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“That has nothing to do with it,” his wife said in embarrassment.
A few of Luke’s aunts giggled.
Ashanti slapped her knee and held a hand to her throbbing ribs. “Oh, it hurts. I’m laughing too much.”
Nai Nai eyed her in awe. “I’ve never met such a frugal young lady before.”
“Frugal?” Luke said, arching an eyebrow. “I think you mean cheap.”
Ashanti shoved him in the side. “Since I’m so cheap, why don’t you buy your own groceries from now on. Huh?”
“Ash, don’t be like that.” Luke reached for her.
She swatted him away.
Their playfulness earned them an eyebrow raise from Luke’s mother who was sulking on the opposite side of the room, far from the cluster of Zhang family members who had been chatting with her for the past hour.
“How delightful,” Nai Nai said. “I had the impression you kids were all about spending money and looking good for social media.”
“Maybe, but I was never like that,” Ashanti explained. “My mother died in childbirth and so my grandmother and father raised me. Grandma Flora used to take me to the market every Saturday morning. She taught me to pick the freshest produce and haggle for the lowest price.”
“Your grandmother would be very proud if she saw you now,” Yeye said.
Ashanti felt his words to her soul. “Thank you for saying that.”
“Well,” Yeye used the arms of the chair to push himself up, “it’s getting late.”
“Wait!” Mrs. Zhang skated toward them. “That’s it?”
“What’s it?” Nai Nai asked, gathering her purse.
“We were going to talk to Luke about his choices lately.”
“Ah yes.” Yeye straightened and Ashanti’s heart pounded. After all that, were they still going to demand she stop dating Luke because she was black?
Somehow, it would hurt more if she was rejected now.
Yeye’s fierce expression softened into a smile. “How are things at the café, Luke? I hear you’ve almost fulfilled your uncle’s work contract.”
“Yes, sir.” Luke nodded and dove into a brief explanation of the café’s profits and his plans for future renovations.
Yeye nodded intently. Ashanti studied him, unable to help the river of affection that flowed through her heart. This was her first time officially meeting Luke’s grandfather though she had seen him around at their various graduations through the years.
He had always seemed so grumpy from afar. She’d harbored a secret fear of him, especially when she and Luke became close friends and he explained how much power Yeye yielded in the family.
In Ashanti’s eyes, he was a dictator and a cold one at that.
She’d been so wrong. After only a couple hours in his presence, Ashanti felt warm.
“Keep up the good work,” Yeye said, tapping Luke’s arm in approval.
The Zhangs moved toward the door again when Luke’s mother threw herself in front of it. Her chest heaved and her black eyes gleamed with righteous anger. “No, this isn’t right.”
“What? What isn’t right?” Nai Nai snapped.
Mrs. Zhang’s gaze darted around the room. “You all agreed with me earlier! Intermarrying is harmful to the bloodline. How would we hold our heads up if our friends heard about a marriage between our son and a Creole girl?”
“Our necks won’t collapse because of a marriage,” Yeye said.
