16 Isn't Always Sweet by Cassandra Carter

Author:Cassandra Carter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kimani Press
Published: 2008-08-25T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 12

“No! Don’t! Come on, Mom! Please! Stop!”

Everyone’s laughter tormented Jordan as she desperately tried to snatch the leather photo album from her mother’s hands. The night had taken a disastrous turn. One minute, they’d been sitting at the dining room table eating a delicious dinner, and the next, they were being entertained by her intimate baby pictures over brownies à la mode in the living room.

Her mother was quite the storyteller. Jordan glanced around the room to see her brother wiggling in his seat and Warren holding his fist at his mouth to prevent his food from spilling out when he laughed. She rested her head on the armrest of the couch. She had given up on stealing her mother’s spot in the limelight. Her mom was thoroughly enjoying her time as the center of attention, and she was using Jordan to do it.

“And here’s my little Jordan again. She was only three months old.” Olivia leaned closer to Warren and presented him with one of the most embarrassing photographs ever taken of her. Jordan was naked, asleep on a white sheepskin rug.

“Mom!”

“Hey, give that back!” Her mother began cracking up after Jordan escalated her tactics and managed to jump up and retrieve the source of her problem. She hastily creased the photo and stuffed it in her pants pocket.

“Ha, ha, I saw your butt!” Tariq teased.

“Shut up, Riq!”

He stuck his tongue out.

“You two, stop it. We have company.” Their mom looked each of them in the eye as she scolded them, but her voice turned sweet when she addressed their guest. “Warren, did you know that Jordan used to call me ‘the bestest mommy’? Isn’t that adorable!”

“Whatever. She used to be a daddy’s girl. I don’t know what happened.” Her father hadn’t said more than a dozen words that evening. He’d been speaking even less to or about Jordan lately, since his discovery of her treachery.

“I think I need some air. Warren, don’t you need to be getting home soon?” Jordan’s knees were so weak she was barely able to stand as she waited for Warren to catch the hint she was throwing his way. She didn’t quite know how to take her father’s comment.

“My daughter has no sense of hospitality, does she?” Her mother shook her head and shut the thick collection of priceless memories. “Oh well, you two run along, then. It was such a pleasure having you over today, sweetie. You take care.” She gave Warren a tender hug and kissed the air next to each of his cheeks.

“Nice meeting y’all. Thank you for having me. The food was so, so good.”

“Anytime, anytime.” Olivia waved off the compliment as though it meant nothing, but she took great pride in her cooking.

“So you’re kicking me out, huh?” Warren kicked loose pebbles along the walkway after Jordan led him outside. She linked her arm in his as she escorted him to his car.

“I can’t believe that just happened. I really used to say ‘the bestest.’” Jordan was feeling sensitive as she looked back on the embarrassing afternoon.

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