“Do you really think he’s Keegan’s?” Tia asked.
“Here’s what we know,” Lucas said. “He’s not yours. And he’s not here. And no matter who he is or isn't seen with, or belongs with, it’s not your business. And here’s what you’re going to do. You won’t talk about him to anyone. Not your friends, not strangers, not Pride members, and not your sister. It’s not fair to Kaiser or to his parents for them to be descended on by reporters, and to have the only place he’s got to retreat to taken away from him because of whatever buzz that reporter just created. Not to mention, we don’t want any of that kind of attention on the Pride. You keep family and Pride businessprivate. If I find out that you haven’t done that, you will answer to me, and then Riley will want to speak to you. Am I clear?”
“Yes, sir,” Tia said, clearly shaken up. “I’m so embarrassed. I told Amanda the same thing. I really wanted it to be true.”
“It’s okay. He doesn’t know you hoped for that. So there’s no reason to be embarrassed. It’s no different than anyone else having a crush on someone. Just let it go and move on, okay? It’s not a big deal and nothing worth starting an argument with your sister over,” Anahla said.
“But she really thinks he’s hers,” Tia said.
“Drop it,” Lucas snapped.
Tia nodded and sat back, watching the stations changing as her mother searched for something else to focus on.
“I’m going to check on Keegan,” Lucas said.
Tia sat there quietly, forcing herself to smile at her mother when she chose a Disney movie to leave on the television.
“There, I’ll make a snack or something,” Anahla said, walking back into the kitchen.
Tia turned around and watched her mother taking microwave popcorn out of the pantry and preparing to put it in the microwave. “You already knew he’s Keegan’s mate, didn’t you?”
Anahla didn’t answer, she just kept trying to tear the plastic off the bag of popcorn.
Tia sat down on the sofa again, lost in her own thoughts.
Back in her bedroom, Keegan carefully placed her book on her dresser, then got into bed. She didn’t bother changing into her nightgown, she just climbed beneath the covers still wearing her teeshirt and shorts. She pulled the covers tightly around her and curled in the fetal position beneath them. She squeezed her eyes closed tight, and refused to let herself cry. Seeing Kaiser on TV had given her the final push she needed to identify all the frustration she’d been experiencing around him, and with hersister regarding him. She suddenly knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that he was hers. It also explained why he’d been acting so strangely around her since the last time he’d come home.
But that wasn’t all it told her. It also told her he was gone. He’d gone back to Atlanta without a word. Which in all fairness he’d always done prior to now, but now it meant more than just his norm. Now it meant that he was avoiding her. She’d not just been yelling at her sister about being a child, they might not be toddlers, but they were both certainly minors, and in any socially conscious circles, grown men weren’t interested in minors. Which is why he left — to pretend she didn’t exist. But that wasn’t even the worst of it. The worst of it was that he was dating someone. And that someone was very special to him. He’d alluded to it on national television. And where did that leave her, a sixteen year old, who’d just discovered her mate was a grown man, nine years her senior, that she’d known since the very day she was born and had no idea about until now? Forgotten, that’s where. Alone, forgotten, and left behind at home with her parents. Exactly where a child should be.
A soft tap sounded on her bedroom door.
Keegan sighed and pulled her covers tighter around her.
“Keegan, baby? You okay?”
“Go away, Daddy, please.”
“No, we need to talk,” Lucas answered.
Epilogue
The music was loud and carried through the trailer park as well as across the street to Riley’s and Maia’s house. The front gates of the trailer park — usually wide open — were closed to prevent anyone from driving through the middle of the park since that’s where all the partying was taking place. Three eight foot long folding tables were set up across the driveway and newspaper was spread out across each one. The remains of the first round of boiled crawfish, potatoes, corn, sausage and garlic were lying along half of one of the tables, and boiled shrimp was on the other half. The other two tables held a variety of barbecue, fried seafood, desserts and breads. Several more tables were scattered around with chairs nearby, and there were ice chests filled with a variety of drinks, everything from sodas, to waters, to juices, beer, hard lemonades and teas, and everything in between, including Remi’s favorite apple sodas.
Kids squealed as they ran by, and laughter, good friends, and family were the focus of the day.
Avaleigh, Maia, Valerie, Talie, Yvette, Libby and Mrs. Constance were visiting and enjoying the day, while Roman, Remi, Daniel and Riley played horseshoes while Havoc kept score.
Lucas, manning the boiling pot, whistled sharply. “Yo! Are they ready?” he asked as he used a wooden boat paddle to press the crawfish back into the hot, highly-seasoned water they were floating to the top of.
“Let me come see,” Havoc answered, hurrying over to where Lucas was babysitting the crawfish pot.
“Yep. They’re ready!” Havoc announced. “Anybody wants fresh crawfish, come get them!” He and Lucas lifted the interiorpot and strained it for a few seconds into the outer pot below it, then carried it over and poured it out onto the table covered with new papers.
“Hot dogs are ready!” Lazarus yelled out for the kids that were running around.
Immediately Dillon, Easton, Evan, and Harley all swarmed him, clamoring for hot dogs.
Scotty, who’d been talking with Lazarus while they grilled hot dogs and sausages, reached out and flicked his oldest son’s ear. “Hey! Let’s not knock anybody over!”
