#5 Icing on the Cake Read Online Free PDF Page A

to go see my doctor. Everything is going to be fine. You’ve gotta promise me you’re not going to say anything. Too much is on the line. Okay?”
    I was my dad’s baby. There was no way I could go against his wishes. Certainly, he knew his own body. So I told him, “Okay, I won’t say anything,” knowing that I had partnered up with him in his lie. It just didn’t feel right. It felt so wrong.

    The next morning, I rushed down for breakfast, after waking from a nightmare that my dad was gone. Reaching the bottom stair, I was thrilled to hear his voice. He was talking to my mom. Still I had to see with my own two eyes that he was okay. There he was smiling at me with an apron around him, fixing pancakes.
    â€œYou want some, baby girl?” he asked, giving me a nervous look.
    To ease his mind, I went over to hug him. He was okay. I had proof in my arms.
    â€œYou’re acting like you haven’t seen your dad in forever. I don’t get a hug like that?” my mom said as she extended her arms.
    I went over and hugged her too. My dad eyed me and made sure I said nothing about his condition the night before. I winked his way, reassuring him again, though I felt uneasy about it.
    â€œThe rest of your sisters are sleeping. I did not want Slade to have that performance on a school night. I knew they were going to be too tired. They better get on up,” my mom said.
    â€œShe said she got it cheaper on a school night. That’s our business women. The girl is taking after her mother,” my dad teased before he looked at my mom. “Honey, you better go and get them up.”
    â€œYou’re right,” she said, knowing she could make us move like no other.
    As soon as the coast was clear, I said, “Dad,are you going to see your doctor today?”
    â€œListen baby girl, I don’t want you bringing anything up about that. You see, I’m fine. I just needed some rest.”
    â€œBut you’re not answering me, Dad.”
    He kissed me on the forehead, handed me a plate of pancakes, and started whistling. Darn, I was mad at him. I huffed, sat down, and started gobbling the food.
    My mom was the best at getting us up. She didn’t come downstairs alone. All four of my sisters were with her, and they were fully dressed.
    Shelby, Ansli, and Sloan were playing around. Slade wanted to get to school. She was actually the last person I wanted to ride with because I was still upset that she had Ms. Pinky cater her event, but I wasn’t trying to be tardy either. I had a test in chemistry, and getting to school early to study was just what I needed.
    As Slade and I rode in the car, she played her song over and over. I mean I could understand that it was brand new. It hadn’t even hit the airways, and she wanted to make sure it was on point. It actually worked out pretty well becauseshe had it on, so we didn’t have to carry on a conversation.
    When it ended the fourth time, she finally turned it off and looked my way. “Last night was hot, huh?”
    I looked out the window, gave her no energy, and uttered, “Yeah.”
    â€œWhat’s up your butt?”
    She did not want to go there with me. It had always been that Shelby, Slade and Sloan had more attitude than Ansli and me. We were real quiet girls compared to the three of them. But at this point, if Slade took me there, she was going to see a side of me that she’d never seen.
    Slade thought on it and said, “Oh, so cat’s got your tongue? I know you were not thinking that I was going to have somebody else with food there. Like I told you when you first got there yesterday, it wasn’t my intent, but you know, it worked out anyway. Everybody loved her stuff. And plus, you were all cute back there, and Dad says you’re going to be working with her.”
    â€œWhen’d you talk to Dad?”
    â€œBefore the event was over last night, we took a