“All I’m saying,” Angie says, “is that the poor girl is currently carrying your only daughter, Princess Ginger. With two months to go, she’s surely exhausted. And yet, she tells me that you rub her feet each night for only ten minutes.”
“Ten minutes a piece ,” Malcolm says.
“Regardless. She’s carrying life and you dare put a time frame on her comfort level? … Oh no, of course he didn’t, dear … Malcolm, your father says you didn’t get that from him.”
“I’ll make sure to make Danielle happy when I get home.” Malcolm looks at me and then cuts his eyes away. I know Malcolm, I hate her too.
“Thank you. Now about this solo that my Nicky darling is singing. Cadence, informs me that there may be a problem with the bridge … yes, okay … Cadence says Nicky’s not sticking his note.”
“Ma, Nicky will do fine tomorrow. All he needs is a little tea and a drop of honey—”
“You would think that since Prince Nicholai is making his singing debut, you’d be a bit more dedicated to his number,” Angie says in near disgust. “But to be honest, I must agree with Cadence on this, you’re acting as if Nicky’s breakout role is quite ordinary. Need I remind you that he’s the star in the King of Queens?”
“The what? Jesus is the King of Kings .”
“Oh you didn’t hear? Dun-yell lobbied for a name change for the play, so now it’s called the King of Queens.”
“Of course she did.”
“You see, this is the shit you should know, my love. So, I trust that you’ll help Nicky on his number when you arrive back home?”
“Yes Ma, we’ll do another run through.”
“And Dun-yell?”
“I’ll make sure I take care of her.”
“Very well. Oh and FYI, I went ahead and picked Roman up for the night. He’ll be staying over here. Nicky needs his parents’ full attention tomorrow before his performance. But if you like, you can come over here with Roman and I can stay at your place tonight to properly assist Dun-yell with the Prince tomorrow. You’ve never been any good at handling matters efficiently.”
“Ma, I just put Roman to bed before I left the house. Why’d you wake him up?”
“Hmm … I think I can see what Dun-yell’s talking about now when she says backtalk . So, we’ll see you bright and early at the church tomorrow. And please make sure you bring Nicky’s tea, lemon and honey with you. We’ll likely need to keep a cup waiting for him off stage.”
“Okay Ma, goodbye.”
“Ta-ta.”
“This is my life when Queen Angie comes to town ,” Malcolm says to me as he presses End on his phone. “I never thought I’d be one of those guys who actually longed for the day that his mother and wife hated each other.” He puts his phone in his coat pocket. “Imagine my life when my parents move back to Boston next year … just in time for the Ginger’s arrival.”
“So this is Danielle’s life, huh?” I say. “Presidents and mother-in-laws and musicals.”
“What did I say about those glasses?” Malcolm steals a look at me. I roll my eyes and then lean my head back against the headrest. Yeah, we’re definitely going to Marlon and my condo now. I guess the moment was inevitable; I need to talk to him. I’m sure he’s pulling his hair out by now. I’ve been ignoring him for weeks and his voicemails have gone through all the necessary stages of grief:
Denial : “Hello Jasmine, this is Marlon. I just called to let you know that I’m perfectly fine with you posing naked for Jacob and not me. Just so
“Ten minutes a piece ,” Malcolm says.
“Regardless. She’s carrying life and you dare put a time frame on her comfort level? … Oh no, of course he didn’t, dear … Malcolm, your father says you didn’t get that from him.”
“I’ll make sure to make Danielle happy when I get home.” Malcolm looks at me and then cuts his eyes away. I know Malcolm, I hate her too.
“Thank you. Now about this solo that my Nicky darling is singing. Cadence, informs me that there may be a problem with the bridge … yes, okay … Cadence says Nicky’s not sticking his note.”
“Ma, Nicky will do fine tomorrow. All he needs is a little tea and a drop of honey—”
“You would think that since Prince Nicholai is making his singing debut, you’d be a bit more dedicated to his number,” Angie says in near disgust. “But to be honest, I must agree with Cadence on this, you’re acting as if Nicky’s breakout role is quite ordinary. Need I remind you that he’s the star in the King of Queens?”
“The what? Jesus is the King of Kings .”
“Oh you didn’t hear? Dun-yell lobbied for a name change for the play, so now it’s called the King of Queens.”
“Of course she did.”
“You see, this is the shit you should know, my love. So, I trust that you’ll help Nicky on his number when you arrive back home?”
“Yes Ma, we’ll do another run through.”
“And Dun-yell?”
“I’ll make sure I take care of her.”
“Very well. Oh and FYI, I went ahead and picked Roman up for the night. He’ll be staying over here. Nicky needs his parents’ full attention tomorrow before his performance. But if you like, you can come over here with Roman and I can stay at your place tonight to properly assist Dun-yell with the Prince tomorrow. You’ve never been any good at handling matters efficiently.”
“Ma, I just put Roman to bed before I left the house. Why’d you wake him up?”
“Hmm … I think I can see what Dun-yell’s talking about now when she says backtalk . So, we’ll see you bright and early at the church tomorrow. And please make sure you bring Nicky’s tea, lemon and honey with you. We’ll likely need to keep a cup waiting for him off stage.”
“Okay Ma, goodbye.”
“Ta-ta.”
“This is my life when Queen Angie comes to town ,” Malcolm says to me as he presses End on his phone. “I never thought I’d be one of those guys who actually longed for the day that his mother and wife hated each other.” He puts his phone in his coat pocket. “Imagine my life when my parents move back to Boston next year … just in time for the Ginger’s arrival.”
“So this is Danielle’s life, huh?” I say. “Presidents and mother-in-laws and musicals.”
“What did I say about those glasses?” Malcolm steals a look at me. I roll my eyes and then lean my head back against the headrest. Yeah, we’re definitely going to Marlon and my condo now. I guess the moment was inevitable; I need to talk to him. I’m sure he’s pulling his hair out by now. I’ve been ignoring him for weeks and his voicemails have gone through all the necessary stages of grief:
Denial : “Hello Jasmine, this is Marlon. I just called to let you know that I’m perfectly fine with you posing naked for Jacob and not me. Just so
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