The Boy She Illegally Brought To The Lavender Field (bwwm)

Page 23

Diana left a plate of cookies carefully wrapped in foil outside the Wilkes home before she left to head to work.

She felt so bad for Ms. Katherine. Having her son beaten into a coma by those animals only for them to turn around, beat her husband too, and hang him by his neck in an oak tree. She only hoped that they could all recover from this and that Katherine's two daughters would remain untouched.

Diana could just break out into tears for her.
But she kept her composure as she walked into the Ross home.

"THERE YOU ARE, YOU BITCH!" Nancy shouted and walked speedily towards Diana.
Diana was confused but didn't have time to question it before Nancy tore Diana's purse from her arm and spilled its contents onto the tile floor.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Stephen asked. He and his son each came down the stairs once they heard the noise.
"She stole them from me! I know she did!" Nancy yelled.

She looked back at Diana. "Dig through it." she commanded.
Diana looked at the men.
"NOW!" Nancy shouted.
"Diana, don't move." Stephen instructed.

Diana was originally torn between who to follow but she stood still.

Nancy's arm was grabbed and she was pulled into Stephen.
"What is the matter with you?" he asked her through gritted teeth.
"She stole my gold tulip earrings. I wanted to wear them to the picnic. And they're missin'. I told you she was no good and look where that got us." Nancy snatched her arm back.

"Who else could it have been?!" Nancy yelled and looked back at Diana. "She's the only one that goes into our bathroom when we're not there! Just like a nigga to take shit that don't belong to them, isn't it? Where are they?" She closed the space between her and Diana and Diana kept eye contact.
"I don't have them. I did not take your earrings."
Nancy raised her hand to swing before Stephen caught it and pulled her away.
"She didn't take your damn earrings!" he hollered.
"Then who's got them?! Taking up for that black bitch again, huh?! Did you help her take them?!"
Stephen's hand swung into his wife's cheek. "Watch your goddamn mouth in my house."

Nancy stood there with her hand holding her cheek and her eyes holding back tears. She took a deep breath.

"I know she took them..." she continued.
"You sound ridiculous!"
"Who else could've taken them, huh, Stephen?! She's the only one who walks in and out of our rooms 'cleaning'." she said with air quotes. "I bet that's not all she took, it's just all I noticed!"

Stephen froze.

He looked at his son who'd been standing there the entire time.

Stephen's head tossed back to stare at the ceiling and he sighed.

"I took your goddamn earrings." he stated.
"What?" Nancy asked.
"I was getting them looked at because I wanted to have a necklace made to match them. They're at the jewelers."

Nancy straightened her spine and adjusted herself.
"Oh...well..."
"Pick up what you spilled out of Diana's purse before I get angry." Stephen commanded.
"Wha-..."
He looked at her.

She looked at Diana.

Diana looked back.

Nancy reluctantly got on her knees and began picking up the coins, crumbled bills, napkins, and wallet. She put them all back in the purse before forcing it into Diana's chest and walking off.

Stephen looked at his son.
Daniel just stood there.

"My office. Now." he commanded and walked off.
Daniel looked at Diana first. "I'm sorry."
He walked off and she watched.

•~~~•

Stephen shut his office door behind his son then put his hands in his pockets.

"Why?" he asked.
"Why what?" Daniel faked ignorance.
"Why did you take your mother's earrings?"
"Who told you I took them?"
"Daniel."
Daniel sighed. "Alright I took them. So what? Not like she's running low on earrings. I saw like a hundred of them in there."
"Why did you take them is what I asked you."
Daniel looked away from his father.

"Hello?" Stephen called.
"I gave 'em to a girl..."
Stephen's brows furrowed. "A girl?"
"Yea."
"Daniel, we're not poor. We haven't ever been poor. What stopped you from just buying the girl her own pair of earrings?"
"I was on a time crunch and running late. I didn't have time to go out and buy her something after I got home and it was her birthday. So I just...looked to see what girly stuff mom had."
Stephen sighed.
"And...the girl likes flowers and...I met her in a tulip field, so...I just thought it fit."
"Did she like them?"
Daniel snickered. "Yea. Smiled real big when I put 'em on her."
"I didn't know you liked a girl."
Daniel shrugged.
"What's she like?"

He looked around the office room to think.
"She's smart. She talks a lot. She smiles a lot. She's...well...She's beautiful. I like looking at her face."
Stephen laughed.
"I don't know. I just like her."
"Why don't you bring her here for dinner one night?"
Daniel's eyes widened and he looked at his father.

"No...I don't think she'd want that." he stated.
"Why not? You like her and she likes you, right?"
"Well yea," he replied. "I think..."
"Then bring her over."
Daniel wanted to argue but didn't know what to say that would get him out of the conundrum.
"Tomorrow night. I'd like to meet this girl. I'll get Diana to fix a nice dinner for her and we'll all talk. Don't worry, I'll tell your mother to behave." Stephen scoffed then left his office.
Daniel sighed and looked at the floor.

"Son of a bitch..." he groaned and left the office as well.