Adair, however, noticedeverything. Especially the way his mother folded her arms and tilted her head to the side like she was squinting through a microscope. She didn’t say a word, just stared at them.
“Why they looking like that?” Sabine whispered, teeth behind a smile.
“Probably cause you’re standing next to me instead of across the yard from me,” Adair muttered back laughing. “They ain’t seen this shit in forever, baby.”
Ade was the only one unaffected, dragging them forward.
“Grandma, look!” he called, bouncing down the porch steps to Pam. “Mommy and Daddy came together!”
“Mmhmm,” she said, squatting down to greet him. “I see that.”
“And they was kissin’ again!”
“They was what?” Pam straightened slowly.
“Kissin’,” Ade repeated proudly, beaming. “On the mouth. Like this—” He puckered then started moving his lips and adding tongue making Reeka damn near choke on her wine cooler.
“Oh my God,” Sabine looked up at the sky liketake me now, Lord. “Adair Dayne Jr.!” she called their son by his full name, unable to hold in all her laughter. “You stop it!”
“It’s…” Adair tried to clear his laughter. “We just…we were talkin’.”
“Talkin’,” Pam echoed. “Mhm…”
“Communicating,” Sabine added quickly. “For Ade.”
“For Ade,” Pam repeated, not blinking. The one who’d caused the trouble had already run off to play with the other kids.
Sabine tried to shift the energy. She didn’t quite understand Pam’s disposition about them being together. “Where’s Aunt Terry? I brought her favorite wine.”
“In the house,” Pam answered, still staring between them. “She been talkin’ folks ears off about her new knees since twelve o’clock.”
“I’ll go give it to her,” Sabine offered and started toward the door.
“Take Adair with you,” Pam called. “Y’all seem to be attached at thelipslately.”
“Oooop!” somebody said.
Sabine stopped walking.
Adair scratched his neck. “Ma?—”
“Boy, I’m observant and y’all think y’all slick.”
Reeka leaned back, chuckling. “Told you.”
Sabine turned around, cheeks warm, but her voice calm. “We didn’t plan to show up together. It just kind of happened. Ade had a good morning, so…we let it be a good day.”
Pam’s expression softened just a little. “Good,” she said. “Let it be one but remember, folks who walk in here together better walk out the same way. Especially when you got my grandbaby blurting out your business like the six-year-old he is.”
“Yes ma’am.” Adair nodded, his jaw tight with a held-back smile.
Sabine grinned and touched his arm. “Come on. Let’s find your aunt and get out the spotlight,” she whispered. They slipped into the house, past the judging eyes and knowing smirks, and left a trail of speculation in their wake.
Aunt Terry was exactly where Pam said she’d be—reclined in the living room, legs elevated on a stack of pillows, surgical stockings beneath a house dress, TV on low, fan oscillating in the corner. She had a plastic cup of Crown Royal in one hand and her phone in the other, swiping.
“Bout time y’all brought my gift,” she said without looking up. “And I hope it ain’t no damn lotion basket.”
Sabine laughed and held up the wine bag. “Imported. Sweet red. The one you made me drive two towns over for last year.”