Janet
After a few days of entertainment, site seeing, and other things, we had just wrapped up lunch that Peyton had prepared, and had invited my mother to join. Nico and the girls would be leaving tomorrow, so we figured that it'd be nice to just chill out for the day. I did have a little something up my sleeve for tonight though.
"This is just harassment at this point," I heard Peyton say. Nico and I were in the kitchen cleaning while Mother, Peyton and the girls played Uno in the dining room. I went and stood in the doorway to see what was going on.
"You were the one that wanted to play this way, TT," Jordan said.
"Sure did. So I don't see what the problem is," my mother agreed while simultaneously adding another Draw 2 to the pile.
"Ms. Katherine, you too?! I thought you liked me! I just knew we were cool," Peyton said in shock.
"Don't be so dramatic, child. I love you, but that ain't got nothing to do with you plucking these cards. You need an extra hand?" I stifled my own laugh while the girls laughed loudly. I turned to go back to the kitchen, shaking my head.
"I really love hearing them laugh like that. This week has been the most that I've heard it in a while." Nico got my attention.
"I've enjoyed having you guys here this week. I'm sad you're leaving tomorrow."
"Yeah, me too. We pick with each other a lot, but I always love being around my little sister. I can't tell you how good it is to see her so," he paused to figure out how to finish his statement. "I can't describe it. She's just never been this happy before. More than happy."
His words made me blush, knowing that it was a compliment to our relationship.
"Jordan said the same thing the other day. She is a lot like her aunt."
Nico chuckled before he responded, "In more ways than you can imagine. You would think Peyton gave birth to that girl sometimes."
"Does she have a relationship with her mom at all? Forgive me if I'm overstepping."
"Naw, you good, sis." He looked in the direction of the dining room. "Their relationship is pretty much nonexistent for Jordan. She doesn't even acknowledge Tameka anymore."
"That's their mother's name? Tameka?"
"Yeah. She only really calls to check on Nicole, and sometimes Jordan as an afterthought. I think she only does it out of spite because of me. Once I filed for divorce, everything that involved me was shit to her." He finished sweeping and put the broom back into the closet.
"Oh my goodness. How can you do that to your child? She sounds like a piece of work."
"She's a piece of something. That's for sure." We both chuckled. "When Jordan was younger, she adored that woman. Now that she's older, she really sees her for who she is and is almost grateful to not have that closeness or bond with her."
"Instead she got that from your mom and Peyton?" I asked as I started the dishwasher and he took a seat at the island.
"Yeah. When Tameka left us, Mom and P just stepped in, no questions asked, no thank yous needed. I'm eternally grateful for both of them. With Tameka coming in and out of her life, and Mom passing, Peyton has always been that mother figure to her. Plus, she wanted to honor her promise."
"What promise? And to whom?" I grabbed my wine glass and sat next to him.
"To Mom. The day that she found out that she had a short time to live, it was like an unspoken passing of the "Woman of the Family" baton from her to my sister. Unbeknownst to me, they actually did have a conversation where Mom asked a few things of Peyton. One of them was to make sure that the girls were taught what it was to be a good woman."
