Nyla Bridges has dedicated her entire life to becoming the best FBI agent the agency has seen. Working twice as hard because she's a woman... a black woman... to show that she is just as capable, if not more, than her predominantly white, male colle...
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"Sista, sista," Kia, sashayed in my direction with my eleven month old niece, Layla, trotting behind her as I entered our parents' home for Sunday's dinner. For as long as I can remember, my mother has always prepared a huge feast for our family to come together and enjoy the company of one another. "Hi, my love," I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. Crouching, I balanced myself on my feet and held my arms out for the chubby infant, "come here, pretty girl. Give auntie a hug."
Her juicy legs went to work, drool running down her chin and onto her bib. I pulled her into my chest, showering her in kisses and basking in the baby smell I loved. Picking her up, I hitched her on my hip and followed the aroma that spewed into the hallway. I couldn't help but to smile watching my mother, Shelia, sway her hips to the low tunes of Aretha Franklin while whipping a wooden spoon around a mixing bowl. I crept up behind her and placed my free arm around her shoulders. Reaching back, she held the back of my head and craned her neck, kissing my temple, "hey, sweet girl."
"You didn't greet me that way when I came in," Kia protested while ambling inside of the kitchen. I pulled away from my mother and placed Layla onto her feet, "green doesn't look good on you, boo." I went into the cabinet and pulled down the fine china that was reserved for occasions such as this. "I'm not wearing green though." Mother and I turned to her, chuckling in unison. Knitting her eyebrows, Kia placed her hand on her hip, "what's so funny?"
"Green means jealousy, Kia. Lord, have mercy," mother tapped the spoon against the edge of the bowl, the excess cornbread batter landing into the mixture, "sometimes I wonder about you, child." I sauntered to the dining table, placing the piece king plates on each of the table mats, "is grandma going to be able to make it or does she have a second service?" Mother bent over and popped the baking pan into the oven, "she should be pulling up. She called and said she was on her way about fifteen minutes ago."
Cackling bounced off of the walls outside of the kitchen and in waltzed the footsteps of my father, Leroy, and Damon. "This boy is a certified fool," father sat a plastic bag atop of the counter and began to pull out miscellaneous items. He transported a roll of paper towels and placed it onto the holder. opened the pack to retrieve a roll. Turning and leaning against the counter, father crossed his legs at the ankles, "check this out."
Having gained everyone's undivided attention, father continued his claims, "I ask the young lady at the register if I could get ten dollars in cash back. She responds that they didn't have any cash to give out, so, I inquire as to why the machine would ask if there was no money in the register. She retorts by saying just because it's there, it doesn't mean that it's available, with an attitude and shit. So Dee says," he chuckled, fighting to hold his composure, "and just because those leggings were on the rack in a size small doesn't mean you should have attempted to slide your ass in them. Boy, when I tell y'all I was in there about to pass out. She was hotter than a dragon's ass."
