Thirteen
Shauntae didn’t know she had fallen asleep until the sun shining through her window woke her up. When she threw her legs over the side of the bed to get up, she realized she still had her clothes on.
What was it gonna be? Shower and put on a fresh set of clothes for all day on the bus, or something to lounge around the house with Gary and the girls all day. Before she could decide, there was a knock at the door.
Gary popped his head in. “Hey, baby. I have to get going. I need to go to the hospital to see what’s going on with Darla. Then I need to run by the office to pick up a few files so I can work at home. No telling what the next few days will be like so I want to stay ahead of the game. Then I’ll need to go to the airport to pick up Darla’s mother and take her back to the hospital. And then I’ll be home.”
“That sounds like a lot, baby.”
Gary shrugged. “I know, but it all has to be done. Can you get the girls some breakfast when they wake up? I haven’t heard them stirring yet, but they usually wake up starving. Their favorite thing is pancakes, eggs, and turkey sausage. I think we should have everything downstairs. I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can. Okay?”
All Shauntae could do was nod and say, “Okay.”
He leaned over, put a quick kiss on her lips, and was gone.
Pancakes, eggs, and turkey sausage? She couldn’t cook all that. What was wrong with cereal? Or Pop-Tarts?
Shauntae picked up her phone and speed dialed Candy.
“What?” Candy didn’t pick up the phone cussing like Sherice usually did but she didn’t sound like she was too far from it.
“I need some help, girl.”
“I can’t talk to you now, Shauntae.”
Had Sherice called her and told her about the situation? Usually, when two of them was fighting, the other one stayed cool with both of them and usually brought them all back together.
“I know I shoulda left, but Sherice didn’t tell you the whole story. I—”
“What are you talking about? I got company. I can’t talk to you.”
“For real, girl? My bad. I’m sorry. But . . .”
“What?” Candy was two seconds from cussin’.
“Can you . . . Real quick, could you tell me how to make pancakes, eggs, and turkey sausage?”
Click.
Shauntae was on her own. She went down to the kitchen to practice before the girls got up. If she messed up the first time, she could throw everything away and start over again.
Shauntae looked in the freezer, hoping to find them frozen pancakes you put in the microwave. Brianna used to beg for them ’cause that’s what Devon fed her at his house. Instead, she found a box of pancake mix in the pantry. How hard could it be?
Thirty minutes later, the girls came tearing downstairs because the daggone smoke alarm went off.
“What’s that?” Morgan ran up to Shauntae and threw her arms around her waist.
Shauntae’s first mind was to peel her off and make her go sit down somewhere. She couldn’t stand no child hanging all off her like that. Instead, she pulled a Clair Huxtable move. “It’s okay, sweetie.” She wrapped her arms around Morgan and held her close.
Morgan covered her ears. “Make it stop. Please, Miss Shauntae.”
Shauntae opened the garage door, picked up the broom, and started fanning near the smoke detector.
Daphne rolled her eyes, walked over to the stove, and pushed a button. A metal thing rose up from behind the burners, and then a vent came on and sucked up all the smoke. Shauntae had wondered why she couldn’t find a hood vent over the stove. Durned fancy kitchen.
Within a few minutes, the smoke alarm stopped. Morgan looked up at her, hands still over her ears. “Is it over?”
Shauntae nodded and rubbed her back. “Everything’s okay, sweetie. Miss Shauntae had a little problem with the stove, that’s all.”
“Problem with the stove?” Daphne looked at the skillet filled with grease and burnt pancake batter. She gave Shauntae that snooty look. “Is it the stove that’s the problem?”
“I’m not used to cooking with gas. My stove was electric,” Shauntae said.
Daphne walked over to the bowl filled with pancake batter and lifted the spoon. It was so thick and lumpy it barely poured. She turned back to look at Shauntae, but didn’t say anything. She carried the bowl to the sink and turned it upside down.
“What are you doing? Why did you pour that out?”
Daphne gave her another one of her looks. She pulled a bigger bowl out of the cabinet and poured pancake mix into it. She took a couple of eggs out of the refrigerator and cracked them into the bowl. She looked at Morgan, who was still clinging to Shauntae, and said, “Moogie, how many pancakes would you like?”
Morgan scrunched up her nose and started counting her fingers. She stopped when she got to four. “Four baby ones.”
“How about we start with three?”
Morgan nodded.
Daphne glared at Shauntae and then looked back down at her sister. “Moogie, why don’t you let Miss Shauntae go? I’m sure she doesn’t want you hanging all over her like that.”
Morgan held on to Shauntae tighter.
“I don’t mind.” Shauntae put both arms around Morgan and gave her a squeeze. Not because she didn’t mind, but ’cause it seemed to bother Daphne.
Daphne clenched her teeth together. After a second, she put on an excited, happy face. “Moogie, it’s Saturday morning. You want to watch cartoons?”
Morgan’s face lit up. She let go of Shauntae and ran into the living room. She grabbed the remote, jumped up onto the couch, and turned the TV on. She turned the channel and The Backyardigans blasted through the room.
“Moogie, turn it down. You know better.”
Daphne stirred the pancake batter until it was smooth. She took a new skillet from the cabinet beneath the stove and moved aside the one Shauntae had been using. After giving Shauntae another one of her looks, she grabbed a rag and wiped the spattered grease off the stove, counter, and tiles behind the stove.
Shauntae took the skillet over to the sink and washed it. It was the least she could do since Daphne had taken over breakfast. “Should I cook the turkey sausage?”
“Mommy doesn’t want us eating it anymore. Too much saturated fat.”
“Oh.” Shauntae stood there watching Daphne. She let the oil get to the right temperature and tested it out with a small drop of batter.
“Where did you learn how to cook?” Shauntae asked. She felt funny standing there watching Daphne cook, but it didn’t seem right to leave since she should’ve been the one doing it.
Daphne poured four small pancakes into the large skillet. “The nanny taught me. She said that since my mother is so busy and works all the time, I needed to learn how to take care of me and Moogie.”
“Moogie?”
“I was four when Morgan was born and couldn’t say her name.” Daphne almost smiled.
“Oh. That’s cute.” Shauntae couldn’t think of anything else to say. Daphne didn’t seem interested in keeping the conversation going so she stood there, watching her flip perfect pancakes. After the first ones finished cooking, Daphne poured two large pancakes. Shauntae’s stomach rumbled real loud.
“How many pancakes would you like?” Daphne asked.
“Huh? Oh, two is fine for me,” Shauntae said. “Thank you.”
Daphne nodded.
“Should I cook the eggs? Your dad said you would want eggs with the pancakes.”
“Miss Shauntae, can you cook eggs?”
Shauntae bit her lip. “Not really.”
Morgan called out from the living room. “Miss Shauntae, can you come watch cartoons with me?”
Shauntae looked at Daphne, almost like she was asking permission. Daphne frowned, shrugged, and flipped the pancakes.
Shauntae went to the living room and sat down on the couch next to Morgan. The Backyardigans was one of the shows Brianna watched that got on her last nerve with all that singing and dancing. Shauntae had barely sat down and Morgan was snuggling up next to her.
At first Shauntae was uncomfortable with her being so close. She tried to make herself relax. She thought of what Gary had said about all the stuff the girls had been through lately. Shauntae thought about herself snuggling into Gary’s side the night before and figured maybe Morgan felt the same way. Maybe she needed to feel loved. Shauntae put an arm around her.
Her mama had never showed her or her brother or sister no affection. In fact, the only time she really touched them was when she was beating them. Morgan was probably used to a whole lot of hugging and stuff because Gary was that kind of person. Shauntae wondered if Darla was all touchy like that too.
After about fifteen minutes of TV and snuggling, Daphne called out from the kitchen, “Breakfast is ready.”
Morgan called back, “Can I bring it in here so I can watch my show?”
“Moogie, you know better. Daddy doesn’t let us watch TV while we eat.”
“But Mommy does.”
“Morgan, come to the table, right now.” Daphne sounded like she was the mother instead of the big sister.
Morgan hopped off the couch and turned the TV off. Shauntae followed her to the table. They all sat down together.
Daphne’s spread looked good. The pancakes were a perfect golden brown, the eggs were fluffy and Daphne had cut up some oranges and strawberries and arranged them on a plate.
Shauntae picked up her fork and was about to dig in, but Daphne said, “We have to say grace first.”
She said it so nasty and rude that Shauntae wanted to smack her in her mouth. But after watching her cook breakfast, she knew she needed the little brat on her side.
After they said grace and fixed their plates, they ate in silence for a while. Finally Morgan asked, “Miss Shauntae, where are you from?”
“California.” Shauntae sopped up some syrup on a forkful of pancakes. She shoulda told Daphne to cook me four instead of two.
“How long are you gonna be visiting Daddy? I hope you stay awhile.”
“Oh, I don’t live in California anymore. That’s where I’m from. I live in Atlanta now.”
“Why are you visiting Daddy’s house if you live in Atlanta?”
Shauntae wasn’t sure what to say.
“Moogie, finish your food.” Daphne shoved a strawberry in her mouth and kept her eyes on her plate.
Morgan went back to eating, but just like Brianna, she couldn’t go too long without asking a question. “Miss Shauntae, do you have any kids?”
“No. Not yet.” Shauntae felt bad for saying that. For some reason, it was harder lying to a child than it was lying to Gary.
“When are you gonna have some? I thought all grown-ups your age already had children,” Morgan said.
“Stop asking so many questions, Morgan,” Daphne said in that mother voice. “You need to finish your food so you can go upstairs and take a bath.”
“Are you gonna have kids soon, Miss Shauntae?”
“Yes, Morgan.” Shauntae didn’t want to tell another lie. “In about five months actually. You can’t tell, but there’s a baby in my tummy right now. You guys are going to have a baby brother or sister soon.”
Daphne dropped her fork. “What?”
Morgan frowned. “What’s wrong, Dappy?”
Daphne stared at Shauntae. “You and my dad are going to have a baby?”
Shauntae nodded.
Morgan’s little face looked confused. “But how can you and Daddy have a baby if you’re not married? You have to be married to have a baby.”
Daphne glared at Morgan. “No, you don’t, stupid.” Morgan pouted. “Mommy said you’re not allowed to call me stupid.”
“Well, Mommy’s not here, now is she, stupid?”
“Me and your daddy are getting married, Morgan,” Shauntae said, hoping her good news would break up their argument. “Very soon.”
Morgan and Daphne both turned to Shauntae, mouths wide open. Morgan’s lips trembled. “What?”
Daphne jumped up from the table. “You’re lying. My daddy is not gonna marry you. Him and Mommy are gonna get married again.”
Morgan started to cry. “Dappy?” She put her face in her hands and started crying hard. Shauntae reached out to rub her back.
“Don’t touch her,” Daphne screamed. She grabbed Morgan’s arm and dragged her out of her seat. “Come on, Moogie.” She put an arm around her sister and led her into the foyer. As she turned to go up the stairs, Daphne shot Shauntae a look too evil for a girl her age.
Shauntae let out a deep breath and pulled out her cell phone and speed dialed Gary. “Honey, are you coming home any time soon? I think I messed up. Really bad.”