dana would reply.
”
 
 
She didn
’
t bother telling
 
him
 
that having light skin didn
’
t make him any less black.
 
Dana had only seen one picture of her mother.
 
She was a petite woman with caramel colored skin and a long thick braided rope of hair hanging down her back.
 
Her mother
 
left Dana and her dad and went back to the
 
Cayman Islands where she was from after draining his
 
bank accounts.
 
 
At first he
 
tried to do all the things
 
a mother might do like comb Dana
’
s
 
hair and make sure she was eating properly.
 
But
 
he was lost without his wife and
 
after a few weeks he gave up
 
and left Dana to fin for herself.
 
He
 
went to work, paid the bills and completely forgot that Dana existed.
 
 
She took money from her father
’
s wallet after he went to
 
sleep and walked to the store for food.
 
She cleaned the house and did her best to do the laundry.
 
 
Everything was fine during the day but
 
at
 
night she missed her mom.
 
She would hide under her quilt terrified by every creek or noise.

Dana fell in love with Xavier
’
s family long before she fell in love with him.
 
They were the family she always wanted.
 
Her heart was pounding when she walked through their
 
front door.
 
There were people everywhere: kids running around men playing cards, women cooking and
 
music blaring.

“
X where the hell you been?
”
 
A short round woman with a neat little afro
 
asked.

“
I told you I was going to pick up my girl.
”

“
Oh lord, bring her in and let
’
s have a look,
”
 
the woman said wiping her hands on a dish towel.

Dana was terrified. She approached the woman on wobbly knees and offered her hand.
 
“
Hello, I
’
m Dana.
”

The woman looked her up and down
 
then
 
slightly tilted
 
her head
 
to one side.
 
Dana couldn
’
t read her expression.
 
She stood there with her hand extended while the woman looked at her sternly.

“
Um Dana Watseka,
“
 
Dana felt her face burning.

The woman
’
s face opened into a smile revealing a huge gap
 
between her large white
 
teeth.
 
She grabbed Dana and hugged her.
 
Then held her at arm
’
s length,
”
 
look at you she said.
 
She turned to Xavier
 
“
You done brought us a yellow one this time.
”
 
 
She laughed again.
 
 
“
I thought she was a little white girl at first.
”
 
 
The woman wrapped her arm around Dana
’
s small waist.
 
 
“
I
’
m your Aunt Sadie sweet heart and you are way too skinny.
 
Come on in here and get something to eat.
 
We need to fatten you up.
”

Monica,
 
one of the women Xavier
 
had
 
brought to Denny
’
s walked up
 
and hugged her.
 
 
“
I
’
m glad you decided to come,
”
 
She said.
 
 
“
Are you hungry?
”
 
 
She asked taking out a plate and filling it with food before Dana had a chance to answer.
 
 
Xavier
’
s family was loud, expressive and loving.
 
They made Dana feel
 
safe for the first time in her life.
 
Xavier
’
s mother was a tall beautiful woman with skin as dark and smooth as melted chocolate.
 
When she met Dana she wrapped her in her massive arms and Dana wanted to cry.
 
Bess was warm, soft
 
and smelled like vanilla.
 
She was everything Dana imagined a mother would be.

“
Sit down child,
”
 
Bess said pointing at a chair.
 
”
My son
’
s told me a lot about you.
”

“
Really,
”
 
She asked looking over to where
 
Xavier stood talking to one of his uncles.
 
 
“
What has he told you?
”

Xavier
’
s other two sister
’
s Laney and Clara sat at the table near Dana.

“
He said that you
’
re beautiful, smart and probably one of the bravest girls he
’
s ever met.
”

Monica placed a plate filled to the brim with
 
mac
 
and cheese, collard greens, fried chicken and corn bread in front of Dana.
 
Laney touched Dana
’
s short silky curls.
 
 
“
Are you mixed?
”
 
She asked.

“
I think my father might be.
 
I don
’
t really know much about his family but
 
I guess that
’
s where I got this hair.
 
However, I might have gotten it from my mother.
 
She had really long hair but I
’
m not sure what the texture was like.
 
I
’
ve only seen her in pictures,
”
 
Dana said nonchalantly

The women looked at each other sadly shaking their heads.
 
Dana started stuffing food in her mouth as if she
’
d never eaten before.
 
Bess cut a piece of sweet potato pie and sat
 
it
 
in front of Dana.
 
 
“
Slow down baby.
”

“
I
’
m sorry. I
’
ve been eating Grand
 
Slam
’
s
 
at Denny
’
s
 
for so long that I
’
d forgotten what home cooking was like.
 
This is the best chicken I
’
ve ever had.
”

“
You
’
ll have to come by one day so that I can
 
teach you how to make it.
”