Awakening Promise

Chapter 3

Promise arrived home shortly after six o'clock. She opened the door, dropping her keys in the basket on the console table. She exhaled as she deposited her shopping bags in the walkway and headed straight for the kitchen to fix a glass of Moscato. She sat on the sofa with her wine and took stock of her day while taking a sip.

Just as she started relaxing, her phone rang.

"Hello," she said into the receiver.

"Hey, big sis, what's going on with you?" she shook her head, smiling at the sound of Hugh's voice, her baby brother.

"I'm just getting in, trying to unwind from my first day. What's going on with you?"

"Glad to have you back in town. Hey, I'm working on this design for this client's home and wanted your input. Can I come by tomorrow so you can cook and you can help a brother out?

She laughed, "Sure thing, Big Head. What time?"

"How about seven? Should I call Zay, Tre, Shun, Gwen, Nathaniel, and Bam? Or do you prefer to keep it just us?" he said laughingly.

Promise thought for a few minutes before saying, "How about we make a Sunday dinner after church so we can all get together and have a family dinner? It's been a couple of weeks since we had one."

"Yes, ma'am," Hugh agreed in the affirmative.

They talked a bit longer and then disconnected the call. Promise sat on the couch, glad to have heard from Hugh.

She knew when she was in New York that it had been the last time they had been together since losing Momma.

All of them, including her fifteen cousins, had rushed to New York to severely damage Caleb when Promise broke down while on the phone with her sister Shun about the breakup.

The Looneas had taken New York by storm and had come to cause a hurricane.

Growing up, she remembered they were always close. They could fight among themselves, but anyone else who had a problem with one of their family quickly found out they had a problem with all of them.

Momma had raised them to be firm believers in faith and family. As Momma said, "One day, all you're going to have is each other. And a family that loves one another will always be there for each other." Promise smiled as she thought of her brothers, sisters, and cousins.

Her mom would have been so proud of the children she had raised. All of whom were actually successful in their own right.

Trenton, or Tre as he was known, was her second to the oldest little big brother. He had played professional football before retiring from the game to open several T & Z physical therapy clinics across the world.

Zavion, or Zay as they called him, was third to the oldest. He had obtained a medical degree from Baylor Medical and was one of the country's renowned few African-American physical therapy physicians.

Shanelle, better known as Shun, was next in line. She had become a very talented contemporary artist who now owned her own gallery.

Then there was Gwendolyn, whom they called Gwen. She always liked making things beautiful and created her 5-star Michelin restaurant, now known worldwide after getting her culinary arts degree.

Nathaniel was the professional comedian of the bunch. He could make you laugh at the drop of a hat. His skills had him performing all over the world. You could catch his shows live anywhere from DFW to Paris.

Jabari, better known as Bam, was a well-paid ligation attorney with one of the top firms in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex.

Last but not least came her baby brother Hugh. He had attended masonry school before working for a local construction company. Only opting, later, to go back to school for engineering so that he could design beautiful structures.