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"I agree, but I guess we have to handle a plate full of rabbit food."
"Okay, you two," Jeremy states with a grin while pointing our way. "Follow me." The housekeeper chuckles at our surprised reaction. "Your grandmother thought it would be more fun for you two to sit somewhere else. So you're not bothered with boring adult conversation." I raise my brow, and we both follow him as he leaves the room.
"Where are they going?" Cole asks.
"I asked Jeremy to set the table in the next room for them," my grandmother explains. "Oh, and Jeremy," she calls out, "don't forget to join us for dinner."
Jeremy stops and turns to glance at my grandmother. His lips curve as he responds. "Oh, I won't, Carmen. But first, I'll make sure these two have something to eat."
"This is delicious."Victor groans as he takes another bite of his hamburger.
"I agree," I mumble with my mouth full. We both laugh at how we're gormandizing the giant hamburger combined with sweet potato chips and other grilled vegetables. I never expected dinner at my grandmother's house could be this much fun. Victor is smart, and excellent company. I'm so at ease with him, I even told him about my mother's death.
"So, you play the piano?"
"What?" I ask, shifting my focus to him.
"You're easily readable, Samantha. You've been gawking at the piano at least twenty times since we're eating. Every few minutes, your eyes travel to it as if it has magic powers."
I stare at the dark brown wooden instrument as heat rushes to my face. "I love pianos. So each time I'm close to one, I want to touch or play it."
Victor shrugs. "What is stopping you?" His lips curl. "Come on, play something for me." Victor's encouragement is tempting. "Do it. It will stop your twitching fingers."
My mouth drops at his accurate observation. My twitchy fingers are what I call my oddness. Rachel calls it my internal piano junky, craving its piano fix. I tilt my head from side to side, weighing out what to do.
35
COLE
Warmth spreadsthrough my chest seeing Jeremy, sitting in between my mother and Alisha, listening to my girl, who talks about her work. It's as if he's protecting her from my mom. I don't doubt she expressed her dislike of Alisha to Jeremy. But she better get used to her because my Alex is going nowhere.
When I lived here, Jeremy always knew how to uplift my mood. He listened to me, and tried to get me to express my emotions. Growing older, he encouraged me to speak up and give my parents my genuine opinion. "You can't live their lives, Cole. You deserve to live your own life," he once told me.
As I take the last bite of roasted vegetables, I pay attention to my mother, who's talking with Beatrice. When I was young, I had to sit at this table for hours while the adults spoke about music, my father's, and later about my piano career. Even on the days my parents and I were alone, we discussed my grades or the next performance at the dinner table.
My eyes drift to the open door that leads to the room where Samantha and Victor are eating. My brain has a hard time believing my mom invited Victor, only to make sure her granddaughter would not get bored.
"How's the business going, Cole?" George asks.
I snap out of my musings and make eye contact with the man who's sitting opposite me. The last time I saw him, he didn't have the thinning hairline in front, and he weighed a few pounds less. Now his belly is pushing against the buttons of his dress shirt. But his sincere smile has remained.
"You're a hard-working businessman these days. You and your friend, Mr. Brown are a talented team."
I grin. "Yes, we're an excellent duo, and life has been busy."
"And how is fatherhood treating you?"
"It was challenging at first, but thanks to this woman," I say, placing my hand on Alisha's shoulder, "it turned out good. I had a lot to learn about teenagers and women’s stuff. She has helped me so much."
"You would have managed alone," my mom remarks.
My eyes snap to her. "No, not in this way. Alisha has been my savior. She's been the best thing coming into my life, Mother."
Alisha places her hand on my upper thigh and squeezes while changing the mood by speaking her unique mind. "Cole is doing well after I educated him on which tampons to buy, and which chocolate he had to store in the apartment when it’s that time of the month." Everyone except my mom bursts out into laughter at Alisha's explicit clarification.God, I love this woman.
"Oh, George, remember how we struggled when we brought Victor home after the adoption? Parenting can be a challenge. But Samantha is a kind young lady, so my compliments to you, Cole."
"Thank you, Beatrice."
