Free How to Knock a Bravebird from Her Perch : The First Novel in the Morrow Girls Series (9780985751616) by D. Bryant Simmons Page A

doorway, waiting for the girls to leave my bedside. “She ain’t had nothing but a few hours of rest. How you feel if somebody come and wake you up after your head just hit the pillow? Now go on downstairs.”
    “It’s okay. I’m up.”
    “N’all. Now go on back to sleep.”
    Clara disappeared and so did my little ones. All I needed was to hear her voice and the front door closing to know she got Nikki and Mya off to school. I yawned and stretched my body as far out as it could go. I still had on my dress from the night before but my earrings hadn’t made it home with me. For the life of me I couldn’t remember what happened to them. I remembered the trip to the washroom...the dance floor...and...Heziah.  
    Ricky was nowhere to be found but that was normal. He got up and out the door just before sunrise. He had a fight coming up in a few weeks that if he won would move him to the next division he said. It was the second time in his career he’d gotten close to it. Last time he choked against a weaker guy. That’s how he’d put it. He just ain’t wanna admit that somebody could beat him at something, could be more trained, more talented. He wouldn’t even think it was possible.
    “What you smiling about?” Clara came back, with a smile of her own at the sight of mine. “You have fun last night?”
    “I think so.”
    “You think so? How you not gonna know, hun? You had that much fun? That you don’t even remember?” I nodded and she kissed me on the head. A wet, brisk kiss. “It feel real good to live life, don’t it? Instead of just letting it pass you by.”
    “Yeah.”
    I kept that feeling all the way through breakfast. We sat in the kitchen, sipping our coffee and keeping still. I gave Natalie her bottle even though she was getting to the age that she was more interested in what we were drinking than what I had for her.  
    “So you girls had yourselves a good time, huh?”
    “Sure did, Auntie. We danced and drank...”
    “Ooo, look at you! Guess you had a little more than them Shirley Temples you used to.” Clara pushed her empty cup of coffee to the side, letting her bosom ease over the edge of the table. “You ain’t buy all your own drinks did you?”
    “No, Auntie.”
    “Good girl. You and Ricky been together so long you ain’t have no chance to explore what life got to offer. Ain’t nothing wrong with flirting with it every now and then.”
    I ain’t know what to say to that, just nodded and tried to focus on Nat. The night before was over. I was back to being just a married woman. Good thing too. Wasn’t no smoke trying to weigh me down and men trying to feel me up. Just me and my girls. Was better that way. What kinda mama would I be if I went looking for something outside my front door?
    Jackie took up her usual spot in front of the TV set, explaining to her baby sister exactly what was happening on Sesame Street. She knew all the characters by name and thought that Nat should too. Nat wasn’t yet a year but she was crawling and sitting up. If left alone, she’d crawl to wherever her sisters were and watch everything they did. I was lucky that Nat was a pretty easy baby. She ain’t cry too much. She slept the right amount. The only thing was she looked nothing like Ricky. Ain’t bother me none but I could tell it bothered him. She was darker than me, darker than anybody in his family, and when she was born he looked at her then looked at me. I thought he was gonna accuse me of stepping out on him. And on top of everything else, she was a girl. I guess I thought he’d get over it, get on to loving her like he should’ve. I was wrong. But he ain’t have to love her. His love wasn’t nothing to go calling home about no way. She was my baby and I loved her.
    We had started cleaning the dishes when the phone rang. I didn’t think much of it. Just kept rinsing and drying and humming to myself. Then Clara squinted at me and held out the phone. “It’s for you.”
    From the