“Is it, because I am,” Lamar admitted. “I see things as either black or white.”
She cut out a half dozen biscuits, placing them on a greased baking sheet, and then brushed the tops with melted butter. Nydia wanted to ask Lamar, if they disagreed on something, would it be his way or the highway? He’d admitted to being rigid, while she was more adaptable and willing to compromise.
“Where are we going for dinner?” she asked as she placed the biscuits into the preheated oven.
“I rented a car at the airport because I’d like to take you to City Island.”
Resting her hip against the countertop, Nydia flashed a knowing smile. “Should I assume my offering to prepare breakfast has nothing to do with you returning the favor, because you’d already planned to take me to dinner?”
Lamar lowered his eyes and flashed a sheepish grin. “Guilty as charged.”
“I’m willing to bet that you added a dose of confidence to your Froot Loops for breakfast.”
His grin faded, replaced by an expression of astonishment. “How do you know I eat Froot Loops?”
“I have nieces and nephews around your daughter’s age, and oatmeal is not at the top of the list if selecting their favorite breakfast cereal.”
“I do eat it occasionally when Kendra decides to take over the breakfast duties from Miss Ramona. The breakfast menu is always Froot Loops, toast with peanut butter and bananas, and orange juice. Talk about sugar overload.”
“It’s the gesture that counts, Lamar.”
He nodded. “I know. How come you don’t have any kids?”
“Hel-lo,” Nydia drawled. “I’m not married.”
“Being married shouldn’t be a prerequisite for motherhood.”
“For me it is.”
“And what if you never marry?”
“Then I won’t have any. It’s not that I don’t have what you’d called maternal instincts, because I love hanging out with my nieces and nephews. It’s just that I’d rather be married, because I grew up in a stable household with both parents. I’m certain Papi and Mami had their disagreements, but they were careful not to let us see them at each other’s throat. I’ve been around friends and some family members when they were engaged in knock-down, drag-out, full-blown baby mama and baby daddy dramas. Their kids were crying and pleading with their parents to stop fighting, and I knew that was something I never wanted to experience for myself or my children.”
“Maybe that’s because the parents think only of themselves and not how their negative behavior is affecting their children’s emotional well-being.”
“You’re preaching to the choir, Lamar.”
Nydia had had the same conversation with her mother whenever Isabel asked if she was ever going to have more grandchildren. Nelson’s wife had two girls and Joaquin and his partner had adopted two boys, but that still wasn’t enough for Isabel. Well, her mother would just have to wait for another grandchild until Nydia met the man with whom she would fall in love, marry, and together plan for a family.
Although she had spent more years with Danny than she should have, Nydia never deluded herself in believing they were even close to considering marriage.
She returned her attention to finishing up breakfast as she made a roux from the sausage drippings and flour. Milk thickened the roux, as she seasoned it with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper before adding bits of sausage to the gravy.
Twenty minutes later, Nydia placed golden brown piping-hot biscuits on a platter and handed it to Lamar. He returned to the kitchen to set a serving bowl with grits on the dining area table. She ladled perfectly turned over-easy eggs onto a heated plate, walked out of the kitchen, and joined Lamar as he stood behind a chair, waiting to seat her.
“Thank you,” she said, as he pushed in her chair.
Lamar rounded the table and sat opposite her. “You really can throw down in the kitchen.”
“I do okay.”
“Now who’s being modest,” he teased.
“You better start eating before everything gets cold.”
He picked up a napkin and spread it over his lap. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”
Nydia picked up a serving spoon and filled her plate with grits, eggs, gravy, and a biscuit. She bowed her head and said grace, knowing Tonya would be pleased that her student had successfully prepared an authentic Southern breakfast.
