The irony is real, y’all.
We finish dinner and I tell my mom and sister I’ll clean up, so they go outside with the men to sit on the porch and enjoy the evening.
Which leaves me and Nu-Nu. I know my grandmother has things she wants to say. She’s had that look on her face through dinner, like there’s something on the tip of her tongue. I just have to wait for her to ask it.
“So you have thetouch,” she finally says.
A bitter laugh escapes my throat. I slide the last plate onto the drying rack and take a seat at the table across from her.
“I didn’t ask for it,” I say, in case she’s wondering.
“Of course you didn’t. Do you think you chose it? No, it chose you.”
I let that sink in. I’ve never thought about it like that. When the blue sparks began plaguing me, I figured it was a freak occurrence, something that needed to be kept a secret. It never occurred to me the powerchose me. “Well, now the whole town knows. Any day now, an angry mob will appear, especially after what I did to Stone.”
“You know, your great-grandmother was touched, too.”
I blink. “What?”
Nu-Nu nods. “She had a little bit of magic in her. Kept it to herself mostly, made little healing remedies for folks. Now, she never gave anyone amnesia that I know of—”
“Darn.”
Nu-Nu laughs. “Come on. How bad was it that it happened? Really? From what you said at the church— You’re not pregnant, are you?”
I roll my eyes. “We weren’t marrying because I’m pregnant.”
She claps a hand over mine. “That’s real good,cher. Not that I would’ve minded a little great-grandbaby, but you know, I’m old and traditional.”
“I know. It’s okay.”
She draws her hand away and leans back. “What was I saying?”
“About the church—Stone losing his memory and it being my fault.”
She shoots me a sympathetic look before continuing. “From what you were saying, it didn’t sound all that bad—like he became a better person when he lost his memory. Hell, I’d probably become a better person, too.”
We laugh, and light dances in her eyes. “I know right now things may seem hard, but they’ll get easier. This’ll pass, and even though folks might’ve been upset because of what you did, no one there pulled a pitchfork out of their butt and came after you, did they?”
“No, I guess they didn’t.”
“Times are changing, and even if Stone Maddox don’t forgive you, I know what you did came from goodness. You weren’t trying to hurt no one. Were you?”
“No, I just wanted him to seewhyI did it, and it wasn’t for me.”
“That’s because you’ve got a good heart. Don’t let no one tell you different.”
“I’ll try not to.”
“That’s my girl, and if anyone comes to your house looking to burn it down, you call me. I’ll come over and sit on them.”
I laugh, because Nu-Nu isn’t a waif. She’s got some weight on her, and knowing my grandmother, she probablywouldsit on someone who wanted to hurt me.
I rise and wrap my arms around her neck. “Thanks, Nu-Nu.”
“You’re welcome. Now, give me some sugar and get out of here.”
I kiss her cheek and head to the front porch. I say goodbye to my family. Even though they don’t repeat what Nu-Nu said, that they would protect me, I know they will—they’ve got my back no matter how this unfolds.
