Cameron had convinced Malachi to go with her to pick their grandmother and great aunt from the airport.  She thought the change of scenery would be good for him.  Lately, if he wasn’t at school he was holed up in either his bedroom or his music room.  Malachi was sensitive and laconic, when he was upset he withdrew.  Cameron knew that if he withdrew any further, there’d be no reaching him.  She didn’t want to lose her brother.  They needed each other now more than ever.

“There they are”, Malachi said.  They watched as the two women walked out of the walkway between the plane and the terminal gate in mid fuss.

“Ernestine, you know it ain’t right to say somebody’s baby is ugly.”

“I didn’t SAY he was ugly, I said he looked like a crack baby.  Hands and face all dirty, clothes looking like he rolled around in Spaghettios.  Walkin’ round lookin like nobody ever loved him.  And the parents sittin right there while that little ankle biter tryin to put his nasty lil hands on everybody!  I was about to call Child Protective while we was still on the plane.”

“You ain’t have to say none of that to the people’s face, though!  You so damn ignorant sometimes.  If someone had said those things to you about Donnie or Renae, TSA woulda been carrying you out of this airport and off to the jailhouse!”

“Nobody woulda said anything like that to me about MY children because my children never looked like they was homeless dumpster divers.”

Della rolled her eyes and sucked her teeth.  “You make me sick, Ernestine.”

“I know.  But you love me and you stuck with me, so get over it.”

The two older women’s bickering was a constant source of amusement for the family and today was no exception.  Even Malachi found himself chuckling at their comical exchange.

“Are those my grandbabies standing there looking like grown folks?!”  Della exclaimed as she set eyes on Cameron and Malachi.

“Hey Grandma!”  The said in unison and moved in to sandwich their grandmother in a three way hug.

“So I guess Auntie Ernie is chopped liver now, huh?”  Ernestine said as she placed her hands on her hips in mock indignation.

“No, Auntie Ernie”, Cameron laughed  “we were going to give your lovin’ separate and special.”

“Lil girl, you fulla shit!”  Ernestine said as she threw her head back and cackled.  “C’mere and give me mah squeezes.”

Cameron and Malachi made a hug sandwich of their beloved auntie as well.

***********************

The foursome began their trek to baggage claim, with Cameron and Della leading the way.  Ernestine looked up at her great nephew.  He’d gotten taller and began to look more like a man.  He turned and looked at his favorite aunt and smiled a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.  

Ernestine stopped and pulled the young man to the side and faced him.  She cupped his face in her hands, looked him directly in his eyes and said  “You are NOT your father.  You have the power over the choices you make in life, so you will only become LIKE your father if you make the same choices HE did.  His mistakes today do NOT reflect who you will be tomorrow.  Understand?”

Malachi nodded his head as he fought back tears.  Ernestine wrapped him up in a hug and said “Alright, enough of this meaningful shit.  Let’s get to baggage claim so we can get my luggage.  I’ll even let you carry it.  That’s gon’ be fun for you!”

And for the first time in a week, Malachi laughed.  A genuine, honest to God, laugh.

***********************

They arrived at the house at around 2pm to find Lynne manically puttering around the downstairs living spaces, wiping down surfaces that had been wiped down twice already, fluffing already fluffed couch cushions and picking up imaginary pieces of lint off of the floor.  Lynne turned as she heard the door open.  Her mother walked in, took one look at her and said “Come here, baby”.

Lynne walked over to her mother and took comfort in the arms of the woman who had loved and cared for her all her life.  They stood there for a long while, Della rubbing and warming her daughter’s back and arms and Lynne basking in that much needed warmth.

“Mama I-”  Lynne began before Della cut her off.

“Shhh.  Ain’t nothin gotta be fixed right now.  Just let me baby you for a little bit.  I can’t make the pain go away, but I can give you some comfort.  That’s what mamas do.  So, let some of that tension go, cry if you gotta, Mama just wants to give her baby girl a little bit of peace.”

Della felt the sting of tears in her own eyes.  How many times did she wish her mother had been there to wrap her arms around her and soothe her when Ray was stomping on her heart?  She made the choice to stay with her husband because it was better for Lynne to have both of her parents, but it didn’t make each and every betrayal hurt any less.  Maybe her mother’s hugs wouldn’t have made the pain any more bearable, but she’d have liked the opportunity to know for herself.

Della pulled back and and looked at her daughter for a moment.  “You ain’t been eating.  Aww, Lynnie you wastin away!”

“I can’t eat, Mama.  I just don’t have an appetite.”

“Yeah, but you need to keep up your strength.  You lettin’ ya’self starve to death ain’t gon’ help the situation none and it sho ain’t gon’ help them kids.  You gotta be strong for them, even when you feel your weakest.”

“I know, Mama”, Lynne said softly.

“Tell you what.  I’ll get Cammie to take me to the grocery store and I’ll get the ingredients to make your favorite meal.”

Lynne looked at her mother with the hint of a gleam in her eye.  “Chicken and Dumplings?”

“Chicken and Dumplings.”  Della said, chuckling.

“And Peach Cobbler?”

“Girl...what happened to ‘I don’t have an appetite’?”

“You came in here promising Chicken and Dumplings and my stomach woke up.”  Lynne said sheepishly.

Della laughed.  “Well, let me go get Cammie so she can take me to the store to get the fixins for Chicken and Dumplings AND Peach Cobbler.”

Della got up and started to move towards the stairs when Lynne grabbed her by the wrist.  “I’m glad you’re here, Mama.

“Me too, babygirl.  Me too.”