(You can listen to this piece on S3E14 of the podcast)
Shayla sashayed into the kitchen and cocked her head in disbelief as she surveyed the breakfast spread before her.
“Tanya!”
“Yes?” her cousin said in a singsong voice as she turned away from the stove.
“We came all the way down to Alabama and you’re trying to feed us grapefruit?”
“And a parfait,” Tanya added. “And some other good things, too.”
Shayla’s eyes darted around to the other “good things” her cousin had prepped before turning back to her. “You can’t even spell parfait,” Shayla shot back as she tightened the paisley robe draped around her amply round frame. “I thought this was supposed to be a down home-style cousins weekend,” she continued. “Where’s the pork sausage? Where are the biscuits. Where is the country gravy?”
Tanya rolled her eyes smoother than the custardy finish on a strawberry jelly Danish, though she couldn’t hide her amusement. “We’re eating healthier this time around,” she replied then turned her attention back to the nonstick skillet in front of here where she was pushing around scrambled egg whites.
“I don’t care how low your cholesterol numbers are, we didn’t put you in charge of breakfast for you to switch it up on us,” said Shayla, shaking her head decisively.
Footsteps trailed the loud voices of their three other cousins in attendance. The Collins Clan is what they called themselves. Peals of belly laughter and jovial jesting filled the kitchen until Candy, Summer, and Denise surveyed the breakfast bar filled with grapefruit halves, yogurt parfait and empty plates where the egg whites and non-buttered multigrain toast were to be placed.
“Now I know y’all then lost y’all’s minds,” the Candy said.
“There’s nothing wrong with eating clean,” Tanya insisted, straightening her back as she faced her cousins who all either had their arms akimbo on their hips or across their busty frames. Their facial expressions varied from confusion to incredulity.
“The only thing clean we’re talking about this morning is the clean, country-cooking breakfast spot we’re about to eat at,” Candy said, reaching for her keys on the bar. “Let’s go girls.”
Tanya opened her mouth to plead with their retreating backs, then decided against it. They were a stubborn bunch. Instead, she switched off the burner with the egg whites and grabbed a fork from the utensil drawer just as the engine of one of their rental cars revved up in the driveway. She took a bite of egg whites and swallowed.
“Wait for me!” she cried out, as she dropped her fork into the sink, tore off her robe, and went running after them.
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