Family Ties Read Online Free PDF Page B

day before, I didn’t break the hug short or comment on how hard she held me.  She needed it and, at that moment, so did I.
     

Chapter Three
     
    Family Secrets
     
    Chloe
     
    When I took Brianna home, not only did the shit hit the fan, I stepped all in it. I found out later that while Patrick was dealing with his family drama, one of my own was beginning to brew. That Sunday morning Brianna and I awoke early and made a big breakfast of banana pancakes, bacon, and eggs. I wouldn’t come right out and admit it if asked, but I made a little extra in the hopes that Patrick would come home and join us. 
     
    I knew he hadn’t come home the night before; his arrival would have awakened me from my spot on the couch. It was with half curiosity and half jealousy that I wondered if he had spent the weekend with a woman. Not that it was any of my business; Patrick was a grown man and certainly didn’t owe me any explanation if he spent the night out, but I couldn’t help trying to imagine what kind of girl Patrick would choose to spend time with. About halfway through breakfast I decided that it wasn’t fair not to devote my full attention to Brianna, seeing as how she would be going home soon. I put all thoughts of where Patrick was, what he was doing, and whom he may be doing it to or with, out of my head.
     
    After breakfast I took Brianna to FAO Schwartz.  Every visit I tried to give her a little something special she could take home to remind her of our time together.  This time I picked out an interactive model of the solar system. With one touch it would tell the child all kinds of facts about each planet, the moon, and the sun. Brianna loved it and couldn’t wait to get home to try it out. We carried the big box on the train to Harlem and she remarked more than once that she couldn’t wait to see the look on Crystal’s face when she showed it to her.
     
    It did my heart good to see Brianna so excited over something I gave her.  I knew that I didn’t have to, but it gave me such joy to do things for her. Before the train could pull into the station Brianna was already asking when we would see each other again.  I told her that perhaps I’d come to her house and help her dress up for Halloween.  She loved the idea.
     
    It was a bit of a struggle trying to carry both Brianna’s gift and my bag, and Brianna wasn’t much help as she had her overnight bag on her back. I didn’t think I would make it the two blocks from the train station to Crystal’s apartment building without dropping the box.  Just when it seemed that both Brianna and I were losing the battle with our heavy loads and trying to open the front door to their building, a tall thin black man came to our rescue and grabbed the door on his way out. I looked up to thank him, and when I did I realized that something about him struck me as familiar, but I couldn’t place it.  He looked as if he recognized me as well and his eyes quickly shot to Brianna, who was more concerned with whether or not I was going to drop her gift than thanking a Good Samaritan.
     
    “Thanks a lot,” I said while holding the door with my foot.
     
    “No problem,” he mumbled and disappeared up the block.
     
    When Crystal opened the door she looked behind us before looking pleased to see us. “Hey, baby girl!  You’re home!”
     
    “Hey Ma,” Brianna said as she grabbed her mother around the waist for a big hug.
     
    Crystal gave me a look of surprise and pleasure at her daughter’s newfound affection.  I mouthed the words “we’ll talk” as we stepped inside. The apartment was toasty warm and I could smell cornbread baking in the oven. The aroma seeped from the small kitchen off the entryway and invited me deeper inside. We walked into the dimly lit living room while the sounds of John Legend floated through the air. Brianna wasted no time in showing Crystal her nails and her new gift, the latter of which she was instructed to take to her room before