"Latch"

Giving Up

"Good morning. You're finally outta bed, and your eggs are cold now!", Ms. Blair said to me as I walked in the kitchen still half sleep.

"Good mornin' everyone... thanks for breakfast Ms. Blair.", I said, taking a seat at the table.

"Good morning Ms. Melanie.", Chaylin said.

I gave her a warm smile, "Hey pretty girl."

"You must've been tired.", T said.

I nodded, "I really was... but that sleep was amazing."

I had soon realized that August didn't bother to acknowledge the fact that I was in his presence. He sat quietly at the counter, while scrolling through his phone.

I ignored it though, and started to eat my breakfast that Ms. Blair had made.

"Chay, go see if your sisters are dressed and ready so we can be out the door in the next 5 minutes.", Ms. Blair said to her granddaughter.

"Ma, I can have my driver drop them off to dance. I gotta go dat way too.", August said.

"Oh, okay then.", Ms. Blair said.

I intervened for a short moment because I was unsure of what August had to do, where he had to go, and if it was important or not.

"Aug, remember, your interview is scheduled for 3 o'clock... It's 11:10 now.", I said.

"Yeah I know.", he replied, without looking at me.

August, T, and the girls left out of the house, leaving me and Sheila alone.

"Thanks for breakfast again Ms. Blair.", I said.

"Not a problem.", she said.

There was another moment of silence between us, so I just sat there thinking of what to say next.

"I see August had to have gotten his cooking skills from you.", I said.

"Yeah. He's still learning though.", she said. She paused for a few seconds until she turned the faucet water off, making sure I heard her, "What's up with you and August?"

Her random question caught me off guard and I wasn't sure that I knew exactly what she meant by it. "What do you mean Ms. Blair?", I asked.

"Are you and him sleeping together?",she asked without hesitation.

I sat up straight, with widened eyes, "No... No ma'am."

Did she really just ask me that? She did.

"Okay... Well I know my son... I know when something is bothering him AND when his feelings are involved, so I'm gonna tell you now, if it needs to be fixed, fix it!", she said sternly.

"I understand  Ms. Blair. I do... August and I just had a slight misunderstanding, that's all.", I said.

"I don't pry into his business, unless he chooses to tell me himself, but I can sense what's going on Melanie. You two need to just be mindful of each other's feelings.", she stated.

I was gathering up thoughts of what to say to her in reference to that, but my phone had went off with a call from Leslie, Shawn's mother.

"Excuse me Ms. Blair.", I said to her as I answered my phone.

"Hello.", I said.

"Hi sweetie! How are you?", Leslie said.

"I'm okay Ms. Leslie, and yourself?", I replied.