BooksBarbecue
Back Nana
Chapters (70)
  1. Title page
  2. Prologue
  3. Part One
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. Part Two
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. Part Three
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. Get on the Mailing List!
  69. Also by Brandon Massey
  70. About Brandon Massey

As she descended the staircase, she noticed an electric glow coming from the kitchen and adjoining breakfast nook. She was wondering if someone had forgotten to switch off the lights last night, when she saw her mother sitting at the round table in the breakfast nook.

Wow, she’s already awake. Monica couldn’t suppress a giggle of childlike giddiness. She must be an early riser, like me.

It was going to be a good day.

16

Dressed in silky tangerine-colored loungewear and matching ballet-style slippers, long legs crossed, her mother had a ceramic mug standing at her elbow and a thick, leather-bound book in her hands. An ornately designed, cast iron teapot stood on the table; it wasn’t one of those faux-vintage knockoffs but looked genuinely old, like something one might find in an antiques shop. The teapot didn’t belong to Monica. She assumed her mother had brought it in her luggage.

My mother packed her own teapot for what she’d originally planned as an overnight trip? Monica thought. She must be extremely particular about some things.

She was smoking a cigarette, too, Monica noticed. It looked like a hand-rolled one, the glowing tip angled against a decorative crystal ashtray that Grace must have packed in her luggage; Monica and Troy were non-smokers and didn’t keep a single ashtray in the house. The cigarette emitted a spicy fragrance, almost like incense.

Monica didn’t approve of anyone smoking inside their home, but she was going to let it slide.

Grace looked up from her reading and grinned. Monica automatically smiled back, but she thought: there’s something different about her today. But I can’t put my finger on what it is.

Grace extinguished her cigarette. “Good morning, child. How’re you feeling? Better today?”

“Much better, thank you. I slept like a stone. How long have you been awake?”

“Oh, I’ve always been an early riser.” Grace shut her book and secured it with a tiny gold clasp. Monica had assumed it was a Bible, but on closer inspection it appeared to be a journal of some kind.

“I’m an early riser, too,” Monica said. “Something else we have in common. We’re like peas in a pod.”

“How true.” Grace indicated the teapot. “Would you like a cup of tea? I’ve brewed some of my own blend.”

“Certainly.” Monica inhaled the tempting herbal aromas swirling through the air. She eased into a chair at the table. “It smells wonderful. What are the ingredients?”

“It’s a secret recipe.” Grace winked as she fetched a cup and saucer from the cabinet. Returning to the table, she filled the mug with the tea and slid it to Monica. “Try it. I don’t suggest you add sugar or cream, but that’s a matter of personal preference.”

Monica took a small sip of the steaming brew. It had a sweet, fruity flavor that reminded her of freshly picked strawberries.