Elise Riley-Tate moves through life in search of her happily ever after. After suffering a devastating loss, Elise questions her womanhood and place in her life and marriage. An unfortunate sequence of events leaves Elise in a conflicted situation...
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Thursday, November 6
"Lise, Jay wants to know if you're going to the LSU game on Saturday," I yelled walking into the living room. Elise's attention was fixated on the TV, The Big Bang Theory, to be exact. I don't know why she was so into this corny show. "Lise," I yelled from the doorway, and her head snapped in my direction.
"Huh," she sweetly responds.
"Jay asked are going to the LSU game Saturday?"
" Now his strong neck ass wanna go somewhere. I asked him to ride with me last week to the Tennesee game, and he said it was too far, but now that it's at his former alma mater, he wants to go. Nope, I'll watch it on tv," she sassed rolling her eyes. I don't even know why he asked her. I knew she was going to say no because he told her no last week. Elise was sweet as ever, but petty was her middle name.
"Hold on man, I'm going to let you talk to her because I'm not about to keep passing messages," I told Jayme then held the phone out to Elise.
" What do you want Jay....."
"Nope, not happening "
"You're my only brother, so there's no other option for favorite."
I don't know what Jayme was saying on the other end of the phone, but whatever it was, Elise was unphased by it. She was mindlessly replying while focusing on her show.
" I tell you what, get us some seats on Alabama side and I'll go.... "
"He said what.." she cut her eyes and turned her body towards me, "Baby you told Jayme we would sit on LS- Losers side... uh uh... traitor." She rolled her eyes and turned back towards to the tv. "Look, Jay, get some seats on Bama side, and I'm there, if not I'll text you when we win. Roll tide and Goodnight" she said then hung up the phone.
I was still leaning on the doorframe laughing at Elise. "Bae, you can't just be hanging up in people's face," I said around my laugh.
" I was not about to play with Jayme. He knows them folks be stupid down there in Death Valley, so if I can't sit with my people, I ain't going," she spoke with finality.
" I ain't trippin, I just haven't been able to make it to a game this season, and it's almost over," I said thinking on it. Elise and I decided that she needed to see someone because, to me, she wasn't handling her grief very well. She would smile and move about like she was okay, but she wasn't.
Recently we had started to attend the sessions together, so I was using Saturdays to catch up on work which meant no games for me besides on tv. I wasn't complaining though because Elise would always be parked right in front of the tv with me all day Saturday. Saturday nights, I was always subjected to a Lifetime movie because Elise said she needed some balance.
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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9
Vivian Tate's ( Zach's mom) House
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" Ma, where Jayme? He has been ignoring my texts all night", I queried sweetly to Mrs. Tate as I peeled the white potatoes at the counter.
"He should be here shortly. You knew Jay wasn't going to respond to your text, his feelings are hurt," she smirked while snapping the green beans in the strainer. I just shook my head. I knew we were going to win. I should have gone so that I could be there to gloat in person. It was a close game though. Alabama won 20-13 in overtime.
"Elise" Ms. Vivian called out me.
"Mam," I responded looking towards her.
"I was thinking, how do you feel about hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year," she asked shyly.
" I thought you were hosting since Papa did July 4th. I mean I don't mind, I'm just wondering," I responded while dicing my now peeled potatoes. We always rotated homes for the holidays, even sometimes piling in the trucks and going to my Mama's house, though she preferred to come to us since most of us were here.
"Now don't you repeat what I'm about to say to you," she spoke looking at me then glancing around her surroundings making sure no one was around, " I cursed their daddy and his wife out the other day. She told me she was coming over to help me cook the day before Thanksgiving. I was like excuse me, do I come up in your house cooking, hell no, and you not about to come up in mine. Papa called himself defending her, so I let them both have it." She said while shaking her head.
At this point I was doubled over laughing, holding on to my side, trying to catch my breath. "Girl I forgot about all my degrees and got straight ratchet. Needless to say, they blocked me so...," she shrugged moving to check on her friend corn.
" Ma, you gotta do better. I don't know why you are always letting that lady get you all riled up. She does that stuff on purpose and then be calling me, and Zach butthurt about it. Zach got mad at me because one day I told her to stop calling me like I'm your mama," I said with my hands on my hips. It was Ms. Vivians turn to laugh.
I was serious though. Janice, Zach's step-mother, would call me as if I could control Ms. Vivian. Zach's parents had been divorced for a little over a decade, but this woman still felt the need to compete with Ms. Vivian. Meanwhile, Ms. Vivian was out here living her best life.
" We'll host Thanksgiving, and you can host Christmas. Now that I think about it, I'll just be recovering from surgery so I problem won't be up to hosting," I stated while my mind drifted off. Even though this surgery would be done laparoscopically, my nerves were still shot, just because it was surgery. I was anxious about having it but more than ready for it to be over.
Visiting my counselor has really helped me through my grieving. I have learned that it is okay to feel all these emotions. However, I shouldn't allow them to cripple me from living my life. I was even thinking about staying off of birth control after surgery.
Ms. Vivian's hand on my shoulder pulled me out of my thoughts. "That works for me. Although, we could still have it at your house since your mama and I are moving in for a week after your surgery," she stated while gently rubbing my shoulders. I lifted my eyebrow in amusement.
" This is my first time hearing of this," she waved me off, "uh uh, don't do that... Zach!" I yelled.
He ran into the kitchen looking around for the cause of the alarm. Jayme was right behind him. "What's wrong, why are you yelling," he questioned still glancing around the kitchen.
"Hey sore loser," I stuck my tongue out at Jayme, " Roll Tide!" He sucked his teeth in response. " Anyways, babe, did you know that our mamas were moving in for a week after my surgery," I inquire tilting my head to the side.
"Nah, I ain't know nothing about that, but it's it's probably a good idea," he expressed, and I rolled my eyes and went to put my potatoes on the stove. I drowned out the rest of their conversation as I continued to move around the kitchen. I feigned irritation, but I was grateful for my family. They never wavered in their love for me, and for that I was grateful.
