so.”
There was a knock at the door. Momma stood and walked over to see who it was.
“Moya,” she called out. “It’s Nessa.”
“Why don’t she come in then?” I asked, getting up.
Momma’s elated expression had evaporated. She stepped away from the door as I walked
over.
“I’ll leave you girls alone,” she said, going back to the living room to keep
Branden’s company.
Vanessa looked broken. Her eyes were red, as if she’d been crying.
“What happened?” I asked, taking her hand. “Come inside—”
She pulled away. “I can’t stay. I’m meeting my cousin in a bit. I wanted to
tell you I did it.”
“Did what?”
“I told Calvin I wanted to break up.”
“Oh, Nessa…” I stepped out on the porch and hugged her. “How’d it go?”
Easing out of my embrace, she replied in a low voice, “He actually cried. You
believe that? He never cried over anything, but he did tonight.”
“Is that why you’re so upset?” I rubbed her arm.
“No, not really. I guess I thought I’d hurt more. I thought
because we were together for so long, that it’d be way harder to end it with
him.” She shook her head slowly. “But it wasn’t. In fact, I feel better. I’m
not going around behind his back anymore, and I certainly won’t miss our
fights.”
I didn’t know what to say. Truthfully, I’d wanted it to work out between them.
They’d always fought and made up before. Then again, this was different.
Vanessa had fallen for someone else.
“Does he know about Warren?”
“No. I don’t want to tell him yet.”
“Nessa, he’s going to find out once they start playing basketball together—”
“I know, girl. It’s just…I don’t want to drop too much on him at the same
time.”
I lifted my thumb and wiped away a tear from her cheek. “I know. It’ll be okay.
I’m here if you need me.”
Hugging me again, she whispered, “I know you are. I gotta go though.”
“Okay.”
She turned and headed down the porch steps and around the corner to her house.
Right now, she wasn’t her funny, carefree self. But I knew that by tomorrow, her
laughter would return.
“Is everything all right?” asked Branden, coming out to the porch. He closed
the front door then tightened his strong arms around me, warming my body in his
embrace.
“I hope so.”
“Look at the sky,” he whispered into my ear. “There are so many stars. Not easy
to see back in Harrington.”
“I know.”
Spinning around, I linked my fingers around his neck and inched close to his
lips. “I’m starting to miss them.”
“What?”
“The fireflies.”
He grinned broadly and planted a kiss on my mouth. Like any other time he would
do this, it felt new, but always sweet.
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
Branden
First thing Monday morning , I went by Dr. Henderson’s office at St. Joseph’s Medical Center. I
didn’t make an appointment beforehand. That’s how desperate I was to make sure
it wasn’t the disease again.
Knocking on his door, I waited for a reply this time instead of barging in.
“Come in,” he answered.
The minute I did, I got right to it. “Can you check if its back?”
“Branden,” Dr. Henderson stood from his chair. “What happened?”
Composing myself, I moved around one of the chairs facing his table and plopped
down into it. Dr. Henderson settled back into his.
“Well, go on,” he prompted, growing concerned.
“Two days ago I had this sudden, throbbing pain in my chest. It was horrible. I
was…”
“Scared?” he finished for me.
Falling back in the chair, he took off his glasses and placed them on top of
the table. “And you think it’s back?”
I nodded slowly.
“It could be your chest is still going through a healing process. I wouldn’t
There was a knock at the door. Momma stood and walked over to see who it was.
“Moya,” she called out. “It’s Nessa.”
“Why don’t she come in then?” I asked, getting up.
Momma’s elated expression had evaporated. She stepped away from the door as I walked
over.
“I’ll leave you girls alone,” she said, going back to the living room to keep
Branden’s company.
Vanessa looked broken. Her eyes were red, as if she’d been crying.
“What happened?” I asked, taking her hand. “Come inside—”
She pulled away. “I can’t stay. I’m meeting my cousin in a bit. I wanted to
tell you I did it.”
“Did what?”
“I told Calvin I wanted to break up.”
“Oh, Nessa…” I stepped out on the porch and hugged her. “How’d it go?”
Easing out of my embrace, she replied in a low voice, “He actually cried. You
believe that? He never cried over anything, but he did tonight.”
“Is that why you’re so upset?” I rubbed her arm.
“No, not really. I guess I thought I’d hurt more. I thought
because we were together for so long, that it’d be way harder to end it with
him.” She shook her head slowly. “But it wasn’t. In fact, I feel better. I’m
not going around behind his back anymore, and I certainly won’t miss our
fights.”
I didn’t know what to say. Truthfully, I’d wanted it to work out between them.
They’d always fought and made up before. Then again, this was different.
Vanessa had fallen for someone else.
“Does he know about Warren?”
“No. I don’t want to tell him yet.”
“Nessa, he’s going to find out once they start playing basketball together—”
“I know, girl. It’s just…I don’t want to drop too much on him at the same
time.”
I lifted my thumb and wiped away a tear from her cheek. “I know. It’ll be okay.
I’m here if you need me.”
Hugging me again, she whispered, “I know you are. I gotta go though.”
“Okay.”
She turned and headed down the porch steps and around the corner to her house.
Right now, she wasn’t her funny, carefree self. But I knew that by tomorrow, her
laughter would return.
“Is everything all right?” asked Branden, coming out to the porch. He closed
the front door then tightened his strong arms around me, warming my body in his
embrace.
“I hope so.”
“Look at the sky,” he whispered into my ear. “There are so many stars. Not easy
to see back in Harrington.”
“I know.”
Spinning around, I linked my fingers around his neck and inched close to his
lips. “I’m starting to miss them.”
“What?”
“The fireflies.”
He grinned broadly and planted a kiss on my mouth. Like any other time he would
do this, it felt new, but always sweet.
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
Branden
First thing Monday morning , I went by Dr. Henderson’s office at St. Joseph’s Medical Center. I
didn’t make an appointment beforehand. That’s how desperate I was to make sure
it wasn’t the disease again.
Knocking on his door, I waited for a reply this time instead of barging in.
“Come in,” he answered.
The minute I did, I got right to it. “Can you check if its back?”
“Branden,” Dr. Henderson stood from his chair. “What happened?”
Composing myself, I moved around one of the chairs facing his table and plopped
down into it. Dr. Henderson settled back into his.
“Well, go on,” he prompted, growing concerned.
“Two days ago I had this sudden, throbbing pain in my chest. It was horrible. I
was…”
“Scared?” he finished for me.
Falling back in the chair, he took off his glasses and placed them on top of
the table. “And you think it’s back?”
I nodded slowly.
“It could be your chest is still going through a healing process. I wouldn’t
Similar Books
