“You’re saying I was worse than the boys, no way!”

“Hey none of my boys ever stole my car. It seems that my little girl was never afraid of me like my boys. I seem to recall someone taking this here car, and driving all the way to Baton Rouge for some concert.” he said giving Tina his patented raised eyebrow with a sideways look, he saw how she sank back down and drank her beer without argument. “but I could always see your Momma and I surrounded by this huge family. It’s what she wanted and I wanted to give her everything I could to make her happy. She gave me five wonderful sons and a daughter as beautiful as she, so…” he finished and continued to drink his beer.

　

……………………………….

　

Bette sat in the kitchen table with Azi on her lap rocking him side-to-side as she slowly rubbed his back while his medicine took effect. Some of the women were hiding out in the kitchen cooking and laughing as they played cards and watched over the food. Julia; Nehemiah’s wife was sitting in the corner at the table watching as Bette continued to rock Azi and brush his hair out of his eyes as they slowly closed. She felt a little bit of jealousy at watching mother and son so close.

She leaned over to Bette and said, “I miss that.” she pointed down to Azi with her eyes, and Bette smiled proudly.

“I know what you mean it seems like just yesterday I was patching up a elbow or worrying about a broken arm with my boys, now you and Miah are about to be Grandparents, hmmp.”

“Don’t remind me.“ She joked with her eyes closed tight and her hands running through her almost graying hair. “I can hardly believe it myself.”

Bette got out of her seat carefully and told everybody she’d be back after she put Azi down to sleep. With his little legs hanging loosely from her body and his limp arms falling from her shoulders she ascended the stairs to lay him down in their bedroom. Tina came back into the house and she looked around the kitchen and saw that Bette was gone.