Soul Food Pt. 04

Hastily straightening out her clothes -- Why? -- she couldn't say. Her heart hammered in her chest as she accepted his call. "Hello, Denis, I'm so happy that you called," Coraline spoke once she had placed the phone on speaker.

"Hello... I don't know what to call you." She heard the indecision in the tone of his voice. "So you're really my mother?"

"Mmmhmm, I am," Coraline hummed as she nodded. "As to what to address me as Coraline will be fine, or Mom, when you feel like it. No pressure," she spoke, feeling her heart in her throat that her son had accepted that she was indeed his biological mother.

"So, what do you want from me?"

"Nothing Denis, I just want to get to know you. About your life, how you've lived. Who took care of you, and just to grow close to my son," Coraline said in a warm tone.

"I don't think you would want to know about that."

"Why?" Coraline asked, confused. Wondering what could've happened to him, that would make him think that.

"Just something I doubt you would understand." Arching an eyebrow when her son uttered that statement.

"Okay, I would like to know about it, but I won't push until you're ready to talk about it. What about when you were adopted? Can we talk about that?" Coraline asked, shutting her TV off to limit the distractions.

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything?!" Coraline said excitedly. "Like how did you meet the McCarty's, are they good to you, do they take care of you, do they love you?" she spoke, her questions coming out rapidly.

"I met them when I was digging through their trash for something to eat."

"What?!" Coraline shouted, not believing what she had just heard. Why was her son digging through trash just to find something to eat? Why would he have to?! "Denis, please tell me, why were you doing that?"

"Because I was cold, hungry, and homeless."

"But why were you on the streets in the first place?" Coraline asked in a concerned motherly tone.

"Because I ran away from the home the State had placed me in."

"Why?!" Coraline asked in a need to understand what her son's life has been like.

"I don't know you well enough to talk about that."

"Okay, okay, I can understand that," blowing out a breath, "so you were looking for something to eat; when was this?" Coraline asked, pulling her legs beneath her, leaning on her hand as she enjoyed the sound of her son's voice.

"Thanksgiving day, eight years ago, that was when my life changed."

"Oh? And the McCarty's have taken care of you ever since?"

"They have."

"Are they good to you, Denis?" Coraline asked, hoping that was the case.

"Yes, they're very good to me. They're the best people that I know." Coralline heard the conviction in her son's voice.

"I'm glad to hear that, baby," Coraline said, testing that word out. She couldn't deny how giddy that made her feel. "So, how are you in school?"

"Terrible, but my brother and sister, along with her friends, help me."

"I'm very happy to hear that you're close to them and that they help you out," Coraline said, knowing that had been a weight on her shoulders, wondering if his adopted family treated him like one of their own or not. "So, Denis, do you have anything that you like to do?"

"As in?"

"Something that you enjoy doing that doesn't involve school," Coraline clarified.

"Oh. Well, I like going fishing with my Uncle Stan; since Dad's injury, he hasn't been able to go like he used to. So, I go in his place."

"Do you catch anything?" Coraline asked, hearing the love her son had for his adoptive father.

"Most of the time, but sometimes they're just too crafty for me." Coraline felt herself smiling as she heard the uplift in his voice.

"And when you do catch something, what kind of fish do you catch?"

"Mostly small and largemouth bass and a lot of crappie; those are my Dad's favorites, Will; he likes bass."

"Denis, who's Will?"

"My older brother."

"Ah. Do you get along with your adoptive sister?"

"I do. She's been great to me."

"That's good to hear. Do you do anything else besides fish," Coraline said, knowing Denis and her father would get along in that aspect.

"I box."

"What?! What do you mean, you box?" Coraline asked; she did not condone those types of physical sports.

"Dad taught me how to work out the anger I have."

"What do you mean?"

"Long story, don't feel like going into it right now."

"Alright," blowing out a breath, knowing eventually her son would tell her why she just needed to be patient with him, "so you're a boxer, are you any good at it?" Coraline asked, knowing she couldn't harp on it if it helped her son.

"I am. Won the city's featherweight title two months ago. I have a title match this Thursday."

"Really?!" Coraline asked in shocked awe. Wondering why the P.I. didn't put that in his report.

"Mmmhmm."

"Well then, I'm going to root for you from here and hope you win with a big knockout!" Coraline exclaimed in a motherly voice. Knowing this, too, was something he and her father could relate to. "So does your adoptive family come and cheer you on at these matches."

"Mom, sis, and Nana are always there, Will and Dad attend when they can. Uncle Stan and Aunt Jill try to come, but they have their own lives to live, so I can understand why they can't sometimes."

"And why do Will and your adoptive father attend only on occasions?"

"Well, Will's studying to be a medical researcher and doctor like our father is; Dad's a doctor, not a researcher, so Will is normally studying whenever he's home. He has a lot of classes, so sometimes he can't get away, and Dad, well, I just told you, he works a lot of hours at the hospital and his private practice."

"Wow. Two doctors in your family, I'm impressed. I hope he does well in his classes."

"Me too, Will is so smart; I know he'll be a great doctor." Coraline heard the praise in Denis' voice.

"Denis?"

"Hmm?"

"Earlier, you said your dad was injured. Can I ask what happened to him?"

"He was shot when some drug addict tried to raid the hospital my dad worked at and was paralyzed because of it. So I help as much as I can around here."

"Ah. Sounds like you're a very good son to your adoptive parents."

"I try to be."

"Denis, is there anything you want to know about me?" Coraline asked in a shy tone.

"Do I have siblings?"

"No, you're the only child I've ever had, but you do still have family in Philadelphia."

"I do?"

"Mmmhmm. Your grandfather's -- my father -- brother still lives in the suburbs east of the city. They have three children, all grown, but they have their own children. Mom's sister lives in the city itself; her two daughters work for the city."

"Doing what?"

"One's a meter maid," biting her lip when she heard Denis snort, "and the other one works for the police department, I think in the crime lab, I'm not sure. I haven't spoken to Giada in a few months. Still, I'm sure that's what she said she would be doing when she graduated," Coraline said, wondering if he's seen them and neither knew as they passed each other.

"Denis, come inside; it's dinner time!" Coraline heard his adoptive mother's voice calling out to him.

"I have to..."

"No, I understand, don't keep them waiting. Denis?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for calling; I've enjoyed talking to you; maybe we can do this every night?" Coraline asked with hope.

"You want to talk every night?"

"Yes, I do," Coraline nodded firmly. "As long as you're okay with it, Denis."

"Alright, I guess we can try."

"Say this time every night? Will that work for you?"

"Sure."

"Goodnight, son; I hope you enjoy your dinner," Coraline stated, not hiding the happiness in her voice.

"Night, Coraline." Her legs kicked wildly in the air as she kissed her son's picture on the screen of her phone.

"Mom?!" Coraline spoke in a chipper tone into her phone after she had danced around her condo like a fool.

"Hello, honey, what's got you all excited?"

"I just got off the phone with Denis, my son," Coraline stated in a pride-filled voice.

"Oh, you did, did you?" She heard her mother's amused tone in her ear.

"I did, I did," Coraline nodded against her phone. "And you know what?"

"What?"

"He believes me."

"Really?!" Coraline heard the uptick in her mother's voice. "Hold on, I'm putting you on speaker. Okay, go ahead; your father is all ears."

"We talked and talked about a lot of things," Coraline sighed happily.

"Oh? What about?" her father asked.

"Like how life is with his adoptive family. Did you know they'll have two doctors soon? Will, that's Denis' older adoptive brother, is studying to be one right now." Hearing her parents whistle over the line. "Not only that, but Dad, I think you're going to like this."

"Oh?"

"He likes to fish; he goes with his Uncle Stan."

"He does? Did he tell you what he likes to catch?"

"He did," Coraline said, so happy that she could share this with her parents. "He said he's caught small and largemouth bass, and crappie, whatever kind of fish that is. But he said he goes fishing because his adoptive father can't anymore since his injury. So he catches them for him."

"A very small mouth fish, very hard to catch. It's a pan fish; it's pretty good eating too." She could hear the pride in her father's voice. "Wow. I'm sorry to hear that about the man, but it's good to hear he does that for him."

"I know; I'm very proud that he goes out of his way to make his adoptive father happy," Coraline said in a prideful motherly tone.

"What else did you learn about our grandson?" she heard her mother's eagerness to know all about Denis.

"That he likes to box."

"Really?" Coraline heard the uptick in her father's voice when he asked that.

"He does; his adoptive father taught him how. Not only that, but he also told me he won the city's featherweight title two months ago. Said he also has a title match this Thursday," Coraline said, knowing how often her father has paid for the paper-view of boxing matches.

"Wow. Wish I could have seen that match. I bet it was a great one."

"I'm sure it was."

"Did he say if this match would be streamed?"

"No, we didn't get into that; his adoptive mother called for him since they were about to have dinner."

"Did he say anything about before he got adopted?" her mother asked in a concerned tone.

"No, he wouldn't talk about that with me. But I do know how he and the McCarty's met."

"Oh? Do tell."

"From what Denis told me, they found him digging through their trash looking for something to eat on Thanksgiving, eight years ago."

"What?!" her parents shouted into her ear.

"Why in the good lord's name was he eating out of the garbage?" her father intoned heatedly.

"Because as he put it, he ran away from the home the State placed him in; he was cold, hungry, and homeless. He wouldn't tell me why he was on the streets; I wish he would," Coraline sighed, leaning against the counter in her kitchen.

"Just give him time, honey, but I am so happy that he believes you."

"Me too," Coraline said, knowing how much her mother knew how she just wanted to talk with Denis. "Well, I'm going to get off of here and fix my dinner."

"Okay, honey, you're coming over this weekend, aren't you?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Good, we'll see you then."

Holding out her phone, making sure her hair wasn't messy in the camera before snapping a picture of herself leaning against her kitchen counter. Taking a few more in different poses before discarding the ones she didn't like. Opening up her text messaging app attaching the photo to the text she was typing out to her son, which read: 'Denis, I know you're having dinner right now, and I don't mean to interrupt it. I just thought maybe you would like to have a picture of me. I know I like to have one of you, when you have time, of course. I hope you have a wonderful night and that your dinner is good. I really did love talking to you tonight, and I can't wait to speak with you again.' She read it a few times before sending it to her son before laying down her phone on the counter while she went to reheat a one-person frozen meal.

Looking over at it when it vibrated as she waited for the microwave to finish. Snorting loudly in her kitchen as whomever it was took a picture of her startled son with a spaghetti noodle hanging out of his mouth. Pressing her fingers to her lips when another came in of Denis with a brooding look, or at least that was what it looked like to her as he stared at the camera. "So cute," Coraline muttered aloud. Running her finger along the outline of her son's face, wondering when he would be okay in meeting one another. Gasping when there was another sent, her son was smiling this time while a woman slightly older than her son leaned her head on his shoulder. Noting how Denis's eyes were elsewhere, telling her the unknown speaker had said something to cause it what whomever the woman was took the picture.

"I'm Shawna, Denis' sister, that's me in the picture; I hope you like them. Enjoy your night!"

"Thank you, Shawna; I did very much. You have a good night," Coralline quickly typed out as her microwave dinged.

To Be Continued...