Jahlani clears her throat. “Well, the plan is to become a statistician. I’m doing it for my internship hours.”
“Wow,” Audrey says, blinking. “I remember during my internship how busy I was. It wassucha crazy time. I barely saw my family. Do you get to see yours often?”
Jahlani blinks, tilting her head slightly as she nods.
“I mean, I live with my mom, but my dad lives in another state with his wife,” she says, sipping from her wine, her face burning. Audrey turns back, her smile faltering slightly before she slips it back on.
“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that,” she says, turning back to tickle Lucy, who suddenly spits up her food.
Huh.
“And that, folks,” Danica starts as Roman moves to start wiping her up, “is one of many reasons I sure as hell won’t be pushing anything out anytime soon—so you have nothing to worry about with me, Mom,” she says, tapping her hand. “I’ll be well on my way to the Supreme Court.” This earns a collective chuckle from everyone, and Jahlani can’t help the slimy feeling in her stomach when she looks up to see Roman looking at Audrey. It’s not long before they all start to clear the table and spread out into their respective locations as Gwendolyn waves away everyone’s help.
Jahlani turns from the kitchen, mumbling about needing to use the restroom. Once inside, she locks the door before pressing her forehead against the cool wood. Lowering herself onto the edge of the bathtub, she bites at the skin on her thumb. Dropping her hand, she then laughs to herself at the sheerstupidityof the entire situation.
She didn’t fight girls over boys.
And she sure as hell wasn’t about to start now.
Especially considering that nothingcouldhappen. Not again.
Turning the tap on, she lets it run over her hand before she presses them to her cheeks, cooling the warmth that had spread through from the wine.
Opening the door, she almost collides with Audrey.
“Oh, sorry?—”
“It’s okay.”
“Did I?—”
“—totally, my fault. I was standing too close,” she says breathlessly.
Jahlani nods, wiping her hands against her shirt as they lapse into silence. She starts to move to the side, but Audrey steps in her path.
“Hey, I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to come off like that. Well, Idid, but it wasn’t right, and I’m sorry.”
Jahlani exhales slowly. “Ireallywish I knew what you were referring to,” she says in mock seriousness.
Audrey’s lips lift slightly before dropping. “The holidays are a difficult time for me. I don’t know what I was thinking back there,” she says, shaking her head. She meets her eyes before looking away. “My mom passed away a few years ago, and I guess … I just assumed you had this perfect family … and yeah,” she says, exhaling shakily. “It’s stupid.”
Jahlani shakes her head, the muscles in her neck loosening. Thankful that for once, she didn’t assume the worst.
“Not stupid, and I’m sorry about your mom, Audrey,” she says. “Were you close?”
Audrey inhales, tilting her head in thought. “She was a complicated woman, but she was my mom, you know?”
Jahlani nods, thinking about her mom and her own complicated feelings toward her. She thinks about how she shouldtry harder. Be better.
Audrey sighs, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. “Anyway, I’m heading out. Happy Thanksgiving, Jahlani.”
“You too, Audrey.”
She watches Audrey slip on her shoes silently and speaks before she can process what she’s saying.
“Audrey,” Jahlani says, crossing her arms over her stomach. Audrey’s eyes flit to hers as she starts on the other shoe. Jahlani scratches her forehead. “If you … if you ever want to talk about your mom, I don’t mind listening. I know a thing or two about complicated mothers,” she says, shrugging. “I mean, I’m sure you have other?—”
“That would be nice,” she says, smiling as she stands to her full height. “I … thanks, Jahlani. I appreciate it.”
