“Yes, ma’am,” Brooklyn responded as she disappeared with Tessa in tow.
Ellie looked at the fresh fish that had been gutted and cleaned then seasoned in the stainless-steel sink.
“Papa, your blood pressuregon’be through the roof!” she scolded as she picked up the seasonings and looked at them.
“You preaching to the choir, Ellie; just leave it alone,” Cassidy stated as he bypassed the kitchen with her bags and headed for the stairs.“I’ma get y’all set up upstairs, then I’ma head to the liquor store. You want something back?”
“Casamigos,” Ellie said.
Cassidy nodded.“What about you, old man?”
“He don’t need no liquor plus all this salty food. His pressure!” Ellie protested.
“My pressure’s fine. The doctor’s been on it, and I don’t eat like this every day,” Papa defended. She opened the oven and saw three different types of dishes.
“Meat and pasta, seafood spaghetti, and cheese cannelloni. I know the youngest baby don’t eat meat.”
Ellie scoffed and turned to hug her old man one more time. She never had to ask for his consideration. He made decisions that were best for his entire family without having to be told or scolded. She loved him dearly, and she hadn’t realized how badly she had missed this house until this very minute.
“Welcome home, baby,” he said, eyes glossing because he, too, had missed her. He sniffed away his emotion.“It’sa celebration. Let me celebrate!”
“Okay, Cass,go’n and make your liquor run.” Ellie removed her coat and pushed her sleeves up to her elbows.“Homemade garlic bread coming up,” she announced.
“Bitchhhhh, did I hear homemade garlic bread? Don’t get started without me! I been trying to learn that recipe for fifteen years!”
“Aghhhh!” Ellie couldn’t even contain the squeal that erupted from her when Shy barged into the house. She had been letting herself in since they were teenagers, and today was no different. The two old friends ran to each other, screaming and talking over each other in their excitement.
“Oh my god, it’s so good to seeyouuuuu!” Ellie shouted.“Girl! You look good!”
Ellie hadn’t missed the enhancements. If she knew her friend like she thought she knew her friend, the new body hadn’t come from the gym.
“You know what they say. Hoesain’t ugly, girl, they just be broke,” Shy joked as she did a spin for Ellie. Ellie shook her head and smiled because nobody brought energy to a room like Shy. She was loud, bold, and unapologetic. She was all the things that Ellie was not, and it was the reason why they had become such good girlfriends. They were yin and yang. It just worked for them.“Hey, Cass,” Shy greeted.
Cass nodded her way and made his exit.
“Mr. Whitlock! I brought wine,”Shy said as she walked into the kitchen and planted a kiss on Papa’s cheek. She reached into her Birkin bag and pulled out a small bottle of Paul Masson.“And I got a little nip for you, too,” she whispered.
“Alright now. That’s my girl. Y’all get in this kitchen and keep an old man company while I set up this food. You know how to chop vegetables for a salad, or you too pretty to get your hands dirty?”
“You’re the only man I’d get in the kitchen for, Papa. I got your back. Come on,”Shy replied.
“Yougon’kick off them heels?” he asked.
“Now, I didn’t say I wasgon’turn down my sexy while I was doing it, Papa. Come on, now, keep up.” Shy’s banter brought so much laughter and lightheartedness to the room. She had always been a good time.
Ellie shook her head as she began to prep the homemade dough. Her aunt, Lisa, walked through the door next, and behind her came cousins and family members she hadn’t seen since her mother’sfuneral.
“Are the girls coming?” Ellie asked.
“Court is home with the baby and, girl, Sloanass be…”
“Working,heffa! Sloan’s ass be working!” Sloan finished the sentence for Shy as she snuck into the kitchen.
“Bestfrienddddd!” Ellie shouted. Instantly, they both teared up as they hugged. They swayed from side to side as their emotions got the best of them. They had always been this way. The closest of the bunch. Ellie and Sloan were more like sisters than friends, and time, life, and distance had made them miss each other terribly. Sloan pulled a bottle of tequila from inside her coat jacket as if they were still teenage girls and Papa wasn’t supposed to see it. She blew air kisses at Shy and then set the bottle on the kitchen island.“Is it shot o’clock or what?”
“Youain’t said nothing but a word, sis,” Shy countered.“Let me play bartender real quick. Ellie, go get my nieces so I can say hi before I take these shots. They not about to call me the drunk auntie. Where they at?”
“Girl, they’re around here somewhere with their cousins. Knowing Tess, she’s convinced Brook to take her sledding down that hill in the backyard,” Ellie said, shaking her head. She picked up her phone to FaceTime Brooklyn and, sure enough, when she answered, Ellie saw the large pine tree that marked the top of the sledding hill.
