Page 29 of All Out of Love

But as they were walking inside, Grayson was curious. “You and that young lady have similar features. Is that your sister?”

So much for an easy getaway, Toya thought. She nodded. “My baby sister,” she said as if that said it all, and then they walked on inside.

As suspected, her mother and her mother’s boyfriend were at the small kitchen table playing cards, smoking weed, drinking beer and arguing. It was a constant sight.

Toya didn’t want to introduce them, either, but she did. “This is my mother and her boyfriend Earl. Ma, Earl, this is Mr. Carrington, my employer.”

Her mother looked at Grayson. “Your employer? I thought your ass was in jail. You and Bam.”

“I was.”

“Then where Bam at? Why didn’t you bring Bam home too?”

Toya just stood there. “How in the world was I supposed to bring him home?”

Her mother, as was her way, would say something outlandish and then move on. She moved on. “You can’t keep yourself out of trouble, can you?” her mother said. “I don’t know what’s wrong with you, Jameesha, but you live in trouble. You getting too old for this shit.”

“I’m saying,” Earl said.

Toya wanted to lash back at both of them, but she didn’t bother. Earl paid all the bills. He was the only one in that whole house with a solid, dependable job. He had a right to his opinion.

But Toya had a right to ignore him too. “I’ll be back,” she said to Grayson and hurried to her room to grab her luggage.

Grayson remained standing while Toya went to the bedroom she shared with her little nephew. He saw where Toya got her good looks from because her mother was most attractive. And she kept taking peeps at him. Until she spoke up.

“What’s your intentions with my daughter?”

Grayson smiled. “I’m just helping out.”

The mother gave him an assessing look. “Oh I’ll bet you are.”

It was so accusatory that Grayson didn’t know what to say to that. So he said nothing. And then Toya returned.

He grabbed her garment bag and the suitcase she was carrying. Toya looked at her mother. “I’m going to be away for a few days, Ma,” Toya said.

“For a week,” Grayson corrected her. No way was he allowing her back there in a few days. Or even in a week, he was beginning to believe.

“I’ll be back in a week or so,” Toya corrected herself.

“Alright now, child, you be careful,” her mother said. “Don’t let that white man get that milk for free.”

Although Grayson smiled, Toya was stunned. “Mama!”

“Don’t you mama me! That goes all the way back to slavery! Black women and these white men. You better know what you better know!”

Had Toya been a white girl her face would have been fire-red. She was just that embarrassed.

But Grayson reassured her mother. “You needn’t worry about that, Mrs. Morgan.”

“Yeah un-hun. That’s what they all say. Until they knock you up and disappear. Watch him, Toya. You better know what you know!”

“He’s helping me, Ma. He’s done nothing but help me.”

“And then he’s gonna expect you to help him,” her mother shot back. “I’m telling you now. You always think you so smart when you ain’t been smart enough to keep yourself out of trouble. Robbing a store with Bam. Girl get out of my face! And now you expect this white man to help you and save you and be there for you. All them other girls thought so too.”

“That’s not what this is, Ma.”

“Where you think all these half-white babies running around this neighborhood come from? From them white boys, that’s where! But where them white boys at? Where they at, Jameesha? I know what I know!”