like I'm walking taller and breathing cleaner air after talking with my parents. Something about sharing my life with them like that always help to ease my burdens.
"Are you ok, hon?" Winnie's soft eyes search my face.
"I will be."
"I know you will, Kendra. Just don't forget that you can lean on us if you ever need more from your family then the occasional supper, ok?"
I nod, touched by her kindness.
"You've outdone yourself, Paula! This spread is delicious," Reginal compliments his wife with a burger stuffed in his cheek like a bloated chipmunk.
"Reg, how are we supposed to teach the kids not to talk with their mouth full if you keep doing it?" She chides him gently.
He's right, the backyard BBQ that Paula has set up is just the thing to cheer all of us up. With the twins jumping around like a couple of cats with plastic bags snagged on their feet and the baby sleeping, there's nothing to do but enjoy the sun and the food. We've been swapping stories about Mama and Dad like we do every year. It's our way of keeping them alive in our hearts.
"Do you remember when you swore in church, Kendra?" Blake laughs, shaking his head at the memory. I don't remember it, but I've heard the story before. It's not going to stop me from enjoying it again though.
"No, I think I blocked it out," I laugh.
"What happened?" Tania asks her husband, even though I'm sure she's heard it a hundred times by now too.
"Well, Kendra couldn't have been much older than Jonah and Bailey, I'd say." He smiles.
"Wait, are you telling the church story?" Issaiah calls from across the lawn, making his way back to the table so he can listen.
"Yep." Blake continues, "anyway, like I said you were about the same age as the boys there," he nods toward the twins. "Dad nicked himself shaving and got blood on his shirt that morning, it was only a couple of drops, mind you. Nothing serious. But they landed right on the front where everyone would see it. We were already in a rush and running behind. Since someone here had to make himself pretty for a certain young girl named Violet that he had a crush on," he sticks his thumb out toward Issaiah, ratting him out.
"Oh, is that so?" Winnie smiles, "I had no idea I married such a ladies man."
“It can’t be that surprising, I managed to win you over,” Issaiah’s eyes glint as he wraps his arm around his wife’s shoulders.
"See? A real Romeo, this one,” Blake laughs. “So, Dad mumbles 'fuck' under his breath. Mama hated that he swore around us, but he always tried to tell her that we couldn't even hear him. Like kids can't understand you if you whisper or something.” Laughter ripples around the table.
“Sounds awfully familiar, doesn’t it?” Paula pokes at my brother. Apparently he inherited my father’s sailor tongue because even today he’s dropped the f-bomb twice in front of his kids.
“Anyway, we all get settled in church and the pastor is preaching, the choir is singing, we're having a great service. Our pastor, you remember George don't ya?" We nod back at Blake, it would be hard to forget since he's Brianna's father, not that I knew who she was at the time. "He always got so passionate with his sermons. I mean, he was slamming his hands and bopping around all over the place. Well, he managed to knock the Bible off his pulpit and he went to catch it, but instead he just managed to fall flat on his face right up on the stage, in front of everyone. His papers were falling down everywhere, and the whole room was silent."
I giggle, knowing what's coming. "Then this one just yells out 'FUCK' at the top of her lungs. I mean, the little old ladies making tea out in the lobby probably even heard her. Our folks were horrified. The room just broke out into laughter, I’ve never heard people laugh so loud. Even Pastor George was chuckling at it. I thought Dad wasn't going to make it home in one piece by the time Mama