The Realest Ever - By Keith Thomas Walker Page 0,91

call to say he was on his way. Kyra didn’t even hear the doorbell. She didn’t care. The sooner she got her kids away from her aunt the better.

Ruth walked away, and Kyra told Quinell, “Put on your shoes. And help Kat get hers on.”

He moved to do what she asked.

Kyra hurried to the front room with love in her heart, but it turned to sheer horror when she rounded the corner and saw who was waiting for her. Kyra was so shocked, she came to a screeching halt and brought a hand to her mouth. Her eyes were as big as quarters. She almost screamed.

Her visitor came all the way from Little Rock, Arkansas. He looked good. But to Kyra, he was the epitome of ugly. She saw drugs and needles and cash and dopefiends. She saw blood-shot eyes, lines of heroin on the kitchen counter and babies crying. Her babies. She saw pain and regret. And she felt it, too.

Leonard said, “Hey, baby.”

Kyra didn’t know her aunt was still standing there until Ruth said, “Hmph.”

Kyra couldn’t find the words to say anything at all.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

A MOTHER’S LOVE

At the same moment Kyra walked into her aunt’s living room and came face to face with her worst fear, Donovan got behind the wheel of his pickup and told his mother about his big plans for today.

“Guess what?”

“What?” Beverly asked.

“Today you’re going to see Kyra.”

He backed out of his parking spot as Beverly turned and eyed him with confusion.

It was cloudy outside, but Donovan’s spirits were bright. Today’s church service was wonderful. The pastor spoke about forgiveness. Beverly already told Donovan she didn’t have any lingering problems with Kyra, but if there was anything she still wanted to get off her chest, she could do so today. And Kyra could forgive Beverly for kicking her out of the house fifteen years ago. And Donovan could ask his mom to forgive him and Kyra for disrespecting her home with their foolhardy kiss. And after all of the forgiving, everyone would hug and live happily ever after.

“What do you mean?” Beverly asked.

“I invited her to lunch with us today,” Donovan said. “I think it’s about time you two see each other. Don’t you want to know what she looks like now?”

“Kyra was always a pretty girl,” Beverly said. “I’m sure she’s beautiful.”

“She is. And I told her about your good cooking. She can’t wait for me to pick her up.”

“What?” Beverly frowned. “Pick her up when?”

“Right now,” Donovan said. He pulled his cellphone from his pocket.

“Wait, you’re not taking her to my house,” Beverly said. Donovan’s heart sank. He thought they had gotten past that. But Beverly wasn’t being mean. “I won’t have time to clean up or nothing,” she said. “You can’t just be bringing people up in my house unannounced.”

“Oh.”

“And I don’t have time to cook, either,” Beverly stated. “You should’ve told me about this yesterday. What’s wrong with you, boy? Don’t be going around offering my dinner to people without asking me.”

Donovan’s smile returned.

“What’s so funny?”

“I thought you were gonna say you don’t want to see Kyra.”

“No, I would love to see her,” Beverly said. “But not at my house – not today at least.”

“Can I pick her up and bring her to Golden Corral with us?”

“Sure,” Beverly said. “But not in this truck. You know I don’t like to be squeezed up with people in here.”

“She can sit in the back.”

Beverly looked at her son like he insulted womankind in general. “Donovan, don’t you ever put a woman in the backseat of this truck! You know there’s not enough room.”

Donovan’s F-150 had four doors, but the back two were half-size. Kat and Quinell could ride in the backseat with no problem, but it was a tight fit for an adult.

“Take me home first, and you can go get Kyra in my car,” Beverly suggested. “I need to change shoes anyway.”

Beverly drove a Lincoln Town Car. It was plenty big, and a luxury car to boot.

“Thanks, Mama. That’ll be perfect.”

≈≈≈≈≈≈≈

Except it wasn’t perfect. Kyra wasn’t answering her phone. Donovan called her twice in the ten minutes it took him to get to his mother’s house. Undeterred, he took Beverly’s car anyway. Ten minutes wasn’t a long time to be out of pocket, especially when you have a small child who needs help bathing and dressing and such.

Donovan called Kyra’s cell again as he rolled out of his mother’s driveway. Still no answer. As a last resort, he called Aunt Ruth’s