2A few minutes later her mother pulled up to the curb in front of her and came upon Nicolette with red-rimmed eyes and tears streaming down her face. She sighed at the sorry sight of her daughter and honked the horn. "Get in, look like you had a rough day, but it isn't anything baked goods, chocolate, and good tea can't fix," shouted Evelyn. Nicolette got into the car and was almost completely silent the whole car ride there. She didn't want to have this discussion in the car, and her mother didn't prompt her to do anything. She was utterly grateful for that. As she sniffled and tears streamed down her face her mother drove home in silence.
When they got back to her childhood home, which wasn't too far from her apartment, Nicolette immediately went to the kitchen and grabbed what she knew was a cookie-brownie fusion, that only her mom could truly make out, of a container and moaned. "They're still warm," she said around a mouth full of brownie. Her mother wasn't kidding when she was talking about baked goods and chocolate. She sat down at the counter and let the taste and smell of the brownie bring back all the comforting memories of spending time in the kitchen with her mother. She started to think, would she do the same with her little one, would she teach them to bake with family recipes that were nothing more than glorified grocery lists and show them the beauty of being creative with food and how much a good cake could bring people together way more than any heart-wrenching speech could.
As she was musing about all of this, her mother stood in the doorway, watching Nicolette and letting her settle in before she came in and sat down next to Nicolette. She looked at her daughter and thought about how much it hurt to see one of her children hurting that badly. She saw those hazel eyes filled with tears and felt a twinge of pain in her chest. Nicolette was several shades darker than her own tanned skin, yet her face was red from all of the crying she had been doing. This was how Evelyn knew how bad things were. Some black people may not be able to truly blush, but Nicolette could. She could, but only really blushed when things were at the extreme, and this apparently the case. Nicolette's hands shook and it worried Evelyn that he daughter was this shaken up and started to approach her.
She saw that Nicolette had felt her mother's presence before she saw her sit down next to her. She knew her mom would let her speak on her own time, but she knew she had to get it all out as soon as possible. "So do you want the bad news or the somewhat poorly timed good news?" started Nicolette. Her throat raw from crying so hard, it came out as more of a croaked whisper and it hurts her mother's own throat to her it. Her mother only responded with, "Whatever is easier for you to start with." She thought that she might as well start with the big news, "Well, you know how I have always said that you are the world's best mom?" Her mother just nods and smiles at the compliment. "Well, you are going to get a chance to prove that you are the world's best grandmother pretty soon as well."
Evelyn couldn't be any happier and swept her daughter into a big hug. This hug was so full of love and warmth that Nicolette couldn't help but start to shed a few more tears to add to the growing collection of tears she had shed through the day as she thought about how Brandon's reaction should have been one of love and joy like her mother's was. Evelyn was so happy and couldn't help, but wonder what her daughter's boyfriend thought of this all and she asked, "What did Brandon think when he heard the good news?" Nicolette winced as she heard her mother say this. Evelyn felt her daughter tense and moved back to look into her daughter's eyes. What she saw there was enough to crush her heart.
"What did that boy do?" exclaimed Evelyn. "He told me to get rid of it because he, he didn't want it and if that I keep it that is he is done with me," sobbed Nicolette. Evelyn hugged he daughter closer and told her, "No matter what that boy does, you know that I am always here for you and my little grandbaby. I will help you with whatever you need me to do. We can work this out. Whatever you decide I am with you all the way." Nicolette hugged her mother harder as she sobbed harder. She felt such a relief talking to her mother. She knew that she still had a lot to worry about, but she knew with her mother by her side she could take on whatever came at her.
At that moment, Nicolette realized that no matter how badly Brandon had shattered her heart, between her mother and the new life forming in her she would be able to get through this. That she would be able to slowly put her heart together again piece by piece and get through this. She started to feel this warm fuzziness that came from the knowledge that she had a source of unconditional love from her family. This warmth helped her through her dark thoughts, maybe not completely, but enough for her to get through this conversation. She knew she would become strong enough to get through this. She knew that as soon as she told the rest of her family that they would be just as on board as her mom is. Her only fear was if she would ever see Brandon again. If she did would she fall right back in with him or would she be strong enough or in a good enough place to tell him how she felt about what he did and to allow him to be a part of this child's life even if he could never completely be a part of her's again.