Something New

Chapter 7

Fred

“I'm mildly surprised,” I mutter as Nova whistles, haphazardly flipping burgers on the grill. Her bright eyes swing over to me and she gives a wide smile. I'm surprised they're letting her handle the patties.

“That's a surprise, Uncle Fred.” She just stares at me, unblinking, still haphazardly flipping. It’s moments like this where I can clearly see Lance in her. I stare back silently for a while before calling Ty over.

“Come and get your sister, Ty, before she flips everything to space.”

“Yes, sir,” he says, ushering her away. 

“Hey! I can do it with supervision!” 

“I don't count as supervision; that would be your brother, your mom, Joe, Austin, or Ro—”

“So everyone besides you?” she asks drily.

“Precisely. I'm just here to eat.” 

She thinks about that for a minute and her eyes twinkle. “So I can get away with anything?”

“No.” 

She frowns. “You're no fun, Uncle Fred!”

“You'll have to forgive me for that. The Lord didn't make me with fun built in,” I say. Her mouth twitches.

“Uncle Joe says you have dry British humor,” I blink at her words. I’ll just have to talk to him about that later. “I didn't know you're from Britain.”

“Neither did I.”

“Are you gonna marry a British woman?” I crack a small smile at the fourteen year old’s innocent question.

“Who told you I'm getting married, Nova?” Her eyes widen and I stop her before she can ask another question. “I'm single.”

“Oh! No worries! The Lord will send a woman to you! But hey.” She comes closer and motions for me to get down to her level. So I do. “Don't be like Mama and Uncle Joe. Make sure you keep your eyes open.” We both look at the two as they playfully bicker, making their way over to us. They've been making their way over for the past twenty minutes. Grace laughs at something Joe says, shoving at his chest playfully. He watches her, a contagious smile on his face as he holds a cooler in one hand. That's got to be heavy, but he seems unbothered and heavily invested in Grace.

“No one can be as blind as them, Nova.”

“Fair point.” I straighten up and she shrugs. “Maybe God will drop her off at your doorstep, like in the movies.”

“That's with babies, Sis,” Ty corrects and she throws her hands up.

“Why can't it be with love interests too?”

“I'm not the one who makes these rules,” he calmly replies. 

“I should speak to whoever do—” her words cut off as we hear the doorbell ring from inside the home. Austin and Rose were hanging out by the sliding door and they rush inside together to answer it.

“Someone else was invited?” I question.

“Mhm mhm! Aunty was,” Nova answers.

“Which one?”

“Mama's friend!” She adds unhelpfully, as if her mother doesn't have several. I just stop asking. I'll see once I see.

Within two minutes, the two lovebirds come back and I watch as a lady steps out.

“Oh, Kemi,” I say. I haven't seen her for months. The young woman comes through in a light blue dress, her hair up, but in an afro. Rose does it and she's told me it's a pineapple updo. I don't know much about pineapples, but it looks nice on Kemi.