“I’ll probably leave soon. I’m just waiting to hear back from my doctor’s office. They’re trying to work me in.”
I move closer. “Do you need me to take you? What if they can’t get you in?”
“Your father will take me. If they can’t, I’ll go to urgent care. I probably just need to have my medication adjusted.”
I nod but am not completely satisfied, although I’m not sure what I can do. She’s going to the doctor and Daddy’s taking it seriously so that’ll have to be okay. I’m not sure about her diet when she’s not around me, but when she is, it’s very heart-healthy so maybe she’s taking that seriously too.
“Hopefully that’s all, Mama. We’re about to open, so just holler if you need anything.” I pass my backpack as I exit the office and remember the mail that was on the door when I came in this morning. “I almost forgot. This envelope was taped to the door when I came in.”
She opens it as I’m leaving again and gasps. I spin around and run to her. “What is it, Mama?”
Tears stream down her face as she places the paper that was inside the envelope on her desk with trembling hands. She gestures for me to look at it.
I reach for it, but I don’t want to read it. Thoughts race through my mind on what it could be. Could something have happened to one of her parents or siblings? They would call though, not leave a letter. I rack my brain on what it could possibly be that has Mama so upset. Finally, I just read the damn thing. Then my world goes black.
*
When I get the call from Restaurant Family Feud, it couldn’t have come at a better time. We’ve been stressing all week since we got The Letter. I press End on my phone and run downstairs to the restaurant. Since we’re in the middle of dinner service, I go through the back straight into the kitchen, hoping not to disrupt Sue’s flow.
The kitchen in bustling. There’re four cooks along with Hannah and Sue, who’s barking orders and moving swiftly. I smile and wave as I pass through looking for Wyatt and Mama, moving through the door into the dining area, but staying out of sight of the customers. The room is packed, not an available table in sight. I glance at the bar. Wyatt’s behind it with Siobhan, one of the bartenders.
I look down at what I’m wearing and pause. In my haste to deliver the news, I didn’t really pay attention to the fact that I’m in yoga pants and a holey T-shirt. I haven’t exactly been living my best life since The Letter ruined all my carefully laid plans. Maybe it all happened for a reason, and today’s news will get us where we need to be. I rotate and head back through the kitchen and up the stairs to make myself presentable, including scrunching my curls with a little water and shea butter. I don’t worry about any makeup though. I grab my purse and keys. I’m assuming I’ll need to drive to Mama’s after I talk with Wyatt since I didn’t see her anywhere downstairs.
This time I go through the front of the restaurant so I don’t disturb the kitchen twice in a row. I wave at the hostess and speed over to the bar where Wyatt is watching Siobhan mix the signature drink he finally finished creating for Smothered in Love. He looks up and nods, switching his focus back to the bartender.
I wait at the end of the bar, hopping up and down, moving back and forth, trying and failing to keep myself in check. Wyatt finally puts me out of my misery and grabs my arm, leading me outside.
“What in the actual hell, Rowan?”
“Well, I was going to tell you to sit down, but you dragged me outside so…”
“People were starting to stare. What is wrong with you?”
“The question is what is right with me. Not wrong, little brother.” I crack my neck right, then left. Then pop my knuckles. “I just got off the phone with the producer of Restaurant Family Feud. The Ortiz family had to drop out for personal reasons. We’re back in.”
Wyatt bugs his eyes and drops his mouth open. “No way.”
“Oh, way.” I scream, “We’re in.”
He grabs my arms and we bounce around in a circle laughing and crying.
When we finally calm a bit, Wyatt asks, “Have you told Mama?”
That sobers me right up. Mama isn’t up to this competition. “I haven’t, but do you think she hasn’t been well because of the stress of losing the lease?” Getting The Letter has taken a toll on all of us. I didn’t take Wyatt’s gentrification warning seriously although the landlord had already dropped his bomb. We just hadn’t read it yet. The building is being sold and our lease won’t be renewed. We have six months to find a new home, which is basically impossible because anywhere available nearby is twice what we pay now. And that’s for the same size space.
“She was fatigued before we heard the building was being sold. She’s probably gotten worse because of the stress. What are we going to do?”
“I’m not sure. I was heading over to her house after I talked to you. Have you spoken to her today?”
“Yeah, earlier. She called Sue to say she wasn’t coming in so I called her. Daddy was on his way over there when I talked to her.”
I rub the back of my neck and stretch out the stress settling there. “We’ll figure something out. She definitely can’t do it though. I have an idea, but I need to talk to her first and check with the producer.”
“Good luck.” He pats me on the back and
