They looked terrible.
Cedric had lost weight, his face gaunt and stubbled.
Jessica’s usually perfect makeup was smudged, her designer clothes wrinkled.
They’d clearly been sleeping in their car.
“Hello, Cedric,” I said calmly, not breaking stride as I headed for the elevator.
“Mom, wait.”
He jumped up, blocking my path.
“We need to talk.”
“No, we don’t.”
Jessica stood too, her voice taking on that manipulative tone I knew so well.
“Tatum, the children miss their grandmother. This has gone on long enough.”
I looked at her.
This woman who’d laughed when my son threw meat at me like I was a dog.
“Where are my grandchildren now, Jessica?”
She shifted uncomfortably.
“They’re staying with friends.”
“You mean you dumped them on other people because you’re homeless?”
I stepped around them toward the elevator.
“Interesting parenting choice.”
Cedric followed me.
“Mom, please. Just 5 minutes. Let us explain.”
Against my better judgment, I stopped.
Maybe it was curiosity. Maybe I wanted to see just how far they’d fallen.
“Fine, 5 minutes, but not up in my apartment. We can talk right here.”
We sat in the lobby’s small seating area.
Through the windows, I could see my herb garden thriving on the balcony. Cherry tomatoes, basil, oregano.
I’d been learning to cook for one, and it was surprisingly enjoyable.
“First,” Cedric began, “I want to apologize for what I said at the barbecue. That was wrong.”
“What else?” I asked.
He blinked.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, what else are you apologizing for? Because if you think this is about one comment at one barbecue, you haven’t learned anything.”
Jessica jumped in.
“Tatum, we know we took you for granted sometimes.”
“Sometimes?”
I laughed.
“Jessica, you moved into my house and immediately started throwing away my belongings. You told your children to call me the maid as a joke. You ate my food, used my utilities, and complained when I asked you to clean up after yourselves.”
Her face flushed red.
“That’s not how it happened.”
“Isn’t it, Cedric? Remember last Christmas when you borrowed my credit card to buy presents? $800 I couldn’t afford because I was already supporting four extra people in my house.”
Cedric looked uncomfortable.
“I paid you back.”
“No, you didn’t. You promised to pay me back. There’s a difference.”
I leaned back in my chair, feeling surprisingly calm.