How We Reconnected
The sunshine came through the windows of my family’s ice cream shop. It was my grandmother’s favorite time of the day. She loved how bright the shop got. The only problem was that the brightness hurt my eyes. I didn’t want to take away from her joy and close the blinds. The worst of it lasted about an hour or so before the sun was high enough that it didn’t bother me so much. I reached in my apron and pulled out my sunglasses. I swapped out my regular glasses for the shades. I was always prepared with my sunglasses.
The chime on the door caused me to look up from what I was doing. I cursed because the prescription in my sunglasses wasn’t as good as the prescription in my regular glasses. I could tell that a man walked into the shop but I couldn’t make out his features. I smiled and greeted him. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” He didn’t immediately step closer so I still couldn’t get a good look at him. He may have been looking at the menu on the wall.
For some reason I felt like his eyes were on me. I was getting goosebumps all over my arms. “Did you need more time?”
“Huh?”
“To figure out what you want. Do you need more time?”
“Oh. Yeah.”
“Okay. I’ll be right back.” I took the empty bin and headed back into the kitchen.
“Who’s out there?” My grandmother asked as she filled a bin with fresh made ice cream.
“I don’t know. I can’t see him.” I grabbed the replacement bin of ice cream and went back out front. The man was standing closer to the counter and I smiled at him as I sat the tray on the counter.
“What flavor is that?” He asked.
“Chocolate strawberry.” I tried to focus on putting the bin in the freezer when I really wanted to stare at the man. From what I could make out of his face, he was cute and young. There was also something about him that was very familiar. It felt like his profile was one that I had memorized before but I couldn’t for the life of me remember why. I wished I could come from behind the counter and get closer to him so that I could really see his features. But I knew from experience that it would be weird so I kept myself behind the counter. “Having ice cream for lunch today?”
“Yes.” He paused. “You don’t remember me, do you?”
At that point I thought his voice sounded familiar but I couldn’t quite place it. That along with the other familiar things about him caused me to get as close to the counter as I could and look at him. “I know you?”
“Yes.”
“From school?” I asked, wondering if he was so familiar because I stared at him during high school or in one of the college classes I’d been taking.
“No.” He smiled.
My face lit up when I recognized his smile. I leaned across the counter and put my palm on the side of his face, gently urging him to lean closer. My breath hitched when I felt warm sensations running through my body from our touch and I realized he almost smelled the same as when I first met him. That time he smelled more like weed and less like cocoa butter. This time he smelled more like cocoa butter with only the faintest hint of weed. I couldn’t believe it was really him. I never expected to ever see him again. My voice came out breathless when I finally spoke. “Jay?”
“Yes.” He paused. “Hey Imani.”
“Imani, what are you doing to that customer?” My grandmother came out of the kitchen.
“Remembering.” I responded, barely loud enough for her to hear.
She came over and stood next to me. “I’m Mrs. Ella.”
“I’m Jason Scott.”
My grandmother turned to me. I turned my head so I could see her face even though I already knew the look she was giving me. Then she turned back to him. “Nice to meet you. Did you come for ice cream or to see Imani?”
“Both.” He leaned back when I let his face go. “I’m working on a house in the area and thought I saw her here yesterday. I also wanted to check this place out because I’m always looking for new places to take my nephew and nieces.”
I was still so shocked that he was there. My grandmother rubbed my back. “Imani, get this man some ice cream and then you two can go sit outside and talk. I’m done in the kitchen for a bit. I can watch the front.”
“What flavor would you like?” I asked softly.
“That chocolate strawberry you brought out sounds interesting.”
“How many scoops?”
“Two in a waffle bowl.”
“Okay.”
I grabbed a waffle bowl from the stack and put it inside a paper bowl. Then I went over and scooped him two nice scoops of ice cream.
“Here.” My grandmother was preparing a small bowl for me. “Try this rainbow sherbert I made and tell me what you think. I tweaked the recipe a bit.”
I put spoons in both bowls and came from behind the counter. Jay was still at the counter. He looked like he was reaching in his pocket. “How much do I owe?”
“Don’t worry about it. You two go on outside and talk.” My grandmother waved him off.
Jay followed me to the door and held it open for me. Then we walked to the side of the shop and sat at one of the empty tables there. It was a lovely day. The weather was warm and there was a nice breeze blowing. The sun was bright and I still needed my sunglasses but we were sitting under the side awning so I didn’t need my hat.
I sat his ice cream in front of him. “Taste it.”
Jay did as I asked and ate a nice spoonful of the ice cream. “It’s really good. Exactly what I imagined it would taste like.”
“It’s one of our most popular flavors.”
“I can see why.”
“You said you were working on a house. I thought you were a musician going to school in New York.”
“Remember I told you I hated school?”
“Yeah.”
“I finished the semester and moved down here with my sister. Started an apprenticeship for carpentry.”
“And you saw me here.”
“You were wiping these tables down yesterday when I was driving past.” He paused. “I had to get up the nerve to come and be sure it was actually you. Your hair has purple ends now instead of pink.”
“What about your girlfriend?” I asked quickly, remembering why we hadn’t exchanged any contact information after the time we spent together.
He hung his head down. “We broke up a week after I met you.”
“Because of what happened between us?”
“Yes and no.”
“What does that mean?”
“I was ready to end it because I knew I couldn’t possibly care about her the way I thought I did and do what we did. I was still thinking about you and was pissed that I didn’t say fuck it and get your information. Then I found out she was messing around on me.” He paused. “Then she told me that she had gotten pregnant and got an abortion without discussing it with me first.”
My eyes got wide behind my glasses. “Oh.”
“I ended it with her immediately. I had been working with her brother in a band and I don’t know what she told him but he got me blackballed from gigs. That’s when I decided to come down here.”
“Are you getting gigs again? I know music is really important to you.”
“Yeah, I play at least once or twice a week pretty steady in DC mostly.”
“Okay. Good.”
“How have you been? Are you still in school?”
“Yeah. I take two classes at a time. I work part time at my grandparent’s shop.” I ate a scoop of the rainbow sherbert, not knowing how to say the next part that I needed to say.
“And your boyfriend?” Jay asked slowly.
After taking a deep breath, I responded. “I found out I was pregnant and he wanted me to get an abortion and I refused. I broke things off.”
“Wow.” Jay leaned back and then sat forward.
“It wasn’t his decision to make anyway. He wasn’t the father.”
“Oh.”
“I tried to find you but do you know how many Jason Scott’s there are in New York?”
He chuckled and then paused. “Wait, you were looking for me?”
“Yes.” I paused. “To tell you about the baby.”
“Wait, your baby is mine?”
“Yes. I don’t remember if I told you that Daron was away that semester studying abroad in Spain.”
“So, you’re telling me that I have a kid?”
I reached in my pocket and pulled out my phone. My lock screen was a picture of my daughter Kierra. “That’s KiKi. Her name is Kierra Jade Daniels. Your name is on her birth certificate but my grandfather said I shouldn’t give her your name without talking to you first.”
Jay didn’t say anything for a while. He just stared at the picture on my phone. Then he looked up at me when my screen went dark. “She looks just like you.”
“My grandfather says she looks like how I would look if I had melanin.” I paused and pulled up another picture on my phone. “Except her eyes.”
Jay looked at the picture and got a huge smile on his face. “Those are my eyes”
I watched him as he navigated away from the picture. “What are you doing?”
“Programming my number into your phone.” He ate his ice cream with one hand and typed in my phone with his other.
I couldn’t help but smile and eat my sherbert.
“She should be one now?”
“Her birthday is next week.”
“Big party planned?”
I shook my head. “Just ice cream and cake. Maybe a few of the kids from her daycare might come over. Some family.”
He nodded. “When can I meet her?”
“I have a class this afternoon and then I pick her up from daycare.”
“May I take you two out to dinner? What does she like to eat?”
“She really likes pizza.”
“So how about we meet for pizza after you pick her up?”
I smiled. “Okay.”
“I have to get back to work. Will you text me and let me know what time to meet you? There is a really good pizza place about ten minutes from here.”
“Nino’s?”
“Yeah.”
“I like that place.” I took his empty bowl and sat mine inside of it. “I’ll let you know when I’m on my way to pick her up. It’ll be around five.”
“Okay.” He went to take the trash from me but I had already picked everything up off the table.
“I got it.” I stood up. “I don’t want you to be late getting back to work.”
He stood up. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Yes.” I nodded. He looked at me for a few more moments and then turned to walk over to his big truck.
***
“I think that is his truck right there.” I pointed to a truck at the end of the parking strip in front of Nino’s.
My grandfather pulled up next to it. “Now you remember that you don’t really know this young man.”
“Yes sir.”
“I’m gonna meet him and then go. I’ll come back and pick you two up when you’re ready.” He paused. “If things go well, you invite him over dinner so we can get to know him better.”
I nodded. My grandparents had always been very interested in who I dated. Telling them I had gotten pregnant by someone they had never met before had been the hardest thing I ever had to do. They hadn’t yelled or treated me any differently, but I could tell they were disappointed.
We got out of the car. My grandfather stood next to the car while I got KiKi out of her carseat. I held her in my arms and my grandfather shut the car door.
Jay came out of Nino’s and walked over to us. He smiled at me when he got close. “Hi.”
I smiled. “Hi.”
He turned to my grandfather. “I’m Jason Scott.”
“Clarence Daniels.” My grandfather shook his hand.
“This is my grandfather.” I moved my head back as KiKi started waving her arms all over the place. “And this is Kierra.”
“Hi Kierra.”
KiKi wrapped herself around my neck. I sighed. “She has to warm up to you.”
“Do you live in the area now?” My grandfather asked.
Jay nodded. “I’m about ten minutes from here. I’ve been doing an apprenticeship for carpentry and working construction.”
“Imani said you are into music.”
“I sit in with a few bands up in DC when I get a chance.”
“What do you play?”
“Guitar.”
“I used to play the saxophone.”
“Nice.”
KiKi sat back up and started whining. My grandfather pinched her cheek a little. “Go feed her. Call me when you’re done.”
“Okay.” I nodded.
He looked at Jay. “Nice meeting you. Hope to see you again.”
“Same.” Jay turned to me. “Let’s go inside and order.”
I followed Jay inside the restaurant. He already had a table near the windows. The waitress brought over a high chair for KiKi and then she took my drink order. By the time I got KiKi situated in the high chair, the waitress was back with my lemonade. She also brought a small cup of lemonade for KiKi. I reached in her diaper bag and pulled out her sippy cup. KiKi immediately started with the grabby hands.
“Let me put the juice in first.” I fussed.
KiKi started banging her hands on the table. I poured the lemonade into her sippy cup and closed the lid tightly. Then I leaned over and got in her face so I could clearly see her expression. She immediately stopped banging and smiled. She put her hands on the sides of my head and then kissed me on my nose. I kissed her lips before leaning back and handing her the sippy cup.
“What kind of pizza does she eat?” Jay asked.
“Whatever she can get her hands on.” I smiled.
“What kind do you eat?”
“I like a lot on my pizza.”
“Like what?”
“Pepperoni, mushrooms, sausage, green peppers, onions, and bacon.”
He looked at the waitress, who was standing behind KiKi. “We’ll take a medium one of those.”
“Can we get garlic knots too?” I asked.
Jay looked at the waitress. “Those too.”
After the waitress left, I looked at Jay. “Did you really only have ice cream for lunch?”
“Yes.”
I laughed. “You must be starving.”
“Slightly.”
I could see his big smile from across the table. I glanced over at KiKi and saw she was watching Jay while she drank from her sippy cup. I looked back at Jay. “She is very interested in you.”
Jay chuckled. “I stopped and got her a toy.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” He paused. “Can I give it to her?”
“Yes.”
Jay reached down next to him and held up a little black baby doll. KiKi immediately slammed her sippy cup down on the table and directed her grabby hands to Jay. He took the tags off the toy and then handed it to her. KiKi squealed loudly and then held the baby doll close to her body. After a few good squeezes, she held it out to me. I leaned over so that I could get a good look at the doll. When I sat back up, she held it close to her body again.
“It doesn’t have any little pieces or anything. My niece has one and loves it.”
“You have a baby niece?”
Jay nodded. “Sasha is probably a few months younger than Kierra. My sister Evie and her fiance have four kids total.”
“I remember you saying you have a couple of sisters.”
“Four. I also have one brother. I’m the baby.”
“I’m an only child.” I paused. “I have an uncle and he has three kids but they all live in Texas.”
“Are your cousins older or younger?”
“Younger.”
“Kierra is the first baby in a while?”
“Yes.” I looked at her as she continued to hold her new doll close and stare at Jay. The waitress came over with a basket full of garlic knots. As soon as Jay picked one up, KiKi reached out her hand to him. He quickly tore off a piece of the bread in his hand and gave it to her. She squealed before shoving the small piece in her mouth. “You’re gonna be her new best friend.”
He chuckled. “I hope so.”
I quietly enjoyed my garlic knot while watching Jay share his with KiKi.
“Is it really so easy to win her heart?”
“Only if she decides she likes you. Some people she just doesn’t like and nothing they do can change that.”
“What about you? How easy is it to win your heart?”
I smiled at him. “You want to win my heart?”
“Yeah. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I don’t do social media, but I tried it just to try and find you.”
“Really?”
“Yes. After a few days of sifting through thousands of girls named Imani, I tapped out and decided that if it was meant to be then I would find you again.” He paused. “I went back to the festival even though I wasn’t playing.”
“Anissa couldn’t get off work so we didn’t go.” I frowned.
“Just as well. It rained the whole day anyway.”
“I’m not really on social media either. The one account I do have is set to private after I kept getting messages from weirdos.”
“I can see that pretty face attracting a lot of weirdos.”
I cut my eyes at him. “Most of them look at me like I’m an exotic animal.”
The frown on his face was really clear. “That’s fucked up.”
“I’m either a charity case because of my vision or an exotic prize.”
“You are a prize. But not an exotic one.” Jay reached across the table and held my hand. “You are a beautiful and intelligent woman. A man would be lucky to be able to have you in his life. I hope to be that lucky man.”
The warm sensations running through my body were back. I was sad when I had to let his hand go so that the waitress could put our pizza down on the table. KiKi started banging on the table and pointing to the pizza.
I shook my head. “It’s too hot.”
Jay tried to give her another piece of garlic knot but she pushed his hand away. “Oh, she is serious about her pizza.”
“Very.” I picked up a slice and tore off a piece from the end. I blew on it until it felt cool enough to give to her. KiKi quickly took it from me and shoved it in her mouth. “Use your teeth and chew.”
KiKi smiled and chewed with her mouth open causing Jay to burst into laughter. “She is a character.”
“A smart ass is what she is.” I ate a bite of my own slice of pizza after tearing up the rest of KiKi’s slice.
“You said you had a class. You’re taking summer classes?”
“It’s the last class I need to finish my associate’s degree.”
“Are you going back for your bachelor’s?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. I want to take a break.”
“Okay.”
“How did your parents take you not going back to school?”
“They were pissed but calmed down when they better understood the apprenticeship program. I’m able to take care of myself so they’ve left me alone about it.”
“Do you enjoy what you’re doing now?”
“Yeah. I’m still learning but I enjoy it a lot.”
KiKi squealed and I handed her another piece of her pizza. After she ate it she started trying to get out of the high chair. This also involved screaming. Jay immediately picked her up out of the chair and sat her on his lap. She tilted her head back so that she could look up at him for a few moments. Then she started banging on the table. I slid her plate over to him. We ate and Jay told me about the different things he was learning how to do at work. When KiKi got tired of eating, she turned around in his lap and stood up on his legs.
“What is she doing?” I asked.
“Playing with my beard.”
I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Jay had barely had a mustache when we first met. I really liked what he was working with now.
“I can’t believe she ate that whole slice of pizza.”
“She is greedy when it comes to pizza.” I paused. “She also likes fried rice.”
“She seems like she eats well.”
“Kierra doesn’t miss meals. She makes sure she gets all her snacks in too. You see how big she is. Her doctor says she is in the eightieth percentile for her age.”
“So she’ll enjoy plenty of dinner dates.”
I laughed. “Yes she will.”
“And what kind of dates will you enjoy?”
“I want to go rollerskating.” I responded quickly. Then I sat back nervously. “Is that silly?”
“No. Not at all.”
“I haven’t been since I was little. My mom used to take me once a week.”
“This is the first time you’ve mentioned her.”
I shrugged. “She lives in Richmond. I lived with her until high school, when I got to be too much to handle.”
“Oh.”
“I wonder if I’ll enjoy roller skating as much as I used to.”
“So we’ll go and find out.” He reached his hand across the table.
I smiled and placed my hand in his.
Inside the Shell 