Chapter Three
A few days later, Adalia kicked off her shoes in the kitchen back at her dad’s house. There were dishes piled in the sink and carrots lying on the chopping board. She scraped the peeler over their fat bodies and threw the peelings into the trash can.
She’d decided on a beef stew for the evening. She could put it on, leave it for her father and come back after her date for leftovers if she was still hungry.
Adalia checked the clock on the wall. She still had a couple hours before eight and DeShawn was usually late anyway.
“Hey, you’re back from work.” Her father, Sylvester, shuffled into the kitchen wrapped in his blanket. He coughed into his fist then sniffed. “I didn’t think you’d be home this soon.”
“I took a bit of time off work. Got a date tonight,” she muttered, hop
