What Lies Beyond the Veil(Of Flesh & Bone #1)(74)

“I know it’s below your reading level,” Nia said as I turned to the back cover, “but I thought it would be nice for you to read a book about a girl who’s just like you, for once.”

I read the title again, Amazing Grace. “What’s it bout?” I asked Nia.

Nia smiled. “Well, it’s about a girl named Grace, who loves to use her imagination.” I turned the page and found Grace dressed in battle gear, and on the next page, positioned like a spider. “Grace loves to pretend like she’s other people in other places, and she’s really good at it,” Nia continued. “But one day, one of Grace’s classmates tells her she can’t audition for the role of Peter Pan in the school play.”

“Why does he say that?” I asked, following along with the colorful illustrations.

“Well, he didn’t think Grace could be Peter Pan because she was Black.”

I looked up from the book and frowned. “Well, that’s not true. Right?” I peered at Nia, then Granddaddy. Granddaddy started to stand up, but Nia shook her head.

“Of course it’s not true,” Nia said, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. “Grace could do anything she wanted to do, be anybody she wanted to be. That was her gift.” Nia pulled me in closer. “It’s your gift, too.”

“Me?” I flipped to the end of the book, watched as Grace went from sad to triumphant.

“Yes, you. When Grace is told what she can’t do, who she can’t be, that’s what helps her discover who she really is. Grace realizes that she can do anything she sets her mind to. Just like you.” Nia turned my shoulder til I was facing her. “You can do anything, KB. You’re the smartest person I know.” Then Nia hugged me, tight.

I hug the book tight to my chest now from my spot on the porch. From the moment I said thank you to Nia for the book, I already knew it was gon’ be my new best book. Mostly cause I ain’t gotta learn no new words or talk no different. Grace is just like me, exactly as I am, and that’s what makes her special. I guess that’s what makes me special, too.

“KB!” Nia’s voice calls from inside the house.

I perch my book on the steps carefully before responding. “Yeah?” I answer, wondering if I’m gon’ have to go inside. I think it’s still too early for dinner, but maybe we gon’ eat early today.

Before I stand up, Nia is already outside and standing in front of me. “Granddaddy says we can go out for dinner tonight, if you want.”

I dip my head and smile. It feels good to have Nia check in on what I want, instead of just being bossy and mean all the time. “Yeah, I wanna go,” I reply coolly, not wanting to seem too anxious. “Where we gon’ go?”

Nia shrugs. “Granddaddy said we can pick.” I nod, then wait for her to pick. Even with us gettin’ along now, Nia’s still the one who makes decisions for us. I’m okay with it, though, cause I bet Nia gon’ pick something I like, too.

“Maybe we can talk to Granddaddy tonight,” I say, then whisper, “bout the plan.” After me and Nia made up, I told her everything I knew bout Momma and Granddaddy. Bout Granny dying when Momma was ten. Bout the headshot and the fight. Then I told Nia bout my plan to fix Momma and Granddaddy, so we could go back home. She ain’t seem as convinced as me that it could work, but she ain’t call it stupid, either.

“What do you think we should say?” Nia asks quietly, sittin’ down beside me on the steps.

I shrug. The only thing I ain’t told Nia bout yet is Momma being at the treatment facility. “Have you talked to Momma since we been here?”

Nia shakes her head no. Looks like if Momma did call Nia on her birthday, Nia ain’t talk to her.

“Why not?”

This time, Nia shrugs. “I guess it was weird to talk to her since I ain’t wanna tell her bout what happened with Daddy. I was so mad at him, and it made her mad at me, I think.” I reach over and pat Nia’s knee to say, I understand. “And even if it wasn’t for that, I was mad at Momma, too. For leaving, you know?”

I nod. “Yeah, I was mad, too. But then, when I talked to her, I started feeling kinda different.”

“Different? Why?”

“Well, Momma ain’t been sounding like herself since we been here. I started thinking maybe something else was wrong with her, besides just being sad bout Daddy dying.”

“I don’t know, KB, I think Momma just sad—”

“There’s more,” I interrupt.

Nia laughs. “Of course there is. What else you got?”

“Well, one time I heard Granddaddy and Charlie talking,” I start quickly, “and I think they was talking bout Momma.”

“Mm-hmm,” Nia says, with a face like she trying not to laugh.

“I know, I know, I’m s’posed to stay outta grown folks’ conversation. But this was important!” I ignore Nia’s laughter and shaking head. “They was saying something bout Momma being in some kind of treatment. So, I asked Granddaddy bout it—”

“Wait, you talked to Granddaddy about this and not me?”

I lower my head and whisper, “Yeah.” Then louder: “I’m sorry, Nia, it was before we started talking again! I thought you would just say it was stupid and tell me to leave you alone.”