Surprise friendship

One day as Quisha sat in her apartment, her phone rang. When she wasn’t working or spending time with Chad she was studying. She closed her book and answered the phone. It was Elizabeth.

“Hello,” Quisha said, surprised to hear Chad’s mother on the phone.

“Hi, dear,” his mother began. “I’m sorry to be a bother but I can’t reach Stacy and Gretchen is at work. I need a ride to a doctor’s appointment.”

“Of course,” Quisha found herself saying. Within the hour Quisha was at Chad’s mother’s house. She took her to her appointment and then let her treat her to lunch for inconveniencing her.

“I want to thank you for taking me to see Dr. Ashby,” Elizabeth said.

“It was alright, Mrs. Allencourt, I really wasn’t doing anything important,” Quisha responded.

“Elizabeth—please call me Elizabeth,”

Quisha smiled and nodded her head. Elizabeth cocked her head to the side.

“I think you’re good for my son,” she said and gauged Quisha’s expression.

“What?” Quisha asked.

“Since you’ve been with him, he’s mellowed out,” Mrs. Allencourt said.

Quisha sat across from the older woman, processing what she said.

“You think so?” Quisha asked.

Mrs. Allencourt thought a moment and then said, “Yes, I do.”

“Well, thank you,” Quisha said at a loss for words.

As time went on, Quisha found herself spending more time with Chad’s mother. It was a surprise not only to her, but Elizabeth as well as an unlikely bond between the two women formed. Gretchen became slightly jealous and out of sorts with her mother’s attachment to Quisha.

One evening Gretchen and Elizabeth were in the kitchen.

“Mom, when did you become so close to Quisha?”

“Well, you’re always busy with work and the children. Sometimes I need someone to run errands for me or just talk to me sometimes.”

“Mom, I’m here anytime you need me; and what about Stacy?”

“She’s busy too,” her mother replied.

“I don’t like it and I don’t like her,” Gretchen said.

“Well dear, I’m sorry you feel that way. Quisha, has been a great help to me. You should learn to like and get along with her for the sake of your brother.”

“For the sake of Chad, really Mom?” Gretchen said.

“Haven’t you noticed a change in your brother since he’s been with her?” Mrs. Allencourt asked.

“I guess he’s matured a bit.” Gretchen said.

Gretchen’s mother nodded her head in agreement. “He has.”

* * *

“What changed?” Chad asked his mother one day over the phone.

“I don’t know,” his mother said. “I needed help one day with an errand and your sister wasn’t available. I called Quisha, and then we went out to lunch,” she continued thinking back to that day.

“I had her pegged wrong and I’m sorry son,” Elizabeth continued. “She’s a nice young lady and I want you to forgive me for having a preconceived notion.”

“Mom,” he started then stopped. He wasn’t going to confess to the charade because his mother had finally stopped riding him about his single status and revealing the lie now would instantly get her on his back again, plus, his feelings for Quisha were deepening with each passing day.

“Yes, son?”

“It’s nothing. I’m glad you like her,” he said and looked at his watch.

“Matter of fact, I have a date with her tonight,” he said.

“That’s good, dear. I hope it’s someplace nice,” his mother subtly pried.

“Oh, it is,” he said.

Chad enjoyed taking Quisha to places and watching her hide her enthusiasm as not to appear too uncouth, and like she didn’t know about that life. The rich life—a life he was accustomed to.

“Are you ready?” he asked when he called to confirm when he would be at her place.

“Yes,” she said, finishing her hair just in time.

* * *

Chad, Gretchen, Bryan and Stacy sat in the study waiting for their mother. She eventually walked in looking somber.

“Where’s Quisha?” she asked.

“Why do you need her?” Bryan and Gretchen said in unison.

“Because I want her here,” their mother said. “I won’t give the news until everybody is here,”

“Why?” Bryan asked.

“Because she’s about to be a part of this family,” Elizabeth said and looked over at Chad.

Chad got up and went into another room to call Quisha.

“Quisha,” he started, “My mother has some news for us, but she won’t give it to us until you are here,” he said.

“Oh, ok.” Quisha said.

They spoke a little more before Quisha agreed to drive to his mother’s house.