AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“My aunt and uncle were very active with Congressman Emmitt’s campaign. He’s probably sending out messages to see what his supporters think. Which, by the way, I’m not one.” He winked, helping her to her feet. “Gotta love family gatherings.”
She smiled, drinking in his sparkling blue eyes, lit up with sarcasm. " Actually,” she said, nestling into his chest, “I do. Thank you for insisting I come.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “Are you kidding? My family wanted you here more than me. Let’s get my mom’s glass filled before she says something about Texas being backward and she wishes she could return to France. She’s good for a ‘The Skyler family needs to wake up’ lecture every few years, usually after some of the remaining ultra-conservative Skylers start complaining about Texas turning liberal, which would be a dream come true for my mom.”
She looped her arm around Jake’s bicep, covered in a thin gray wool sweater. “That would be amazing, but leave it to the men to fight hard if they think they are losing power and…”
“Whoa…are we that bad?”
“No, it’s anyone in power, but for…well, since forever, it’s been men, specifically white men, and it’s a struggle for people to give that up. They’re afraid. It’s sad, but…”
“I don’t know. I think you have all the power.” He smirked, his lips brushing against her forehead.
“We’ll see about that,” she said, pushing on his chest, but even as she said it, she thought about her mom, Annette, and Melissa. Hadn’t they all given up aspects of their lives for men or, more accurately, playing the traditional role of women?
After desserts and what seemed like controlled conversations that revolved around weather, future trips and the strong possibility of the Sacramento Condors going to another Super Bowl, the night dwindled as family and friends hugged and thanked David and Annette for hosting the gathering. Rakell observed how David initiated the response and said, “It was our pleasure” and that they couldn’t wait to do it again next year. They loved cooking for everyone, and on and on. Whereas Annette was curtly polite, her goodbyes were reminiscent of a flight attendant after a long transcontinental flight: “Great, glad you enjoyed, good night,” a rote farewell, delivered with a stiff smile.
As if reading her mind, Rakell heard Annette say to David, “You get the goodbyes from here. I’m getting the girls and heading to the hill.”
He bent toward Annette, but Rakell still heard him tease her, something about making it up to him later.
Annette quickly retorted as she turned toward the kitchen, " I already did. I said, ‘I do’ to all this.”
With a guffaw, David said, “Touché, my darling. I’ll give y’all some time by the fire before we join. I asked Luis if he could start it on his way back home.”
“Perfect,” Annette said, glancing at Melissa and Rakell, putting more dishes in the dishwasher as Georgia scrubbed a pot. “Stop all this, ladies.” Her eyes jumped to Jenae and Winnie. “Let’s make our way to the fire pit, just us. Jenae. Winnie, grab some bottles. Georgia, you and I can drive the golf carts.”
“Mom, I need to ask…” Melissa tilted her head toward the family room, where the kids watched a cartoon.
“Tell Tom to take the kids home. Dad or Jake will give you a ride later,” Annette directed, as if there wasn’t a discussion.
The next thing Rakell knew, they were gathering around the fire pit at what his family called “The Hill,” wrapped in blankets and drinking wine. Annette steered this ship, Rakell thought, watching her distribute blankets from the gazebo while Melissa and Jenae filled glasses. Georgia relented and let Eva have a glass after Winnie made the case that she was usually on her own and didn’t have to ask anyone. Rakell laughed when Georgia said, “You best be done with it before Dwayne and Jake make their way out here.”
“Yeah, because those two angels have room to talk,” Eva snarked as the others laughed. “I just wish Dwayne would find a girl he wanted to get serious with. I’d love a big sister, someone to neutralize him the way Rakell has softened Jake.”
“Not sure I’ve done that. I mean…”
“Oh, you have, Rakell. Well, not necessarily neutralized,” Melissa said, snickering, “but now he thinks more about us, about a woman’s perspective. That’s what I’ve observed.”
“I agree,” Jenae added before taking a long sip. “I think part of it is that you just kind of say it like it is, instead of what you think he wants to hear. So he’s forced to think about his own words.”
“Yeah, you’re definitely not all cheerleaderish with him, telling him how great he is and…” Melissa elaborated.
Rakell sucked in a breath. “I’m not trying to be difficult or…”
“Difficult, honey, is the word men use to describe women who speak their minds. Biology shows, by the way, that ours are just as intricate and capable as a man’s. So it makes sense that we would lend voice to our brains,” Annette explained. She lifted her plastic cup and said, “Here’s to our brains.”
Rakell sat back, thinking she’d never seen this side of Annette. She knew her as a serious, almost strict singing teacher and a doting wife and mother, and a few times she’d seen Annette quip with Jake, as a mother setting her son straight. She’d never taken note of the woman sitting next to her until now, making her head swim with questions. How did she reconcile leaving France to create a life in Texas? Did she feel shut down here? Had she given up her own dreams to be a mother? As those questions formed, the answers etched into Rakell’s head: yes, yes, she had.
Rakell blinked, casting her eyes on Eva. What was about to come out of her mouth was so inverse to how she’d lived before: closed off, cautious, never inviting people in, ensuring the entirety of her life remained hidden. This was her moving past the artifice of Marietta; this was her creating the person she wanted to be. “Eva, you have a big sister in me if you want…I mean, I’m not good at relationship advice or mushy stuff, but I know fashion and how to tell a guy to fuck off if needed.” Why had she said that?
Her mouth hung open as Eva walked past Georgia and Annette. Standing before Rakell, Eva opened her arms and said, “Deal, sounds like the perfect big sister to me.” Rakell wiggled her limbs around Eva as if this were natural to her.
The two broke apart when Georgia blurted out, “Yes, you are perfect, especially the part about telling guys to fuck off.” They all roared just as Jake’s pickup truck lights flashed, then turned off, and David, Dwayne, and Jake began piling out of the truck, a six-pack swinging from David’s arms.
“I have a new big sister,” Eva announced as they approached the fire pit. “Rakell.”
“Dwayne, that may be the answer to your prayers,” Jake chortled, standing behind the Adirondack chair Rakell was sitting in, twisting his mouth wryly as she swirled her head toward him. “Yep, she definitely knows how to make it hard on the boys.”
