Restoration of Love (7 page)

      “No, I swear. I’ll stand by you no matter what.”

      “Now that’s what’s up.”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

     Nikki sat anxiously in the waiting area at George Bush airport. It was two days before Thanksgiving and Brandon was finally coming home. Nikki had spoken to him the day before and told him that she had some news. She thought that if she went that far, there would be no backing out. She would have to tell him about Carlos. She promised Carlos that not only would she tell Brandon about him, but also that she would at least go over to his house and meet his family. However, she did tell him that she thought it would be better to wait until Christmas before introducing him to her family. For some reason, she hoped that the spirit of the Christmas holiday would put her mother in a better mood. Carlos agreed to the compromise.

    Lost in her thoughts, she was suddenly aware that the passengers were emerging from the terminal area. Brandon appeared from the crowd and saw her immediately. He ran up to her, scooped her up and swung her around.

     “Hey, Mom,” he said happily with that award winning smile of his.

     “Hey yourself, stranger. Look at you. You’ve put on some weight.”

     “I have. Between late night studying while binging on pizza and Tracy’s cooking, I’ve put on about ten pounds.” As soon as he mentioned his father’s wife, Brandon saw Nikki’s expression change and he wished ha hadn’t said that. “I’m sorry, Mom, I wasn’t thinking. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

     “It’s okay. I’m glad you have someone there to take care of you since I can’t be. And how are your father and Tracy?”

     “They’re good. He said to say hello to you, so hello.”

     “Very funny, you,” Nikki said smiling at her son. “Let’s go before the freeway backs up.”

     On the car ride home, Brandon did most of the talking, telling Nikki about the friends ha had made at school and all of his activities. Nikki couldn’t help but notice how much he was like Trent. He had even picked up some of his mannerisms after being around him only a few short months. As she listened, she realized that her thoughts were only partly on what Brandon was saying. Her mind was also on Thanksgiving, only a few short days away, and how she was going to tell her son about Carlos. Not only that she had found someone, but more importantly, that he was much younger
and
of a different race.

     By the time Nikki pulled into the driveway, she decided that she could not prolong what she had to do any longer. Brandon brought his suitcase into the house, carried it into his room and came back to the living room where Nikki had stopped to listen to her messages. Carlos’s voice came over the answering machine, “Hey Nikki, baby, it’s me. I was just calling you to tell you that I am going to hang out with a few of the guys after class tonight. Give me a call. Love you.” She looked up just in time to see the utter surprise on Brandon’s face.

     “So this is the love you wanted to talk to me about?” Brandon said, never taking his eyes off of her.

     “Yes. Brandon please come sit down.” Brandon walked over to the couch and sat beside his mother. Nikki took a deep breath, searching for the right words. She knew that it was crucial to her relationship with her son that each word be carefully chosen.

     She began, “Brandon, when you left I thought I was ready, but I wasn’t. I cried for two days straight. For so long, I had made my life your life and your life mine. But, baby, as much as I love you…and you know that I love you, Brandon… it was a mistake for me not to create a life for myself outside of taking care of you. I felt that I had no purpose once you were gone. Then one day, a few weeks after you left, I met a wonderful man. A man who made me feel as though I had come out of hibernation. He made me smile and then he made me laugh. He has been a big part of why I have been so happy these last few months. I’m sorry that you found out about him through the answering machine, but yes, he is what I wanted to talk to you about. Brandon, I have fallen in love.”

     Nikki waited a minute to see what her son’s reaction would be before she continued. When he said nothing she went on, “Brandon, there is something else. He is quite a bit younger than I am.”

     “Quite a bit? Mom, how much is quite a bit? God, don’t tell me you’re dating someone from my high school.”

     “No Brandon, you know better than that. He’s twenty-nine, but there’s more.”

     “More?”

     “Yes, he’s Puerto Rican.”

     Nikki decided to stop there and let all that she had told Brandon sink in. She half expected him to storm off to his room, collect his things, and say that he was going back to Atlanta because his mother had lost her mind.

     Brandon took Nikki’s hands in his. “Mom, for as long as I can remember, you’ve been there for me. Sometimes too much there for me. I could not have asked for a better mother. When Dad left, instead of going out partying like some guys’ mothers I know did, you stayed home with me. You even stayed home after I started going out and left you alone. I would come back home and you would be right here waiting for me. Sometimes you would fall asleep on the couch waiting and I’d look at you and think how glad I was that you were my mother.

     Smiling at her, Brandon continued, “ I may not have always wanted to listen to you and do what you wanted, but I always respected your decisions as my mother even if I didn’t agree with them. When I was right about something, you admitted it and when I was wrong you told me that, also. Now it’s my turn to tell you.

    Nikki looked down for what was about to come. She knew it had been a mistake to put all this on Brandon on his first trip home.

     “Mom, I respected your decisions then and I respect them now. If that guy, whoever he is, makes your eyes light up like that when you talk about him, then he must be really special to you. For so long, you’ve placed your own needs on hold to make sure that mine were taken care of. It’s your turn now. I’m a man. It’s time for me to start looking out for myself.”

     Nikki threw her arms around her son who seemed so wise beyond his years. When did he get so grown up?

     Brandon laughed, “Wait a minute now. I want to meet this dude. Got to check him out to make sure he’s good enough to be spending time with my momma, cause if he’s not, he’ll have to face the wrath of the Big B.”

     “Well, he did invite us over to his parents’ house for Thanksgiving dinner,” she told him, since he seemed to be taking all of this so well.

     “Oh Mom, I’m sorry. I wish I had known that earlier. I kind of promised Jinelle that after we had dinner at Grandma’s, I’d go over to her house and spend some time with her.”

     “That’s okay, honey. I understand. How about tomorrow night? I can fix dinner right here. That will give you guys a chance to talk and get acquainted.”

     “That’s cool, Mom. I’m kind of tired from the flight, so I think I’m going to take a nap and then run over to Jinelle’s.”

     “Fine, baby.”

     Nikki just sat by herself for a while, hugging a stuffed pillow, thinking about how happy she was that Brandon was home. Silently, she thanked God for his help in raising such a fine young man.

CHAPTER TWENTY

     That evening, as Nikki prepared dinner, she found herself humming contentedly. All was right with her world. Brandon went over to see his grandmother, but promised to be back in plenty of time to shower and dress for dinner. She talked to Carlos several times throughout the day and he seemed really excited about meeting Brandon. For dinner, she was preparing a main menu of lasagna, Brandon’s favorite and beef enchiladas, Carlos’s favorite. Shortly after she and Carlos became ‘a couple’, she taught herself how to prepare his favorite meals. Carlos always praised her cooking, sometimes even saying it was as good as his mother’s. Nikki considered that to be the best compliment he could give her.

     Carlos arrived at 7:00, right on time. Nikki had just taken the last of the enchiladas out of the oven when the doorbell rang.

     “Hey baby,” she greeted him at the door.

     “Hey sweetie, how’s my girl?”

     “I’m good.”

     “I know that,” he said mischievously, “But how are you doing? What smells so good in here?” As he walked in the kitchen, he reached for the hot enchiladas. “Not yet,” she said playfully slapping his hand. She handed him a tray of chips and dip. “Now take this into the living room and watch a game or something. Brandon should be here any minute.”

     Nikki went to the china cabinet and took out her best flatware and dishes, the ones she saved for special occasions…and tonight was a very special occasion. As she walked back toward the kitchen she could hear her car pull into the garage. Nikki listened, as she thought she heard someone’s voice other than Brandon’s. Surely, he had known that this was a family dinner and had not stopped to pick up Jinelle on the way home. Then the door from the garage opened and she froze. It was her mother.

     “Hello, Nikki. My handsome grandson, of whom I am so proud, told his grandmother that you were preparing a special dinner of some sort. Since I wasn’t doing anything tonight, I invited myself over. I hope you don't mind.”

     Nikki looked at Brandon standing behind his grandmother with a helpless look on his face. Nikki knew her mother well enough to know that she had gotten information out of Brandon that he hadn’t meant to tell. She was good at that. She grabbed you on her hook and then reeled you in. Brandon had probably let it slip that Nikki was preparing dinner for a special friend and she came along out of sheer nosiness.

     “Of course, Mom, you’re more than welcome,” Nikki lied, feeling even more nervous now.

     “Good,” her mother said, walking into the living room. She stopped when she saw Carlos sitting on the couch. “Oh, and pray tell, who are you?” Brandon, not sure of what to do at this point, followed his mother into the living room and stood beside her waiting for an introduction. Nikki looked at Carlos who seemed rightfully confused. Nikki had told Carlos that this would be a dinner just for him, Brandon, and her.

     “Carlos,” Nikki said, ignoring her mother for the moment, “This is my son, Brandon, whom you know I talk about incessantly.” When Nikki’s mother audibly cleared her throat, Nikki looked at her and said, “And this is my mother, Mrs. Alma Williams.”

     Carlos stood up and reached for Brandon’s hand. “Hey, man, it’s nice to meet you, and she’s right, she does talk about you all the time.”

     “Good to meet you.” Brandon said politely.

     Carlos let go of Brandon’s hand and faced Nikki’s mother with his hand out. “And Mrs. Williams, it’s nice to meet you as well. You are as lovely as your beautiful daughter.” Alma said nothing and only stared at Carlos.

      Breaking the silence, Nikki said, “Well, why don’t you all have a seat at the table. Dinner will be ready in a few short minutes. Brandon, why don’t you come help me in the kitchen?”

     “Sure, Mom,” he said, bracing for the tongue lashing that he knew was coming.

     As soon as they were out of earshot of their guests, Nikki said, “Brandon, how could you? You knew tonight was supposed to be a special dinner with just the three of us.”

     “I’m sorry, Mom. I told grandma you were home fixing dinner for someone you wanted me to meet and she started asking questions and, before I knew it, she was getting in the car with me. You know how she is.”

     Nikki softened, taking pity on Brandon’s situation, and said playfully, “Yes, I do. And lucky for you because that’s the only thing saving your behind.”

     Nikki tried to get dinner on the table as quickly as possible, knowing how awkward things must be at the table for Carlos. Brandon went and sat down with them. He knew how uncomfortable his grandmother could make it for Carlos if she wanted to.

     As Nikki picked up the tray of lasagna, her mother walked into the kitchen. “Interesting young toy you’ve got there. Nikki, have you gone and lost your mind?” Alma said angrily.

     “Mother, please don’t start.”

     “Nikki, you can’t be serious. For Pete’s sake, he’s not only too young for you he’s…he’s Mexican.”

     “Momma, he is Puerto Rican. And what if he were Mexican or Irish or Indian? Momma, I am serious about him and you know what else? I have been for some time. That’s right, Mother,” not giving her a chance to speak, “We have been seeing each other for almost two months and before you go any further, you hear me, Mother, and you hear me good. You are a guest in my home.
My
home. I will not having you insulting Carlos. Do you hear me? If you have a problem with him and me, you just keep it to yourself, at least for the time you are here. If you say one thing to make my guest uncomfortable, I will have Brandon take you home so fast it will make your head spin. Either you can stay here and have the dinner you invited yourself to or you can go home right now. Do we understand each other?”

     “I understand,” her mother said, barely above a whisper. Her daughter had never spoken to her that way before and she didn’t know what to say other than, “Can we eat now?”

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

     Dinner went far more pleasantly than Nikki expected. Carlos proved that his charm was not just reserved for her, and to Nikki’s surprise, he had turned it on her mother as well. Alma barely said a word throughout the main course, but by the time Nikki served her special chocolate cake for dessert, Carlos had all but won her mother over. Nikki actually thought she saw a smile on her mother’s face as Carlos entertained her with the stories from his childhood. Brandon accompanied her to the kitchen to help with coffee and whispered, “Relax, Mom. Stop looking so tense. I kind of like him. He seems cool.” Nikki felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.