Page 26 of Loyal
When she places her hand on the doorknob, she turns toward me with a serious look on her face. “Loyal, I just want you to know, I don’t care what others think. Not when I already know what kind of man you are.”
For some reason, my heart races at her words.
“And what kind of man would that be?”
“The kind I’m falling in love with,” she whispers before slipping outside, leaving me standing in my front entry, speechless but with a smile on my face.
I’m nervous. Loyal is coming over to meet my daughter, and I have no idea how it is going to go.
Farrah wasn’t happy when I mentioned the dinner to her, but she is here and at least being quiet for the moment.
The doorbell rings, so I go to answer it.
“You look nervous,” Loyal says in lieu of greeting.
I hug him, letting him kiss my cheek. “I am.”
“It’s going to be fine,” he reassures me.
I wish I could believe that.
“Come in. Honey, this is Loyal. Loyal, this is my daughter, Farrah.”
“It’s very nice to meet you,” Loyal says, offering her his hand.
She ignores it. “So you’re Mom’s new boyfriend. What are you? Ten?”
“Farrah,” I chastise.
The corners of his lips twitch, but he doesn’t take the bait. “No, I’m twenty-two, but I have a feeling you already knew that. It’s okay to not like me. I know this is a big change for you, but I’m hoping with time you can see that I’m not here to steal your mom away from you. I only want to make you both happy.”
“I’d be happy if you left,” Farrah hisses under her breath.
“You will be polite,” I remind her.
She forces a smile. “My apologies. Can we eat? I’m hungry.”
She leaves the room and heads toward the dining table.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper to Loyal.
“Stop apologizing for her. She is a teenager who refuses to accept the divorce of her parents. Of course she isn’t going to like the first guy you bring home. She will get used to it, though, because I plan to be the last too.”
He kisses my cheek quickly before going to sit at the table. I head into the kitchen and grab dinner, bringing it out to the table one dish at a time.
I can hear Loyal trying to make conversation, but Farrah isn’t reciprocating.
She needs time.
I remind myself of that as I bring the last dish in.
“My famous meatloaf with mashed potatoes, brown gravy, and corn. I made pineapple bubble cake for dessert,” I tell them.
“Looks amazing. Thank you,Mami.”
I watch as my daughter gives him a disgusted look but quickly hides it.
Progress?
