Between You and Me

Chapter 14

"Mom! You made it!"

She grabbed her mother in a hug after she opened the door for her. Today was the day of their barbecue. Tristan was already on the grill, cooking up half a cow, nearly a whole pig, and enough chickens to fill a farm. Well, to her.

She had her small grill set up with her Impossible Burgers, veggie skewers, and corn.

"Child, I don't think I have been in this house for years, and now look, my baby girl owns it."

She walked her mother through the house to show her that pretty much things were the same. A few things updated on the house but not much.

"It's pretty much all the same. Kept GiGi's furniture and dining room table. New kitchen appliances and new washer and dryer."

"Something smells goodt!" her mother cackled when they made it into the kitchen. "Please tell me you're not cooking anything."

"No. Um...that's the roommate on the grill. He wanted to do all this actually." It was really her idea, but Tristan agreed to it. He was supposed to invite his mother, but for some reason, he had an excuse as to why she could not show up.

"He? You didn't tell me you're living with a guy."

Actually, she did tell her mother but of course, she would act as if she did not remember. Her mother was one of those strict parents that would not let her do much outside of school and come home. Even if a boy ever looked her way, she probably would not have been able to date him.

"Tristan goes to Ranken with Zee. A friend of hers. Aunt Rita suggested we have someone here and help out with things falling apart."

"Mph!" her mother grunted. It was the mention of her Aunt that set her mother off. She did not care for Aunt Rita, and the feelings were mutual. "I know her siddity ass ain't here, right."

"Who, my siddity ass?" Her Aunt Rita was just walking in from the back porch. "Well hello, JoAnne."

"Rita."

The two glared at each other. She never knew what the beef was between the two. She was not brave enough to ask her mother. Her Aunt Rita was always nice to her, but they were not close at all. She was not going to ask her either.

"Sorry about your mother," was all her mother said to Rita.

"Thank you."

"But isn't this house an old mess and couldn't you have sold it and given them the money?"

She rolled her eyes at her mother. No way would they sell GiGi's house that she bought with her grandfather. She loved that house, problems and all.

"Well, seems your girls are taking good care of the place. It looks great. Except for ma's garden." Aunt Rita hugged Johanna. "You need me to come by and help with that? I'm not your GiGi with a garden, but she taught me some things over the years."

She wished her grandmother would have taught her those things. Like cooking and gardening. The only thing she naturally got from her was her love for reading and writing.

"No Aunt Rita, I might plant some flowers."

"Now that boy out there looks like he knows what he's doing on a grill, so he doesn't need me hovering around. I'll relax in the living room in some cool air until the food is ready."

Soon as Rita was gone, her mother shuddered. "I never liked her. Thinks she's better than me because she went to college. Has a degree. She's a lawyer. So what!"

"Ma, just chill out. Come on, meet Tristan."

Outside, Tristan was in his favorite black gym shorts, she knew, because he wore them a lot, and a red St. Louis Cardinals tee-shirt. His braids were pulled back in a ponytail and he wore a fitted Cardinals hat as well. He wore Nike flip flops with crisp white socks. Standing over the grill with tongs in his hand and an aluminum pan filled with meat, he looked so hot to her.