Wildflower by Imari Jade

date a young lady from around here?”
    “I like her,” Kolby said. “And it’s not like we’re going to be walking down the aisle or anything soon. We’re just dating.”
    “You don’t know anything about her,” Sonya said. “For all we know she could have a dark past.”
    “Mama, please,” Kolby said. Usually it took a lot more than this to get on his nerves. “The superintendent of schools personally called and asked her to come and teach here in Brazoria. He must have run a background check on her before hiring her. I thought you would be glad that I finally found someone I can be with.”
    Sonya put her hands on her hips and glared at him.
    “She’s not good enough for you.”
    He had taken about enough of his mother’s bullying as he could.
    “You have no right to say that. There is nothing wrong with Aliya Harris. You, mother, are just jealous.” Kolby entered the house, leaving his mother on the porch with Hale. Unfortunately his brother-in-law would get the brunt of Sonya’s ire. Kolby stomped up the stairs and entered his room.
    Luckily Marissa was still at her friend Darla’s house or she might have heard everything her grandmother had said. Marissa liked Aliya, and his daughter was a good judge of character. That was enough for him. Maybe it was time for him and Marissa to go looking for another place to live.
    There was a tiny knock at his door hours later as he prepared for his date with Aliya. Kolby opened it. Marissa stood at the other side.
    “Can I come in?”
    “Sure, baby girl,” Kolby said stepping aside. “What’s wrong?”
    “Nothing,” Marissa said. “I heard you were going out on a date with Ms. Harris.”
    “And you came to stop me?” Kolby asked.
    Marissa shook her head.
    “I came to make sure you look presentable.”
    Kolby laughed and shut his bedroom door.
    “You’re wearing a suit,” Marissa said.
    “Yes, is something wrong with that?”
    “You don’t even wear a suit to church,” the six-year-old said. “You must really like her.”
    “I do,” Kolby said. “She’s a very nice woman.”
    “I’ll have to agree with you on that, but I don’t think grandma likes her.”
    “That’s her problem,” Kolby said. He wondered what his mother had said around or to Marissa about Aliya.
    “Do you think grandma doesn’t like her because she’s African-American?”
    Kolby sighed. That thought had crossed his mind, but he didn’t think so. He thought it went deeper than color.
    “No. I think grandma is afraid she’s going to lose you and me.”
    “What do you mean?” Marissa asked, sitting down on his bed.
    “Maybe grandma thinks we’ll move away from her.”
    “Will we?”
    “Eventually,” Kolby said. “It wouldn’t be right to put such a burden on her again. She needs to be able to enjoy her life with grandpa alone.”
    “But where would we move?”
    He had been thinking about building the house he originally promised Meredith.
    “We would just move out of the ranch house into a new house on the property,” he said. Even he knew it was best to live close to the ranch in case any problem arose.
    “Is Ms. Harris going to live with us?”
    “I don’t know,” Kolby said. “This is just our first date. She might figure out that she doesn’t like me.”
    “I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Marissa said. “You’re cute and you’re hot.”
    Kolby laughed.
    “What? Where did you hear that from?”
    “Aunt Genieva. She was talking to Ms. Harris at the time and probably didn’t know I was eavesdropping on their conversation.”
    “You know that isn’t right,” Kolby said.
    “Yeah, I never did it again,” Marissa admitted. “What does hot mean?”
    “It means I’m a good man,” Kolby said.
    “Oh, I thought it meant you have a great butt.”
    “Are you sure you’re only six?” Kolby asked his daughter.
    “Pretty sure, but my birthday is coming up quickly.”
    Kolby finished his tie. “How do I look?”
    “Like the