My parents arrived, and Khiya and I stood for another round of introductions.
“Ms. Khiya, you are wearing that dress, girl,” Ma said as we returned to our seats.
“Thank you, Mrs. McCoy. I like your cheetah print, too.”
“Thank you, and please, call me Rita.”
“No ma’am. My mother would kill me, but I can call you Ms. Rita, if that’s okay.”
“That’ll work too, sweetheart. Sylas, I like her already. She’s gorgeous and has manners.”
“Thank you, Ms. Rita.”
Everyone laughed, and the small amount of tension that was present disappeared. The server arrived, and I was relieved when it wasn’t Livvy. I hadn’t seen her, so maybe today was my lucky day, and she wasn’t on the schedule.
We ordered drinks and appetizers, then spent a few more minutes looking at the menu. My father already knew what he wanted, so he waited patiently for everyone else to decide. When the server returned with our drinks and appetizers, we ordered our meals.
“Khiya, Sylas told us you’re from Waukegan,” my father said.
“Yes, sir, born and raised. Have you visited?”
“It’s been decades, but when I joined the Navy, boot camp was at Great Lakes Naval Base.”
“Oh yeah. Sylas and I went to dinner a few weeks ago at a restaurant that’s right down the street from the base.”
“I’m sure a lot has changed since I was last there.”
“Definitely, but you should come up for a visit,” she offered.
“How do you like being a flight attendant?” Taylor asked.
“It’s not bad, and it’s much better than being unemployed.”
We laughed and agreed.
“You have such a beautiful voice, Khiya. Do you sing?” my mother asked.
“Oh my God. I literally whispered the same thing to Maison the first time she spoke,” Taylor added.
“Thank you both. I get a lot of compliments on my voice, but as I told Sylas, singing isn’t my ministry.”
“That’s unfortunate. I can’t put my finger on what it is, but listening to you is so calming,” Taylor said.
“I appreciate that. Can you excuse me for a moment while I use the bathroom?” she asked.
“I’ll go with you,” Taylor offered.
Maison and I stood to help them out of their seats, and they disappeared. I happened to look at my parents when I returned to my seat, and their eyes were on me.
“You like her, don’t you?” Ma questioned with a smile.
“I think he more than likes her,” Pops said before I could answer.
“You might be right, Pops. These feelings are unfamiliar, and I’m not sure what to do with them.”
“Lean into them, Son. Embrace them,” Ma encouraged.
“But how can I be sure it’s what I think it is? I thought I loved Nicki, but what I feel for Khiya is deeper. There’s really no comparison.”
