Chapter 62 CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO.
Chapter 62 CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO.
"So... how have you been?" Yolanda asked after Brianna had insisted she drank the juice. "I know I don't have any right to ask but..."
"You have every right to know how I've been doing, Mama." Brianna took Yolanda's hands into hers. "I've been okay. I'm in the Navy."
"Oh god, I'm proud of you daughter."
"Thanks, Ma." Brianna grinned. "I'm a lieutenant. And I'm part of the most amazing team." Brianna told her mother briefly about her work. "Okay, enough about me. Tell me about you. Are you okay?"
"I haven't been okay since you left. My story is pretty depressing so why don't we stick to yours? Where's your friend?" She looked around.
"I'm sure he's outside," Brianna said.
"Call him to come in." Yolanda stood up.
"I'll go get him," Brianna said as she went to open the door. "Julian?"
Julian turned at the sound of Brianna's voice. "Are you okay?" He asked, standing and moving towards Brianna.
"I'm good." Brianna hugged Julian fiercely. "Thank you."
"Kenneth brought the grocery shopping." Julian gestured towards the shopping bags.
Brianna picked them up and gestured with her head. "Come on in."
Julian followed Brianna into the house and closed the door behind him. When he turned around, Yolanda was right there, staring at him with a curious look on her face.
"Are you my daughter's boyfriend?" she asked.
"Yes, Ma'am," Julian recovered quickly enough to respond. "I'm Julian."
"You're very handsome," Yolanda grinned as she opened her arms to Julian. And when Julian leaned down and hugged Brianna's mother, Brianna quickly went into the kitchen to hide the tears that were threatening to fall again. "Treat her well for me, please," Yolanda said quietly.
"I will, I promise," Julian responded.
"Thank you." Yolanda sniveled as she stepped out of Julian's embrace. "She's been through enough. She deserves some happiness in her life."
"I'm happy when she is," Julian said with so much emotion. "Her happiness is therefore my number one priority."
"God bless you son."
"God bless you too," Julian smiled. "I see where your daughter gets her looks. You're beautiful, Ma'am."
"Oh, not anymore." She gave a sad smile. "Sometimes when your sins are so terrible it tarnishes your heart, your outer shell also suffers."
"Don't say that." Julian drew Yolanda back into his arms.
"Everyone makes mistakes. The most important thing is being able to acknowledge the mistake, regretting it and making it right." He kissed Yolanda, who had started crying again, on both cheeks. "You've cried enough. It's okay," he whispered.
"I can't help it." She buried her face against Julian's chest. "I am a terrible mother. I had just one. Just one. I couldn't even manage with just one." She sobbed. "I'm happy that God has finally listened to my prayers and brought her back to me but not only do I feel so ashamed by what I did, I also feel unworthy to even call her my daughter."
"Shh... I don't think she'll agree with you." Julian rocked the sobbing woman in his arms until she calmed down. "Would you like to go and lie down for a bit?" he asked worriedly as he took in how weak the woman looked.
"No." Yolanda shook her head as she stepped back from Julian. "Sorry for getting your shirt wet."
"Don't worry about it."
"I'll just go upstairs and freshen up," she said quietly.
"Then I'll come down and prepare something for you to eat."
"How about we all go out and eat?" Julian asked. But he knew he'd said the wrong thing as soon as he saw Yolanda's eyes well up again.
"You're right." She nodded. "She wouldn't want to eat my food."
"Are you kidding me?" Julian exclaimed. "The woman has been talking about your food nonstop since we woke up this morning." Julian lied but the happy smile he saw on Yolanda's face made it so worth it. "I only spoke about eating out because I thought you were tired."
"I'm not. I'd love to cook for you kids." She wiped at her eyes. "That reminds me. The groceries..."
"I took care of it," Julian told her. "Kenneth is a good kid."
"Aw, you didn't have to."
"I wanted to. Don't take too long up there. We'll be waiting in the kitchen to help you cook."
"All right. Thank you, Julian," Yolanda said softly. "I'm glad she has you." With that, she turned and headed up the stairs.
When Julian entered the kitchen, he found Brianna leaning against the island with her back to him. He wrapped his arms around Brianna from behind and rested the side of his face on her shoulder.
"Tell me you're okay," Julian said.
"I think she's not well," Brianna breathed.
"I'll check her out," Julian said.
"How?" Brianna turned around within Julian's arms and looked at her boyfriend with curious but hopeful eyes.
"Mom has a hospital here but that's not what I even had in mind," Julian said, wiping the moisture beneath Brianna's eyes with his thumbs. "We're going home with her," he said firmly.
"Julian, I don't think she'll leave her home and..."
"She will do anything you ask of her." Julian kissed Brianna lightly. "This house needs work. So we're going to kill two birds with one stone. Take her with us for a thorough check-up whilst the house undergoes the needed repairs."
"You've already thought of everything, haven't you?" Brianna whispered, looking at Julian with awe.
"That's all I did as I waited on the porch." Julian kissed Brianna again.
"I love you.”
"Right back at you. I told your mum we're going to help her cook." Julian stepped away from Brianna and rubbed his palms together gleefully. "Where are the groceries?" He glanced around.
"I put them away," Brianna said.
"You remembered where everything is. That's my smart girlfriend," Julian drawled.
"Oh, fuck off." Brianna laughed. "I heard all that you told her in the living room," she said quietly. "Thank you."
"You can thank me properly in bed, later tonight," Julian responded huskily, moving close to Brianna and drawing her lower lip into his mouth. "I haven't completely gone back down since we got to your mother's door," he muttered when he finally released the lip.
"Not even with all those tears?" Brianna's eyebrow raised.
"What the fuck do tears have to do with a hungry cock?" Julian deadpanned, making Brianna laugh. "You've cried too much today," he said quietly. "God, it killed me hearing you cry. But it was good to let it out. I plan on giving you so much pleasure tonight to make up for all those tears." Julian looked into Brianna's eyes and couldn't help smirking at the stark desire he saw in there. "On a more serious note, how are you feeling? Headache, throat?"
"I'm fine, baby." Brianna moved to sit on the Kitchen Island, coiled her legs around Julian, wrapped her arms around his neck, and leaned her forehead against his. "You worry too much."
"As he should," Yolanda said from the doorway, looking real cute in a long flared skirt and a flattering white top. Her long hair had been rolled into a bun, making her look younger and beautiful. "When you love someone, you need to worry about them."
Brianna lifted her head but didn't let Julian go.
"Err... Ma, are you okay with this?" Brianna asked despite herself. The last thing she wanted was to make her mother uncomfortable.
"You mean, showing your man some affection? You could make love to him on the island and I wouldn't bat an eye. That's how okay I am with my daughter's relationship," she said, surprising Brianna. "Now, what would you two want to eat?"
"You look beautiful, Mama," Brianna said softly instead of answering her mother's question.
"Thank you, baby." Yolanda smiled. "Still waiting."
"It's your call, Brianna," Julian laughed.
"Brianna," Yolanda whispered. "I wonder why we couldn't find you."
"We?" Brianna frowned.
"Your father and I. Let's not talk about that. Should I prepare your favorite?" She looked up at Brianna expectantly.
"And what's that?" Julian asked.
"Jambalaya." Mother and daughter responded in unison, making Julian laugh. "And caramel cake," Yolanda added. "Alright, kids. You said you wanted to help."
"We did," Julian grinned as he watched Yolanda bring down the needed ingredients from the shelves and the fridge.
"You slice the sausages into round shapes," she told Julian who got right down to work. "And you cut up the chicken." She pushed about a pound of boneless chicken breast to Brianna. "Do you remember how you used to cut it?" she asked softly.
"I do." Brianna nodded as she reached for a knife.
"Great." Yolanda switched on the oven. "I'll quickly mix the cake and pop it into the oven and get started on the jambalaya."