Page 12 of The Marriage Rebound

Chapter 6

Sasha

I released a long exhale after putting my SUV in Park. Vuitton turned in circles in the front seat, instantly recognizing my grandmother’s house. Just sitting in the driveway, some of the tension that had been on my shoulders since Courtney walked out on me lessened a tiny bit. Being in my empty house was something I was used to, but it was different this time, and I’d needed to escape.

“Big Mama?” I called out as I entered the home I’d spent the majority of my time in as a child.

It wasn’t large or fancy by any means, but it was pure comfort. A safe haven of warmth. The one place where I always experienced unconditional love. As soon as I put Vuitton down, he ran off toward the kitchen. Big Mama had complained about having an animal in her house in the beginning, but that quickly morphed into her spoiling him with treats more than I did. She was probably his second favorite human, though sometimes, with the way he preferred to follow her around when here, he might be her first.

“Ooh, Sasha, baby, this is a surprise,” she said, glancing at me over the rim of her glasses.

She sat at the large kitchen table nursing a cup of tea, while the small mounted TV in the corner played her daytime soaps. The nostalgia of sitting here with her over the years, snapping peas or shucking corn while watching her shows on the old tube TV, gave me the sense of peace I’d came here for.

Vuitton, who rarely listened to anyone, sat curled up at her feet, patiently, not making a sound or begging like usual. Hell, he didn’t even get onto the furniture here. He knew he had his beds, and he stuck only to those. Big Mama had that effect.

I leaned down and kissed her cheek. I tried not to think about how, while her skin was unbelievably soft, it also felt paper-thin and fragile. “I was missin’ you.”

She held my hand as she rested back in her chair, the old wood creaking under the movement. “Mmm-hmm, is that right?” It was hard not to squirm under her intense scrutiny. “Welp,” she finally said with a smack of her lips and slap to the table as she heaved herself to her feet. Vuitton perked his ears up expectantly. “You hungry? I think I got a lil’ sumthin’ in the fridge.”

“I can get it.”

She placed her warm palm against my cheek. “You got sumthin’ on your mind, baby. I can see it plain as day. Sit, I got it.”

I covered her hand with mine, forcing a smile and fighting back tears. This was why I’d come here. Her understanding and caring. She eased her way over to the same refrigerator that’d been in the house since forever. It was probably one of the first side-by-side fridges. I don’t know if it was originally white and had just faded to the current off-tan color it was now, or if that was how it’d come. The ice and water dispenser had stopped working years ago. One of the handles had broken, and she’d just tied a length of leather to the remaining piece and kept it pushing.

I’d offered plenty of times to replace it, or do a full kitchen renovation, but Big Mama was of the “if it ain’t broke” mentality and refused every time. While she went about pulling containers from the fridge, I hung my purse on the back of a chair then settled at the table. I bought her a bigger TV for the living room sometime back, but she hardly used it, choosing to spend most of her time watching the kitchen one.

She worked diligently loading food onto a plate for me. Wrapped in the familiarity of home, my mind wandered back to the last forty-eight hours, and I fought back the roller coaster of emotions I’d been dealing with since Courtney had walked out. I’d honestly thought she would have been gone for a night then come to her senses. But she hadn’t, and communication had been limited. She’d sent a single text to let me know she’d made it to Tina’s and confirmed it’d only be a few days. But that could be three or five—she’d given no clarification. And I hadn’t asked for any.

She’d walked out on me. She’d left me . . .

We’d argue, she’d walk off in the middle, which annoyed the shit out of me, but she’d never left.

Why did everyone leave?

“Here you go. Eat up, then we’ll talk.”

Her calming voice pulled me from my spiraling thoughts. I looked at what Big Mama had placed in front of me. Her “lil’ sumthin” was fried chicken, yams, green beans, and rolls. And Vuitton had his own mini helping, which he was already gobbling down.

I narrowed my eyes at her.

Hands on hips, she frowned at me just as hard. “What’s that look? You don’t want it?”

“Nah, just wonderin’ who you been cookin’ for?” I twisted my lips to the side and stared at her with full judgment. “What man I gotta go chase off?”

She smacked her lips again and waved me off. “Please, ain’t no man. I gotta eat. And them meals the church be tryin’ to send ’round—” She turned her lips up in disgust. “I don’t know who they got over in the kitchen, but I’ll do for myself for as long as I’m capable. And the last thing I need to be worried ’bout is some man wantin’ to be all up under me.”

I smiled at the indignation in her words and how it faltered at the tail end of her statement. Her health issues over the last year, while minor for the most part, were still a stark reminder that she was pushing ninety. It was the one reason I hated being over two hours away. Even though she was as headstrong as ever and fiercely independent, evident in the fact she refused to move out of her house.

But her hair was more gray than black these days, and thinning so much she was rarely seen without one of the colorful, satin-lined turbans I’d gotten her. And while she was still mobile for the most part, she’d slowed. A lot. More than I was comfortable with. The thought that I could lose her loomed in the back of my mind more and more each time I visited.

I shoved the uncomfortable fact away. “Well, as soon as you’re no longer capable, you’re movin’ in with me.”

She waved me off again then retook her vacated chair. “You and yo’ wife don’t want some old lady shufflin’ ’round yo’ house. Where is she, by the way? When I spoke to her, she said she’d come see me soon.”

I nearly choked on the bite I’d just taken. “You talked to Courtney? When?”

“Why you soundin’ so shocked?”