That came from Vanessa, whose quiet concern pulled her back from the thoughts that wanted to play on loop behind her eyes.
“Yes,” she answered quickly. “Just trying to figure out what I’m eating.”
“Likely story,” Cree replied, nearly bringing a smile to Janae’s lips. If Cree was doing this to anyone else, Janae would find it funny. Hell, if she were honest, she’d be the one leading the charge. She certainly had done so when Vanessa was the one in the hot seat at the beginning of the fall when Vanessa and Michael had found each other.
Having that focus directed at her, she had to admit, it didn’t feel as great. Not because she didn’t want to share with her friends. These were her girls, she knew she could tell them anything. But sharing this thing that she couldn’t even name herself, it seemed too much, too soon.
Cree sighed heavily before speaking again, drawing another smile from Janae. “Fine, be that way. But at some point, I expect a full report on just what it was the two of you got up to after Vanessa and I left.”
“Hey, Ma.”
James’ warm greeting surrounded her, bringing a smile to her face until she turned around and realized that smile wasn’t reaching his eyes the way it normally did.
“Ladies, James just arrived home. I’m gonna talk to the two of you later.”
Her friends said their goodbyes and ended the call quickly. “What’s going on, baby?”
James’ eyes didn’t meet hers when she watched him from across the kitchen counter, instantly putting her mommy radar on the alert.
“Nothing.” His succinct answer was another hint that something was going on. James was very much like his mother. Being around people who made him feel safe always brought out the best in him. That kind of confidence acted as a beacon whenever the teenager walked into a room, drawing everyone’s attention. Not so today, though.
Today, he dropped his knapsack on the floor by the shoe rack, gave her a pitiful kiss on her cheek, and was headed upstairs when Janae called his name again.
“Okay, let’s try this another way.” She spread her hands against the counter as she looked at him. “My son, the boy who’s always got a smile for me, and is also a bottomless pit, just walked in this kitchen, barely sparing me a glance and without asking once if there was anything to eat. As far as I’m concerned, those two things are rare on their own, but together, are nearly impossible. So again, I’ll ask, what’s wrong?”
There was no better detective than a mother looking out for the welfare of her child. Realizing that, James sighed heavily, before sitting down at the counter in front of her.
“Last Friday was the first time I didn’t have to go to dance or fashion classes since I started the club at school. I rushed home from Dad’s because Mondays are early morning practices before classes begin. It didn’t really hit me until Dad dropped me off, and I realized I didn’t have to get up early because the program is done.”
The sad and dejected look in his eyes nearly broke her. Yeah, he was pretending to be strong, but the grief of loss rested heavily on his shoulders, making her ache for her son.
“Baby, I’m sorry you’re going through this. It’s not right thatthey cut your club. Don’t you worry, though. Your mama’s working on something.”
He shrugged, giving her hand a soft pat before heading toward the stairs. “What can you do, Ma? No need in stressing about the things you can’t change, right?”
“There’s a school board meeting coming up, and I plan to let those people who sit behind their desks making decisions know the real-world impact their cuts are having on you kids.”
James’ eyes widened as he slowly began to shake his head.
“Ma, please don’t go to that board meeting and show out. You know how you get.”
Janae opened her mouth to object, but James held his hand up to stop her. “Mama, it took me a long time to live down how you came up to the school and read my junior high school history teacher the riot act when I wrote about the Tulsa massacre for my term project, and he said there was no such thing as Black Wall Street.”
Janae couldn’t hide the smile on her face as she remembered that exact incident. She’d had that poor man in tears with him promising to do better when it came to learning and presenting Black history facts.
“I bet you he never tried that again.”
“Ma, that’s so not the point. When stuff happens, you get extra, and then I gotta listen to folks retelling the story like, ‘You remember that time James’ mother did…?’ No, absolutely not. I don’t want to go through that again.”
“Okay,” Janae said, walking over to her son, cupping both hands on his cheeks. “I promise I will try my best to keep my cool. Other than that, I can’t make any promises. I will do what I have to do when it comes to advocating for you. Is that good enough?”
He rolled his eyes, giving her that “I guess that’s the best I’m gonna get from you” look.
“Fine.”
That “fine” didn’t have a great deal of enthusiasm behind it. Totell the truth, she didn’t have a great deal of confidence that she’d be able to keep it together either. For her baby, though, she’d certainly give it a try.
“Dr. Henderson, the PTA president is going to be at the board meeting tomorrow.”
