back, “You mean besides my blood
pressure?”
“Val.” David put his hand on her waist.
“How are you doing, Corrine?”
“I’m fine, now that I see you.” She kissed
his cheek, watching Valerie. “I love that shirt. Lavender’s my favorite color,
but I’m sure you already know that.”
“Uh…” He looked around. “We all know that
right?”
Shanti dropped her head and exhaled. Please don’t trip, Aunt Val. Please.
“Sorry your blood pressure is high
tonight, Val.” Corrine wiggled her French tipped fingers. “Maybe if you weren’t
so salty, it wouldn’t be high.”
“ Ooo ,” Warren mumbled
as he covered his mouth.
“Corrine,” Vanessa interjected. “This is
Layla’s night. We don’t need any craziness.”
“I definitely didn’t mean that as a jab.” Valerie
nodded with the fakest smile Shanti had ever seen as Corrine continued. “I just
meant Val needs a little less salt in her diet.”
“You’re so right, Corrine.” Valerie
bounced on her heels. “What I’m gonna start doing is staying away from anything
with fat .” She winked. “That would
eliminate the salt in my diet.”
“I know you’re not calling me fat,”
Corrine said.
Valerie put her hand on her hip. “You said
it.”
“God,” Layla whispered.
“I said: Don’t start this mess,” Vanessa
said.
“Val.” David grabbed her arm. “Let it go.”
“What?” She tore her arm from David. “She
asked a question, and I answered it.”
Corrine wiggled her neck and her finger. “Honey,
you won’t find fat anywhere on this body. I guarantee it.”
David smirked as if to confirm Corrine’s
declaration.
“I won’t find a man on it either,” Valerie
said.
Corrine’s lip dropped.
“Ah shit.” Warren went to the doorway. “Let
me go get Layla’s cake before all hell breaks loose.” Then he ran out of the
room.
“Cool it!” Vanessa stood in between her
daughters. “How many times do I have to say we won’t have this mess tonight?”
“I’m fine, Momma.” Corrine moved away from
the others. “Once again, it’s Val with the problem and not me.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“Val, sit down.”
David helped her to the couch and sat
beside her. Aliyah walked in with her phone to her ear. She grimaced when she
saw Layla.
Shanti groaned. Liyah , please don’t start. We just put out
one fire.
“Hey, Liyah .”
Layla inched toward her. “How are you?”
Aliyah cut her gaze to Shanti just as Warren
breezed into the room with the cake. “Here we go,” he chimed, setting it on the
living room table.
“I’ll call you back,” Aliyah muttered into
the phone and hung up.
“Those are some snug pants.” Layla pointed
to Aliyah’s jeans. “I’m surprised you can breathe, let alone walk.”
Aliyah smacked gum. “I can do more than that in them.”
“Just cool it, Liyah ,”
Shanti said. “Be nice.”
Aliyah pointed to Layla. “I didn’t do anything,
and she’s starting with me.”
“Who is ‘she’?” Layla squinted. “I know
you’re not talking about me in that tone.”
“Come on over here and have some cake.”
Warren started cutting it. “Stop all this foolishness.”
“What are we supposed to eat the cake on?”
David asked. “Our hands?”
Warren leaned up. “Goodness gracious,
Nessa.”
“What?” Vanessa asked.
“I thought you got the plates.”
“You did not ask me to get them.”
Vanessa stomped out of the room as Warren
glanced at Corrine. “I love your momma. But I swear that sometimes she ain’t
got the sense God gave a toenail.”
David laughed under his hand.
“I won’t ask for a hug,” Layla said to
Aliyah.
Aliyah sat down on a chair. “Good, because
pigs will be flying before you get one.”
Vanessa came back into the room with the
plates. “We’re not gonna have that talking back, Liyah .
You’re not disrespecting any grown up while you’re in my house.”
In response, Aliyah smacked her lips. “I
don’t care.”
pressure?”
“Val.” David put his hand on her waist.
“How are you doing, Corrine?”
“I’m fine, now that I see you.” She kissed
his cheek, watching Valerie. “I love that shirt. Lavender’s my favorite color,
but I’m sure you already know that.”
“Uh…” He looked around. “We all know that
right?”
Shanti dropped her head and exhaled. Please don’t trip, Aunt Val. Please.
“Sorry your blood pressure is high
tonight, Val.” Corrine wiggled her French tipped fingers. “Maybe if you weren’t
so salty, it wouldn’t be high.”
“ Ooo ,” Warren mumbled
as he covered his mouth.
“Corrine,” Vanessa interjected. “This is
Layla’s night. We don’t need any craziness.”
“I definitely didn’t mean that as a jab.” Valerie
nodded with the fakest smile Shanti had ever seen as Corrine continued. “I just
meant Val needs a little less salt in her diet.”
“You’re so right, Corrine.” Valerie
bounced on her heels. “What I’m gonna start doing is staying away from anything
with fat .” She winked. “That would
eliminate the salt in my diet.”
“I know you’re not calling me fat,”
Corrine said.
Valerie put her hand on her hip. “You said
it.”
“God,” Layla whispered.
“I said: Don’t start this mess,” Vanessa
said.
“Val.” David grabbed her arm. “Let it go.”
“What?” She tore her arm from David. “She
asked a question, and I answered it.”
Corrine wiggled her neck and her finger. “Honey,
you won’t find fat anywhere on this body. I guarantee it.”
David smirked as if to confirm Corrine’s
declaration.
“I won’t find a man on it either,” Valerie
said.
Corrine’s lip dropped.
“Ah shit.” Warren went to the doorway. “Let
me go get Layla’s cake before all hell breaks loose.” Then he ran out of the
room.
“Cool it!” Vanessa stood in between her
daughters. “How many times do I have to say we won’t have this mess tonight?”
“I’m fine, Momma.” Corrine moved away from
the others. “Once again, it’s Val with the problem and not me.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
“Val, sit down.”
David helped her to the couch and sat
beside her. Aliyah walked in with her phone to her ear. She grimaced when she
saw Layla.
Shanti groaned. Liyah , please don’t start. We just put out
one fire.
“Hey, Liyah .”
Layla inched toward her. “How are you?”
Aliyah cut her gaze to Shanti just as Warren
breezed into the room with the cake. “Here we go,” he chimed, setting it on the
living room table.
“I’ll call you back,” Aliyah muttered into
the phone and hung up.
“Those are some snug pants.” Layla pointed
to Aliyah’s jeans. “I’m surprised you can breathe, let alone walk.”
Aliyah smacked gum. “I can do more than that in them.”
“Just cool it, Liyah ,”
Shanti said. “Be nice.”
Aliyah pointed to Layla. “I didn’t do anything,
and she’s starting with me.”
“Who is ‘she’?” Layla squinted. “I know
you’re not talking about me in that tone.”
“Come on over here and have some cake.”
Warren started cutting it. “Stop all this foolishness.”
“What are we supposed to eat the cake on?”
David asked. “Our hands?”
Warren leaned up. “Goodness gracious,
Nessa.”
“What?” Vanessa asked.
“I thought you got the plates.”
“You did not ask me to get them.”
Vanessa stomped out of the room as Warren
glanced at Corrine. “I love your momma. But I swear that sometimes she ain’t
got the sense God gave a toenail.”
David laughed under his hand.
“I won’t ask for a hug,” Layla said to
Aliyah.
Aliyah sat down on a chair. “Good, because
pigs will be flying before you get one.”
Vanessa came back into the room with the
plates. “We’re not gonna have that talking back, Liyah .
You’re not disrespecting any grown up while you’re in my house.”
In response, Aliyah smacked her lips. “I
don’t care.”
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