The Love That Grew

Ch. 10 Meet The Family pt. II

Thanksgiving was in full effect. Mrs. Rice made sure to put Jashae, Raynell, and Lourdes, who was there when they arrived, to work. Tahiri and Tamika refused to break a sweat in the kitchen, opting to boss the waitstaff around and irritate the men instead.

Jashae stopped cutting the blocks of cheese for a second and tuned out the holiday music and chatter. Something as simple as helping with dinner brought back fond memories of both her late mother and grandmother.

Watching Anita and Tamika interact with their children was bittersweet, seeing as how her mother, Jamila, had been snatched away from her so soon. Peezy, peeking his head into the kitchen in hopes of stealing some food, noticed the girl's gloomy demeanor. "Shay, if you need a break, I can—"

"Aht aht, get out, Rahmaud. We'll call you when we need you, lil cheese snatchin' self," Anita shooed him out of the kitchen, causing the other women to laugh.

Snapped out of her thoughts, Jashae watched the other women move effortlessly around the kitchen and smiled. She had to admit, being around good-spirited people did help with her usual holiday depression.

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Five hours later, the full meal was finally done. With their stomachs growling and mouths drooling, it was no surprise that all the men were already seated.

Darryl was a minute into blessing the food when suddenly the doorbell rang. "You expecting anyone else?" he asked Xavier, who looked just as clueless.

"No. Avery, can you get the door?" Xavier replied. The butler responded affirmatively and went off to answer the door.

"Happy Turkey Day!" Xavier's jaw clenched while Peezy snickered as Eric Mosley rounded the corner.

Tahiri's eyes shifted around the room. She locked eyes with a smirking Alexis and knew this had been her doing. Xavier's eyes were closed as his temples pulsed; she knew she'd have some explaining and making up to do.

"I didn't think you'd ever show up. Come sit next to me. Everyone, this is Eric, one of Tahiri's close friends."

Lourdes silently shook her head in disapproval, the air in the room now thick with tension as both sets of parents looked on in confusion. Tahiri's leg bounced under the table from anger; her best friend knew better than to invite someone over without asking her, especially someone like Eric.

As everyone tried to process the sudden appearance of Eric, the festive atmosphere was momentarily overshadowed by a mix of surprise and tension. Xavier took a deep breath, ready to manage the unexpected twist, while Tahiri struggled to keep a straight face, already dreading the inevitable argument from Alexis's meddling.

"Well, since everyone's here now, let's say grace," Darryl announced before restarting the prayer.

Xavier openly ignored Tahiri, who tried desperately to get his attention. He wasn't up for pointless apologies; a man he didn't trust was now sitting across his dinner table, breaking bread among his friends and family. This was too close for comfort; it was the ultimate sign of disrespect, and both men knew it.

"This is so messy," Lourdes whispered to Raynell and Jashae, who were closest to her. "What do you mean by that?" Raynell asked. "I'll tell y'all after dinner. Too many eyes and ears in here," Lourdes replied. The girls understood without looking up, knowing Tamika had been eyeing them since they walked in hours ago.

"So, I didn't get to ask earlier, are you both related to Xavier?" Tamika questioned, causing Raynell to giggle.

"It didn't sound like she told a joke to me," Alexis smartly replied.