asked.
“Yes,” Tai replied. “King sees her when he visits Miss Smith in the hospital. You know she just had surgery. Deacon Nash visits her often, too, prays and reads the Bible with her.”
“That’s good. Nancy will appreciate having Deke there. They’ve known each other for years.” Mama Max appreciated Deacon Nash being there regularly, too, instead of King, but she kept her concerns about King and Tootie to herself. She prayed the years apart had cooled the once unquenchable ardor between them. “You have any problems with King being at the hospital?”
“Not anymore,” Tai answered. “I’m not going to let something that happened so long ago worry me now.”
“That’s exactly right, baby. Let bygones stay gone. Who knows? She might even come to church.”
Tai didn’t know how she felt about that. “Well, hopefully not in one of her cat suits.”
Both Mama and Tai remembered the sinfully tight outfits Tootie had brazenly worn to the Lord’s house.
“Oh, chile, she probably can’t fit into those anymore.”
Tai tried to squelch her strong desire for Tootie to have aged badly. “I pray everything turns out okay with her mom,” she said, with compassion. While not extremely close to her, Tai couldn’t imagine life without her mother, or her mother-in-law. “Thank God for you, Mama.”
“Think nothing of it, baby.”
“Hey,” Tai said, wanting to change the subject and lighten the mood, “you want to work out today? You haven’t been in what, about two weeks now?”
“No, chile, these old knees been giving me trouble. Best I sit in this here house and act my age.”
“I pray you never start doing that,” Tai answered sincerely. “I told the kids I’d take them to the movies later. If you’re feeling better, we can go see something for grownups while they watch what they want. That sound good?”
“Now that sounds like something I’ll be able to handle. Can sit on my behind in their chairs as well as my own, I ’spect.”
They finalized their plans. Tai would go to the gym and then head over to Mama’s. Mama would make sure Princess and the twins were ready. Putting the omelet fixings back that she’d grabbed for her and King, Tai decided on two boiled eggs and toast instead. Better for her workout, the second one of the day. The first one had been with King and, yes, it was still good.
8
Big Booty Tootie
“I’m glad the men decided to play a few holes, give us some time to catch up,” Tai said to Vivian, as they strolled leisurely to Vivian’s Escalade.
“Me, too,” Vivian replied.
They had just enjoyed a few jostled, crowded hours in LA’s famous “garment district.” Vivian usually didn’t have the patience for the dense street vendors, or “The Alley’s” rambunctious atmosphere, but on special occasions, such as when she had her best friend in tow, she braved the traffic and ventured into the masses. It had been worth it. There were a few upscale shops that sold her beloved designer suits at a third of what she’d pay for them elsewhere. Plus, the February day was perfect, not a cloud in the sky.
Vivian punched a button and heard the locks pop open. She and Tai placed their bags in the handy back compartment and carefully slid onto soft leather seats.
“You haven’t been here since the summit,” Vivian said, as she pulled away from the curb. “I can’t believe you guys are flying back right after the wedding.”
“You know King is trying not to miss a service,” Tai answered, buckling her seatbelt. “At least he got a guest minister for the morning message. We’ll take a morning flight out and be home by five.”
King and Tai had arrived Friday, a little after nine A.M., to a sunny, warm day in Los Angeles. A car had picked them up and whisked them to Derrick and Vivian’s, where Vivian had prepared a sumptuous breakfast of homemade waffles, fluffy scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, fresh fruit, coffee, and juice. They’d spent a couple
“Yes,” Tai replied. “King sees her when he visits Miss Smith in the hospital. You know she just had surgery. Deacon Nash visits her often, too, prays and reads the Bible with her.”
“That’s good. Nancy will appreciate having Deke there. They’ve known each other for years.” Mama Max appreciated Deacon Nash being there regularly, too, instead of King, but she kept her concerns about King and Tootie to herself. She prayed the years apart had cooled the once unquenchable ardor between them. “You have any problems with King being at the hospital?”
“Not anymore,” Tai answered. “I’m not going to let something that happened so long ago worry me now.”
“That’s exactly right, baby. Let bygones stay gone. Who knows? She might even come to church.”
Tai didn’t know how she felt about that. “Well, hopefully not in one of her cat suits.”
Both Mama and Tai remembered the sinfully tight outfits Tootie had brazenly worn to the Lord’s house.
“Oh, chile, she probably can’t fit into those anymore.”
Tai tried to squelch her strong desire for Tootie to have aged badly. “I pray everything turns out okay with her mom,” she said, with compassion. While not extremely close to her, Tai couldn’t imagine life without her mother, or her mother-in-law. “Thank God for you, Mama.”
“Think nothing of it, baby.”
“Hey,” Tai said, wanting to change the subject and lighten the mood, “you want to work out today? You haven’t been in what, about two weeks now?”
“No, chile, these old knees been giving me trouble. Best I sit in this here house and act my age.”
“I pray you never start doing that,” Tai answered sincerely. “I told the kids I’d take them to the movies later. If you’re feeling better, we can go see something for grownups while they watch what they want. That sound good?”
“Now that sounds like something I’ll be able to handle. Can sit on my behind in their chairs as well as my own, I ’spect.”
They finalized their plans. Tai would go to the gym and then head over to Mama’s. Mama would make sure Princess and the twins were ready. Putting the omelet fixings back that she’d grabbed for her and King, Tai decided on two boiled eggs and toast instead. Better for her workout, the second one of the day. The first one had been with King and, yes, it was still good.
8
Big Booty Tootie
“I’m glad the men decided to play a few holes, give us some time to catch up,” Tai said to Vivian, as they strolled leisurely to Vivian’s Escalade.
“Me, too,” Vivian replied.
They had just enjoyed a few jostled, crowded hours in LA’s famous “garment district.” Vivian usually didn’t have the patience for the dense street vendors, or “The Alley’s” rambunctious atmosphere, but on special occasions, such as when she had her best friend in tow, she braved the traffic and ventured into the masses. It had been worth it. There were a few upscale shops that sold her beloved designer suits at a third of what she’d pay for them elsewhere. Plus, the February day was perfect, not a cloud in the sky.
Vivian punched a button and heard the locks pop open. She and Tai placed their bags in the handy back compartment and carefully slid onto soft leather seats.
“You haven’t been here since the summit,” Vivian said, as she pulled away from the curb. “I can’t believe you guys are flying back right after the wedding.”
“You know King is trying not to miss a service,” Tai answered, buckling her seatbelt. “At least he got a guest minister for the morning message. We’ll take a morning flight out and be home by five.”
King and Tai had arrived Friday, a little after nine A.M., to a sunny, warm day in Los Angeles. A car had picked them up and whisked them to Derrick and Vivian’s, where Vivian had prepared a sumptuous breakfast of homemade waffles, fluffy scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, fresh fruit, coffee, and juice. They’d spent a couple
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