Drama Queens by ReShonda Tate Billingsley

Author:ReShonda Tate Billingsley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pocket Books
Published: 2010-01-28T16:00:00+00:00

19

Angel

I could not believe my eyes. Standing on the front porch of my house, with a large bouquet of yellow carnations in his hand, was Rico.

“May I help you?” my mother said. It was getting late, and both me and my mom were surprised to hear the doorbell ring.

I stood in the doorway behind her, frozen in shock that Rico would show up uninvited at my house. He’d been asking to meet my mom since we returned from Dallas, but my mom would be nowhere as understanding as his. I thought he realized that, but obviously not.

“Hi, Mrs. Lopez,” he said.

My mother eyed him suspiciously.

“I’m Rico,” he said, extending his hand. “And these are for you.” He handed her the flowers.

She took the flowers but didn’t shake his hand. “Thank you.” He flashed a warm smile at me. I just stood there with my knees knocking.

My mom looked at me, then back at Rico. “And you would be?”

“I’m Rico. Angel’s boyfriend.”

“Excuse me?” my mother replied, her voice like ice.

“May I come in and talk?”

My mother looked to me for answers, but I was still frozen in place.

“Do you know him, mija?”

“Yes, she does,” he answered for me. “I’m sorry I just showed up here, but I don’t like hiding our relationship.”

“What relationship?” my mother asked.

“If I may please come in?” He motioned toward the living room. “Angel will tell you I don’t bite,” he tried to joke.

My mother was not amused. “Mija, I will ask you again, do you know him?”

I nodded.

She stepped aside to let him in, closed the door, then set the flowers down on the sofa table. “Okay, does someone want to tell me what’s going on here?”

Rico walked over and gently took my hand. Instinct made me ease it free. I know he’d told me during our last conversation that he was frustrated, but I never thought he was pushed to this point.

“Mrs. Lopez,” he began, ignoring the fact that I’d pulled my hand away, “your daughter and I are in love.”

My mother raised her eyebrows. “Come again?”

“My name is Rico LeDay, and I have been seeing Angel—”

“Seeing Angel? What does that mean?” she said, cutting him off. “Angel has not talked with me about seeing anyone.”

“She was afraid that you wouldn’t approve.”

My mother looked him up and down, not impressed. Cocking her head, she said, “She was right. I know nothing about you. Are you aware that Angel is a young mother with responsibilities?”

“I understand that, and I want to help her with those responsibilities. I want to be a part of her and Angelica’s life.”

My mother spun her head sharply toward me. “He has met Angelica?”

“No, no,” I said, finally finding my voice.

“But I want to,” he interjected. “I want to be with Angel and her daughter. I want to take care of them.”

“What do you do?” she asked, exasperated.

“I’m a college student,” he replied.

She laughed, only it wasn’t a ha-ha laugh. More like a you-must-be-crazy laugh. “A college student? How do you think

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.