Momma rarely said this many words. She wasn’t one to waste time. Even if I didn’t agree, I listened because she was my mother. She’d been hurt by a man and it showed. Sure he had left her Henry, and the boy was worth it all, but momma didn’t trust men. Not since daddy died. She felt betrayed in his death and the absence of another and that can’t leave you any strength, except to trudge through the day.
“Yes ma’am. Thank you,” I replied. I really wanted to do a little dance, but that could wait until I was alone to save the humiliation.
“Go on now before Deloris shows up. She’ll want the rest of the raspberry tarts for her dessert tonight.”
I didn’t argue. I was shocked that this had been easy. If momma didn’t have the highest hopes for my future with Hale in the long run, at least I would have the experience. Dating wasn’t something I did much of because I didn’t have a pool to choose from. They were all here for life. This was my first chance at something outside of Moulton, Alabama. Even if the night was a failure at least I had that chance.
When I got back to the front Deloris was walking inside. It was just like momma had predicted. I boxed up her raspberry tarts with a silly grin on my face. I couldn’t help it, I was silly and excited, my life shifting towards the positive.
The next five customers kept me busy and moving. They were buying their after dinner treats and asking questions about momma’s baking, what we would have tomorrow. Almost two hours passed before I got a chance to sit on my stool and think. What will I wear? How to fix my hair? Where would we go on the date? All of that had my head spinning, until four rolled around and we closed the doors and headed home for the evening. Momma didn’t say one word about Hale on our drive or when we arrived. She was quiet. Uncomfortably so.
Chapter Fifteen
For a girl with a very limited wardrobe I managed to change clothes five times. Keeping tonight a secret from my sisters was impossible. Especially since I borrowed Milly’s black skirt. Milly wasn’t there and when she got home I was going to be in trouble, but I was willing to face the wrath of my sister to look nice tonight.
Bessy was the first to notice my skirt when I walked into the kitchen.
“Pretty,” Henry said, beaming up at me. At least I was appreciated by the only male in the family.
“Milly’s gonna kill you,” Bessy sang in a sing song voice.
“I’ll make it up to her. My clothes are free for her to borrow anytime she wants.”
Momma was organizing the pantry with all the canning we had done. She paused and turned to look at me. I was prepared for her to tell me to take Milly’s skirt off and if that was the case I had a back up. It wasn’t as perfect as this, but it would do.
“I reckon I bought that skirt for Milly’s graduation. She can share. Lord knows she’s asked to borrow enough since she started dating.”
I exhaled a sigh of relief. I wasn’t going to have to change. If momma said I could wear it, then I knew I was going to be safe.
Bessy clicked her tongue. “She still ain’t gonna be happy.”
Momma waved her hand as if that didn’t matter and went back to the pantry.
“When is he getting here?” Bessy asked. She was almost as anxious as me. She hadn’t seen Hale before and only knew him as the cupcake guy. I wasn’t sure I trusted her and what she might say, although I didn’t have a choice. It wasn’t like momma would let me lock her in a closet.
“Seven,” I told her.
“Momma said his name is Hale. Not cupcake man,” she said grinning.
“Cupcakes?” Henry’s eyes lit up at the word and he looked at me hopefully.
“No cupcakes tonight buddy,” I told him, ruffling his blonde curls.
Henry’s smile collapsed and I wished I had something to give him.
“No need for cupcakes tonight. I’m making banana nut bread. The bananas are getting too ripe. I need to stop buying them if y’all aren’t going to eat them. The grapes get gone though. Figures y’all would eat the expensive fruit.” Momma spoke from the pantry like she was speaking to herself and not a one of us were listening.
“You aren’t wearing much makeup,” Bessy said, changing the subject and bringing things back to my date. Not exactly what I wanted.
“She don’t need makeup,” momma replied.
Bessy sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s not fair that Sammy Jo got all the looks. She barely left any for the rest of us. I need makeup.”
Bessy had been going on about wearing makeup for a year. She argued that the other girls in her grade were wearing it. Momma didn’t care about other girls, or what people thought in general. Bessy should know better than that. But silliness was Bessy’s biggest flaw. I hoped she grew out grew it.
Hazel walked in from the back yard, the screen door closing behind her. She was carrying a basket of corn. When she saw me she stopped and smiled. “Wow, you look beautiful.”
“See,” Bessy said, pointing at me. “She got all the looks. Don’t be too mesmerized, or expect the rest of us to stun you, because none of us look like her.”
Momma sighed in exasperation and gave Bessy a warning: “that’s enough from you and that mouth.”
I glanced at the clock above the table and it was exactly seven. My nerves were already frayed. But this made it worse, because he was near, and would be here any minute. What if I wasn’t dressed nice enough? These were the nicest clothes I could assemble.
“Oh my lord! Would you look at that car!” Bessy blurted and ran to the window. She peered outside at the vehicle that we could all hear approaching the house. I was relieved he had found my home and equally ready to vomit from the wad that rested in my stomach. Before Bessy opened her mouth I wanted to get him away. That was my main goal.