Groundless (BWWM)

Sei

Sei

"So how's my youngest baby been doing?"

Colette grinned back at her grandma as she stirred sugar into the elderly woman's tea.

"I've been doing fine, Gigi."

Her Gigi got comfortable in one of the matching, wooden chairs. She raised a brow. "Just fine?! Girl, you glowin'."

Colette giggled as she shook her head. She knew what her Gigi was up to but she wouldn't indulge.

"I'm happy, y'know. Work is going pretty smoothly and my colleagues are very nice people," she said, quickly glancing back at her Gigi, her sole guardian for as long as she could remember.

Funny, through all the years, stress and heartache Gigi didn't look a day over 50 or 60. Gigi was a lighter tone than Colette and André, and her skin wielded a modicum amount of wrinkles for an 80 year-old woman. Her brown eyes were bright and clear and her shoulder length hair, always pinned up in that loose bun of her's, had a few grey strands here and there. If Gigi wasn't still hanging on faithfully to the spirit of her long deceased husband, Colette and André's grandpa, she definitely could still get it.

"Chile, do I look stupid to you? You gonna have me think work has a woman glowin' like this?"

Heat rose to her cheeks. From the way she was talking Gigi already knew. "It's nothing like that Gi, I swear we're just talkin'!" Colette stirred the cup of tea more rapidly, recklessly, mimicking her heartbeat.

Gigi stopped her hand and dragged the cup of tea in front of her. "Uhuh. When was you gonna tell me?"

Colette shrugged. "I don't know." She grabbed her abandoned tea and sat down on the opposite side of the square table. "I recently met him and I didn't want you or André to go overboard."

The elderly woman gave her an expressionless look, waiting for the rest of a deserved explanation.

Colette sighed. "Plus, I didn't know what you would think of him. He's not exactly...like us."

Gigi didn't push her any further. She'd eventually know what her daughter meant by "not exactly like us" at a later time, but that time would definitely be coming up soon.

"Babygirl, that's what meeting people is for. Getting to know others despite disparities in order to get along well. Besides, I decide if he's right or wrong for you." She sipped her tea.

"You decide?"

"Honey, you wouldn't know any better."

Colette sighed.

"Let's get on with it then, when could I meet this young man?" Gigi rolled her eyes.

Colette flinched to attention. She looked at her Gigi with an astonished face. "We haven't really gotten that far, Gigi. Maybe in...a month or two I'd say."

Gigi looked at her as if she were crazy. "You expect me to wait to see this man in two months? Imma be dead by then!"

"Gigi."

"Colette Janelle Hayes."

I don't want you to scare him off! Her conscience whined.

"Gigi, I got to get to know him better first before you do or else things will feel strange during our meeting. Come on...be reasonable."

Gigi slowly huffed. She understood but like André she was very overprotective over the youngest Hayes. Colette didn't get life like they did and although that may have been their own doing, they could not allow indescribable pain tear at her small heart or contort her perpetually joyful face into grief. She may have blossomed into a fine young woman, but her conscience mind was still as innocent and naive as a little girl. As expected, witnessing Colette breakdown from her first contact with the true evils of men would hurt like a bitch...