Incandescent

“Well, good night.”

“Night, Dad.”

10

Marcus

“Come here and give your auntie a hug,” Mom’s sister, Sherry, said as soon as I stepped inside the door. “I hear you’ve been working yourself to the bone. Just like my father did.”

Not like I have much else going on, I wanted to say. I adored my family, but they loved sticking their nose in my business. It was born of concern, of course, but sometimes I wondered how anything got by them. “It’s been busy, customers dropping off stuff to be salvaged left and right.”

She clucked her tongue. “Be sure you make time for other things as well.”

When my gaze met Keisha’s, she smirked, likely happy that it was me under the spotlight rather than her. She loved teasing me or joining in on the grilling I received from family members, and I gave it back good. Still, I didn’t dare pass up this cherished family time. Today it was only my mom, aunt, sister, and her boyfriend, Jeff. But I’d grown up with my cousins because Mom and Aunt Sherry remained tight despite their differences. One of my most vivid memories from childhood was the phone cord stretching across the room as Mom talked to her sister, sometimes for hours, while cooking or cleaning.

“I hope you’re hungry because we have plenty of food,” Mom said as I kissed her cheek. Mom always insisted on cooking for everyone, even though it was her birthday. I’d made sure to stop at her favorite bakery for a Black Forest cake and then at the store for vanilla ice cream.

“I definitely am.” I patted my stomach. “Besides, how could I refuse my mother’s amazing cooking?”

“That would be the day,” she said, raising her spatula at me. She was making her famous lasagna, and the smell had drawn me inside as I came up the walk. Aunt Sherry was in charge of the garlic bread, Keisha made a salad, and Jeff, who was a really nice white guy completely smitten with my sister, had gone out to buy candles because I’d forgotten. Again.

In fact, we were a pretty diverse family. Aunt Sherry’s second husband was from Colombia, and two of my cousins had what would be considered biracial marriages, just like my parents. Of course, back then, it was shocking for a white man to marry a Black woman, and up until the 1960s, it wasn’t even legal. I wished I could ask my dad questions about that time of his life because apparently, his parents had practically disowned him. But he was steadfast in his love for my mother, and the way she’d described it, despite those external hardships, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Once we’d all gathered around the table to eat, I dug into my lasagna, wondering how Delaney and Grant might’ve fared here with my family. Why it even crossed my mind, I didn’t know. Maybe because meeting Grant reminded me of helping raise our nephew and how vulnerable he’d been as a teen. What would I have done if he’d been living with us at the time of Carmen’s passing? I felt for Delaney in that regard. And based on what he’d shared in the grief group, he felt like Rebecca had been the better parent, and that bummed me out because he didn’t give himself enough credit. He was a good human being.

Sure, our friendship had turned awkward for a minute because of the way he’d initially responded to my dating news. But he’d more than made up for it since then, so I could forgive him for that. Besides, I got this feeling he was working through his own stuff regarding meeting anyone new, especially since he’d tried to gauge Grant’s reaction to the idea.

Speaking of dating, Aunt Sherry was already up to her shenanigans, pushing me to get out more. “Any new friends in your life?”

“Will you stop pushing him?” Mom scoffed. It was a point of contention with Aunt Sherry, likely because Mom had lost a spouse too and had never remarried.

“Actually,” I said because it was the perfect opportunity—and honestly, this was my family, and they were a huge support in my life, “I went on a date, but it didn’t go very well.”

“What?” Aunt Sherry said and looked accusingly at Mom. “And you didn’t tell me?”

“I had no idea,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “And I can see why. He didn’t want his nosy auntie meddling.”

Aunt Sherry rolled her eyes, and Mom patted my hand reassuringly.

“No one could replace Carmen, anyway,” Keisha said with a sniff. She and Carmen had been tight, and I didn’t expect her to easily accept anyone who came into my life.

“True. Which was probably why…” I trailed off, wondering if getting into the details now was the right decision.

“What was she like?” Mom asked, still looking shell-shocked about my announcement. “The woman you met?”