This is NOT a mystery, but this would be considered Eugeena Patterson Mysteries, Book 0.5.

Prequel to Eugeena Patterson Mysteries
The events happen five years before DEEP FRIED TROUBLE.

In this heart-warming short story, meet wife and mother EUGEENA PATTERSON. Eugeena has always been the glue keeping her fragmented family together. When her teenage daughter is rushed to the hospital, Eugeena’s usual attempts to maintain peace in her family reach a breaking point. Will her troubled teenage daughter rip the family apart?

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 Read an Excerpt

Can a sistah get a break? Despite it being early September, I was already feeling the strain of the school year.  I could’ve blamed the ole humid Carolina weather for dragging me down, but weariness had descended on me that really had nothing to do with a new school year.  After eight hours of dealing with eighth graders, I wanted to put my feet up for the night, but I knew that wasn’t going to happen. I walked into the house, dropped my work bag on the couch in the living room and headed straight to my favorite part of the house—the kitchen. 

Tired wouldn’t begin to describe how I felt, but the one thing that lifted my spirits was a good meal.  I laughed out loud. “Pleasing Eugeena’s taste buds. Lord, that’s all I seem to find a bit of joy in these days.”  The humor of my statement fell flat to my ears. My choice of pleasure had wreaked havoc on my body. Old habits were hard to break. Food was a comfort. I used food to bind my family as close as I could and to fulfill my needs.

Our home no longer had two hungry boys. Both were now grown men, one in Atlanta and the other in Charlotte with his own family. I only had to prepare a meal for my husband, Ralph, and daughter, Leesa.  Most days we barely said a word to each other—forget about sitting at the table together. To keep some sense of normalcy, I planned meals anyway.

Right then, my thirst needed to be quenched. I opened a cabinet and chose a tall glass. Inside the fridge, I reached for a pitcher, not really caring about ice. I poured the iced tea into the glass and then greedily sucked it down. Just as I tried to place the pitcher back in the fridge, a scream from upstairs jolted my aching body. The pitcher of tea slipped from my hand, crashing to the floor. I looked down in horror at the shards of glass and liquid creeping across the linoleum. 

How often had I yelled at the children to be careful about handling that same pitcher? It was so old I usually just let it catch dust in the cabinet. The last piece from a wedding gift. All the glasses included with the set had long been broken.

“Mama!”  My daughter yelled my name and then produced another ear-piercing scream.

I turned away from the mess and pushed the kitchen door open. “Leesa, what’s going on with you?” Baby girl was the drama queen of the house, but I’d never known her to scream before.  

What Readers Are Saying…

A very real story for this modern time. The things that tear us apart can be the things that bind us together and Tyora Moody presents a troubled family coming together in this, the first of a series short story. Her characters are well drawn and engaging, and the topics relevant and heart felt. I am looking forward to following the adventures of this family as they deal with the changes and choices that life brings to them. And Eugeena… I want more… — C. Robinette