Adore You Read Online Free PDF Page A

Zing…whatever that was.
    Trey left shortly after the game ended when Demi called. From the sounds of the yelling I heard, that brother was definitely in for a long, rough night. I think I heard her crying too, which meant Demi had been drinking. Tough as nails eighty percent of the time, but when she had a little too much to drink, she became an emotional mess. My boy needed to man up and give the woman what she wanted, honestly. And I needed to figure out what my woman needed and give it to her.

    “Uncle Elllllllll!” I heard my niece screeching my name before I saw her mane of curly red hair and arms flailing about.
    My car wouldn’t start this morning, so I had been running bit late for the recital thanks to Uber. I ended up not being able to find a seat near the rest of the family once I arrived, however. Luckily, I arrived just in time to see Sophie’s solo. I never would have heard the last of it from her if I had missed it. I wouldn’t even have been able to fake it because somehow my seven year old niece had eagle eyed vision and made sure she accounted for every family member’s whereabouts as she crossed the stage prancing, twirling and dancing. I’ll never forget the time she called out Everett for yawning during one of her earliest performances. I walked over to join Soph and the rest of the family as they fawned over her. As I made my way through the group greeting everyone with hugs, daps, and kisses, I noticed one very important face missing.
    “I asked you a question, Uncle El?” Sophie said, impatiently with a hand on her hip.
    “I’m sorry Sweetpea, what’d you say?”
    “Did you like it? I worked really hard and mommy and me practiced every day. And Mrs. Hampton? She said my part was real important because all of the rest of the girls had to follow me and even though I messed up a little bit everybody still followed though. So what did you think?”
    I reached down, gathering Sophia in my arms to give her a kiss on the forehead. “It was great, Sweetpea. You danced to my favorite song and everything.”
    “Your favorite song is ‘Who Run the World’, Uncle El? You’re so strange.”
    “You’ve got that right, baby girl. He sure is strange,” a slightly throaty voice replied to Sophie’s observation.
    “Auntie Beeeebeeeee!” Sophie scrambled out of my arms and rushed over to Devorah.
    “Beanie!” Devorah squealed in a voice that rivaled Sophie’s.
    I’d bet that it hadn’t been more than a few days since they’ve seen each other, but from their reactions you’d think it had been weeks. Hell you also woulda thought Bee was the one related by blood by the way Soph quickly deserted me for her. As they embraced and began their little secret handshake I took the time to shamelessly ogle Devorah. She’d let her hair revert back to its natural state and it was pulled up into a curly puff on the top of her head. With a face free from makeup and a ponytail, she looked much younger than her thirty-one years.  Seeing the easy way she and Soph interacted made me visualize her interacting with our daughter. Bee had always been nurturing with what seemed like never ending patience, even when we were kids; so I knew that would no doubt translate into her being a great mother.
    “Hello? Earth to Ellis? Do you read me?” Everett said, waving his hands in front of my face.
    I was so caught up in my fantasy that I’d missed everyone hustling out of the building so we could go to Easy Like Sundae Morning for Sophie’s requisite post - recital ice cream.
    “Hey, man, can I roll with y’all to Easy Sundae?” I asked Everett as we exited the recital hall. “The whip is acting up, so I had to Uber it over here this morning.”
    “We full, bro. Mama, Pops, and the in - laws carpooled with us.”
    “Ah shit. Aight, tell Soph I’ll come by later and take her for a special treat,” I said, pulling out my phone to request an Uber home.
    “Aye, Devorah,” Everett called out, “You coming